Gunner's 2018 Mock Draft UPDATED - Final version on Page 6

[CuddyDark]

2 minutes ago, billsredneck1 said:

i get called crazy, but i send both 2nds and tt to denver for no. 5 and chad kelly.  this because i think cousins ends up in denver.

welcome to buffalo baker!  now, let's get gaines signed, preston signed and maybe sign ziggy.  lots of room to work.

What's in it for Denver?

[Kirby Jackson]

4 minutes ago, billsredneck1 said:

i get called crazy, but i send both 2nds and tt to denver for no. 5 and chad kelly.  this because i think cousins ends up in denver.

welcome to buffalo baker!  now, let's get gaines signed, preston signed and maybe sign ziggy.  lots of room to work.

You mean both 1sts and TT?

[Augie]

I love the first six picks.................. IF Rosen really is the best pure passer and loves the game, AND Mayfield is just a short little whack a doodle who flames out at the next level. 

 

I think the bold moves to move up for the top QB’s will yield a significant return for at least a couple teams. 

[billsredneck1]

28 minutes ago, CuddyDark said:

What's in it for Denver?

according to the op, instead of them picking the guard from nd, the 2 top tackles are there at 21/22...plus they get a good back up(tt) and could probably turn their qbs  into picks. we have 3 young guns with talent to drive each other and don't have to spend a ton on a fa qb or give up the farm. nate starting out the season does not scare me at all. maybe baker starts?

 

i mean if your giving up everything except organs for rosen, you'd be expecting him to start day one. well baker can do that too and we have nate and chad developing.

 

i've said before, i'd prefer foles, mccarron or cousins and keep our picks, but this thread is about trading up.

[SmokinES3]

I like it overall. Barkley is a phenomenal talent. I'm still struggling to see any team taking Darnold over Rosen though. Rosen is just a measurably better QB right now in almost every way (Mechanics, footwork, accuracy, reads) and he has a better arm too. Darnold runs better but not good enough to pick him 1st... The ceilings are similar. Just my opinion...

[TigerJ]

For me to be comfortable with any scenario where Rosen ends up as a Bill, I have to see a lot of evidence that my impressions of his attitude are all wrong.  Those impressions are that he has a "me attitude" and a strong sense of entitlement.  From my perspective, his presence in the locker room throws a real wrench into the team atmosphere that McDermott has tried hard to instill.  I am just not convinced that his skill set is good enough to outweigh the attitude issues. 

[GunnerBill]

8 hours ago, billsredneck1 said:

 

i've said before, i'd prefer foles, mccarron or cousins and keep our picks, but this thread is about trading up.

 

This thread is not really about trading up..... it's not really even about the Bills... though obviously I understand why that is where people start.

[WideRightRevenge]

10 hours ago, TigerJ said:

For me to be comfortable with any scenario where Rosen ends up as a Bill, I have to see a lot of evidence that my impressions of his attitude are all wrong.  Those impressions are that he has a "me attitude" and a strong sense of entitlement.  From my perspective, his presence in the locker room throws a real wrench into the team atmosphere that McDermott has tried hard to instill.  I am just not convinced that his skill set is good enough to outweigh the attitude issues. 

 

I'm in the same camp ... is this Jeff George?

[BuffaloHokie13]

15 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

I think if you go Rosen you sign Fitz as the backup believing the rookie starts. If he isn't quite ready and Fitz needs to go 2-2 the first month no disaster. 

 

I'd actually love Fitz back. Of all the not good enough QBs we have had if I was a homer for any of them it was Fitzy. A three year contract that takes him to 38 and has very little dead money after 2018 to backup Josh Rosen.... I could live with that.

You know I'm with you on that!

[thebandit27]

11 hours ago, TigerJ said:

For me to be comfortable with any scenario where Rosen ends up as a Bill, I have to see a lot of evidence that my impressions of his attitude are all wrong.  Those impressions are that he has a "me attitude" and a strong sense of entitlement.  From my perspective, his presence in the locker room throws a real wrench into the team atmosphere that McDermott has tried hard to instill.  I am just not convinced that his skill set is good enough to outweigh the attitude issues. 

 

Meh, that stuff doesn't bother me so much.  QBs are often full of themselves and cocky--that was Jim Kelly to a tee.

 

As I've said on the board a few times, what I worry about with Rosen is whether or not he's committed to football.  He is extremely intelligent and has multiple other focuses besides football (economics, politics, etc.), so I would need to be convinced that he isn't simply using football to make enough money to pursue those endeavors (not that I would blame him or knock his character for that; I simply wouldn't want to make the investment in moving up and drafting him if that were the case).

