This seems to be the consensus for all of us at TSF for the first pick in the NFL draft. He is the best edge defender in the draft and although the Jags have many holes to fill, an Edge is one of their biggest needs, and they get a guy who can defend both the run and the pass at a high level.

The Lions have a lot of holes to fill, but it is hard for them to pass up on a top Edge rusher in the draft. Walker is a physical specimen at 6’5″ and 275 pounds. He is not the greatest pass rusher, but he makes up for that with his with his size and how he is able to drop back into coverage while playing at multiple spots.

The Texans hired Lovie Smith as their head coach and what does Smith love the most? Well, that would be an athletic defender off the edge. Thibodeaux is an athletic freak and an explosive pass rusher at 6’4″ and can cover a ton of ground. He should be a starter right away and can easily transform into a pro bowl defender under Smith.

The Jets are weak at the CB position, and I believe they take the best CB in the draft in Gardner. Gardner allowed only 131 yards in 14 games last season and has never allowed a TD in his college career. This is a guy who is a true CB and a guy who can change the entire defense right away.

A position the Giants lack most is the OT and they need to stop paying big bucks to these aging offensive linemen and start clean. Neal is an ultra-athletic player who stands at 6’5″ (holy shit) and with his large frame and speed, he can handle the better pass rushers and move around to help the Giants run game.

We have heard that the Panthers could take Pickett here, but I feel that Willis is the best QB in the class and it would be foolish of them to not get him here. Sam Darnold is not the answer, and we are tired of the Baker Mayfield talks. Let the Panthers avoid all of that and take the top QB in the class who will be able to help the great offensive weapons the Panthers do have.

I do not expect the Giants to actually make this pick and will likely trade with a team like the Saints, but if they do, they would be wise to go after the top Safety in the draft in Hamilton. He is one of the best Safety prospects ever and is a player who can call out plays day 1 for the entire defense. He is smart as hell at the safety position, and this would be a step in the right direction to change their defense completely.

The Falcons have no legit WR on the team and we all expect them to take a WR at this spot. If they do so, I believe they will go with Wilson as he is a WR who can fill the WR1 role day 1 for them. He is a great route-runner, and he is dangerous after the catch. This is the exact player the Falcons need for the WR needy team.

Seattle needs an OT big time with Duane Brown still unsigned. Ekwonu is argued to be the best OT in the draft, even though I have Neal going before him. But if Seattle can get a top OT at this spot, it would be a guy who can be a force for them for the next decade. He excels at run blocking and if the Seahawks want to run like they have in the last few years, he is their guy.

The Jets have their second pick in the first round and although we all want them to take a WR, they need to build up the line to protect their young QB. With that, they will select Cross at pick 10 who is the next best OT in the draft, and some would argue he could be the best. He has a powerful upper body and strong hands although he needs to develop agility and footwork to dominate at the NFL level.

It would be hard to see Stingley falling this far, but with my mock the way it is he is the next best available. The Commanders need a WR, but it would be hard to pass up on Stingley at pick 12. He is one of the most dynamic CB prospects of all time. His size and speed alone will make him a day 1 starter in the NFL, and he is a hell of a ballhawk.

Now if Kyle Hamilton (S) falls to them here, I would think they take him, but with him gone already in my mock, they will try and beef up the secondary and take McDuffie. He is smaller at 5’10”, but he plays a lot bigger than his size and has great explosiveness and quickness to stay with his assignments.

The Texans, with their second pick of the first round, will continue to build on the defense under Lovie Smith. Booth Jr. is the next CB up in the draft. He is an aggressive CB with great size and strength and is known to make big plays when it counts the most.

What have the Ravens done best the for the last decade? That is to continue to draft young defenders and build them up and I believe they will continue that trend here. I would not be surprised if his teammate (Devonte Wyatt) goes here as well, but I lean Davis. He is superb in the run the game for his size, but still has some things to work on. What better place to improve than the Ravens and Calais Campbell teaching you for a full year?

There are some great WRs to pick here, but I have always been higher on Williams than the others who are left. From everything we have read, it sounds like Williams is making a quicker recovery than expected. Even if he misses the start of the season, this is a guy you want to invest in long-term and him opposite of Devonta Smith should be a blast to watch for years to come.

The Saints have two picks right around this area and you would think they could just wait for a WR on their next pick, but with the Chargers rumored to draft a WR in the first, they will need to lock this need up here. Olave fits with the Saints as he is a downfield threat who should pair well with Michael Thomas and let MT do what he does best. We all know the Saints could take both picks to move up, but if they do not, I expect them to take Olave here.

