The 3 Point Conversion NFL Mock Draft – Picks (1-16)

With NFL Pro-days underway and the final scouting reports hitting GM’s desks, players’ stocks are being solidified. There have been some fast risers since the end of the college season, and the boards are being shuffled as we speak. Join our draft analysts Derek Worley and Courtlandt Griffin as they mint their second iteration of their Mock Draft.

 

Round 1, Pick 1. Jacksonville Jaguars

Courtlandt Griffin: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

The pick is the same, the name is the same, and the circumstances have not changed. Urban Meyer gets his QB here and brings some sunshine to Jacksonville, Florida.

Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

 

Derek Worley: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

The Jaguars “Tank for Trevor” movement was a success. Picking Lawrence is like picking Mario in any Mario sports game. He doesn’t have any trait that makes him stand head and shoulders over everyone else, but he is good at everything. The safest pick and most NFL- ready quarterback.

Previous Pick – Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

 

Round 1, Pick 2. New York Jets

Courtlandt Griffin: Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

The Jets have added some firepower to an otherwise benign offense. Even though the offensive line is still a need, a change needs to be made under center. Why not get a guy who can get out of dodge when the protection breaks down and make plays in Wilson?

Previous Pick – Penei Sewell, Tackle, Oregon

 

Derek Worley: Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

There is still uncertainty about what the Jets want to do. Recently signed wideout Corey Davis seems to think that Sam Darnold is still the guy. The front office is in a prime spot to get their guy for the future though, and Wilson has long been the favorite to land in New York. Wilson rarely played against top tier talent at BYU, but also wasn’t surrounded with top tier talent. The Jets have spent some money in free agency and have some other picks to make that happen.

Previous Pick – Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State

 

Round 1, Pick 3. San Francisco 49ers (via MIA)

Courtlandt Griffin: Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State

The 49ers have woes on defense, but quarterback is a position you can’t pass up. Fields is an athletic signal caller with a powerful arm. A year behind Jimmy Garoppolo to learn the system and the Niners have themselves a starter in 2022.

Previous Pick – Shaun Wade, CB, Ohio State

 

Derek Worley: Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State

The smoke and mirrors show has landed in Santa Clara, as many around the league are trying to speculate which quarterback will become a 49er. No team is surrendering what the 49ers did to not grab a quarterback. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has already worked out Fields and seen the tape, but with Shanahan and GM John Lynch going to Mac Jones’ pro day, people are penciling Jones. This seems like the ultimate play by the Niners to make the Jets feel more comfortable with their pick of Wilson, and Fields falls right into their lap.

Previous Pick – Rashawn Slater, OL, Northwestern

 

Round 1, Pick 4. Atlanta Falcons

Courtlandt Griffin: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State

Arthur Smith has just about everything you need as far as offense goes, but his defense is a bare cabinet. The defensive rebuild starts with Parsons, who is as freakish an athlete as you’ll find in the draft at the linebacker position. Mind you, speed kills and Parsons stamped his ticket to Atlanta with his 4.39 time.

Previous Pick – Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State

 

Derek Worley: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State

That 4.39 time Parsons ran can be taken with a grain of salt, seeing that other Nittany Lions all seemed to outrun their proposed times. Regardless, Parsons is the most NFL-ready linebacker that’s come out of college in a long time. Adding an elite talent like Parsons will make it harder for the Falcons to enjoy their recent trend of blowing big leads.

Previous Pick – Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State

 

Round 1, Pick 5. Cincinnati Bengals

Courtlandt Griffin: Penei Sewell, Tackle, Oregon

The Bengals made some impact moves to fortify the offensive line, like signing veterans Riley Reiff and Quinton Spain this offseason. Sewell immediately comes in and fills the LT spot for them and protects Joe Burrow’s blind side for the next 15 years.

Previous Pick – Alex Leatherwood, Tackle, Alabama

 

Derek Worley: Rashawn Slater, Tackle, Northwestern

It’s a toss up here for the Bengals, but they will no doubt be choosing an offensive lineman. Slater has a little bit more flexibility on the line which makes him the choice here. Penei Sewell is without a doubt an offensive tackle, but Slater can play all five spots, making him a luxury.