 

For example:

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2722587-josh-rosen-qa-ucla-qb-on-injuries-ncaa-and-post-nfl-goal-to-own-the-world

 

"I want to get my MBA. I want to create my own business. When I'm finished with football, I want a seamless transition to life and work and what I've dreamed about doing all my life. I want to own the world. "

[JohnC]

22 minutes ago, thebandit27 said:

 

Meh, that stuff doesn't bother me so much.  QBs are often full of themselves and cocky--that was Jim Kelly to a tee.

 

As I've said on the board a few times, what I worry about with Rosen is whether or not he's committed to football.  He is extremely intelligent and has multiple other focuses besides football (economics, politics, etc.), so I would need to be convinced that he isn't simply using football to make enough money to pursue those endeavors (not that I would blame him or knock his character for that; I simply wouldn't want to make the investment in moving up and drafting him if that were the case).

 

For example:

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2722587-josh-rosen-qa-ucla-qb-on-injuries-ncaa-and-post-nfl-goal-to-own-the-world

 

"I want to get my MBA. I want to create my own business. When I'm finished with football, I want a seamless transition to life and work and what I've dreamed about doing all my life. I want to own the world. "

Are you sure you weren't writing about Lebron or Magic Johnson?

[Teddy KGB]

20 hours ago, John from Hemet said:

Definately could live with this draft

 

I assume we would not start Josh right away even if it was as soon as later into the 1st season.

 

Who is our placeholder qb?

 

Start him week 1.   Don’t need a placeholder.  

 

 

12 hours ago, TigerJ said:

For me to be comfortable with any scenario where Rosen ends up as a Bill, I have to see a lot of evidence that my impressions of his attitude are all wrong.  Those impressions are that he has a "me attitude" and a strong sense of entitlement.  From my perspective, his presence in the locker room throws a real wrench into the team atmosphere that McDermott has tried hard to instill.  I am just not convinced that his skill set is good enough to outweigh the attitude issues. 

 

Like Tom Brady, Lebron, Rogers, and Co ? 

 

Oh no.  

[T master]

Thats too much for a QB 3 yrs worth of draft picks & they said Whaley's deal for Sammy was a lot ???

 

Stay where they are or move up a couple of places but i don't think that McBean won't do something that foolish !! 

[P51]

 Nice mock through and through, the Bills trade up is worth it IMO. I’d do it for Rosen, Darnold or Mayfield, high but acceptable for Rosen. Is he a day one starter in this situation?

[bills in oregon]

 Good work on the mock draft, but I don’t want them to  trade up.  I just don’t think any of the quarterbacks are worth giving up that much we have too many holes on this team to go after one skinny kid that is one hit away from being broken in half 

[BringBackOrton]

On 2/19/2018 at 6:03 AM, GunnerBill said:

Here it is Mock Draft 2018 version 1.0. Before people start debating about the trade values…. They are all broadly in line with the Jimmy Johnson chart but amended a little bit to take into account the Rich Hill chart which has re-assigned pick values by tracking actual deals that have happened in recent years (and which at least a few teams have hinted that they are now using).

 

1. Browns - Sam Darnold, QB, USC

After trading out of spots where Carson Wentz and Deshaun Watson were taken in the last two drafts the Browns have gone back to a traditional football savvy GM in John Dorsey. He knows you need a QB to win in the NFL and Sam Darnold seems to fit his profile of what one looks like.

 

2. Giants - Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

I firmly believe the Giants are riding with Eli at QB for now. They are a trade back candidate at this spot but I feel like they don't want to move down as far as the likely trade up candidates would require because they have a desperate need at RB and Barkley is a potential elite talent.

 

3. TRADE! Bills - Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA (Bills get #3 & 6th Rounder; Colts get #21, #22, #53, 2018 4th rounder and 2019 2nd rounder)

There are two teams in this draft publicly making noises about being aggressive at QB. The first of those, the Buffalo Bills, swing and swing big to take a shot on Josh Rosen. They are clearly ready to move on from Tyrod Taylor and hope to finally end 22 years of searching for the heir to Jim Kelly.

 

4. TRADE! Cardinals - Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming (Cardinals get #4; Browns get #15, #47 and 2019 1st rounder)

The second is the Cardinals. As we stand they are in an even worse spot than the Bills having nothing of an NFL standard at the position. I suspect they target either Nick Foles or AJ McCarron as a bridge. Josh Allen is a big armed, downfield passer and even though Bruce Arians has gone that strikes me as the Arizona template for a franchise QB.

 

5. Broncos - Quenten Nelson, G, Notre Dame

Denver doesn't take a QB here because I expect them to win the Kirk Cousins sweepstakes. Their offensive line has been a question mark for a number of years now and Nelson is considered by many to be the safest prospect in this draft.