The Chargers on paper have filled almost every need this offseason, but you can never have too many offensive linemen. Penning has a 99.9 run blocking grade which is the highest that has ever been charted. He is a physical run blocker who can move people with ease. This is the guy Ekeler and the team need to help bolster up an already impressive team.

The Eagles get their WR a few picks before this and at pick 18, they fill a need at the Edge position by taking Johnson. The ACC Defensive Player of the Year should be a starter right away and has the potential to be an All-Pro in the NFL. He excels in pass rushing but is also a great run stuffer too, which people tend to forget.

Again, we do not believe the Saints keep this pick as we expect them to trade up in the draft, but if they do, they grab Raimann here to help fill the void after losing Armstead to the Dolphins. Let us not forget that he used to play TE and the Saints love moving players around in different schemes. He allowed only 10 pressures in college last season and had the second-highest grab of any offensive lineman last year. This is a player and position the Saints NEED.

I really did not want to have the Steelers pick a QB here with all the offensive linemen left, but QB is a much needed position for them even with Mitch Trubisky there now. Also getting a QB in the first round means they have a 5th year option they can pick up in the future which is huge. I do not see him being a day 1 starter, but this is a team where he has a shot to start at some point his first year.

Elam has been flying up draft boards, so by the time this is up, this may be a spot he likely will not fall to. As a Pats fan, this would be an amazing fit for us. Elam has a strong frame and excels in a man scheme defense and is a great cover corner. This is a player that can excel in a Belichick defense right away.

Every year I mock the Packers to take a WR and I am always wrong. I will likely be wrong again, but I don’t want to be left out in case they finally get a player they can use. In the past, we always thought they needed a WR to pair with Adams, but with Adams now gone, this position is the biggest need for the aging Rodgers and the Packers. No one will fill the Adams role by any means, but with his 6’5″ frame, he is what the Packers could use. The comp to Mike Evans is sexy for any NFL franchise.

Another Edge will come off the board at 22 and if they do land him here, that is a steal and a half. He is a player who can play multiple positions and do anything the team asks of him. He is great at applying pressure to the QB which is what the Cards lost with the departure of Chandler Jones. Also, who better to teach him the ins-and-outs of a defense than JJ Watt?

This pick could easily be a WR (Burks) with the departure of Amari Cooper, Cedrick Wilson, and the nagging injury to Michael Gallup, but it would be hard to pass up on Linderbaum here. The line has taken a hit over the last few years and after losing some key guys on the line this offseason, they need to fill that void. He is the best Center prospect we have seen in a long time and has been in college since 2020.

This is more of a fun pick for me here and I do not believe an RB will go in the first round, BUT if one does, it will be Hall landing with the Bills. We have said for years that the Bills weakness is their RB position, even though we saw some good flashes by Singletary at the end of last season. Hall can be the true 3-down back they have not had since Shady McCoy and would be a day 1 starter for them.

The Titans really could go after a handful of positions here, but with Derrick Henry coming off an injury and getting older, why not continue to beef up the line for him and the offense. He is a great fit for their run-heavy team. This is a player who has only gotten better every year in college and allowed only 6 total pressures in 2021.

I know the Bucs also need a CB, but Hill can play both CB as well as Safety. He can be a nickel defender and can line up anywhere in the secondary for the Bucs. Their biggest weakness for years has been their secondary and if they get Hill, he should be able to help them out right away since he can lineup at a variety of positions.

After the Packers cut their best LB in White this offseason to gain more cap space, he left a massive void for the team. Lloyd is the next-best LB in the draft and is arguably the best all-around LB. He can take on blockers as well as cover opposing TEs at a high level. I really would love to see Lloyd fall to them on Thursday, but they are the Packers, so we have no idea what they will actually do.

Now KC has back-to-back picks here so if they do not take a WR at 29, they will take one at pick 30. Regardless, if Burks does fall to them this far, it would be a great value for them. Burks is a guy that does a lot and can be moved around the field like Deebo Samuel for the Niners. After losing Tyreek this offseason, there is no way they do not take the best available WR let on the board. In this mock, it happens to be Burks.

With KC’s second pick in a row, I have them taking the Washington CB in Kyler Gordon. They need all the help in the world in their secondary after losing some key players in the last few months. Gordon has been jumping up draft boards and he will find himself being selected late in the first round. He played both outside as well as slot CB in 2021. A guy who can do it all for a team that needs secondary help.

