Draft day is here!
And our own Jordan Goethe offers his final prediction for how the first round will shake out.
1) ARI: QB Kyler Murray Oklahoma
Arizona is keeping the No. 1 pick a secret, but I still believe in the hype: Kyler
Murray is trading his Oakland A’s hat for a Arizona Cardinal one.
2) SF: Edge Nick Bosa Ohio State
San Francisco continues to take swings on their defensive line. Now
WR might be their biggest need, but it would be extremely hard passing
up on one of the best players in the draft if they stay at No. 2.
3) NYJ: Edge Josh Allen Kentucky
Jets were close to trading for Seattle’s Frank Clark, but missed out on him just
like Khalil Mack. The Jets have to find a pass rusher on the outside to
create disruption in the backfield. I believe Josh Allen will be their
man.
4) OAK: DT Quinnen Williams Alabama
I love the Devin White fit here in Oakland, I think he’s a “Gruden guy” or
“Gruden Grinder.” But will Mike Mayock take the chance and pass up
on a player who could be the best in this entire draft class when it is
all said and done? I think you have to take best player available here.
5) TB: LB Devin White LSU
Tampa Bay has been in love with Devin White since Day 1. After
losing Kwon Alexander in free agency, Devin White is a plug-in day one
starter for the Bucs. Franchise changing player
6) NYG: QB Dwayne Haskins Ohio State
I know the Giants would love to grab a pass rusher here, but you can’t
overthink this. Take your QB of the future and let him
redshirt for a year and learn from Eli Manning.
7) JAX: TE TJ Hockenson Iowa
Jacksonville can go one of two ways here: Either TJ Hockenson
or OT Jawaan Taylor. In order for QB Nick Foles to be successful with
his new team, you have to get him a TE he can rely on.
8) DET: Edge Rashan Gary Michigan
I don’t believe the Lions will stay here in the top 10. They have been
open about trading down and grabbing more draft capital from anyone looking to move up to select a QB (Washington?). If the Lions stay at No. 8, I would be surprised, but then they should just take
the best player in Rashan Gary.
9) BUF: DT Ed Oliver Houston
Overall Buffalo has a good defense but at some point you have to start
building around your young QB Josh Allen, and I believe they will do
that on Day 2. In the first round the Bills get a steal here with Ed
Oliver, a guy who can step right in right away and be your No. 1 defensive
tackle in a 4-3.
10) DEN: QB Drew Lock Missouri
John Elway isn’t fooling anybody by saying Joe Flacco is in his prime
and has a lot of good football left in him. The Broncos will select a QB
early in the draft. Whether it’s in the first round is still
undetermined. Drew Lock resembles a younger and more accurate version
of Jay Cutler. Some say Drew Lock is the best or second-best QB in this entire draft.
11) CIN: LB Devin Bush Michigan
With Drew Lock and Dwayne Haskins gone, there is no reason why
the Bengals should reach on a guy like Daniel Jones. Instead continue
to build their defense and speed the process up with
playmaker Devin Bush Jr. out of Michigan.
12) GB: OT Jonah Williams Alabama
I struggled with this pick. The Packers could go in so many different
directions here: receiver, edge rusher or offensive line. Jonah Williams is
arguably the best offensive linemen in the entire draft, but the big
question is will he play guard or tackle? Either way, the Packers get a guy
who can protect QB Aaron Rodgers right away.
13) MIA: OT Jawaan Taylor Florida
Eventually the Dolphins will find their franchise QB, but until then, you
need to start building around him and it starts up front.
14) ATL: DT Christian Wilkins Clemson
The Falcons really like Ed Oliver, but if they cannot move up, Atlanta still gets a really good football player here. Christian Wilkins steps in immediately and changes that locker room. He’s that
good of a football player with high character.
15) WSH: QB Daniel Jones Duke
It doesn’t sound like QB Alex Smith will be returning anytime soon and
maybe not at all. The Redskins have to find a young QB they can
groom.
16) CAR: OT Andre Dillard Washington State
Carolina could use an edge rusher, but the bottom line is the
Panthers have to protect QB Cam Newton. He may act like superman
on the field, but he’s not indestructible. Get him protection!
17) NYG: Edge Montez Sweat Miss State
Some teams have Montez Sweat off their boards completely because
of his heart condition, so he could slip down. But if the Giants aren’t scared off, they grab an elite pass rusher.