 

6. Jets - Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

The Jets sit tight and hold their nerve at #6 and still end up with a high end Quarterback prospect. Mayfield's brash attitude seems tailor made for New York and after years of taking shots on 2nd and 3rd rate prospects (Geno, Hackenburg and Petty) this could be the long term answer to the Jets' Quarterback conundrum.

 

7. Buccaneers - Bradley Chubb, CB, NC State

I have Bradley Chubb as the #1 player on my board and if he drops to #7 because of a run on Quarterbacks the Buccaneers would be jumping for joy and sprinting to the podium.

 

8. Bears - Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama

Chicago has to be pretty close to admitting that Kevin White is a bust. So three years after that mistake and with an improved defense and hopefully their franchise QB in place they go back to the receiver well for Ridley. A smooth route runner who can get separation he is a nice fit for Matt Nagy's offense.

 

9. 49ers - Minkah Fitzpatrick, CB, Alabama

Is Fitzpatrick a corner or a safety? The 49ers probably don't mind. They need playmakers in their defensive backfield and Fitzpatrick is the best player available at this stage.  

 

10. Raiders - Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia

The Raiders need to draft defense, defense, and some more defense. Navarro Bowman was a short term solution at linebacker in 2017 but he is an impending FA. Roquan Smith is a top 10 player by my board and he has the speed that John Gruden loves.

 

11. Dolphins - Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech

Another team with an obvious linebacker deficiency is the Miami Dolphins. They were fielding the professional corpse of Lawrence Timmons' career as a starter last season and Kiko Alonso's performance slumped after a decent 2016. Tremaine Edmunds is a name making a lot of noise in scouting circles early in this draft season and I can imagine the Dolphins being very happy to select him at this spot.  

 

12. Bengals - Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma

The Bengals offensive line is by far the weakest spot on this team. Their tackle play was so bad last year they ended up moving star guard Clint Boling out there to protect Dalton's blindside. There are three first round graded tackle in this class by my board but Orlando Brown Snr had so much success in the AFC North that it just feels right that his son ends up there too!

 

13. Redskins - Vita Vea, DT, Washington

The Redskins snagged dramatic faller Jonathan Allen in last year's draft to solidify the defensive tackle position but concerns about his ability to stay healthy seem well founded and I still believe a more disruptive penetrating tackle like Vea would make that defense more productive.

 

14. Packers - Marcus Davenport, OLB, UTSA

I feel like every year I mock a pass rusher to the Packers in the first round and they pick a defensive back instead. Davenport is raw but has a sky high ceiling and is a perfect fit for new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine's 3-4 defense.

 

15. Browns - Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State

The Browns have needs everywhere and could go in almost any direction at this spot. I have some concerns about Ward's ability to play outside in the NFL (size and ability to track the deep ball) but he is fast and smooth and Cleveland does have a need in the secondary.

 

16. Ravens - Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU

The Ravens defense was pretty good last year, so they have to focus on upgrading the offense. Joe Flacco's best years were with a burner receiver on one side and a contested catch guy opposite him. Grabbing 6ft4 Courtland Sutton and retaining pending FA Mike Wallace would recreate that combination.

 

17. Chargers - Derwin James, S, Florida State

On paper the Chargers don't have many holes but their top safety last year was dust settle FA signing Tre Boston but he is a pending FA again and will want a significant salary bump so the Chargers could go to the draft for a replacement and Florida State's Derwin James is among the best players left at this point.

 

18. Seahawks - Isiah Wynn, OG, Georgia

I feel like I say the Seahawks should go offensive line every single draft and they normally trade back out of the first round altogether! They could go OT here but having traded for Duane Brown in season guard is probably a bigger need. Wynn played tackle in college and I am not totally convinced he can't do that in the NFL, but he has the versatility to play guard too.

 

19. Cowboys - Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan

Dallas could go defensive back here but I think they need some interior pass rush whether DeMarcus Lawrence re-signs on the edge or not. Hurst was consistently getting into the backfield for the Wolverines and would upgrade the Cowboys' defensive line.

 

20. Lions -  Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama

The Lions have a need at linebacker even though Jarrad Davis had a good rookie year in 2017. Tahir Whitehead is a FA and looks unlikely to be back. Matt Patricia has coordinated a New England defense featuring Brandon Spikes and then Dont'a Hightower at MLB because of the scheme familiarity Crimson Tide guys have from Saban to Belichick. For that reason another Alabama linebacker to make the calls in Patricia’s Detroit defense makes a lot of sense to me.

 

21. Colts - Mike Hughes, CB, UCF

The Colts were willing to give up #3 for two first round picks precisely because they need a lot of holes filling. One of those is unquestionably at corner. I have Mike Hughes higher on my board than Joshua Jackson and he would be an immediate starter.

