Memento's Post Free Agency Mock Draft

[Memento]

I. FUCKING. HATE. THE. CHARACTER. LIMIT. IT. CAN. SUCK. MY. TITS.

Well...AD retired. That's that. We have our backup quarterback for a year (as much as I'm loathe to admit it, might sign Tre'Davious White (although I'm doubtful how much he'll contribute if we do sign him, honestly, which is why I'm not including him in this mock), probably going to move Nick Hampton to inside linebacker (just makes sense for a variety of reasons, mainly because of his sideline-to-sideline athleticism, and so I don't have to spend a high pick on an inside linebacker because, honestly, I have bigger fish to fry), even if we do re-sign Ernest Jones (which I hope we do). So, let's get to the four trades:

TRADES:

2025 first-round pick, 2024 third-round pick (#83 overall), 2025 second-round pick and 2026 second-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals for 2024 first-round pick (#27 overall) and 2024 fourth-round pick (#104 overall).

(I'm praying the person I'm targeting is still on the board as of then. We all but have to take a certain prospect at #19 if he falls to us; he won't fall to #27. Also assuming the Cardinals take the Minnesota trade that was speculated in Daniel Jeremiah's mock (ending up with three firsts from four), so I bet they'll be willing to part with the latest one so...)

#104 overall to the New York Jets for 2024 fourth round pick (#111 overall), 2024 seventh round pick (#256 overall) and 2024 seventh round pick (#257 overall).

(Yeah, this trade is just to have Mr. Irrelevant in this draft class too, along with another seventh. What can I say? I'm greedy. Jets move up for a falling defensive lineman (say, one of the LSU linemen), while we get a couple of sevenths to play with.)

Chatarius Atwell to the Baltimore Ravens for 2024 sixth round pick (#218 overall).

(Ravens have a real need at both receiver (where Zay Flowers is the only real threat, aside from OBJ, who may not re-sign with them. They have a collection of busts (Bateman and Agholor), but Atwell is different than them in that he provides a deep threat, albeit small, and he has better hands than Agholor and Bateman. The Ravens are definitely in win-now mode, so they could easily part with a late sixth-round pick.)

Derion Kendrick to the Denver Broncos for conditional 2026 seventh (becomes a sixth if Kendrick plays more than 75% of the snaps).

(I'm not a fan of Kendrick, and the Broncos may end up dealing Surtain. Either way, Kendrick could play in the slot for the Broncos, and we get rid of a penalty-prone player.)

All right, here it goes:

DRAFT

 

[Memento]

#19 overall - Jer'Zhan Newton, DT, Illinois. (6'2", 304 lbs.)



(No, I don't think Newton falls far (and I bet Byron Murphy goes before us), so we might as well take (in my opinion, the best interior lineman) here. Newton is a short, squat, stocky defensive tackle who can utterly wreck a gameplan. Sound familiar? No, he doesn't have the sheer strength that AD does, but he's very similar in the pass-rushing department, with a constant motor, hands to defeat blocks, and a very quick get-off. We have giant shoes to fill, and The Conductor and Agent Zero can't fill them on their own.)

#27 overall (Cardinals) - Laiatu Latu, EDGE, University of California, Los Angeles. (6'5", 259 lbs.)



(Yeah, I think Latu freefalls. Not a lot of teams would take an edge rusher over offensive line help (yes, that includes the Packers), and then you have the very concerning medicals to go on (which is why I absolutely wouldn't draft him at #19; a neck injury bad enough for Washington's doctors to force a temporary retirement is far too much risk for one first round pick.), but that's why you trade up with the Cardinals (whom, in this scenario, are drafting Verse); he's worth it at this spot. With bend off the edge, plans upon backup plans of how to beat the offensive tackle, a constant motor, usage of hands and length, Latu may end up as the best edge rusher from this class - yes, even over Dallas Turner and Jared Verse - if he stays healthy. That's what it all hinges on: health.)