Previous Pick – Rashawn Slater, Tackle, Northwestern

 

Round 1, Pick 6. Miami Dolphins (via PHI)

Courtlandt Griffin: DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama

Is there ever a time where you complain about having too much speed? That Is the question the Dolphins will ask themselves when they take Smith on day one. Adding him to speedster Will Fuller IV will be fun to watch in South Beach on Sundays.

Previous Pick – DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama

 

Derek Worley: Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU

Chase is hands down the best wideout in this class and that is why he’s the first one off the board. It’s possible the Dolphins could favor getting Tua Tagovailoa a former teammate for chemistry reasons, but the Dolphins won’t let Chase slide by here. If Tagovailoa can’t succeed in this system with all of these stud wideouts, then they may be in the market for a new quarterback soon.

Previous Pick – DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama

 

Round 1, Pick 7. Detroit Lions

Courtlandt Griffin: Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU

Easy equation here: lose a receiver in free agency, pick one in the draft. Chase has the tools to be just as good, if not better than Kenny Golladay. His route running is phenomenal and his strength when attacking the ball is best in class.

Previous Pick – Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State

 

Derek Worley: Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon

The Lions backed up the departure of wideout Kenny Golladay by adding Tyrell Williams and Breshad Perriman. With Jared Goff now at the helm, the Lions need to protect him better than they did Matt Stafford. Teaming Sewell up with Taylor Decker on the edges will create a good pocket for Goff to operate out of.

Previous Pick – Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

 

Round 1, Pick 8. Carolina Panthers

Courtlandt Griffin: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

Lance’s Pro Day proved one thing: he can flat out throw the skin off a football. Joe Brady is going to fall in love with this kid and he is an immediate upgrade over Teddy Bridgewater.

Previous Pick – Gregory Rousseau, Edge, Miami

 

Derek Worley: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

After watching how well Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen has progressed, Joe Brady and Matt Rhule should feel more comfortable drafting a guy like Lance. He has a high ceiling but needs some work. If anyone can get Lance to produce, it’s Brady.

Previous Pick – Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama

 

Round 1, Pick 9. Denver Broncos

Courtlandt Griffin: Christian Barmore, IDL, Alabama

Vic Fangio needs a big body in the middle to make his defense work and Barmore is just what the doctor ordered. The The former Bama standout can play anything from the 0-technique to defensive end and make an impact. Pairing him with Bradley Chubb would make for a scary combination for teams to have to gameplan for on Sundays.

Previous Pick – Patrick Surtain Jr., CB, Alabama

 

Derek Worley: Christian Barmore, IDL , Alabama

When looking at this roster, there’s really not many holes. The glaring issue is definitely rush defense, as they were 29th overall with 4.8 yards per rush allowed last year. Getting a nasty defensive lineman like Barmore, especially one who played well in that 3-4 scheme before, will really help.

Previous Pick – Patrick Surtain Jr., CB, Alabama

 

Round 1, Pick 10. Dallas Cowboys

Courtlandt Griffin: Patrick Surtain Jr., CB, Alabama

Stabilizing the quarterback position was huge for Jerry Jones and company, but now they must revamp the defensive side of the ball. Surtain Jr is a long, fast, and fluid-hipped corner who can lock up any receiver you put him in front of. He will be a true cornerstone for the Cowboys to build a defense around for years to come.

Previous Pick – Daviyon Nixon, IDL, Iowa

 

Derek Worley: Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida

Still firm on the choice here. Pitts may be the best athlete coming out of the class, and now that the Cowboys are paying Dak Prescott, he will be surrounded with weapons. There’s no denying that until the Prescott injury, the Cowboys were the best passing attack in the league. Adding the ultimate weapon in Pitts will make them even more dangerous.

 Previous Pick – Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida

 

Round 1, Pick 11. New York Giants

Courtlandt Griffin: Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida

If you could put the perfect offensive weapon together, it would probably have Megatron’s size and Terrell Owens’ Speed/Athleticism. That is exactly what Pitts is, and the Giants will utilize all of his rare gifts on Sundays.

