1. Cincinnati Bengals: QB, Joe Burrow, LSU
Previous Pick: Joe Burrow
No change at the top. Don’t let anyone try to fool you, LSU quarterback Joe Burrow was the pick in January, he is the pick now, and he will be the pick in April. Coming off a monster year for the Tigers, Burrow is going to get a chance to start right away, especially with the team moving on from Andy Dalton.
The Bengals may as well just start selling Joe Burrow jerseys in team stores because this pick is a slam dunk. Zac Taylor had this team playing hard all last season, and the hope is that Burrow can finally get this team to actually win a playoff game.
2. Washington Redskins: DE, Chase Young, Ohio State
Previous Pick: Tua Tagovailoa
On Monday, the Washington Redskins traded a fifth round pick to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for quarterback Kyle Allen. This signals the Redskins will go forward and try to develop second-year quarterback Dwayne Haskins with Allen there to push him.
Allen is familiar with Washington’s new offensive coordinator, Scott Turner’s offense. Turner served as the quarterback coach in each of Allen’s two seasons in Carolina. Ron Rivera keeps it simple by drafting the best player in the class in Chase Young from Ohio State.
3. Detroit Lions: CB, Jeff Okudah, Ohio State
Previous Pick: Jeff Okudah
As I mentioned in my mock draft 1.0, I still believe this is a potential trade spot if one was to occur. That is especially true in this case with Tua Tagovailoa still on the board. The Dolphins and Chargers, both teams that are expected to be in the business for a quarterback could be looking to leap frog each other to nab their guy.
Of course, this mock does not include trades and in this case the pick is Jeffrey Okudah from Ohio State. Darius Slay was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles for a third and fifth round pick this week, and Okudah immediately steps in and fills a need for the Lions.
4. New York Giants: OT, Jedrick Wills Jr, Alabama
Previous Pick: Chase Young
The two biggest needs on the roster for the New York Giants still remain edge rusher and offensive tackle, and they use the No. 4 overall pick to fix one of them. Jadeveon Clowney is still available as a free agent, so the Giants could still go that route if they choose, but he has already turned down a monster offer from Miami, and who knows if the Giants would want to spend that kind of cash on him.
Regardless, the pick is Alabama’s mauler of an offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. If the plan is for Daniel Jones to become their next franchise quarterback, then they need to start by protecting him, and Wills is widely regarded as the best overall player at his position group in this draft class.