#52 overall - Jaylen Wright, RB, Tennessee. (5'10", 210 lbs.)



(I know, I know, a running back with the second-round pick. What are you thinking, Memento?! Well...I don't think Jaylen Wright makes it to #83. He's not just a running back; he has receiver experience as well, can line up anywhere, be a moveable chess piece, a weapon. Think what Jahmyr Gibbs is for the Lions, only not as talented as Gibbs is. A quarter of Wright's touches went for ten yards or more, and he has legit run-away track speed. The concerns I have with Wright are with ball security (four fumbles this year.) and his lack of power; he likes to bounce runs to the outside a lot. Still, as far as pure talent, I think he's the best back in this class.)

#98 overall - Kris Abrams-Draine, CB, Missouri. (5'11", 179 lbs.)



(Now I'm selecting a cornerback, and yes, any account of bias should be made clear in this case: it's not affecting it because I'd love KAD, even if he wasn't a Mizzou player. It's just that since he is, I want him in horns. His ball skills are about as good as it gets from the corner position; as he used to be a wide receiver, he can make plays on the ball that a lot of other corners simply can't, and he's improved his already-sticky coverage. He's quite physical and durable for his size as well; if he were merely fifteen pounds heavier, he'd be a first-round pick. Plain and simple.)

#110 overall (Cardinals) - Marshawn Kneeland, EDGE, Western Michigan. (6'3", 267 lbs.)



(Don't let the weight fool you: Kneeland may be heavier than a normal 3-4 linebacker (and built more like a 4-3 end), but he could legitimately add ten more pounds and still be just as effective as he already is - which isn't even mentioning that his best tape comes standing up, rather than with a hand in the dirt. With that weight, you may guess that he's solid against the run, and he very much is. Pass-rushing is still a work in process, but he could make an impact immediately.)

#153 overall - Jalyx Hunt, EDGE, Houston Christian. (6'4", 252 lbs.)



(Hunt is as just-killed-sushi-carcass raw as it gets...but he could end up being one of the best edge rushers from this class. A former safety who still has safety-like athleticism (1.6 split, 34-inch arms), Hunt is entirely new to the edge rusher position because he literally outgrew the safety position just last year. He's surprisingly knowledgeable on how to set up offensive tackles with athleticism and feel, even without a plan. Definitely excels at coverage, but obviously, you worry about his fit on the run. I'm so excited to see how he can improve with NFL coaching.)

#154 overall (Steelers) - Chau Smith-Wade, CB, Washington State. (5'10", 184 lbs.)



(Smith-Wade is one of my favorite Day 3 corners. He's short, but his coverage is impeccable; he harasses receivers, is so sticky in man that teams threw away from him (and he still accumulated seventeen passes defensed and three picks when nobody was throwing to his side from early in his junior year on). There are two Day 3 corners I've grown to really love, and CSW is one of them. He's got quick-twitch athleticism, is able to recover when beaten, has underrated ball skills, just the perfect man-coverage cornerback. Only problem is his size because he will get big-boyed by a lot of bigger receivers and will miss a few tackles because of his slender frame (even though he will come up in run support). Still, Smith-Wade should be a solid developmental cornerback.)

 

[Memento]

#195 overall - Joshua Karty, K, Stanford. (6'2", 207 lbs.



(Karty is probably the best kicker in this class...please ignore my sad Harrison Mevis noises. Not sure if he'll be here, but I'm hoping for the best. He's damn near automatic, has a huge leg, and even though you never know about kickers...I think he has a chance to be much better than Jake Moody was in his rookie year.)

#209 overall (comp) - M.J. Devonshire, CB, Pittsburgh. (5'11", 186 lbs.)



