A huge shoutout to JT for coming up with the PML Mock Draft Simulator, it is a lot of fun to go through different scenarios and to see what could happen in the upcoming draft. I along with a few other PML coaches will have a collaborative mock draft coming out after the combine and pro day results are revealed, but in the meantime I wanted to do a deep dive analysis of the Mock Draft Simulator and how I would grade each selection. Grades are based off of team fit and team need, not necessarily if I thought that a different player should have been selected.
Teams without a first round selection – Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers, and the Los Angeles Rams.
I really liked the way that this mock draft shaped out, I think most of the selections made a lot of sense, and a few of these players could be selected earlier or later. There’s a lot to like at the top of the draft, but it’s in the middle of the round that we see a few players selected that don’t really fit the major needs of that particular team.
| Pick # | Team | Projected Player | Grade |
| 1 | Panthers | QB Bryce Young | A+ |
| 2 | Raiders | LB Will Anderson Jr | A+ |
| 3 | Saints | WR Kayshon Boutte | A+ |
| 4 | Jets | WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba | B+ |
| 5 | Vikings | CB Kelee Ringo | A |
| 6 | Bears | HB Bijan Robinson | C+ |
| 7 | Bengals | DT Bryan Bresee | A |
| 8 | Texans | S Kenderick Duncan Jr. | C+ |
| 9 | Browns | LB B.J. Ojulari | B+ |
| 10 | Dolphins | CB Eli Ricks | A |
| 11 | Jets | QB D.J. Uiagalelei | C |
| 12 | Jaguars | DE Myles Murphy (Clemson) | A |
| 13 | Buccaneers | DT Gervon Dexter | C |
| 14 | Cardinals > Patriots | QB C.J. Stroud | A |
| 15 | Football Team | OG Peter Skoronski | B+ |
| 16 | Giants | WR Jordan Whittington | D |
| 17 | Patriots > Cardinals | TE Michael Mayer | A |
| 18 | Titans | DT Alfred Collins | B |
| 19 | Falcons | CB Brian Branch | C+ |
| 20 | Dolphins | OT Anton Harrison | B- |
| 21 | Cowboys | LB Noah Sewell | A |
| 22 | Seahawks | WR Jordan Addison | B+ |
| 23 | Raiders | S Antonio Johnson | C |
| 24 | Chargers | CB Emmanuel Forbes | C |
| 25 | Ravens | LB Nick Anderson | B |
| 26 | Colts | QB KJ Jefferson | F |
| 27 | Packers | OT Myles Hinton | B |
| 28 | Seahawks | TE Grant Calcaterra | B |
| 29 | Seahawks | RB Tank Bigsby | C+ |
| 30 | Cowboys | DE Myles Murphy (NC) | B+ |
| 31 | Texans | CB Storm Duck | A+ |
| 32 | Broncos | LB Drew Sanders | A |
The Good –
The first five selections of this mock draft were spot on and we could see this exact lineup come draft day, but I think the Panthers are set at the quarterback position. They have put a lot of effort into building up Spencer Sanders, and could use the number one overall selection as a way to acquire extra picks and rebuild their team for their infamous season 5 run. Cornerback Storm Duck out of North Carolina has one of the coolest names in the draft and I think it’s a travesty that he fell so far, but it would be a match made in Heaven if he was drafted by the Houston Texans. Houston is in dire need of a number one quarterback and Storm Duck could provide them with a lockdown corner right out of the gate.
The Bad –
Welcome Bacon back to PML, we are all glad to have him back, but I can’t foresee him using the sixth overall selection on a running back. Bijan Robinson is going to be a stud coming out of the draft, but this fit just feels odd to me. The New York Jets are in dire need of change, but it doesn’t start with abandoning Zach Wilson, despite the fact that he led the league in interceptions last season. The Jets have to build around and embrace Wilson instead of looking for a new quarterback, even if it’s a quarterback who could be a superstar. Coach Burn and the New York Giants have done a tremendous job at managing their cap and it’s rumored that they will be releasing some high cap wide receivers, but that’s a position that they have the most depth at, so drafting one doesn’t make a lot of sense, but protecting Daniel Jones and relying on their superstar back to carry the load could be the way to go next season, and that starts by drafting interior offensive linemen.
The Ugly –
The Colts do NOT need a new quarterback, I repeat, the Colts do NOT need a new quarterback. Drafting a new quarterback would be one of the biggest draft busts since the Cleveland Browns drafted Desmond Ridder ahead of Malik Willis last season, who is on the block now by the way. The Seattle Seahawks turned their three late draft picks into a new wide receiver, halfback, and tight end. It’s not an awful approach to take, but trading DK Metcalf was still one of the confusing trades this season. You can’t make up for his production and the Seahawks are left with a wide receiver room full of 30+ year olds. Drama and the Seahawks proved a lot of people wrong by going 12-5 this season, but with a team whose average age is 27.2, he’s going to need to build up the younger guys in order to compete the next three seasons.