Previous Pick – Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota

 

Derek Worley: Azeez Ojulari, OLB, Georgia

The Giants did a good job of getting Daniel Jones some new weapons through free agency with Kenny Golladay and John Ross III. They have a solid defensive line set for their 3-4 scheme, but would really benefit to have a relentless rusher off the edge in Ojulari.

Previous Pick – Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota

 

Round 1, Pick 12. Philadelphia Eagles (via MIA)

Courtlandt Griffin: Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota

With both Chase and Smith off the board, Bateman is the next best receiver. Philly needs to get a big target for Jalen Hurts and the former Golden Gopher is just that. His overall skillset is very reminiscent of Odell Beckham Jr. with the ball in his hands and he will be the number one guy coming in.

Previous Pick – Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU

 

Derek Worley: Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota

The Eagles need to nail this wide receiver pick as some of their recent picks like Jalen Reagor and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside haven’t panned out yet. Bateman is definitely a sure-fire number one wideout, and has incredible ball skills and athleticism to make any Eagles’ quarterback look good.

Previous Pick – Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU

 

Round1, Pick 13. Los Angeles Chargers

Courtlandt Griffin: Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech

The Chargers are under new HC Brandon Staley, who seems to get the best out of his cornerbacks. Farley is a long, athletic corner who will immediately be a starter in Staley’s system. Jalen Ramsey loved playing under him and Farley will, too.

Previous Pick – Christian Darrisaw, Tackle, Virginia Tech

 

Derek Worley: Patrick Surtain Jr., CB, Alabama

The Chargers won’t skip a beat in the replacement of Casey Hayward Jr. with the addition of Surtain Jr.. At 6’2” he’s tall enough to matchup outside with primary wide receivers, and plays strong enough to compete for jump balls. It’ll be fun to watch him match up with college teammate Jerry Jeudy twice a year in the AFC West.

Previous Pick – Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson

 

Round 1, Pick 14. Minnesota Vikings

Courtlandt Griffin: Gregory Rousseau , Edge, Miami

The Vikings are in desperate need of another pass rusher alongside Danielle Hunter. Rousseau provides just that, and he is very similar to a young Everson Griffen. The former Hurricane is a terror for any tackle one-on-one and will definitely make an impact from day one.

Previous Pick – Carlos Basham, Edge, Vikings

 

Derek Worley: Kwity Paye, DL, Michigan

Paye has been climbing up draft boards and after a solid pro-day, it looks like that climb has landed him inside the top half of the first round. He’s extremely strong and explosive, and will really help alleviate deficiencies. The Vikings ranked 25th in pass yards allowed per game and 27th in rush yards allowed per game. A solid defensive lineman who can do it all like Paye helps fix these issues.

Previous Pick – Wyatt Davis, G, Ohio State

 

Round 1, Pick 15. New England Patriots

Courtlandt Griffin: Mac Jones, QB, Alabama

As much as Bill Belichick would like to go defense here, he knows that the Cam Newton experiment may be done after 2021. Jones can come in and be a game manager after learning some things from Newton and Josh McDaniels.

Previous Pick – Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

 

Derek Worley: Mac Jones, QB, Alabama

The Patriots loaded up on tight end and receiver talent through free agency. With Josh McDaniels still steering the Patriots’ offense, an accurate and quick decision-making quarterback will get the offense on the right track. Jones fits the mold of a McDaniels’ offense.

Previous Pick – Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

 

Round 1, Pick 16. Arizona Cardinals

Courtlandt Griffin: Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia

With the departure of Patrick Peterson, the Cardinals are in need of a playmaking outside corner. Campbell is an instinctual ball hawk who isn’t afraid to stick his nose in the pile. It also helps that his 40 time was sub 4.40.

Previous Pick – Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech

 

Derek Worley: Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech

As the Cardinals say goodbye to long time great Patrick Peterson, they also say hello to the new guy in town with Farley. Similar to Surtain Jr., he’s also 6’2” and really plays well in all areas of the game. He definitely tackles well enough to be a day one starter, and has incredible ball skills and instincts to create incompletions.

Previous Pick – Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech