- Cleveland Browns – Myles Garrett – DE, Texas A&M – Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller says Myles Garrett is far and away the number one guy in the draft. The Browns need all the help they can get.
- San Francisco 49ers – Jonathan Allen – DE, Alabama – GM John Lynch is in charge of drafting for the Niners. If this pick isn’t traded, the 49ers can create the Jets west on the defensive line with Allen. John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan both went to school out west, and I think they would prefer one of the Pac-12 passers for 2018 (i.e. UCLA’s Josh Rosen or UW’s Jake Browning) over QB’s Trubisky, Kizer, or Watson.
- Chicago Bears – Deshaun Watson – QB, Clemson – I don’t see how the Bears don’t draft a passer here. The Bears are actively shopping Cutler. Barring a pickup of Jimmy Garoppolo, Kirk Cousins, or Tony Romo (I think are unlikely) they need someone to lead the team. Watson came up huge against college football’s top competition and has the potential to start week one.
- Jacksonville Jaguars – Leonard Fournette – RB, LSU – Bortles took a step backwards last season. If Jacksonville can create a strong ground presence to gel with their defense Bortles won’t feel the need to force so many passes. Fournette is a devastating runner that can move Jacksonville up in the AFC South.
- Tennessee Titans – Marshon Lattimore – CB, Ohio State – Tennessee struggled against the pass while simultaneously ranking 6th in the league in total sacks created. Lattimore’s a top cover guy who can be that nickel man they need. Lattimore is young but highly productive at Ohio State.
- New York Jets – Marlon Humphrey – CB, Alabama – The Jets have no QB, but went to the playoffs with Mark Sanchez under center. The loss of Revis will hurt, and HC Todd Bowles will want a strong defense for his brand of football. Like Lattimore, Humphrey is young but showed up big against division one’s toughest competition.
- Los Angeles Chargers – Garett Bolles – OT, Utah – The Chargers are struggling at offensive tackle. King Dunlap isn’t performing at the same level he was since 2014, and Joe Barksdale has been a weak link on that line. Bolles is a fast riser at a program the Chargers have liked in the past. He can compete for right tackle and eventually take over for Dunlap in the coming seasons. Bolles, in his first and only year in FBS football was an all Pac-12 first teamer at left tackle.
- Carolina Panthers – Ryan Ramczyk – OT, Wisconsin – The Panthers can only ignore their needs at tackle for so long. Michael Oher’s been passable at best and right tackle Mike Remmers is a patchwork option. Ramczyk has played top college talent and gives the Panthers the best shot at stabilizing on offense.
- Cincinnati Bengals – Corey Davis – WR, Western Michigan – The Bengals have other needs but had serious trouble closing in the red zone in 2016. If they believe they can solve their offensive woes from 2016 with the guys on their roster right now, I could see Cincinnati looking closely at Solomon Thomas, DE at Stanford.
- Buffalo Bills – Mike Williams – WR, Clemson – Unless the Bills fall in love with Jabrill Peppers or one of the remaining safeties, Williams looks to be a steal here at number ten. The Bills have a need at wide receiver and apparently liked Clemson WR Sammy Watkins to give up two first round picks for him. Dalvin Cook would also be a value pick at number ten.
- New Orleans Saints – Sidney Jones – CB, Washington – The Saints have multiple holes on defense. They may hesitate to pull the trigger on another young pass rusher with Hau’oli Kikaha and Sheldon Rankins still waiting to make an impact. They have a definite need at starting corner and Sidney Jones has elite instincts. If Jones can put on some weight he can give the Saints a fighting chance against the NFC South’s giant wide receivers (Kelvin Benjamin, Devin Funchess, Mike Evans, Julio Jones all 6’3” or taller)
- Cleveland Browns – Reuben Foster – ILB, Alabama, – The Browns can go several directions here. They could look at Center with Ethan Pocic, Running Back with Dalvin Cook, Safety with Adams/Hooker whoever is available. Foster should help the Browns play the run better, allowing 143 yards a game on the ground last season. Foster was part of an Alabama defense that allowed 35 yards and 2.1 yards per carry from the super-productive Leonard Fournette.
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