The Bengals have done a great job this offseason beefing up the offensive line, so they will look to add a player on the defensive side. Although they do not have a big need at the LB position, it would be hard for them to pass up on a player like Dean at pick 31. He has elite quickness and is straight-line fast for a LB out of college. With that, he can line up on the Edge as well which is a need for the Bengals.

Another player who likely won’t fall this far and not a team need for the Lions, but again, it is hard for a team to pass up on players like this at this point in the draft. This will be the 4th defensive player selected out of Georgia in the draft. Wyatt is an explosive athlete and excels at the pass rush. Now we all know the Lions could take a QB here, but I believe they are fine with Goff under center for at least one more year.

Safer floor than Travon Walker, though Walker does present more upside

The Lions shocked us in 2020 when they took Okudah, and he hasn’t panned out, only playing 10 games in 2 years. They try again with Stingley, letting Sauce Gardner slip. Classic Lions.

The Texans need a lot of pieces, building OL for the long term success of the team is the right move.

6’3” lengthy DB who didn’t allow a single TD in coverage? This guy has old school Jets written all over him. Darrelle Revis V2?

Likely trade this pick or the next one they have, but I think the Saints offer them a trade to slide ahead of QB-needy Carolina. If not, the new GM holds true to his word and in an effort to protect Daniel Jones, adds some talent at OL. Adding Ekwonu to the fast improving Andrew Thomas would make for an elite pair of Tackles on this team, just what Barkley needs to get back to form, and just what DJ needs to complete a pass not under duress.

He’s my best QB off the board, and I think Rhule needs to add a QB despite his short tenure in the league. He can’t start the season without a QB plan, and unless Baker Mayfield ends up in CAR, Willis is the best available. He may not be NFL ready, but he gives the Panthers a chance to compete in some games with his athleticism and dynamic playmaking ability, and don’t forget his ability to throw the long ball to speedster Robby Anderson.

Walker is a top 3 prospect in this draft, so falling to the Giants here would be huge. Again, I think they trade this pick (or #5), but if they don’t, working on their defense should be a priority after they couldn’t stop a nosebleed last season. Walker would instantly slot in and make an impact in the trenches, a versatile player who can pass rush and run stop with equal effectiveness.

As of right now, the Falcons have zero WRs. All available reports say Williams should be ready to go by training camp, which is an absurdly fast timeline, but if that is the case and teams have confirmed it, then they’d be fools to pass on him. Williams instantly slots in and can play big reps for the Falcons, and give Mariota someone to throw to. Now this team has a lot of needs, so I wouldn’t be shocked at anything they do, but this pick would be a home run, especially if Ridley comes back to the team after his suspension next season.

Duane Brown remains unsigned, the Seahawks need to protect Drew Lock if he is going to have any chance to win any games for them, so Cross slots in as an obvious choice, with the top 2 guys already off the board at the position. Cross could be a stud and puts leverage on Brown to re-sign, if they so chose.

Formerly one of the elite prospects in the draft, his attitude/personality concerns have caused him to drop a bit of late. The Jets, however, have never shied away from this type of player, and they won’t start now. Thibodeaux’s slide ends here, and he finds a home in NYJ where he will play big snaps from Day One.

One of the more interesting prospects this season, I could see him going as high as pick 1 or as low as pick 20. He has a ton of upside, is NFL ready out the gate, and can make an impact on any team’s defense, but the safety position is not ultra valued in the league anymore and it’s tough for these guys to break in at a high draft pick.

The Vikings needs help at corner, Patrick Peterson is past his prime and we’ve seen the rest of the DBs struggle mightily. They don’t want to be in shootout style games, they want to pound the ball and get off the field on D. McDuffie can slide in immediately and play starting reps for Minnesota, I think this is a dream fit.

I already have them taking a Tackle, so next they should look to fill some holes on their porous defense. I think they would likely start up front, but without a lot of elite talent left on the board, I think they may instead opt for a DB. However, let’s stick to our guns and say they take Jermaine Johnson, and if that’s the case I think they are getting a massive value at #13 on a guy who should have gone top 10.

We talked about it on our last podcast, but the Ravens let 2 depth CBs go this offseason and haven’t yet replaced them. On a team without a ton of needs, this is one to address ASAP. They have struggled on D when their CBs have been hurt the past two seasons, so adding some depth is a must. Additionally, picking a guy like Andrew Booth carries very little risk, he should be able to play in a lot of situations early on.

