7th Annual Football Garbage Time Twitter NFL Mock Draft! – Round 2

By the Football Garbage Time Staff

Welcome back, y’all!

The NFL Draft is right around the corner, beginning on April 29th, and last week we covered Round 1 of our 7th Annual Twitter NFL Mock Draft.  And we’re back to cover Round 2 with picks and analysis from these nine different writers & podcasters from four different sites:

As a reminder, each one took part as GMs of several teams in the draft, and conducted the mock draft live over two weeks on Twitter (feel free to check out the back and forth on Twitter by searching for #FGTMock).  A few trends became clear and we certainly had more than a few surprises.

Check out the entire Draft HERE!

Missed it?  Don’t want to check Twitter or click on the link above?  Well, you’re in luck, because we published picks and analysis for Round 1 and now bring you Round 2 of that mock draft below along with the reasoning for each pick by each writer.

33 – Jacksonville Jaguars

Pick: Azeez Ojulari – EDGE

Staff: Kris Hopper

After addressing the QB position and the secondary in the first round, the Jaguars stay on defense here despite some good lineman still on the board. Part of the reason for this is the overall depth in this OL class, whereas pass rush is a bit thinner. As for the fit, Jacksonville was 31st in QB Hurry rate, 28th in pressure % and 31st in Sacks, Ojulari helps begin to address their pass rush rows as a high upside type player who can get after the QB.

34 – New York Jets

Pick: Ifeatu Melifonwu – CB

Staff: Ha Kung Wong

Cornerback is a major need for the Jets, but I went with solidifying the offensive line at pick 23 in this mock draft so as to add some protection for Zach Wilson.  With that taken care of, it’s time to address that cornerback position, and according to news reports, the Jets are looking at Syracuse corner Ifeatu Melifonwu.

Despite Syracuse having a dismal 2020 season, winning only one game, Melifonwu certainly wasn’t to blame. Melifonwu piled up 54 total tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, one interception, and six pass breakups.  With that output, the Associated Press gave him second-team All-ACC recognition.  Plenty of upside here for a second round pick who could feasibly start on day one.

35 – Atlanta Falcons

Pick: Nick Bolton – OLB

Staff: FXP Jr.

The Falcons help out their pass rush in the second round by grabbing Nick Bolton out of Mizzou.

36 – Miami Dolphins

Pick: Alex Leatherwood – OL

Staff: Wole Akinso

37 – Philadelphia Eagles

Pick: Terrace Marshall Jr. – WR

Staff: Kris Hopper

The Eagles two obvious needs going into this draft are CB and WR. With CB being addressed in the first round, the Eagles turn to Terrace Marshall Jr. to help out their WR corps. Marshall definitely has WR1 type of potential checking in at 6’2″ 205lbs with the ability to win both against man and zone coverage, and solid hands to go with it. At worst, his floor is likely a very productive WR2.

38 – Cincinnati Bengals

Pick: Kadarius Toney – WR

Staff: Adam Aniba

Selecting Florida WR Kadarius Toney #38 made sense for Cincinnati who already has Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd, but lack a slot receiver. Although Toney isn’t a traditional slot, the Bengals will find creative ways to get the Gator receiver involved early in the season.

39 – Carolina Panthers

Pick: Kellen Mond – QB

Staff: Kris Hopper

While the Panthers did make a move for Sam Darnold in the offseason, he has just 1yr remaining on his rookie deal, so what if he continues to not develop even after being out of New York? Enter Kellen Mond, a guy many perceive to have the most upside after the top 5 guys. Mond proved at his pro day he is a leader that isn’t afraid to take charge by scheduling, constructing and conducting his own work outs. He has a great sense for pressure, the athletic ability to pick up yards (and fantasy points) on the ground, and shows stretches of solid accuracy while changing speeds well. He does lack the top end arm strength of some guys in this class and does have some major accuracy breakdowns throwing on the run, but he is certainly worth the 2nd round pick here as a longer term high upside investment.