(The second Day 3 cornerback I've fallen in love with, Devonshire may not be a big corner like you'd hope, but he has ridiculous length (6'6" wingspan), runs fast (4.45), and contests every pass. He's had impressive statistics (eight picks and twenty-two passes defensed in his college career with three picks going for touchdowns), and he's able to flip his hips and have the rare ability to correct them in anticipation of the pass. However, his recovery speed leaves a lot to be desired, and he's not much of a run-support player. Definitely a developmental corner, but one with serious potential.)

#213 overall (comp) - Tahj Washington, WR/PR, Southern California. (5'10", 174 lbs.)



(Count Washington as another reason why I think Caleb Williams is going to suck as a Bear; he won't have him and Brenden Rice bailing him out in hero ball. Washington isn't especially blazing fast for his size (projected to run in the 4.4 range), but he's highly elusive in the open field, is absolutely fearless and catches the ball extremely well, and manages to get open a lot. Route running isn't real technical, more athletic, but that's something that can be worked on. Obviously, the size and weight is an issue. But that's not the reason why I'm selecting him here: the reason is that Washington's an especially dangerous punt returner. Reminds me of Hakim a bit.)

#217 overall (comp) - Khristian Boyd, NT, Northern Iowa. (6'4", 317 lbs.)



(Boyd is another long-term position player like Hunt. He wasn't a Combine invite, but with ten-and-a-half sacks in his career for a career nose guard who can stack-and-shed as well as anyone in the NCAA, he's proven that he has pass-rushing juice for how quick and powerful he is off the ball with his hands. But he really needs to gain more muscle, more strength for the NFL. That's the only reason he's down here, along with the level of competition. This is a long-term pick, a pick that might not pan out, but the kind of pick you could use to vault yourself into a top team or keep yourself there.)

#218 overall (Ravens comp) - Rasheen Ali, RB/KR, Marshall (5'11", 206 lbs.)



(Ali might be best suited for the seventh round, but I doubt he makes it to #254, so I'm taking him here. He had a spectacular freshman year with almost 300 touches (250 carries, 46 receptions), 1,743 total yards (1,401 of them rushing), and fourteen touchdowns without a single fumble. His sophomore year, he took off for reasons I can't figure out, and that will have to be vetted. Ali's a dynamic running back and returner, able to turn on the jets seemingly at will while breaking tons of tackles. He runs really upright, so I'm a bit worried about injuries, but you're not going to find a better running back this late.)

#254 overall (comp) - Frank Crum, OT, Wyoming. (6'8", 313 lbs.)



(Gentlemen (and for the few ladies here including myself): introducing our left tackle of the future. Yes, you can feel free to call me crazy. Crum absolutely dominated the Combine, and while I know that you should take the Combine with a huge grain of salt, it's worth noting that he had an elite ten-yard split (1.69), forty (4.96), three-cone (7.39), and broad jump (114 cm), to go along with a solid performance with the vertical (31.5). All of this at 6'8", 313 lbs., and he could probably add ten more pounds of muscle because his frame isn't even close to maxed out yet. He's definitely a work in progress, as he mostly played right tackle in Wyoming's heavily run-slanted offense, but the potential is there.)

#256 overall (Jets) - Jordan Whittington, WR, Texas. (6'1", 205 lbs.)



(Whittington is so fucking underrated. If he wasn't stuck at Texas behind Worthy and Adonai Mitchell and competing with them, Ja'Tavion Sanders, and the running backs for catches, he'd be starting elsewhere and putting up so much more statistics. They put him everywhere to get him into games, and all he did was make clutch catch after clutch catch. He honestly reminds me of Amon-Ra St. Brown (stylistically, not necessarily talent. He also gives me Nacua vibes as well with that style.) with his physicality, football IQ, hands, and technical route running. He lacks speed entirely, but contested catches are solid, and he's physical enough and breaks enough tackles that he's taken handoffs on jet sweeps and the like (and before you ask, yes, he did a ton of blocking at Texas). But when I say he lacks speed entirely, well...he's not a fast player. At all. He will get caught from behind by linebackers in the NFl, let alone safeties and corners. But honestly, as Kupp/Nacua insurance, you could do a lot worse than Whittington.)

