Last Updated: April 26th at 830am ET
This is my best guess as to how Thursday night’s first round will go based on intel I’ve gleaned and my knowledge of each team’s needs and targeted players. I’ll publish my final mock on Wednesday night.
1. Jaguars – Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence – Andrew Luck clone kickstarts the Urban Meyer era.
2. Jets – BYU QB Zach Wilson – The Jets reportedly won’t even entertain trade-down inquiries.
3. 49ers – Alabama QB Mac Jones – Kyle Shanahan prefers his QBs to play inside of structure.
4. Falcons – Florida TE Kyle Pitts – Atlanta sits tight and selects this draft’s true offensive unicorn.
5. Bengals – LSU WR Ja’Marr Chase – Ownership is dead set on reuniting Chase with Joe Burrow.
6. Dolphins – Alabama WR Jaylen Waddle – All in on Tua Tagovailoa, Fins pick speed-demon WR.
7. Lions – Ohio State QB Justin Fields – Lions begin rebuild with dynamic dual-threat field general.
8. Panthers – Oregon OT Penei Sewell – Carolina steals elite LT talent to protect Sam Darnold.
9. Broncos – North Dakota State QB Trey Lance – Denver can take big leap by solving QB dilemma.
10. Cowboys – Alabama CB Patrick Surtain – Draft’s top corner falls into defense-needy Dallas’ lap.
11. Giants – Northwestern OT Rashawn Slater – G-Men address No. 1 need with top OL remaining.
12. Eagles – Alabama WR DeVonta Smith – Heisman-winning wideout forces Howie Roseman’s hand.
13. Chargers – South Carolina CB Jaycee Horn – Bolts replace Casey Hayward with top-shelf athlete.
14. Vikings – USC OL Alijah Vera-Tucker – Minnesota can finally field a competent, young front five.
15. Patriots – Penn State LB Micah Parsons – True three-down LB adds speed to slowing defense.
16. Cardinals – Virginia Tech CB Caleb Farley – Top-tier corner lasts here due to durability concerns.
17. Raiders – Miami (FL) EDGE Jaelan Phillips – Pass rush missing throughout Jon Gruden’s tenure.
18. Dolphins – Oklahoma State OT Teven Jenkins – Day-one RT starter provides more help for Tua.
19. Football Team — Virginia Tech OT Christian Darrisaw – Left side of OL is Washington’s top need.
20. Bears – Ole Miss WR Elijah Moore – Chicago replaces Anthony Miller with Doug Baldwin clone.
21. Colts – Northwestern CB Greg Newsome – Indy has no bankable long-term answers at corner.
22. Titans – Georgia CB Eric Stokes – Tennessee continues secondary makeover with speedy CB.
23. Jets – Michigan EDGE Kwity Paye – Gang Green’s pass rush has been longstanding weakness.
24. Steelers – Alabama C Landon Dickerson – De-cleating tone setter replaces Maurkice Pouncey.
25. Jaguars – Clemson RB Travis Etienne – In-space playmaker follows Trevor Lawrence to Duval.
26. Browns – Penn State EDGE Jayson Oweh – Freak athlete ran 4.36 at 6’5/257 after ‘20 breakout.
27. Ravens – Georgia EDGE Azeez Ojulari – Baltimore replaces Matt Judon with prototype 3-4 rusher.
28. Saints – Notre Dame LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah – Middle-of-field pass-coverage specialist.
29. Packers – Minnesota WR Rashod Bateman – Packers finally give Aaron Rodgers first-round WR.
30. Bills – Florida State CB Asante Samuel Jr. – Undersized but physical ballhawk at thin position.
31. Ravens – TCU S Trevon Moehrig – Baltimore doubles down on first-round pass-defense reload.
32. Bucs – Washington EDGE Joe Tryon – Explosive athlete to eventually replace Jason Pierre-Paul.
