Mock Draft 2.0 (Ginger King)

One week closer, time to update the Mock Draft.  Some new faces (and quarterbacks) in the Top 10.  Here’s the Top half of Round 1.

Round 1 TeamPlayer
1Arizona CardinalsKyler Murray (Oklahoma)QB
2San Francisco 49ersNick Bosa (OSU)DE
3New York JetsQuinnen Williams (Alabama)DL
4Oakland RaidersJosh Allen (Kentucky)Edge
5Tamp Bay BucsDevin White (LSU)LB
6New York GiantsRashaan Gary (Michigan)DE
7Jacksonville JaguarsJawaan Taylor (Florida)OL
8Detroit LionsChristian Wilkins (Clemson)DL
9Buffalo BillsAndre Dillard (Washington)OL
10Denver BroncosDrew Lock (Missouri)QB
11Cincinnati BengalsDevin Bush (Michigan)LB
12Green Bay PackersD.K. Metcalf (Ole Miss)WR
13Miami DolphinsDwayne Haskins (OSU)QB
14Atlanta FalconsEd Oliver (Houston)DL
15Washington RedskinsGreedy Williams (LSU)CB
16Carolina PanthersJonah Williams (Alabama)OL
17New York GiantsMontez Sweat (Miss St.)DE
Latest Mile High Savior.

Instant Analysis:  A new quarterback cracks the Top 10.  Drew Lock is climbing up the draft boards, and some people think he’ll leapfrog Dwayne Haskins.  He seems to be a good fit for Denver, and Elway is high on him…although he was also high on Brock Osweiler…and Paxton Lynch…and Trevor Siemian…and Case Keenum.  Wait, are you saying former players make for lousy front office executives?  Yes, I am.

Mock Draft 1.0 (Ginger King)

[NFL fan, could be you]:  Where the Hell have you guys been?  Aren’t you guys a little late to the draft party?  I’ve seen tons of mock drafts already.  How come you guys haven’t put one out yet?  Kiper already has, like, 20 out.  What’s wrong with you guys? 

[Ginger King]:  While we appreciate the mock draft enthusiasm, note this:  mock drafts before free agency are absolute horseshit.  Don’t believe me?  Look at this tweet:

citing our own Tweets…so meta.

My kids don’t know their street address (or an emergency contact number), but they do know this:  Free agency shapes the draft.  Period.  How many (pre-free agency) mock drafts did you see with Jacksonville taking a quarterback?  All of them.  You think that’s happening now that they just signed Nick Foles and his (allegedly) ginormous trouser snake?  Da Raiders just signed Antonio Brown (and Tyrell Williams).  You think they’re going to draft a receiver with any of their three (3!) first round picks???  [side note: laugh all you want at Gruden and his questionable coaching decisions…but they just acquired the game’s best receiver for a bag of chips, AND have three first round draft picks].  I’m Team Chucky on this. 

And LOL at that Kiper shit.  Our streak of more first round picks right than Kiper (and McShay) is guaranteed to continue.  Book it.

Anyway, here’s my Top 10…just the tip for now…it costs extra to see my full mock (believe me, my full mock is HUGE.  The best.).  Anyway, enjoy St. Patrick’s Day (fucking amateur hour) and make sure to celebrate it the right way (blind drunk).  As soon as Roid Rage gets out of his Leprechaun costume, he’ll post his Top 10. 

Round 1 Team Pick
1 Arizona Cardinals Kyler Murray (Oklahoma) QB
2 San Francisco 49ers Nick Bosa (OSU) DE
3 New York Jets Quinnen Williams (Alabama)DL
4 Oakland Raiders Josh Allen (Kentucky) Edge
5 Tampa Bay Bucs D.K. Metcalf (Ole Miss) WR
6 New York Giants Montez Sweat (Miss State) DE
7 Jacksonville Jaguars Rashaan Gary (Michigan) DE
8 Detroit Lions Christian Wilkins (Clemson) DL
9 Buffalo Bills Jawaan Taylor (Florida) OL
10 Denver Broncos Ed Oliver (Houston) DL
I’m this big!

Instant Analysis:  If you were to ask me one week ago, I would have told you the Kyler Murray to Arizona talk was a total smokescreen.  Now…call me naïve…but I’m totally buying this.  Sure, Arizona traded up in last year’s draft to get their quarterback of the future in Josh Rosen…but that was soooo last year.  New Coach new quarterback.  Simply put:  Kyler’s Kliff Kingbury’s guy, and if we know anything about Kliff Kingsbury, it’s that he picks the right partners.

Good eye for talent.

San Francisco should take about 1 second to get to the podium, as Nick Bosa is an absolute no brainer.  I also think Quinnen Williams and Josh Allen are no brainers as well.  Things will get interesting at 5.  Tampa could go in a number of directions, but this is Jameis’ last stand, and pairing D.K. with Mike Evans would be a solid 1-2 punch (or at least enough cover for the front office to draft Tua next year). 

Speaking of a number of directions, the Giants are at 6 and everyone is screaming qb.  However, David Gettelman has a plan, and that plan involves re-building with a 38-year-old quarterback.  This pick (and their other first round pick) will be defense, as the Giants finally remember a long-forgotten football mantra:  Defense (and Saquon Barkley) wins championships.  I also think the Giants will trade for Josh Rosen.  His price will only go down the closer you get to the Draft, so hold tight G-Men.

Rounding out the rest of the Top 10, the Bills luck out by the run on defensive players and grab the best tackle in the draft with Jawaan Taylor.

Also, this Top 10 assumes no trades.  No way that’s going to happen.  If Dwayne Haskins slips past the Giants, there’s a good chance a qb needy team like Miami or Washington sneak in to the Top 10.