40 – Denver Broncos

Pick: Kyle Trask – QB

Staff: Ha Kung Wong

As I mentioned in the first round write up, Drew Lock hasn’t been terrible, but there are certainly lots of question marks regarding his ability to be the franchise signal caller for the Broncos.  At the 9th pick, 4 quarterbacks were already off the board in the mock, so I went with shoring up the Broncos defense at inside linebacker, arguably their biggest need.  But here we are in the second round, and I think the Broncos would be willing to take a stab at a top 10 draft QB with this pick, so when I saw Kyle Trask was still available, I jumped on it.  Heck, even Peyton Manning liked Trask, and we all know how the Broncos feel about Manning.

Trask isn’t without flaws, and might not project to be a day one starter, but he doesn’t need to be with Lock still locked in as the immediate starter.  Trask’s 2020 season at Florida saw him complete 69 percent of his passes for over 4,200 yards and 43 touchdowns putting him in the Heisman Trophy conversation all year long.

Kyle Trask College Passing Stats
Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass
Year School G Cmp Att Pct Yds TD Int Rate
*2018 Florida 3 14 22 63.6 162 1 0 140.5
*2019 Florida 12 237 354 66.9 2941 25 7 156.1
*2020 Florida 12 301 437 68.9 4283 43 8 180.0
Career Florida 552 813 67.9 7386 69 15 168.5

The upside is certainly there, as Trask has big arm strength, accuracy and patience in the pocket, plus playing in the SEC gave him plenty of snaps against high end defensive competition.  In addition, he’s a big 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds and scrambles well, allowing him add designed runs to his arsenal.  If he’s available, this makes a lot of sense as Plan B and perhaps even a Plan A for the Broncos.

41 – Detroit Lions

Pick: Nico Collins – WR

Staff: Scott King

The lions grab a WR from just over an Ann Arbor with Nico Collins in the second.

42 – New York Giants

Pick: Jalen Mayfield – OL

Staff: Joanne Kong

There are too many problems to fix in one draft class for the New York Giants, but keeping Daniel Jones upright should be a priority for the head office. For Jones, it could be his final evaluation year. If given the tools and protection, can Jones be the quarterback the head office believed he could be?

Jalen Mayfield has the size and athleticism to be a quality starting offensive lineman at the NFL level. His quickness and balance gives him the ability to cover more ground quickly, as well as to play in space in pass protection. One of the more physical offensive linesman in the draft class, Mayfield has the ability to mirror defensive lineman, and has an iron tight grip. Mayfield improved from year to year at Michigan, and can only get better with more experience in the NFL. Although he has some technical issues to polish, Mayfield can continue to grow on the right side, but has the potential to switch to the left side as well.

43 – San Francisco 49ers

Pick: Jevon Holland – S

Staff: Dan Thury

44 – Dallas Cowboys

Pick: Joseph Ossai – EDGE

Staff: Joanne Kong

The Cowboys had he third-worst run defense in the league last season, and with defensive tackles deep in the draft, the Cowboys should spend their second round draft pick on an edge rusher to pair with DeMarcus Lawrence.

Joseph Ossai is known for his explosive athleticism and versatility in game-impacting plays. With the ability to play multiple positions and threaten the offensive line, Ossai is considered a reactionary player rather than an instinctive one, which may mean overlooking a potential slight hesitation off the play. But Ossai has the ability to explode off the ball, move through the gap and accelerate hard into the backfield. Ossai is big, strong, and has the ability to defeat blocks to make plays. A playmaker in space with good lateral movement, Ossai has the ability to become an invaluable piece to the Cowboys in the upcoming season.

45 – Jacksonville Jaguars

Pick: Landon Dickerson – OL/C

Staff: Kris Hopper

Jacksonville’s O-Line is far from their biggest need, but it is still an area they can find some improvements for in this draft. Dickerson is an interior lineman that can maul and make that entire group better. With this pick the Jaguars ensure they have done SOMETHING to address their glaring needs all by the 2nd round and can now continue to build on top of that.

46 – New England Patriots

Pick: Christian Barmore – DL

Staff: Ryan Whitfield

47 – Los Angeles Chargers

Pick: Asante Samuels Jr.

Staff: Wole Akinso

48 – Las Vegas Raiders

Pick: Dillon Radunz – OL

Staff: Joanne Kong

The Raiders lost center Rodney Hudson, guard Gabe Jackson and tackle Trent Brown (traded back to the New England Patriots) during the offseason. The 2020 season showed that Derek Carr can succeed when he has some time to read the field, and losing three-fifths of the line could lead to some regression for the upcoming season.