18) MIN: Center Garrett Bradbury NC State
This would be a nightmare scenario for Minnesota if all of the top
offensive tackles are all gone. The Vikings still get a very good interior lineman in
Garrett Bradbury who can play center or guard right away. Either way, the Vikings are building from the inside-out on the offensive line.
19) TEN: TE Noah Fant Iowa
Tennessee can go in a few different directions, but I have them
selecting TE Noah Fant, another big target for Marcus Mariota. He will be a nice complement for Corey Davis, Adam Humphries and Delanie Walker.
20) PIT: CB Byron Murphy Washington
The Steelers’ secondary was BAD last year. They have to address their
cornerback group, which makes Byron Murphy the right fit. The Steelers will get their Antonio
Brown replacement on Day 2.
21) SEA: Edge Brian Burns Florida State
After trading away Frank Clark, the Seahawks have a huge need
on the edge. In this situation, both Brian Burns and Clelin Ferrell are
available. Seattle will have a tough time deciding who to pass on, but
the need is obvious.
22) BAL: WR Marquise Brown Oklahoma
Some scouts believe Marquise Brown is the second coming of Desean
Jackson and could be the first WR taken over DK Metcalf. With the
way Brown plays his position, he would be a perfect fit in
Baltimore with QB Lamar Jackson. That would be a lightning fast
offense.
23) HOU: OT Dalton Risner Kansas State
Houston has a need at corner, but at some point you have to
protect your franchise QB Deshaun Watson.
Watson was hit almost 70 times last season that’s unacceptable. Go
get the best offensive linemen available and do the same thing
in the second round.
24) OAK: Edge Clelin Ferrell Clemson
The Raiders fix half of their defensive line with their first two picks by
selecting two guys who played against each other in the National
Championship in Quinnen Williams and now Clelin Ferrell. The Raiders
have so many holes to fill, but more importantly, they have to put
an end to the Khalil Mack jokes.
25) PHI: DT Dexter Lawrence Clemson
The Eagles need a linebacker desperately, but selecting a guy like
Dexter Lawrence, who can plug the hole on the line, stop the run and
allow Fletcher Cox, Derek Barnett to get after the QB more easily will
be a dream come true for DC Jim Schwartz.
26) IND: WR DK Metcalf Ole Miss
Don’t be surprised if DK Metcalf slips on draft night. He’s a great
athlete, very strong and very fast, but his agility is a big question mark.
Metcalf did improve his times at his pro day, but the numbers are still
toward the bottom compared to other top WRs in this draft
class. That might cause some teams to pass on him. If the Colts
can land DK here, that would be a steal.
27) OAK: CB Rock Ya-Sin Temple
We talked before about “Gruden’s guys” or “Gruden Grinders.” This is
another one. Rock Ya-Sin is Temple tough and a guy I can see Jon
Gruden pounding the table for on draft night. If Oakland decides to
keep all three of their first round picks (which would be smart), they
could solve their defensive line issues along with adding more
secondary help. Now all you have to do next is look for a LB, RB and
some offensive line help.
28) LAC: OT Cody Ford Oklahoma
The Chargers have to address the line of scrimmage and it starts with
getting QB Phillip Rivers some protection, especially on the right side.
29) SEA: Safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson Florida
With the Seahawks refusing to address their offensive line, at least
they can upgrade their defense with two top 30 talents in edge rusher
Brian Burns and his rival Florida’s Safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson.
These are two impact players who can help take this defense to the
next level.
30) GB: Safety Jonathan Abram Miss State
I still believe the Packers will address their secondary with the 30th
pick and then grab another receiver or TE in the second round.
I believe Jonathan Abram will be a nice complement; Adrian Amos can be
more of the cover safety while Abram can be the guy who comes down in the box and serves as the great tackler he was known for at Mississippi State.
31) LAR: Center Erik McCoy Texas A&M
The Rams have a big need on the offensive line after letting veteran
center John Sullivan leave in free agency. They could select either
Chris Lindstrom or Erik McCoy here, but I went with McCoy who has
good tape, especially against Clemson.
32) NE: OT Kaleb McGary Washington
New England has 12 total picks in this draft and knowing their history,
it’s more likely they trade down instead of trading up from 32.
Washington’s Kaleb McGary has visited with a ton of teams and might
go a lot earlier than what people are projecting.
— Jordan Goethe, Sportsfan 1330