So this was neat. We had a great draft with Mock 15 before the Super Bowl, hitting all the big needs like Edge, Safety, Tight End, etcetera, so what are the odds we could double up and do it again?
Let’s check the results of Mock 16 and find out:
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Round 1
Another fast start for defense in this draft with 6 Edge, 2 DL, and 1 CB coming off the board in the top 11. This makes it really hard for me, but I’m coming around on Montez Sweat. He’s the last box defender on the board with elite pass rush athleticism and the 85″ wingspan is a real nice feature for coming around the bend. Seriously, though, if defenders go this quick in real life, the draft is gonna be real stressful for me.
With the 30th pick, I already knew I wouldn’t be able to double up on Edge, but I wasn’t expecting nearly every one of my round 1 targets to be gone. The only one still around was TJ Hockenson. He seems to be here often, which I don’t understand. Teammate Noah Fant is flashier but Hock is almost as good of a receiver and a far better blocker. I think it’s just a matter of time before boards catch up with him – I expect him to be long gone by 30… but I’ll snatch him up here. Look at this truck:
Whatttttttt pic.twitter.com/EHma405sF5
— Jon Ledyard (@LedyardNFLDraft) January 28, 2019
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Round 2
Another need aligned with premium talent in the second back on defense. Deionte Thompson has taken some hits based on the national championship game, but it wasn’t quite that bad. With his size, speed, and athleticism, he’s still worth a top 50 pick. He wasn’t called on to cover a lot, but has range and seems to be able to and he can lay some lumber when necessary.
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Round 3
I reached a bit here. My board tells me to take a Guard-Center I really like in Elgton Jenkins, but there’s a lot of tackle projects still waiting that can play Guard. I’m intrigued and maybe I even reach a bit at pick 75 and grab Rock Ya-Sin, a unique developmental cornerback. He has a big wrestling background (two time state champion in Georgia) that really shows in his physical man coverage as he’s great at disrupting routes. His footwork is a little choppy, but he’s still learning the position and hasn’t played football as long as his peers. He looks like the kind of prospect that can make a big year two jump in the pros. He shined at the Senior Bowl, and has been moving up boards ever since.
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Round 4
Somehow, Jaylon Ferguson slipped this far again so I grabbed him to further bolster Edge. He does a great job using his 6’5 frame to power up against the run, but even without the high-end flexibility of the top Edge prospects, he uses great hands and moves to get pressure. He has no business falling this far.
With the second pick in the fourth, I go with my current favorite value pick for Slot Receiver and take Penny Hart. He’s only 5’8, but he’s so fast, so quick, and so good with catching the ball away from his body that I can’t lay off him. He’s going to be great as Randall Cobb’s replacement in this new offense and there are still good lineman hanging around.
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Round 5
I waited and waited and waited so I could fill other needs and grab value players like Ferguson, but I’m finally going to address offensive line and guess what? There’s a lot to choose from. I love some of the top Guard prospects (Especially Dalton Risner), but I keep learning that there’s value to be had later on interior line. It’s why Ted found so many middle round gems. If you don’t need a Left Tackle (and we don’t), you can wait. Case in point: I waited until pick 151 and grabbed Dennis Daley. He’s super-strong and athletic enough to zone block. He doesn;t have the pedigree traits to make it as a Left Tackle, but he’ll do just fine at Right Tackle or Guard. This is the kind of pick that allows flexibility early, rewards drafting for value, and makes an entire draft.
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Analysis
Like the last mock, this ended up being a dream draft. I actually thought it couldn’t get much better than the last one, but here we are. Major holes filled on both sides of the ball. A lot of that has to do with things like Jaylon Ferguson falling late and the move to zone blocking, which makes a mid to late round prospect like Dennis Daley a candidate to start.
Still, it’s possible that talents like this fall for reasons we never know, it happens every year.
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Of Note
- Jaylon Ferguson can’t keep falling this far
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Check out our PFTW 2019 Mock Draft Archive to see how other scenarios played out!
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