 

22. Colts - Connor Williams, OT, Texas

Connor Williams' final year at Texas was not as impressive as his sophomore year in 2016 but if the Colts can get Andrew Luck back on the field they need to protect him. Williams could start at right tackle and eventually slide across to replace the overpaid Anthony Castonzo on the left side.

 

23. Rams - Joshua Jackson, CB, Iowa

I get the feeling that teams might not be as high on Jackson as the talking heads are. I think he is a 2nd round talent but the Rams have a major need at corner - Tremaine Johnson is a FA and is not worth the money he wants to stay.

 

24. Panthers - Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame

During Marty Hurney's first spell as Panthers GM he had a couple of misses trying to find a franchise left tackle. The Panthers cannot keep trying to recycle other people's trash at the position though, they need to find their long term answer and McGlinchey is a fit.

 

25. Titans - Harold Landry, DE, Boston College

Mike Vrabel never coached directly for Belichick but he played for him and coached for Bill O'Brien. Harold Landry is such a Belichick like pick. Smart, high motor, from a north eastern school. He happens to fill a need for the Titans too.

 

26. Falcons - Da'ron Payne, DT, Alabama

Dontarie Poe filled a need as a FA signing for the Falcons in 2017, but he is an impending FA and they could still do with finding a long term answer as a dominating, run stuffing presence in the middle of that defensive line. If Payne is still on the board I think Atlanta would find him hard to pass up.

 

27. Saints - James Washington, WR, Oklahoma State

A fast, shifty receiver who isn't the most polished route runner but just seems to find ways to get separation down the field? Sounds like a fit for the New Orleans Saints. Washington will replace what the Saints traded away when sending Brandin Cooks to New England last offseason.

 

28. Steelers - Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State

Pittsburgh has a very good roster almost top to bottom but a Quarterback who keeps flirting with retirement. Mason Rudolph is not universally loved but I am pretty high on him and I think he could slide right in to that Pittsburgh scheme which runs plenty of spread concepts after a year or two sitting behind Big Ben.

 

29. Jaguars - Will Hernandez, OG, UTEP

The Jags could go Quarterback here but we know Coughlin and Marrone want to run it every down because they told us they do. They got their bruiser at running back last year and now improving the push the offensive line gets to open holes for him should be the priority. Hernandez is a nasty, aggressive run blocker who is a perfect fit for Marrone's power scheme.

 

30. Vikings - Arden Key, DE, LSU

When I ask myself "which defensive minded Head Coach in the NFL takes a chance on talented but troubled?" I answer - Mike Zimmer.  Arden Key is probably the most talented prospect left on the board and Minnesota is always looking to add to its defensive strength.

 

31. Patriots - Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama

After watching Jacksonville and then Philadelphia tear up his defense in the AFC Championship Game and Superbowl I can imagine Bill Belichick believing he needs a tough tone setter. Enter Ronnie Harrison, who puts the hard into "hard hitting" at the safety position.

 

32. TRADE! Chargers - Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville (Chargers get #32; Eagles get #48 and #82)

And the first round ends in intrigue as the Los Angeles Chargers jump up to take a shot on Louisville's Lamar Jackson. Philadelphia feels good enough about its World Champion roster to slide back and the Chargers finally have a succession plan to Philip Rivers.

 

 

Okay guys.... flame away.  

Chubb doesn't have the skillset to play DB at the next level, IMO.

 

I'd play him on the DL.

[Thurman#1]

From your mouth to God's ear, Gunner. Nice work.

 

 

5 hours ago, jmc12290 said:

Chubb doesn't have the skillset to play DB at the next level, IMO.

 

I'd play him on the DL.

 

 

Cracked me up. Nice catch.

Edited March 5, 2018 by Thurman#1

[#34fan]

 

Too much for too little... No clue where this new OC takes us, or if he can develop a top 5 QB into a franchise guy...

 

Two first rounders would help us build the support system for a young QB.

 

Not crazy about the pick, but great work, all the same...

[GunnerBill]

6 hours ago, jmc12290 said:

Chubb doesn't have the skillset to play DB at the next level, IMO.

 

I'd play him on the DL.

 

How the hell did that happen??

[Thurman#1]

1 hour ago, #34fan said:

 

Too much for too little... No clue where this new OC takes us, or if he can develop a top 5 QB into a franchise guy...

 

Two first rounders would help us build the support system for a young QB.

 

Not crazy about the pick, but great work, all the same...

 

 

 

A support system for a QB without a QB is like an umbilical cord with no fetus. 

 

You can build a support system anytime. The moments when you have a chance to bring in a really good QB are very few and far between and must be treasured and taken advantage of.