Mock Draft Simulater

[HPF Bob]

The Fitzpatrick signing convinces me about 85% sure we are taking Bortles at 1-1 so, using the Fanspeak big board and adding the 6-5 pick from Oakland, I stay at 1-1 and draft this way:

1-1 Blake Bortles, QB, UCF
2-1 Jace Amaro, TE, Texas Tech
I trade down from 3-1 and 4-1 to add extra picks in the 4th and 5th rounds:
3-7 Shayne Skov, ILB, Stanford
4-10 Jack Mewhort, OT, Ohio St.
4-27 Lache Seastrunk, RB, Baylor
5-1 Antone Exum, CB, Virginia Tech
5-13 Taylor Hart, DE, Oregon
6-1 Chris Davis, CB-KR, Auburn
6-5 Storm Johnson, RB, UCF
7-1 Jay Bromley, DT, Syracuse

Didn't do as much with the pass rush as I'd like but I'm pretty happy with my top 3 if Bortles is my decision at 1-1.

[chuck]

I'm trying to figure out if I think the signing means they're taking Bortles or if it means they're taking Clowney. You could certainly argue it either way.

[Nconroe]

I am thinking a tall CB similar to Seattle might be helpful on defense.
These two might be available in second to fourth round.

87 Stanley Jean-Baptiste CB 11 NebraskaSr 6-3 218 3
94 Keith McGill. CB 12 UtahrSr. 6-3 211 S

[HPF Bob]

Tried the Walter Football Big Board and was set to draft Bortles 1-1 but the Falcons stepped up and said they wanted it to draft Clowney. They offered the Texans their first (#6), second (#5), third (#4) and fourth (#3) to move up. I swallowed hard and said yes. Adding the Raiders 6th for Schaub, it gave us two picks near the top of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th.

The Falcons took Clowney. The Jags took Manziel. The Browns took Bridgewater and left me, at #6 with a choice of Bortles or Matthews. Observe:

1-6: Blake Bortles, QB, UCF
2-1: Jace Amaro, TE, Texas Tech
2-5: Dee Ford, DE-OLB, Auburn
3-1: Cyrus Kouandijo, OT, Alabama
3-4: Tre Mason, RB, Auburn

Having re-tooled the offense, the third day was all about defense:

4-1: Christian Jones, ILB, Florida St.
4-3: Jackson Jeffcoat, DE-OLB, Texas
5-1: Calvin Barnett, DT, Oklahoma St.
6-1: Walt Aikens, CB, Liberty (talented but kicked off two programs)
6-5: Antone Exum, CB, Virginia Tech
7-1: Preston Brown, ILB, Louisville

The secondary might still be a bit weak but the front seven is stacked. You've got Ford, Jeffcoat and Mercilous edge rushing, You've got Watt, Crick and some anchors in the d-line and ILBs like Cushing, Jones and Brown to clean up the middle. Then there's Brooks Reed to fit inside or outside as needed. That front seven will have depth and bring pressure.

Offensively, the problem spot is the guards but you have a lot of candidates and the guards can be hidden with good surrounding players. Bortles/Fitzpatrick will have Foster and Mason sharing carries, Graham and Amaro to work the short passing game and AJ, DeAndre, Posey and Martin available out wide.

So, there are some holes left but that's really a lot of talent and a lot of weapons for O'Brien and Crennel to sculpt.

I'm starting to see that the Texans are going to have a lot of good choices at 2-1 and if they could add another high second, you could get three guys who can make an instant impact on the ballclub.

[Roy P]

I wouldn't have to swallow too hard to take the Falcon's offer. I would have to say, I'm thinking Bortles is going to be the pick.

1-6: QB Blake Bortles
2-1: OL Xavier Su'a-Filo
2-5: LB Dee Ford
3-1: DE Kareem Martin
3-4: RB Bishop Sankey (Tre Mason went undrafted?)
4-1: WR Martavis Bryant
4-3: LB Jordan Tripp
5-1: DT Caraun Reid
6-1: CB Phillip Gaines
7-1: LB Avery Williamson

McCaron & Garoppolo were much lower than I anticipated

[popanot]

We'll probably get a couple Comp picks for Barwin and Quinn. I would assume 5th rounders.

[HPF Bob]

Depends on how much the Ed Reed signing offset that.

IIRC, the formula is based on money spent, not impact.

[Warren]

This site predicts that they'll get two 5th rounders.

According to the rules provided on that site, I don't think Reed counts against them because he was (I think) released before the midseason point.

Besides Reed, they signed Greg Jones and Shane Lechler, and lost Quin, Barwin, James Casey, Donnie Jones, Alan Ball, Justin Forsett, and James Casey. They released Kevin Walter so he doesn't count as a loss.