Mock Draft 2.0 – the Niners trade up to pick No. 17

Here is Mock Draft 2.0. Mock Draft 1.0 was completely correct, as I previously noted. But Mock draft 2.0 is even more correct.

  1. Colts – QB Andrew Luck. Indy wants the Mobile Manning.
  2. Redskins – QB Robert Griffin III. He’ll have a better rookie season than Luck because he’s on a better team, but he won’t have a better career.
  3. Dolphins (trade up) – QB Ryan Tannehill. The Dolphins want Tannehill and they’re afraid the Browns will draft him, so they trade up to get their guy.
  4. Browns – RB Trent Richardson. The best player available.
  5. Buccaneers – CB Morris Claiborne. The best player available.
  6. Rams – WR Justin Blackmon. St. Louis rejoices that Blackmon falls to them. They think they’ve gotten a steal. In reality, they’ve over drafted a guy who will never be a top-15 wide receiver in the NFL.
  7. Chiefs (trade up) – OT Matt Kalil. The Jaguars want Melvin Ingram, so they can afford to trade down a few spots. The Chiefs want to upgrade their offensive line, so instead of drafting David DeCastro at pick 11 they trade up four spots to take Matt Kalil – a future top-five left tackle.
  8. Vikings (trade down) – WR Michael Floyd. Minnesota needs a big No. 1 WR next to Percy Harvin, and they need to give QB Christian Ponder all the help he can get, so they reach for Floyd.
  9. Panthers – DE Quinton Coples. Carolina runs a 4-3 and they need a pass rusher. Coples is the best DE one available.
  10.  Bills – WR Stephen Hill. Buffalo reaches for a wide receiver instead of reaching for an offensive lineman. They pick the tallest, fastest WR in the draft.
  11.  Jaguars (trade down) – DE Melvin Ingram. Jacksonville takes the pass rusher they wanted all along.
  12.  Seahawks – OG David DeCastro. Seattle is a run-first team with a huge hole at guard.
  13.  Cardinals – OG Cordy Glenn. Arizona takes the best offensive lineman available.
  14.  Cowboys – DT Michael Brockers. Dallas needs an upgrade at 3-4 DE, and Brockers has the potential to be a Pro Bowler.
  15.  Eagles – DT Fletcher Cox. Philly takes the best defensive tackle available.
  16.  Jets – S Mark Barron. He’s a better prospect than any of the available pass rushers.
  17.  49ers (trade) – TE Coby Fleener. The Niners swap first round picks with the Bengals, plus they give them their second and fourth rounders this year to draft Fleener, who should be a top-10 pick. Why? Because the NFL is evolving into a passing league and Fleener is the best receiver in the draft. If the Rams were shrewd, they’d draft Fleener over Blackmon with the sixth pick. But I don’t think they’re that shrewd, and I do think Fleener will drop into the late teens because conservative general managers will draft a “potential No.1 WR” over a “tight end who’s just a mediocre blocker.” Mike Mayock doesn’t even give Fleener a first round grade. There’s a chance Fleener could fall to the Niners at pick 30, but there’s also a chance the Bears could draft him at pick 19. If he falls to 17, the Niners should consider themselves lucky and trade up for the future perennial Pro Bowler. With their third round pick the Niners should draft the best wide receiver available to take Kyle Williams’ roster spot – Cal’s Marvin Jones would be ideal because he can line up at split end, flanker and the slot, and he has the largest catching radius in the draft. With the remaining picks (a fifth, a sixth and a seventh rounder), the Niners should draft a safety, an outside linebacker and a guard.
  18. Chargers – OLB Courtney Upshaw.
  19.  Bears – WR Kendall Wright.
  20.  Titans – DE Whitney Mercilus.
  21.  Bengals – DB Dre Kirkpatrick.
  22.  Browns – OT Mike Adams.
  23.  Lions – CB Stephon Gilmore.
  24.  Steelers – CB Janoris Jenkins.
  25.  Broncos – DT Devon Still.
  26.  Texans – WR Rueben Randle.
  27.  Patriots – DE Nick Perry.
  28.  Packers – OLB Shea McClellin.
  29.  Ravens – OG Peter Konz.
  30.  Bengals (trade down) – OG Amini Silatolu.
  31.  Patriots – DT Jerel Worthy.
  32.  Giants – OT Riley Reiff.

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