Here’s the third mock draft of the year for PFTW. This one, like others, is defense heavy on the top (starting with a double dip at a glaring need), but still managed to help the offense significantly.
Here’s the result:
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Round 1
Really odd start as Montez Sweat went at 2, Brian Burns went 5, and Jaylon Ferguson went 8, but I was left to choose between Clelin Ferrell and Jachai Polite. Nick Bosa and Josh Allen were gone, as they have been in pretty much every mock I’ve run.
This really shows how different team boards can be in real life, even when ranking the same position. It’s crazy how close picks are between guys, even at the top, an every slight change at each pick has huge impacts down the line.
I ended up going with Clelin Ferrell becuase I think he was the safest, most polished Edge guy on the board.
When it got down to 30, I couldn’t believe my luck and snagged Jachai Polite, who I was considering at 12. This is a trend I’m seeing in more mocks where a ton of Edge guys go top 11, then I take one at 12, and no more Edge guys get drafted before 30. I’d be thrilled if the Packers could double up like that in real life.
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Round 2
This is always a tough spot because I think there’s a big drop off after the second round. As a result, I took a Trade that the Texans offered, getting 21 and 23 in the second round for the 12th pick in the round. I’m hoping this lets me grab a couple of my targets instead of making me choose one.
When 21 rolled around, I grabbed Nasir Adderly, pleasantly surprised to see him slip that far. A full service safety, I really like the value here. Quickly after at 23, I took Dalton Risner, a guard capable of playing Right Tackle who I like more every time I see him. Both of these were guys I would have felt good taking at 12 and I’m thrilled I was able to pick them both up. The Texans took Riley Ridley with the pick, but I think he’s too raw to give up that much for.
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Round 3
I sat tight and grabbed Deebo Samuels. I love his release and think he can be a beast in the slot:
Deebo Samuel’s foot speed is disgusting… pic.twitter.com/6dYpe7BSXt
— Jake (@SeedsofJake) January 22, 2019
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Round 4
I mixed things up here and went with Tight End Zach Gentry. Nice seam receiver with good hands, but more of a positional blocker than a road grader. At 6’7″, he’s a great target that can get up for the ball, but also not able to get low in run blocking assignments. Not quite the receiver Jimmy Graham was in his prime, but a much more willing blocker, even if it isn’t his strong suit.
With the second pick (stolen from the Redskins for Ha Ha), I went with Running Back Miles Sanders. Running Back may not seem like a huge need, but Aaron Jones does have a tendency to get hurt. I like Sanders’s footwork and moves to fit in the new zone blocking scheme.
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Rounds 5-7
Still too early for me to go this deep.
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Analysis
Getting Ferrell and Polite in the first would immediately transform the defense to a more athletic, attacking edge front and should make 3rd downs a lot more exciting. Adding Adderly on the back end will only complement that increased pass rush.
Switching to offense, Risner is a day one starter at RG for sure and when Bulaga gets hurt, he can swing over to play RT, evenutally maybe taking over full-time. Deebo and Gentry give QB1 some new toys and Miles Sanders can be a nice complement in the backfield platoon.
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Check out our PFTW 2019 Mock Draft Archive to see how other scenarios played out!
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