#257 overall (Jets) - Joshua Cephus, WR, University of Texas, San Antonio. (6'2", 185 lbs.)



(A shot in the dark for our receiving corps. Cephus has character problems that need to be vetted: a DUI and violation of bond conditions. He plays for a small school, and was definitely overshadowed by Zakhari Franklin (who transferred to Ole Miss and did nothing) and De'Corian Clark (who stayed at UTSA and had a massive injury and relapse; he'll be in the 2024 draft) at first. Last year, however, Cephus came into his own as the main target for the Roadrunners (badass and creative name, honestly) in 2023 with eighty-nine receptions for 1,151 yards and ten touchdowns. He reminds me of Ceedee Lamb (stylistically; I'm not saying he'll be a Ceedee Lamb); long-striding receiver who plays faster than measurables, huge catch radius, can leap out of the building, smart route runner, and he'll be solid on special teams. You just have to vet the character.)

 

[Memento]

QB - Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo (SUS).

(Yeah, we're basically praying Stafford stays upright. Sorry, but I have little faith in Garappolo and Bennett, I'm just hoping is okay, let alone contributing to football.)

RB -Kyren Williams, Jaylen Wright, Zach Evans, Rasheen Ali (KR)

(K-Will and Wright should share carries. Evans, I still want to keep for a power element, while Ali is both power and speed, and should excel on kick returns. But yeah, no dropoff with Wright, Evans, and Ali if K-Will gets injured again. Sadly, Rivers didn't make the roster. I love how the kid runs, but he doesn't bring anything in particular.)

TE - Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen, Hunter Long (Tyler Higbee PUP)

(Parkinson's obviously the starter, but I hope that Allen gets a fair amount of snaps. Then you have Hunter Long, who should be replaced by Higbee if/when he comes off of PUP...if he's really recovered - and even then, it might not be likely. Next year...well, that's the main problem. Let's hope Parkinson is everything we paid him to be and, if not, Allen is ready to step up and step in.)

WR - Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, Demarcus Robinson, Tahj Washington (PR), Jordan Whittington, Joshua Cephus

(I will admit that I am extremely worried about Kupp's production/health/everything and Nacua's health. Robinson helps with that, but so too should Washington, Whittington, and Cephus, all of whom I think are quite underrated and could be finds. Let's just hope things turn out for the best, especially since i couldn't find room for Skowronek on the roster.)

OL - Alaric Jackson, Jonah Jackson, Steve Avila, Kevin Dotson, Rob Havenstein, Warren McClendon, Joseph Noteboom, Zachary Thomas, Logan Bruss, Frank Crum

(Yes, my first controversy! I don't want to give up on Bruss just yet, McClendon has serious potential as a right tackle/guard, and I think that Zachary Thomas would be an amazing backup center/guard. Crum, meanwhile, is your developmental left tackle. Don't laugh; I think he could do a good job in a power scheme like ours. After all, A-Jax was an undrafted right tackle at one point, was he not?)

DL - Kobie Turner, Jer'Zhan Newton, Michael Hoecht (EDGE), Bobby Brown III, Desjuan Johnson, Khristian Boyd

(I am moving Hoecht to the D-line, but not asking him to lose weight; he could still get snaps at edge as well as five-tech. Johnson gets snaps all over as your backup three-tech and five-tech. BB3 is your run-stuffing nose...until he leaves this year, giving the reins to Boyd. Turner (whom I'm hoping can play a solid 3-4 DE) and Newton, of course, are your fearsome duo. You can only block one, so whom do you choose?)

LB - Byron Young, Laiatu Latu, Ernest Jones, Nick Hampton, Marshawn Kneeland, Jalyx Hunt, Christian Rozeboom, Jake Hummel

(Young and Latu will hardly need breathers, but I guess you could sub in Hoecht and Kneeland when they do. I think Hampton could be an absolute find as an inside linebacker. Rozeboom and Hummel are solid special teams linebackers, while Hunt is your typical developmental edge. But yeah, Young and Latu would be borderline unfair for opponents, especially combined with Turner and Newton.)

