Memento's Internet is Down, so This Might Be Either Short and Sweet or a While Mock Draft.

[Memento]

Yeah, I'm doing this at my folks' house, so it might take either a short time or a long time. Here we go with some trades first (doubt the Rams will do it, but I'm not the Rams):

#13 overall to the Carolina Panthers for #19 overall and #51 overall.

(Carolina moves up for Kenyon Sadiq. We move back.)

#19 overall (Panthers) to the Chicago Bears for #57 overall, #60 overall, and a 2027 first.

(The Bears move up for Akeem Mesidor to bolster their pass rush, while we trade down to accumulate more picks, including a first-round pick in 2027, which will be a much stronger draft than this one.)

#61 overall and #93 overall to the Miami Dolphins for #75 overall and #87 overall (Eagles).

(Swap a second and a late third for two thirds. Miami gets an opportunity at Chris Brazzell II.)

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#51 overall (Panthers) - D'Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana.

#57 overall (Bears) - Gennings Dunker, OC, Iowa.

#60 overall (Rams) - Chris Bell, WR, Louisville.

#75 overall (Dolphins) - Elijah Sarratt, WR, Indiana.

#87 overall (Eagles) - Nadame Tucker, EDGE, Western Michigan.

#207 overall (Texans) - Hezekiah Masses, CB, California.

#232 overall (Ravens) - Red Murdock, ILB, Buffalo.

#251 overall (Comp) - Fa'alili Fa'amoe, OT/OG, Wake Forest.

#252 overall (Comp) - Keyshawn James-Newby, EDGE, New Mexico.

(Ponds is my favorite player in this class. No surprise I take him. Dunker and Sarratt are other favorites (I think Dunker can play center, and Sarratt reminds me so much of Kupp), and Bell is a worthy gamble at #60; if he was healthy, he'd have been a first-round pick. Tucker might be a reach, but I think he could be an underrated edge rusher. Masses is skinny, but he's got an amazing sense of where the ball is in the air. Murdock has the NCAA record for forced fumbles, Fa'amoe is a big and athletic tackle/guard hybrid. Keyshawn James-Newby is an outstanding pass-rusher who needs work on his run defense.)

Won't do the roster; don't have the time. Feel free to shred me.

 

[Fire Ants]

Ewe!!! (see what I did there?) Haha.
Id rather stick with 13 or even your original trade to 19.

 

[Memento]

Ewe!!! (see what I did there?) Haha.
Id rather stick with 13 or even your original trade to 19.

I just like a lot of the Day 2 players much more than the Day 1 players, and I like 2027 even more than 2026. If we stuck with the Panthers’ pick, I’d go receiver, whether that’s Cooper, Boston, or Concepcion.

 

[Ram Ts]

Great effort. I like it a lot. Well done

My own twist - I’d go with a big DT or one of the top iLBs instead of Ponds.

 

[RamFan503]

I don't like going through all the machinations largely in order to secure Ponds and 2 first rounders in '27 that will likely both be in the 30s and leave us still outside the QB sweepstakes. I haven't done enough looking at college players to have an opinion on many of your other choices. The receivers seem solid though.

 

[JonRam99]

I think this would be a great overall draft, assuming one of the blue-chippers we need (Styles, Love) don't fall to us at #13. There should be some great picks available in the 2nd. Have either Bell or Sarratt done any KR/PR in college?
Also, if J.Rodriguez is still available at #51 I think he'd be a bigger priority over Ponds, though we do still need to build up the CB room as I'm not 100% sold on Forbes & we need some tougher CB's to match up with the WR's and TE's here in the NFCW.

 

[Memento]

Great effort. I like it a lot. Well done

My own twist - I’d go with a big DT or one of the top iLBs instead of Ponds.

Lots of linebackers to like. Rodriguez, Trotter, Golday, Perkins, etc. Not a lot of snot bubbler defensive tackles I like aside from Corleone, who has his own health issues (not on the field health, either; blood clots in his lungs). Chris McClellan (Missouri) might be one to look at, but he's more of a three technique with immense size than a true nose tackle.

I don't like going through all the machinations largely in order to secure Ponds and 2 first rounders in '27 that will likely both be in the 30s and leave us still outside the QB sweepstakes. I haven't done enough looking at college players to have an opinion on many of your other choices. The receivers seem solid though.

