Wednesday War Room: Dylan’s Mock Draft V3.0 (First Round)
This mock draft comes within the first 24 hours of the free agency period, as we’ve already seen some big moves. It is the first following the NFL Combine as well, which saw some shifts in stock. Finally, it follows the release of OT Eric Winston, which should impact Houston’s drafting strategy a bit.
In this mock, I have Houston selecting Kendall Wright. Much like the Kareem Jackson selection, I think the Texans see him as the player most ready to contribute immediately from a position of need. Even before the Combine, where I think his poor 40-time is irrelevant, I wasn’t a fan of Wright. All too often, successful college teams have multiple superstars, and when they’re separated, it becomes clear who is benefiting from whom. In this draft, I have the suspicion that Griffin is going to be a very good NFL quarterback down the road, and Wright got great but misleading numbers from playing with him.
Wright’s size (5’10”, 190 lbs.) is an obvious disclaimer. The three-star recruit has also proven to be lacking polish in his route-running. As a Baylor player, it’s no surprise that he’s coming out of the same gimmicky system which is raising some questions about his quarterback’s pro prospects. He dealt with some nagging injuries this past season. Further, there are some questions about the level of competition, as the Big XII traditionally allows more points than most any conference in the NCAA. When Baylor won the highest-scoring bowl game ever this past season, Wright only recorded 91 receiving yards.
Despite all of this, Wright looks like an elite prospect to many, and with good reason. On the field, he exhibits excellent speed and agility, with excellent body control and balance, which helps his ability to make highlight reel catches. And of course, his 1663 receiving yards this past season are nothing to sneeze at. Still, I think each of the other receivers that will be looked at when the Texans pick–Alshon Jeffery, Mohamed Sanu, Dwight Jones and even recent rising prospect Stephen Hill would be better selections.
1. Indianapolis Colts (2-14): Andrew Luck (QB)–Stanford
2. Washington Redskins (5-11) (from St. Louis): Robert Griffin III (QB)–Baylor
3. Minnesota Vikings (3-13): Matt Kalil (OT)–USC
4. Cleveland Browns (4-12): Justin Blackmon (WR)–Oklahoma State
5. Tampa Bay Bucs (4-12): Morris Claiborne (CB)–LSU
6. St. Louis Rams (2-14) (from Washington): Trent Richardson (HB)–Alabama
7. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11): Michael Floyd (WR)–Notre Dame
8. Miami Dolphins (6-10): Quinton Coples (DE)–North Carolina
9. Carolina Panthers (6-10): Michael Brockers (DT)–LSU
10. Buffalo Bills (6-10): Melvin Ingram (DE/OLB) South Carolina
11. Kansas City Chiefs (7-9): Riley Reiff (OT)–Iowa
12. Seattle Seahawks (7-9): Ryan Tannehill (QB)–Texas A&M
13. Arizona Cardinals (8-8): Jonathan Martin (OT)–Stanford
14. Dallas Cowboys (8-8): Dre Kirkpatrick (CB)–Alabama
15. Philadelphia Eagles (8-8): Luke Kuechly (OLB)–Boston College
16. New York Jets (8-8): Alshon Jeffrey (WR)–South Carolina
17. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland) (8-8): David DeCastro (G)–Stanford
18. San Diego Chargers (8-8): Courtney Upshaw (DE/OLB)–Alabama
19. Chicago Bears (8-8): Mike Adams (T/G)–Ohio State
20. Tennessee Titans (9-7): Nick Perry (DE/OLB)–USC
21. Cincinnati Bengals (9-7): Janoris Jenkins (CB)–North Alabama
22. Cleveland Browns: Whitney Mercilus (OLB/DE)–Illinois
23. Detroit Lions (10-6): Alfonzo Dennard (CB)–Nebraska
24. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4): Dontari Poe (DT)–Memphis
25. Denver Broncos (8-8): Fletcher Cox (DT)–Mississippi State
26. Houston Texans (10-6): Kendall Wright (WR)–Baylor
27. New England Patriots (13-3): Mark Barron (SS)–Alabama
28. Green Bay Packers (15-1): Andre Branch (OLB/DE)–Clemson
29. Baltimore Ravens (12-4): Peter Konz (C)–Wisconsin
30. San Francisco 49ers (13-3): Stephen Hill (WR)–Georgia Tech
31. New England Patriots (13-3): Devon Still (DT)–Penn State
32. New York Giants (9-7): Cordy Glenn (G/T)–Georgia