It looked like they would let Fletcher Cox walk this offseason, but eventually resigned him to a one year deal. So they likely will look to add someone who can replace that talent long term, and a guy like Jordan Davis could fill that void in seconds. Davis may be the best overall athlete in this draft class, a mammoth of a man is not supposed to move like he does. Who does this sound like to you? The exact man who may be departing following this season, Fletcher Cox. The Eagles have always had talent up front, and I see them carrying on that tradition with this pick.

The Saints likely trade this pick to move up for a QB, but if they don’t, I think that signals that they are content with James under center, and instead they will go for a WR to pair with MT and whoever else might be catching balls on this offense. A guy like Garrett Wilson hanging around this late in the draft is tough to pass up.

They nailed their Rashawn Slater pick last season, and this year they will continue to build up that line for Herbert to continue to grow and have success in the league. Penning is a great talent to be getting at pick 17 and I think the Chargers will be stoked to secure his services.

They already took Davis at DT, so now they need to work on the second level, LB. I think Devin Lloyd is a no brainer of a pick, but the Eagles seem to be fond of the upside that Nakobe Dean offers. I think the Eagles look to make the better decision for once and stick with the popular talent in Devin Lloyd, and I think this is the right call. Cheers Eagles, you didn’t mess up yet!

Just took Garrett Wilson, now they need some OL help with the departure of their long time stud, Terron Armstead. Tyler Linderbaum is the best available, but he’s an interior lineman and I don’t think the Saints want to try to shift him outside. I think they may take a flier on Bernhard Raimann, but again, the difficulty of picking for them here at 19 is part of the reason I think they package their two first rounders for a higher selection in a trade with the Giants.

Mitch might be guy in Pitt… or he might not be. But what we do know, is that the Steelers need another option in case Trubisky doesn’t work out. Pickett is low risk at #20, and the Steelers get a guy they can groom over the next year or so. We’ve seen how effective QBs can be after a year of holding the clipboard, so this could be another success story if he can learn for a bit before being thrown to the wolves.

Like I said, neck and neck with Lloyd, so if the Eagles go for Dean I would expect the Pats to take Lloyd here. But no matter who you take, the Patriots are getting a much needed upgrade at LB, especially in the speed department. Allowing way too many yards on the ground for a Belichick led defense, the Pats front 7 needed a facelift, and I think Dean is a player who can make marked improvements quickly.

The Packers need WR help, no doubt. But they also need help at DB. And with the remaining WR class looking deeper than CB class at this point, the Packers need to secure the services of Elam, a guy who is flying up boards lately. A big physical corner who ran a 4.39 40 and was impressive last season in college… this pick makes almost too much sense.

They need some help on defense after a few key offseason departures, and the question is simply “which spot do they fill first?” I think it’s most likely they try to replace Chandler Jones and add some edge rush potential with Karlaftis out of Purdue. He isn’t the biggest fastest or strongest guy, but he has a nice combination of all 3 and seems to always be around the football.

Letting Cooper walk was a bit of a shock, especially for a team that uses 3-WR sets as much as they do. I think part of that thought process was that they knew they could snag another young, elite ceiling WR in this draft. And at #24 they get their guy, Chris Olave. You already have Gallup who can fill the possession role, now you add a burner in Olave who came out and lit the track on fire in the combine. This instantly gives you the dynamic offense the Cowboys needs to keep the ball rolling as if Amari Cooper never left town.

What do you get the guy who has everything? This team has very few holes and I really am not sure what they do. Heck, they might even just trade down or trade for future assets. Who knows. I do think there is a chance they could go for DB depth, and best on the board at this point is Kyler Gordon. He could probably fill in as a slot corner for the departed Levi Wallace, or provide some extra time for Tre’Davious White to rehab his torn ACL. Either way, he should play some snaps for an elite defense and contribute early on.

With their QB set, their RB dominating, their OL intact, and their defense… decent… what do the Titans do to get better? Well you need to replace Julio Jones after that experiment failed last season. And with AJ Brown and the Titans relationship quickly deteriorating as they try to negotiate an extension, WR makes the most sense. Here I would look at a guy like Treylon Burks, who was formerly projected as a top 10 prospect, but fell due to a rough showing at the combine. On a team like TEN though, where he doesn’t have to be the number one guy from the jump… he could find success. With AJB and Robert Woods there as known quantities, he can play a bit of a possession role while occasionally stretching the field on deep play action shots. The upside is definitely there at pick 26.

The Bucs need help in the secondary more than anything. I think they have to go DB here, and the best on the board is Roger McCreary. Not much else to it other than filling a need. He lacks some size to be an ultra elite physical prospect, but he has the upside and intelligence in his game to be an impact corner if used properly.

