This isn't a prediction of what will happen in this week's first three rounds of the NFL Draft. Instead, I'm just filling my evaluation of the needs of each team with my evaluation of the best players to fit those needs. I'm unable in this exercise to play the room, meaning, its entirely possible that a team high in the first round could wait to take the quarterback I'll be giving them until a later pick - but since I'll be making the intervening picks, said quarterback wouldn't make his way past me (I'm talking about you, Teddy Bridgewater).
1. Houston Critical Needs: QB, LB, T, NT. Pick: Khalil Mack OLB Buffalo
-Mack's a better fit than Clowney and I've got him rated as high.
2. St Louis Critical Needs: OL, QB, DB. Pick: Greg Robinson OT Auburn
-Particularly if Long is questionable, this is a desperate need
3. Jacksonville Critical Needs: QB, OL, WR Pick: Jadeveon Clowney DE South Carolina
-Jags need everything; the best player, maybe on the entire board, is too much to pass up.
4. Cleveland Critical Needs: QB, WR, ILB Pick: Teddy Bridgewater QB Louisville
-71% completion senior year; I don't know why he isn't consensus top QB
5. Oakland Critical Needs: QB, TE Pick: Sammy Watkins WR Clemson
-If Bridgewater is gone the Raiders should move out, but if they stay here this is best match.
6. Atlanta Critical Needs: T, OLB: Pick: Jake Matthews T Texas A&M
-Mack doesn't get past this spot, if he's available they take him, this is almost as good
7. Tampa Critical Needs: WR, G, TE: Pick: Mike Evans WR Texas A&M
-Gives them two Vincent Jacksons.
8. Minnesota Critical Needs: QB, LB: Pick: CJ Mosley ILB Alabama
-I don't like a second quarterback enough to pass up Mosley
9. Buffalo Critical Needs: T, G, S Pick: Taylor Lewan T Michigan
-The fit is exact, I have a question if Lewan provides enough value here.
10. Detroit Critical Needs: CB, DE/OLB Pick: Justin Gilbert CB Oklahoma St.
-I like him a little more than Dennard; this is a clear need and the right spot for the top corner.
11. Tennessee: QB, RB, ILB Pick: Johnny Manziel QB Texas A&M
-If Mosley's off the board, it's time for QB2; this is spot where I'd be willing to take Manziel.
12. NY Giants: TE, C, LB Pick: Eric Ebron TE UNC
-Like the Lions pick, its an exact match of need and value. Seems obvious.
13. St Louis: Critical Needs: OL, QB, DB: Pick: Darqueze Dennard CB Michigan St.
-Rams get their two starters
14. Chicago: Critical Needs: FS, LB, DT: Pick: Aaron Donald DT Pittsburgh
-Bears are in good shape here, they should have a choice of any safety or, in this configuration, a top 10 overall player. There are two guys, Donald and Barr, who I like as in the top ten overall who didn't make it given team need.
15. Pittsburgh: Critical Needs: CB, DL: Pick: Anthony Barr OLB UCLA
-If both those corners are gone this value is just too high; if I rethought this I might push Barr higher.
16. Dallas: Critical Needs: DL, G, OLB Pick: Kony Early DE Missouri
-Another guy I like, right about here, is Nix but he doesn't fit the scheme
17. Baltimore: Critical Needs: T, ILB, FS, RB Pick: Calvin Pryor S Louisville
-This a super tough call between Pryor and Martin from Notre Dame.
18. NYJ: Critical Needs: OLB, WR, DB Pick: Marqise Lee WR USC
-They really need a pass rusher, enough that climbing to get Barr makes a ton of sense; here, they pick between Ford, Beckham and Lee, and this would be my choice.
19. Miami: Critical Needs: OL, DB: Pick: Zack Martin T Notre Dame
-Like the Jets might go get Barr, the Dolphins might look to get ahead of Baltimore to get Martin; here, they didn't need to.
20. Arizona: Critical Needs: G, OLB: Pick: Ryan Shazier OLB Ohio St.
-They also might tick up to get Martin and kick him inside.
21. Green Bay: TE, ILB, S Pick: Ha Ha Clinton Dix S Alabama
-If both safeties are gone, the second TE is not a bad value here.
22. Philadelphia: WR, CB, S: Pick Odell Beckham WR LSU
-He's only WR left I have ahead of the next CB.
23. Kansas City: WR, DB, G: Pick Brandon Cooks WR Ore
-Looking at a possible Niners trade up, they probably have to get ahead of the Eagles to get one of these two guys.
24. Cincinnati: ILB, DL, CB. Pick: Jason Verrett CB TCU
-Too early for Borland.
