The second season of PML has come and gone, but more importantly, the second draft of the cycle is near and a lot of teams are hoping to turn last year’s misery into a new beginning. This is going to be a three part mock draft where we will break down each team’s needs, the best player fit for them, and/or the potential of the prospect. We have already seen a few trades for first round picks that will shake up the draft a bit, but this mock draft will assume all picks stay with the teams that originally owned the pick.
- Carolina Panthers – Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
The Carolina Panthers sit atop the draft and hold all of the cards heading into Friday night’s PML draft. After another disappointing season, the Panthers are drafting in the top five once again, but Carolina traded out of pick #2 last season for a treasure chest of picks, could we see that again? The Panthers have to find their signal caller of the future and there is no quarterback better than Bryce Young in this draft. Young is smaller than Cam Newton, but he has all the tools that made Cam a dual threat signal caller in his prime. Young has the pocket sense to get the ball out of his hand quickly and the ability to scramble out of the pocket and keep a beautiful and accurate spiral on his downfield throws. IF the Panthers stay at this spot and pass on Young, we could see a mutiny between Carolina Panthers fans and team ownership if the losses pile up this upcoming season..
- Las Vegas Raiders – Will Anderson Jr., OLB, Alabama
Alabama won the National Championship this year and we could see several former Alabama players taken in the first round and it can be argued that Will Anderson is the best defensive player in this draft class. He has the skill set of Micah Parsons, he can do it all. He has the speed and technique to rush off the edge and the power and recognition to diagnose and blow up the run as a middle linebacker. One player isn’t going to turn around the Raiders 3-14 season, but Will Anderson could quickly become the leader on their defense and would come out of the draft as the best linebacker on the Las Vegas roster.
- New Orleans Saints – Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU
The NFC South is one of the most unpredictable divisions in PML because there are four coaches in it that could go on a run at any time throughout the cycle. Cammy added dynamic receiver Curtis Samuel last season but his passing game needs another deep threat to really allow the offense to explode. Kayshon Boutte is one of the best deep threat prospects that we’ve seen in any PML cycle and his 4.32 40-Yard Dash should net him 94+ speed. He was already projected to go in the top 5, but his pro day performance was the icing on the cake. Boutte is exceptional after the catch and he didn’t have a fumble throughout his collegiate career. An offense featuring Kamara, Samuel, and Boutte has to make Spencer Rattler drool from the mouth. The Saints finished this season with just 4 wins, but you only need 8 wins to sit atop the NFC South, and the addition of Boutte could be the push that this team needs.
- New York Jets – Myles Murphy, DE, Clemson
Arod has built his team from the ground up and the Jets roster is one of the best overall rated teams in PML. However, he hasn’t been able to take that talent and put pen to paper, but Myles Murphy can ail all his woes. The Jets had a bottom five defense last season and were the second worst defense against the run. Murphy’s 4.83 40 yard time shouldn’t scare off the Jets because he is one of the strongest defenders in this class. Murphy excels against the run and as a pass rusher. When he can’t get to the quarterback, he uses his 6’5” frame to swat balls out of the sky. You could argue that selecting an offensive linemen would benefit the Jets more, but it’s hard to justify drafting an offensive linemen with a top 5 draft pick.
- Minnesota Vikings – Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia
Kellen Mond has thrown 47 interceptions in 2 seasons as the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings, but coach JP still has faith that Mond can right the ship if given another opportunity this season. D.J Uiagalelei should be the clear selection here, but the Minnesota Vikings are determined to draft their future number one corner of the cycle. Kelee Ringo is one of the most physical corners in the class. He’s gonna jam any wide receiver at the line, but he lacks the quickness to get up to his top speed. His only knock coming out of college was his size. He’s more of a rangy safety, but look for the Vikings to move him around based on each gameday matchup. Ringo can cover wide receivers downfield, halfbacks coming out of the backfield, and tight ends coming across the middle of the field.
- Chicago Bears – Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State
LQ stepped down and Bacon has taken over as the new coach of the Chicago Bears. He has committed to Justin Fields as his quarterback of the future and it’s time for him to protect Fields by grabbing the best offensive linemen in this draft. Bacon could move this pick if he doesn’t feel confident in the scouting feature, but Paris Johnson Jr. is a homerun pick. He is one of the quickest linemen to declare for the draft since Rashawn Slater from North Western. Slater ran a 4.88, just .4 seconds behind the fastest 40yard dash time ever by Samuel Cosmi’s with a 4.84 run. Paris Johnson ran a 4.91, but he only put up 31 reps on the bench press, so he is more of a finesse blocking linemen. The Bears have 71 and 67 overall starting offensive linemen, so Paris Johnson would be an instant starter at any position on their offensive line.
- Cincinnati Bengals – Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson
Clemson produced a vicious defensive line this season and with the Bengals selecting Bryan Bresee, this will be the second Clemson defensive lineman drafted in the top 7. Myles Murphy ran a 4.83 40 and Bresee ran a 4.87. He is 310 pounds and is faster than some linebackers in the class. He has elite strength in combination with his quickness. He doesn’t have the skillset that Murphy does, but he likes to rely on his bull rush technique to get to the quarterback. The Bengals drafted Aiden Hutchinson last season and the addition of Bresee invigorates youth into an otherwise older defensive front.
- Houston Texans – B.J. Ojulari, OLB, LSU
Drake Jackson had a helluva rookie season for the Texans and they aren’t finished rebuilding their linebacking corps just yet. Roquan Smith, Drake Jackson, and B.J Ojulari would be an elite level core that could elevate the Texans front seven as a whole. Ojulari struggled in coverage just slightly, but the Texans lacked a consistent pass rush last season, and that’s where Ojulari shined in college. The Texans defensive line is in shambles with 76 overall Haskell Garrett leading the way. Houston is hoping that Myles Murphy or Bryan Bresee drop a bit, but they can’t go wrong by adding another premier pass rusher to their defense.
- Cleveland Browns – D.J. Uiagalelei, QB, Clemson
Desmond Ridder is on the outs in Cleveland. He was drafted way too high last season and his performance on the field left a bad taste in the mouth of Cleveland’s upper management. Ridder is too costly to cut and without a trade partner, the Browns remedy a bad situation, and have lucked out that D.J. Uiagalelei has fallen to them this far in the draft. D.J is the only player in the projected first round that won two awards. He won the Maxwell award and the O’Brien award. He has elite throw power and strength. He put up 29 reps on the bench press and has average quickness. His raw talent is off the charts, but his accuracy was criticized heavily when throwing under pressure. D.J is absolutely deserving of a top ten selection despite the accuracy concerns and the Cleveland Browns could have an opportunity to turn the franchise around in just over one season.
- Miami Dolphins – Eli Ricks, CB, LSU
The San Francisco 49ers had a less than stellar season but their loss is Miami’s gain. The Dolphins traded away Xavien Howard when they acquired Russell Wilson and it left a hole on the backend of their defense. Byron Jones turned 30 this season and it’s time for the Dolphins to prepare for his eventual departure. The AFC East has a lot of good receivers in it and the Dolphins fell just short of beating the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs. Eli Ricks improved his draft stock at his college pro day by increasing his 40 yard dash time from 4.42 to 4.36. He has the highest vertical jump of the class, and he excels in coverage. Miami runs a lot of zone coverage that should help Ricks adjust quickly. If drafted, it is expected that he’d start off in the slot, and take over for Byron Jones at the beginning of season 4.
Stay tuned for picks 11-21 and 22-32 coming shortly!
