GENERAL JOURNAL MOCK NFL DRAFT: FIRST ROUND (1-16)

Seth Carter, Staff Writer

Before the NFL Draft next week Sports Editor, Trevin Kalick and I wanted to provide a personal mock draft, so I will begin with the first half of the first round (picks 1-16) and tomorrow Trevin will finish out round one. With that being said enjoy the first ever General Journal Mock Draft.

  1. CLEVELAND BROWNS – Myles Garrett – I think Cleveland will take the defensive end out of Texas A&M for two reasons. One because they desperately need defense and speed off of the edge and two because he is without a doubt the best player in the draft. He had a great combine and is a freak athlete.
  2. SAN FRANCISO 49ers– Jonathan Allen- I believe the 49ers will take Allen because he is a great prospect and they need defensive ends. This is a smart pick for the 49ers he will be a great player.
  3. Chicago Bears – Mitch Trubisky – The first quarterback off the board will be Trubisky the scouts love him and I think the Bears to do as well. With Jay Cutler gone they need a quarterback they can develop and Trubisky is just that.
  4. Jacksonville Jaguars –O.J. Howard- I think the Jags will take the big tight end out of Alabama because they need a playmaker that can catch and plow through defenders. That is O.J’s bread and butter as he did that countless times at Alabama.
  5. Tennessee Titans-Jamal Adams- The last person I think will be taken in the top five is Jamal Adams out of LSU. He already was a top ten pick, but with his recent 4.33 40 time at LSU’s pro day I don’t see being passed up.
  6. New York Jets-Solomon Thomas- Thomas impressed the whole year at Stanford, and his physical attributes are second to none, and many believe he could be a pro bowler within two years.
  7. San Diego Chargers– Mike Williams- Mike Williams is another elite prospect and the Chargers need wide receivers. With his speed and the ability to make defenders miss he will help the Chargers from day one.
  8. Carolina Panthers– Leonard Fournette- Let me just go ahead and say this Fournette is the best running back in the draft and will be taken before any other running backs. The reason I think Carolina will take him is to try and take some pressure off Cam Newton and allow someone else to help carry the load.
  9. Cincinnati Bengals -Dan Freeney – Next the Bengals need offensive lineman, and more specifically offensive guards. So they will take the best guard in the draft and develop him into an elite player in no time.
  10. Buffalo Bills – Marshon Lattimore – Buffalo biggest weakness last year was getting beat over the top. So the Bills will take that into account and draft Lattimore to keep up with receivers and be an elite playmaker in the secondary.
  11. New Orleans Saints– Tim Williams- It is no secret that the Saints need a defensive overhaul so they will take Tim Williams out of Alabama to be an elite pass rusher and outside linebacker quarterbacks fear.
  12. Cleveland Browns – Teez Tabor – With Cleveland’s second pick I think they will go defensive again and pick the safety out of Florida. Tabor has been elite since his freshman year and will make a huge impact in the Browns secondary.
  13. Arizona Cardinals – Reuben Foster – The Cardinals are another team with defensive needs. More specifically they need inside linebackers, and Reuben Foster is the perfect run stopper and big hitter they want. Pair him with Kevin Minter and you have an elite line backing core.
  14. Philadelphia Eagles – Derek Barnett – Philadelphia took a big step last year and are looking for further improvement this year, and Derek Barnett could provide the spark they need on defense.
  15. Indianapolis Colts – Ryan Ramczyk – Time to be brutally honest. It was unacceptable how many times Andrew Luck got hit last year. If I were the Colts I would be looking for players to step in that can help with that immediately so I think the Colts will take Ramczyk to be a tackle that can stifle opponents pass rush.
  16. Baltimore Ravens – Takkarist Mckinley- In this draft I believe the Ravens will take Mckinley because he has speed and strength they will use that to try and create another Von Miller that will haunt offensive coordinators.