Fair enough, and the Rams probably won't do it either; it feels like they're putting their chips in for this season. I was tempted to put Agent Zero as a trade option (and I still think he could be with the contract looming and his age - another reason why I drafted two edge rushers that I really like in Tucker and James-Newby). Obviously, he wouldn't get what Parsons got, but I think that another mid-late first from an AFC contender (Ravens, maybe? Bills?) in the 2027 draft is doable. It gives us flexibility, and there's going to be a hell of a lot of potentially great QBs in the 2027 draft.

I think this would be a great overall draft, assuming one of the blue-chippers we need (Styles, Love) don't fall to us at #13. There should be some great picks available in the 2nd. Have either Bell or Sarratt done any KR/PR in college?
Also, if J.Rodriguez is still available at #51 I think he'd be a bigger priority over Ponds, though we do still need to build up the CB room as I'm not 100% sold on Forbes & we need some tougher CB's to match up with the WR's and TE's here in the NFCW.

I'm doing this draft assuming Tate and Lemon go before our pick. Love isn't even an option to me; he's not slipping past Washington, and I don't want to pay the price to get him. Bell and Sarratt haven't done KR/PR, but I'm not looking for a KR/PR. Maybe I'd take the kid from Navy with #251 instead of the O-lineman, but honestly, I think that there's a lot of questions on the wide receiver side, especially since Davante is a free agent after this year and we didn't have a true #3 last year. Bell and Sarratt solve those problems.

Rodriguez isn't going to be available, even with the Ponds pick. Tankathon had him going well ahead of #51, as he should. I'm still a Forbes fan, but I think Ponds could be that missing key piece that you play inside or outside and let McDuffie eat. I think he's that good, and if he were even two inches taller with his playing style, production and measureables, he would be a top fifteen pick.

I am just praying to holy fate that the Hags don't take him with #32. It would bum me the fuck out.

 

[Flatlyner]

Thats a lot of trades, however, I do not hate the results. Ponds is one of my guys and he is a stud. Bell could be one of the draft steals due to injury. Surratt seems like a great reliable weapon. Like getting OL depth. Would not hate it.

 

[methomas50]

Two things: Number one....the 2027 draft is widely considered a better draft than this one. I would love a second number one pick there. Lets hope the Bears take a step back.

Number two....your best pick is Bell who only fell because of injury. Would love to get him there. He is baller.

 

[Memento]

Shit, sorry for not answering people's posts! I'll do that right now, then I'll just post another mock on this thread, since I don't want to take up too much room and be bothersome on the main boards. Anyway, here's the replies.

Thats a lot of trades, however, I do not hate the results. Ponds is one of my guys and he is a stud. Bell could be one of the draft steals due to injury. Surratt seems like a great reliable weapon. Like getting OL depth. Would not hate it.

Ponds is my guy. He is everything you could want in a cornerback. Bell, I feel will be a steal, and Sarratt is one of my favorites in this class. OL depth is weird in this draft; there's few true left tackles in this class (Freeling, Lomu, and few others) and even fewer centers, but a lot of possibly great guards...which is what we might need, depending on Avila and Dotson.

Thank you for not hating it.

Two things: Number one....the 2027 draft is widely considered a better draft than this one. I would love a second number one pick there. Lets hope the Bears take a step back.

Number two....your best pick is Bell who only fell because of injury. Would love to get him there. He is baller.

Yeah, the 2027 draft is going to be stupid strong at QB. Would love for a second first - or even a third first, depending on what happens with Agent Zero (I think his value could equal a late first in that class - and I'm sure a team like the Ravens or Bills would be willing buyers...which I'm going to get into with this next mock draft). Sorry in advance, Agent Zero fans!

Thanks! Chris Bell is honestly very intriguing to me. He seems like the perfect X receiver to sit behind Adams; the only reason he's falling is because of his ACL.

Now, I'll post the next mock on the next post. Thank you, everyone, for your honest thoughts!

 

[Memento]

Now for the next Mock Draft (now that I have time and Internet access). As a note, I'm relying on Tankathon's mock for the top four rounds and Draftek's rankings for the remainder, so please note that I'm going to try my best to get fits where they're mocked. Oh, and @Merlin ? You are going to fucking love this draft. @Memphis Ram , you will love the first pick. @jrry32 , you will love the Gentry selection in the seventh round and maybe some other selections. Others might not love this draft because of certain questionable selections and one trade. Just saying...

Anyway! Let's get into it:

TRADES:

#13 overall to the Carolina Panthers for #19 overall and #51 overall.

(What can I say? I love that trade down option. Carolina moves up for Sadiq or Kendrick Faulk, while we gain a second for moving down.)

Byron Young to the Buffalo Bills for #26 overall.