Could Dillon Radunz be that piece to the offensive line for the Raiders? In reality, Radunz would most likely benefit from learning from the sidelines to address balance issues when on the move, but that doesn’t mean he won’t learn as he plays. Radunz has good awareness for the game and has good fundamentals, blocking with leverage and positioning his body to seal oncoming defenders away from the play. Radunz is an athletic player with great lateral mobility, solid gap, zone and pass blocker with good instincts and feel for the defense. Add an aggressive play style and strength, and Radunz should fit in well with the Raiders offense.

49 – Arizona Cardinals

Pick: Javonte Williams – RB

Staff: Dan Thury

50 – Miami Dolphins

Pick: Kenneth Gainwell – RB

Staff: Wole Akinso

51 – Washington Football Team

Pick: Liam Eichenberg – OT

Staff: Adam Aniba

Washington’s selection OT Liam Eichenberg at #51 fills an immediate at LT. This has been a void since the the Trent Williams debacle and ultimate trade. Some evaluators have mentioned Eichenberg as a candidate to move inside to guard, either way it fits a need and the Notre Dame OT represents great value in the 2nd round.

52 – Chicago Bears

Pick: Carlos Basham Jr. – EDGE

Staff: Kris Hopper

Chicago has plenty of needs, but defense doesn’t seem like one given the last few years. The fact is the Bears pass rush and defense in general is an aging group that could use an infusion of high upside youth. With the OL addressed in the first round, the bears turn to infuse some of that much needed youth in the 2nd round. While I could also see them going CB here to help address the absence of Kyle Fuller, this aging pass rush is something they need to get ahead of.

53 – Tennessee Titans

Pick: Brevin Jordan – TE

Staff: Adam Aniba

At #53 Jordan made sense for Tennessee with Jonnu Smith being signed to New England. Unlike Smith, Jordan was asked to play a variety of roles Miami with snaps at H-back and receiver, in addition to playing tight end. Jordan is prospect that has been picked apart during the pre-draft process, with many evaluators having him as a 3rd round prospect. In this mock the board fell perfectly for the Titans in round 2, with another high upside plug & play starter.

54 – Indianapolis Colts

Pick: Aaron Robinson – CB

Staff: Scott King

Colts grab a DB from UCF in Robinson in the second to shore up their defense.

55 – Pittsburgh Steelers

 

Pick: Quinn Meinerz – OL

Staff: Scott King

The Steelers get Big Ben some protection help with a OL Meinerz.

56 – Seattle Seahawks

Pick: Dyami Brown – WR

Staff: Ha Kung Wong

I think the Seahawks actually trade back and try and build more draft capital in later rounds, but if they do stick here, two things I think they’ll look for to make a disgruntled Russell Wilson happy are offensive linemen and wide receivers.  And although the receiver position in Seattle is solid, I think adding a deep vertical threat like Dyami Brown makes sense.  Not only will it back defenses up and perhaps reduce some pressure on Wilson, but Brown is a homerun hitter that routinely had long gains at North Carolina.  In fact, he averaged over 20 yards per reception and had over 1,000 yards receiving in 2019 and 2020.  He makes some unbelievable highlight catches both underneath and over the top, and has speed to break away in both situations.  There’s some concern about his drops in college, but he has time to work on that.  DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Dyami Brown in 3-wide sets?  Yes, please.

57 – Los Angeles Rams

 

Pick: Jamin Davis – LB

Staff: Wole Akinso

58 – Kansas City Chiefs (from Baltimore Ravens)

Pick: Quincy Roche – EDGE

Staff: Ha Kung Wong

With the Chiefs trading for Orlando Brown, the first need to meet was getting an edge rusher.  Quincy Roche is the perfect pick to slide in day one.

Roche had a huge impact for the Temple Owls, piling on 7 sacks as a true freshman. In 2019, he did even better, totaling a whopping 13 sacks and was named the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year as well as a First-Team All-AAC player. He transferred to Miami for his final year, adding another 45 tackles and 4.5 sacks to his resume.  After being dismantled in the Super Bowl due in large part to a lack of an effective pass rush, Roche looks to be an automatic upgrade for the Chiefs.  He’s had plenty of experience against different offensive lines and should be able to win up front.  A nice “solid-floor with upside” pick for the Chiefs.