It’s well known I am not a huge Aaron Rodgers fan, BUT, this would be a great spot for London to land. They just lost Davante Adams and need to replace his production, and while London is quite an Adams clone, he has the size and strength to be the red zone target that Adams has been for Rodgers his whole career. This could be a very productive spot for London, and he might even be happy about falling to pick 28 if that’s the case.

I’m going to do something I rarely do, and I am going to put some faith in Mel Kiper’s opinion. He’s had Hill flying up his board lately, and when we see this, it’s usually because he knows something. I think the Chiefs have a serious need at DB after some offseason departures and the likely departure of the Honey Badge Tyrann Mathieu. So bringing in a CB who had all the physical tools to succeed makes a lot of sense for the Chiefs at this spot.

I know they brought in Juju. And I know they brought in MVS. But I don’t know that either of these guys are long term solutions for replacing Tyreek Hill. Instead, I think they bring in a rookie who can start working with Mahomes early and often, and they can groom him to be a much more effective weapon. A guy like Pickens could be a steal here.

I see this as a long term investment pick for the Bengals. They snag Ojabo for a discount, a guy who was projected as a top 10 pick (give or take) until he got hurt at the combine. So they lock him up, help him rehab, and we’ve seen them do a great job with Uzomah and Burrow in the past rehabbing and coming back stronger, so they just go for it again with Ojabo and when he’s ready to play, he dominates.

If the picks fall as I have them here, I can’t see the Lions taking a QB at this selection. Maybe Desmond Ridder, but I doubt it. Instead, I think they continue to build the defense and try to build from that side of the ball. If they can get stops and win field position battles, Goff can still play QB well enough to get some W’s. If not, they can still take a QB later in the draft. Here, I think Cine is the choice, especially after a sub 4.4 40yd dash at the combine.

To me this one is a no brainer for the Jaguars, there appears to be a lot more buzz with Trevon Walker coming up and being the number 1 pick, however, Hitchinson fits better in the JAguars 3-4 scheme who will never need to move off ball and will hold the edge like no other prospect in this draft. Hutchinson is that good.

I had some struggle thinking the Lions would take Sauce here but, the most apparent need is someone to get after the Quarterback. Walker is an extremely athletic edge rusher that can do it with his hand down or hand up. He has the versatility to cover, blitz, and go sideline to sideline.

From the beginning of the college football season Thibodeaux was talked as a top prospect if not the top prospect. He has some motor concerns stated by many “reporters” so he isn’t projected to go number 1, but you cannot ignore 19 career sacks and the body type and physical play of this edge rusher. The Texans desperetely need a cornerstone defender and Thibodeaux is that.

This here is my favorite prospect int he draft, this is the best CB prospect in recent memory, one who never allowed a TD in his collegiate career, I’m not sure how many other corners can say that but I’m sure its only a handful of full time starters, he has the drive, the size, and the awerness to jump into the top 10 conversation of all NFL CBs immediately.

I select Ekwonu here over Neal as Ekwonu is the better run blocker which makes it easier for the Giants so they dont have to move budding Tackle Andrew Thomas move over to the right side. They can insert Ekwonu on the right and have to book ends for Daniel Jones and this will also improve their much needed run game. Daboll needs this to be the pick to make his offense move to the next level, he needs Daniel Jones to be upright and safe or else this offense will not work.

The Carolina Panthers have made it clear they want a QB this off-season. They have lost faith in Sam Darnold no matter what you hear so it’s only natural that they select Willis here. They have also said they will not be making a trade for Baker until after the draft has taken place so that tells me that they plan to see if tey get enough picks to trade out of this spot or take the project player in Malik Willis. They can draft Willis and still trade for Baker since Willis needs time to develop, but If this is the pick, no matter what Willis will start at somepoint in the year, the Panthers are just too good to be picking this low this time next years.

If I was mocking trades this pick would be traded , The Giants need many things and this pick is just too rich not to trade back to get 2 players instead of 1. There are plenty of edge players later they can choose from, but here I have them taking the next best edge player. Johnson is a stout edge rusher who will have an impact day 1 if they choose to select him.

There’s no reason why the Falcons don’t pick WR here. While they have many draft needs, WR is far and a way their biggest need. Weather it’s Wilson, London, Williams, or any other WR they like, they will draft one. I think Wilson is going to be the safest WR in this draft as he has the speed, skillset, and seperation of a #1 in this league which the Falcons so desperetely need.