Round 2 Mock
I like doing this exercise every year, even though trying to predict Round 2 is even more of a fool's errand than Round 1. Hey, I had 10 player-to-team matches in my Contest Mock, so I guess that wasn't too bad. (I would have done much, much worse with my Version 5.0 Mock, which I didn't bother to change in the last 48 hours or so.)
Round 2
The 49ers executed multiple trades to move back to this spot, and with all of their holes, I understand it, although it did cost them a shot at Caleb Lomu, who went one pick after their original pick at #27. But picking at the top of Round 2 has its own unique advantages because they can solicit trade calls all day, as opposed to the mere 7 minutes that teams will receive once on the clock. Hey, maybe they move down again. But if they stick and pick, I like the fit of the mobile and athletic Bisontis as a seamless fit into the LG spot.
34.
After the Rams' shock pick of Ty Simpson, Arizona ends up getting saved from him. Now they can select a better QB in the 2027 Draft, and it makes their ill-advised Jeremiyah Love pick not look as bad. As many were expecting the team to trade down from #3 to select an OT like Mauigoa, instead I have them grabbing the last high-end OG I have on the board in Pregnon. I think there's a significant drop-off after him at the spot, and I don't think there's a tackle worth taking after all of the top-tier ones went off the board in Round 1. If Love is to have any possible success between the tackles, the team needs more than just Paris Johnson and Isaac Seumalo anchoring the left side of the OL. Pregnon, presumably at RG, would offer more help.
Like the 49ers, Buffalo executed a couple of trades down the board and into Round 2, giving it more bites at the apple throughout the draft. I'm going to slot them the same player I had mocked to them at 26, and that's Parker.
If Boston is here, this makes total sense to add to Mendoza's potential weaponry once he takes the field.
Yet another pick at the trenches for the G-Men, and he could help fill the DT void left from the Dexter Lawrence trade. Remember, Harbaugh has spoken passionately about the need to stop the run, and McDonald is considered to be the best run-stuffer in the draft at the DT position.
Sheldon Rankins is a free agent after the season, so I could see the talented Miller coming off the board and I think the top half of the 2nd Round is his range.
Safety is not a big need, but there was smoke that the team had interest in him at #24 had the board fallen a certain way. Perhaps they have a high grade on him and will believe he is the BPA in this spot.
KC addresses the poor edge rushing group with Young here, who may also be an asset against the run.
McCoy or Hood have to be tempting here, but LB is the bigger need. Rodriguez checks the RAS box that the Bengals covet, not to mention that the team had him in on a Top 30.
The Saints were connected with Delane during the process and he may have been a consideration for them at #8, though I do think the team would have taken Tyson ahead of him. Though McCoy is on the board, the condition of his knee may cause him to fall further still. Instead, I'll opt for the rangy and youthful Hood instead.
Stukes is another high-RAS DB that should appeal to Hafley and the Dolphins, this after nabbing Johnson already in Round 1.
You can argue that the Jets don't have a single long-term piece in the CB room, especially if Azareye'h Thomas doesn't pan out. The Jets were connected to McCoy as early as #16 overall before the knee reports came out. With a fourth pick in this draft already, the Jets gamble that they can get good health for the majority of McCoy's rookie contract. When healthy, he may not be a huge downgrade on what they lost from Sauce Gardner's departure. The Jets take the plunge here.
Derrick Henry is 32. Hey, maybe he pulls a LeBron James and stays excellent for years to come, but history tells us that he's about to fall off significantly. In addition to that, Keaton Mitchell is no longer around and the only backup of note is Justice Hill, a small pass-catching/3rd down back. If something happened to Henry, the team would be in dire straits for early down carries. Washington helped himself more than any RB at the Combine with his truly ridiculous athletic testing.
46.
A leader on the field, here's a possible replacement for Lavonte David.
Hill fits the RAS box that Chris Ballard likes to check, and there's a big need in the wake of Zaire Franklin's free agency departure at LB.
I lot of chatter coming from Atlanta seems to be that DT will be under consideration for this pick, their first of the draft. Miller has more dynamic potential than Hunter does, but Hunter is a great run-stuffer and makes sense in a 3-4 defense like Jeff Ulbrich runs.
Even after surprisingly taking Banks in Round 1, DL depth is such an issue for the Vikings that I could see Howell being on the radar if he slips to this spot.
The high-motor and high-RAS Jacas checks two boxes for the Brad Holmes/Dan Campbell Lions, and the team needs more edge rushing help apart from Aidan Hutchinson.
Improvement at nickel is sorely needed, and Ponds is one of my favorite DB's I looked at.
This is a clean and tidy fit for the Packers, making their first pick of the draft. They have a huge need at corner, and Cisse checks their RAS box as a boundary corner.
4.33 wheels can often get you drafted early, and Branch's manufactured-touch YAC ability and pure speed could be a good match with bigger perimeter receivers in DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr.
Philly lost Reed Blankenship in free agency, so Howie Roseman goes back to the SEC for another early defensive player here.
Here's a possible candidate to start over Trevor Penning at a guard spot for the Bolts. I'd certainly hope so, for their sake.
Making its first pick this year thanks to the Travis Hunter trade from a year ago, perhaps the departure of Devin Lloyd could be addressed if any of Rodriguez, Hill, Allen, or Golday are available.
With 2 of the next 4 picks in mind for the Bears, I feel like edge rusher and WR are good bets. I'll look at edge players first with Thomas here, who may fall a bit further into Round 2 due to unexpectedly subpar athletic testing.
With Bisontis and Moore, I have the 49ers addressing both the OL and DL; Moore has arm length that John Lynch typically prefers for edge rushers.
Here's more OL depth for the Texans, and Tiernan could be interesting to Nick Caserior and DeMeco Ryans because they value experience, character, and playing in the so-called Power 5 conferences. Well, Tiernan has 49 games of college experience at both RT and LT and was a team captain last year. Whether he stays at tackle or has to kick inside to guard, there could be openings at a guard and tackle spot next year, as both Braden Smith and Wyatt Teller are on 1-year deals.
A tall speedy receiver, perhaps Brazzell could become a deep threat in Ben Johnson's offense and be a match for Caleb Williams' great arm. Depth is needed behind starters Luther Burden and Rome Odunze, both of whom struggled with injuries last year.
After picking Ty Simpson 13th, who the hell knows what the Rams will do. Bernard isn't exactly Makai Lemon or even Omar Cooper or KC Concepcion in my opinion, but he's a high-floor player who won't wow you with traits but who gets the job done with good routes, good hands, and he is an adept blocker as well. I could see him reminding the front office of Robert Woods. Ironically, this would also reunite Bernard with Simpson.
A potential "joker" tight end that Sean Payton has seemingly talked about for the last 2 years.
Though Terrell ran a glacially-slow 40 time, maybe it was because he pulled his hamstring during the workout. Or maybe he's just slow. Still, he has obvious NFL bloodlines with his brother in the league, and if AJ Brown is about to become a Patriot, I'm guessing that he gets an extension. As such, perhaps the team will move on from Carlton Davis after this season at one CB spot, as it would save the team almost $17MM and would leave behind a $5.5MM dead cap hit. If that's the idea, Terrell might be a much cheaper replacement in 2027.
Since Seattle only came into the draft with 4 picks and has already used one of those on Jadarian Price at #32, I could certainly see an attempt to trade down here. That said, Coby Bryant left in free agency and so did Riq Woolen, so a DB pick early makes sense, and it had been the betting favorite at #32. So perhaps Haulcy will be a consideration here.