DB - Cobie Durant, Darious Williams, Kamren Curl (STAR), Russ Yeast, Quentin Lake, Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, Kris Abrams-Draine, Chau Smith-Wade, M.J. Devonshire, Jason Taylor II, Tanner Ingle.

(Yes, I think Durant bounces back this year; I refuse to believe that his ball skills just suddenly deserted him. Add in D-Will, THT, KAD, CSW and MJD, and you have a solid (albeit admittedly short, but no less competitive) cornerback group. Then you have Curl as a STAR, Lake and Yeast as starters on the backend, all of whom could interchange with each other (in theory, of course. We'll see how it works in practice). Then you have Jason Taylor and Tanner Ingle as your backup safeties and stud special teams players.)

ST - Joshua Karty, Ethan Evans, Alex Ward

(Obviously, Karty is the new face here. No introductions necessary.)

So, yes, this is my mock draft...split into four fucking pieces. Did I mention that I absolutely fucking despise the character limit?

 

[Londoner]

Love everything except the amount we are giving up for Latu.

Two reasons: firstly, that’s a hell of a lot to be giving away for a guy with a major medical red flag. And secondly because both Stafford and Kupp aren’t getting any younger, so we are going to need that draft capital over the next couple of years.

I’d be delighted with the rest of that draft, though.

 

[OldSchool]

Hard pass on trading next years draft like this. That said I doubt Arizona even does that trade as imbalanced as it is.

 

[El Chapo Jr]

Here's a mock I did on PFF since I do have the membership lol...

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I really like the draft, but that trade for #27 seems out of balance. Does it matchup with the charts?

Rams - 1.27 and 4. 104

Cardinals - 2024 third (83), 2015 first and second, 2026 second

A first, two seconds and a third is too much for one player

 

[Memento]

Love everything except the amount we are giving up for Latu.

Two reasons: firstly, that’s a hell of a lot to be giving away for a guy with a major medical red flag. And secondly because both Stafford and Kupp aren’t getting any younger, so we are going to need that draft capital over the next couple of years.

I’d be delighted with the rest of that draft, though.

It is a lot to give away for a guy with injury concerns, but I'd rather gamble for next year than spend this year's #19 overall on him, for the exact reasons you've mentioned: Stafford and Kupp aren't getting younger, and I want to surround them with as much talent for this year as possible.

Hard pass on trading next years draft like this. That said I doubt Arizona even does that trade as imbalanced as it is.

In this scenario, Arizona has about three first round picks (the two Vikings' picks and the Texans pick), and they've selected Verse with the first Vikings pic. You're going to need to give to get, they'd probably be fine with giving up the latest of the three first rounders, and I figure that next year's draft isn't nearly as strong as this year's, especially with the quarterbacks looking like Ewers, Sanders, and little else. And we'd still have two third round picks in next year's class.

Here's a mock I did on PFF since I do have the membership lol...

View attachment 64891

Looks good. Not the biggest fan of Sweat, and I highly doubt Beebe falls this far, but I'd be fine with this class.

I really like the draft, but that trade for #27 seems out of balance. Does it matchup with the charts?

Rams - 1.27 and 4. 104

Cardinals - 2024 third (83), 2015 first and second, 2026 second

A first, two seconds and a third is too much for one player

Even if that player could be the elite young edge rusher we haven't had since Robert Quinn? I'd be willing to pay that, especially when you already have The Conductor and Agent Zero as building blocks.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

It is a lot to give away for a guy with injury concerns, but I'd rather gamble for next year than spend this year's #19 overall on him, for the exact reasons you've mentioned: Stafford and Kupp aren't getting younger, and I want to surround them with as much talent for this year as possible.