25. San Diego: CB, G, NT. Pick" Louis Nix NT Notre Dame
-Fuller's also a possibility here, but this is a dead right fit.
26. Cleveland: WR, ILB: Kelvin Benjamin WR Florida St.
-I don't like Benjamin any more than Latimer or Landry, this is the third tier for me.
27. New Orleans: CB, WR, ILB: Kyle Fuller CB VT
-This is maybe a little bit of an overdraft, I'd like Fuller/Roby more in about ten picks.
28. Carolina: T, WR, DB: Morgan Moses T Virginia
-This is about right for value and fit
29. New England TE, DL, Interior OL: Ra'Shede Hageman DT Minnesota
-He and Jernigan should both go right around here.
30. San Francisco: CB, WR, OLB: Bradley Roby CB Ohio St
-The Niners have to move up; they aren't going to be able to stay here to get the guy they want.
31. Denver MLB, DL Chris Borland MLB Wisconsin
-Like the Chargers pick, its the guy they need.
32. Seattle G, DL, WR: Xavier Su'a Filo G UCLA
-Jernigan will be a real possibility here.
33. Houston Blake Bortles QB UCF
34. Washington Cyrus Kouandjio T Alabama
35. Cleveland Lamarcus Joyner CB Florida St
36. Oakland Derek Carr QB Fresno St
37. Atlanta Dee Ford DE Auburn
38. Tampa Bay Joel Bitonio G Nevada
39. Jacksonville AJ McCarron QB Alabama
40. Minnesota Jimmy Garoppolo QB Eastern Illinois
41. Buffalo Jimmie Ward S N Illinois
42. Tennessee Bishop Sankey RB Washington
43. NY Giants Kyle Van Noy OLB BYU
44. St Louis Cody Latimer WR Indiana
45. Detroit Scott Crichton DE Oregon St
46. Pittsburgh Marcus Roberson CB Florida
47. Dallas Gabe Jackson G Miss St.
48. Baltimore Jack Mewhort T Ohio St.
49. NY Jets Kareem Martin DE UNC
50. Miami Ju'Wuan James T Tennessee
51. Chicago Timmy Jernigan DT Florida St.
52. Arizona David Yankey G Stanford
53. Green Bay Jace Amaro TE Texas Tech
54. Philadelphia Bashaud Breeland CB Clemson
55. Cincinnati Stephon Truitt DE Notre Dame
56. San Francisco Jordan Matthews WR Vandy
57. San Diego Stan Jean-Baptiste CB Nebraska
58. New Orleans Jarvis Landry WR LSU
59. Indianapolis Travis Swanson C Arkansas
60. Carolina Davante Adams WR Fresno St.
61. San Francisco Demarcus Lawrence OLB Boise St
62. New England Austin Seferian-Jenkins TE Washington
63. Denver Dominique Easley DT Florida
64. Seattle Jackson Jeffcoat DE Texas
65. Houston Antonio Richardson T Tennessee
66. Washington Keith McGill CB Utah
67. Oakland Carlos Hyde RB Ohio St.
68. Atlanta Troy Niklas TE Notre Dame
69. Tampa CJ Fiedorowicz TE Iowa
70. Jacksonville Bruce Ellington WR S Carolina
71. Cleveland Trent Murphy OLB Stanford
72. Minnesota Ka'Deem Carey RB Arizona
73. Buffalo Trai Turner G LSU
74. NY Giants Marcus Martin C USC
75. St Louis Tom Savage QB Pittsburgh
76. Detroit Paul Richardson WR Colorado
77. San Francisco Cyril Richardson G Baylor
78. Dallas Will Sutton DT Arizona St.
79. Baltimore Tre Mason RB Auburn
80. NY Jets Deone Bucannon S Washington
81. Miami Prince Desir CB Lindenwood
82. Chicago Terrence Brooks S Florida St.
83. Cleveland Jeremy Hill RB LSU
84. Arizona Ahmad Dixon S Baylor
85. Green Bay Shayne Skov ILB Stanford
86. Philadelphia Dion Bailey S USC
87. Kansas City Keith McGill CB Utah
88. Cincinnati Preston Brown ILB Louisville
89. San Diego Dakota Dozier G Furman
90. Indianapolis Billy Turner T ND St.
91. New Orleans Marcus Smith DE Louisville
92. Carolina Phillip Gaines CB Rice
93. N England Weston Richburg C Col St
94. San Francisco Telvin Smith OLB Florida St.
95. Denver Antone Exum CB Virginia
96. Minnesota Daquan Jones DT Penn St
97. Pittsburgh Brent Urban DT Virginia
98. Green Bay Allen Robinson WR Penn St
99. Baltimore Martavis Bryant WR Clemson
100. San Francisco Kelcy Quarles DT South Carolina