(Buffalo has needed an elite edge rusher for fate knows how long. I don't think we can re-sign Agent Zero with contracts necessary for Nacua - because I still imagine he's going to get a long-term deal, even with everything going on, Turner, McClendon, one of Dotson or Avila, if either, and eventually Fiske, Verse, and A-Jax, not even counting the contracts we've signed this year. So, I imagine we end up trading him in the hopes that they can rely on Verse, Stewart, D-John, and a rookie or two to fill the void.)

No other trades to report. I'm crazy, but not that crazy. Anyway, here's the draft (where I'm making sure not to take any of the players I took in the last one):

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#19 overall - Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana. (6'0", 199 lbs.)

(Cooper fits so well with what we need: a touchdown machine a lot like a more physical Robert Woods in terms of playstyle, able to be used on bubble screens, reverses, just getting the ball in his hands and letting him eat. Slot, outside, you can put him anywhere, and he'll produce, and I think he has the capability of running any route you want him to run, even deep. Might need a bit of work with run-blocking, but it's a minor quibble in the profile; just let him be a receiver and let him kick ass and take names.)

#26 overall - Denzel Boston, WR, Washington. (6'4", 212 lbs.)

(Two first-round receivers, Memento? Are you fucking crazy?! Maybe, but Boston would be too good to pass up here (and I think Concepcion goes before #26). Boston seriously gives me vibes of those big Carolina receivers that we had so much trouble with, particularly Coker (whom I loved in his draft class), and he'd be an outstanding force, even if he never learns to separate from corners. I bet Merlin will be very happy with this, though.)

#51 overall - Gabe Jacas, EDGE, Illinois. (6'4", 260 lbs.)

(Jacas is honestly one of my favorite edge rushers in this class. Big, strong, fast, productive, character, he has everything you could wish for in an Agent Zero replacement - and he's still very young at twenty-one (won't turn twenty-two until May 27th). I don't know if he makes it to #51 overall (Tankathon thinks so; he's at the Bears second-round selection.), but if he did, it would be outstanding value there. Let him and Stewart compete and may the best man win.)

#61 overall - Josiah Trotter, ILB, Missouri. (6'2", 237 lbs.)

(Trotter, still a redshirt sophomore, one of the youngest players in this draft (will turn twenty-one on April 15th), and one of the most physical, punishing linebackers in this class. He may not excel at coverage, but this is a sideline-to-sideline linebacker with bloodlines, physicality, speed, and sheer playmaking ability. I've heard comparisons to another Missouri linebacker who's done well for himself: Nick Bolton. Having watched Trotter all year, I think that's an apt comparison.)

#93 overall - Trey Zuhn III, OC, Texas A&M. (6'6", 312 lbs.)

(Enormous center with a massive wingspan. Might take a little while to marinate, but I think he can be an outstanding center in time, fully replace Shelton. Has the bloodlines, has the length, has the size. Just needs time to learn technique.)

#207 overall - Bryson Eason, NT, Tennessee. (6'2", 323 lbs.)

(There's your snot-bubbler nose tackle, Merlin! Eason is a former linebacker who moved to nose tackle and embraced the role. Hasn't had the best stats, but he's able to anchor, doesn't get moved off the ball a lot, and he's got athleticism that makes you hope for more in the tank.)

#232 overall - Eric Gentry, ILB, University of Southern Califorina. (6'7", 221 lbs.)

(For special teams coverage, because we desperately need it. Jerry, I know you're a fan. Gentry had five forced fumbles last year, so maybe we can use that on teams.)

#251 overall - Andre Fuller, CB, Toledo. (6'1", 200 lbs.)

(Fuller might remind some of Derion Kendrick with his lacking athleticism, but he's a hell of a lot smarter than DK - and it's not like you're getting much better at this point. This is for teams - Fuller has experience in coverage - but with ten PBUs, there might be something more with him.)

#252 overall - Michael Heldman, EDGE, Central Michigan. (6'4", 260 lbs.)

(Outstanding pass-rusher (ranked #1 in all edge rusher rankings) from Central Michigan. Didn't play against the best competition, but his stats and tape were outstanding. Seems worth the risk in the seventh with our last pick.)

(Y'all can blast me for not drafting a returner, but most of them, to me, aren't draftable players; unless the returner is able to do other things on the field or unless he's Devin Hester reincarnated, I don't see the value in drafting a returner. Plus, I had limited picks to work with, and I like Presley, Williams, and Edwards as potential options to try out - and I like Hunter as a kick returner.)