In this scenario, Arizona has about three first round picks (the two Vikings' picks and the Texans pick), and they've selected Verse with the first Vikings pic. You're going to need to give to get, they'd probably be fine with giving up the latest of the three first rounders, and I figure that next year's draft isn't nearly as strong as this year's, especially with the quarterbacks looking like Ewers, Sanders, and little else. And we'd still have two third round picks in next year's class.


Looks good. Not the biggest fan of Sweat, and I highly doubt Beebe falls this far, but I'd be fine with this class.



Even if that player could be the elite young edge rusher we haven't had since Robert Quinn? I'd be willing to pay that, especially when you already have The Conductor and Agent Zero as building blocks.

That is yet to be proven.

Does that trade work out on the draft value chart? It seems like a lot for pick 27

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

It is a lot to give away for a guy with injury concerns, but I'd rather gamble for next year than spend this year's #19 overall on him, for the exact reasons you've mentioned: Stafford and Kupp aren't getting younger, and I want to surround them with as much talent for this year as possible.



In this scenario, Arizona has about three first round picks (the two Vikings' picks and the Texans pick), and they've selected Verse with the first Vikings pic. You're going to need to give to get, they'd probably be fine with giving up the latest of the three first rounders, and I figure that next year's draft isn't nearly as strong as this year's, especially with the quarterbacks looking like Ewers, Sanders, and little else. And we'd still have two third round picks in next year's class.


Looks good. Not the biggest fan of Sweat, and I highly doubt Beebe falls this far, but I'd be fine with this class.



Even if that player could be the elite young edge rusher we haven't had since Robert Quinn? I'd be willing to pay that, especially when you already have The Conductor and Agent Zero as building blocks.

This was one opinion on the Texans trading up to get Will Anderson. They went from 12 to 3. In comparison, considering it’s 27 that the Rams would trade for, the compensation seems high.

I don’t know how the project draft slots on future picks. I’m guessing they just figure pick 16 in each round since that is the middle.

 

[Memento]

View attachment 64907
This was one opinion on the Texans trading up to get Will Anderson. They went from 12 to 3. In comparison, considering it’s 27 that the Rams would trade for, the compensation seems high.

I don’t know how the project draft slots on future picks. I’m guessing they just figure pick 16 in each round since that is the middle.

Probably lower than 16, a playoff spot, unless Stafford gets injured, and even then, Garoppolo can keep them afloat. It may be an overpay, but realize that we're only giving up a third-round pick in this draft, even with the first-round pick and two seconds the next two years.

With this trade, you don't have to worry about the edge or interior rusher; you get both.

 

[OldSchool]

In this scenario, Arizona has about three first round picks (the two Vikings' picks and the Texans pick), and they've selected Verse with the first Vikings pic. You're going to need to give to get, they'd probably be fine with giving up the latest of the three first rounders, and I figure that next year's draft isn't nearly as strong as this year's, especially with the quarterbacks looking like Ewers, Sanders, and little else. And we'd still have two third round picks in next year's class.

Hypothetical with no real way of knowing if it's even remotely true and still doesn't make this a good trade at all. This trade hurts the team doesn't help it.

 

[El Chapo Jr]

Here's another one..... definitely more pass rush help here lol...

 

[Memento]

Hypothetical with no real way of knowing if it's even remotely true and still doesn't make this a good trade at all. This trade hurts the team doesn't help it.

What else would we need in that scenario? Wide receiver? Covered in this year's exceptional draft, and I don't think we're getting Luther Burden III next year. Left tackle? Maybe, but you still have two third round picks next year. Inside linebacker? Jones will likely re-sign. Cornerback? There's a lot of corners in this scenario.

Yes, I realize that next year's draft is a long way off, but given the Covid years are ending, I don't think it's as strong as this year's. And getting an elite edge rusher and an elite interior defender in this draft makes this trade worth it, in my honest opinion.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

It looks like a good draft. I’m not as high on Corley as some, but I see the upside.