59 – Cleveland Browns

Pick: Jabril Cox – LB

Staff: Joanne Kong

The Cleveland Browns might not want to prioritize the linebacker position with its depth of “okay” players at the position, but that doesn’t mean they won’t benefit from an upgrade. Linebackers need to be versatile, depending on their assignment. This is something that the Browns are currently missing. The Browns could use the 2021 draft class to find a dependable long-term player to lead the linebacker position and help solidify the defense.

Jabril Cox might be that player for the Browns. Cox is an athletic, disciplined linebacker with a solid size for the position. Agile, fluid lateral movement, instinctive and mobile, Cox is a disciplined player with the ability to read the play, quickly change directions, pick up assignments and make the attack, including covering running backs.

60 – New Orleans Saints

Pick: Pat Freiermuth – TE

Staff: Adam Aniba

Adding PSU TE Pat Freiermuth at #60 represents good value for a rebuilding post Brees Saints squad. Some analysts have concerns about the PSU TE post shoulder surgery, but “Baby Gronk” reportedly checked all the boxes as of the latest medical check. With Jameis Winston under center, look for a safety blanket like TE Freiermuth to be added early in the draft.

61 – Buffalo Bills

 

Pick: Daviyon Nixon – DT

Staff: Joanne Kong

Behind needing a running back, the Buffalo Bills could use some upgrades to the defense. The Bills defense remained in the middle of the pack in 2020 season, allowing an average of 352.5 yards per game. That being said, the defense did have the 3rd most takeaways in the league, 15 interceptions and 11 fumble recoveries, behind just the Miami Dolphins and the Pittsburgh Steelers.  What can they do to improve?

A young edge rusher to pair with 2020 draft pick AJ Epenesa would be ideal, as well as perhaps upgrading the defensive backs, but with the top defensive back prospects off the board, the Bills could decide to strengthen the middle of the defensive line instead.

Daviyon Nixon is an athletic 6’3” lineman with versatility to adapt to various defensive schemes. Although most familiar with the 4-3 scheme, Nixon can easily fit into the 3-4. He’s known to be quick off the snap, seeking out the open gap and penetrating the offensive line. He has the ability to disrupt offensive plays and get positional leverage on his opposition while holding his ground. He has power and fluidity in lateral movement with the ability to make plays and pursue to the sidelines. Nixon is a smart intuitive player with good instincts for on the ball. He has a lot of potential to grow in the NFL and to develop as a playmaker on the defense.

62 – Green Bay Packers

Pick: Eric Stokes – CB

Staff: Dan Thury

63 – Kansas City Chiefs

Pick: Tutu Atwell – WR

Staff: Ha Kung Wong

After filling the need for an edge rusher with Quincy Roche at pick 58, it was time to consider a wide receiver.  After Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, there are certainly some questions in terms of receiving targets.  Could Mecole Hardman become the consistent receiving threat he was thought to be when drafted?  Perhaps, but it’s been 2 years now and there hasn’t been much progress.  I know Hardman was supposed to be the vertical threat, but Tutu Atwell is on another level when it comes to speed.

Atwell became one of the biggest playmakers in college football in 2019, getting first-team All-ACC honors after leading the conference with 1,276 receiving yards and 12 receiving TDs on his 70 catches. Atwell repeated first-team all-conference honors in 2020 (46 receptions, 625 yards, 13.6 average, team-high seven TDs), playing in nine games with seven starts.

And if the big plays weren’t enough, Atwell further confirmed his speed at his Pro Day where he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.32, the short shuttle in 4.09 seconds and the three-cone drill in 6.87 seconds.  Honestly, at this spot of the draft, this could be lightening in a bottle.

64 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Pick: Tylan Wallace – WR

Staff: Scott King

Wallace gives brady yet another target in Tampa. No rush to get him on the field.

Agree?  Disagree?  Sound off in the comments!  And don’t forget to check out our Live NFL Draft Podcast!

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