Every year you will see 100 different social media “scouts” give you their impression of the upcoming NFL Draft. And with that, you will see 100 different versions of who they think will go in the 1st round. In all honesty, there are typically about 25-40 guys, depending on how good or bad the draft is, that should get 1st round grades. Since this year is stellar of a draft, I will go over the 1st round guys for defense and offense separately with this article covering the offense. So, without further ado, let’s get to the possible NFL Draft offensive 1st round picks.
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Quarterbacks:
Mitchell Trubisky – North Carolina
Deshone Kizer – Notre Dame
Deshaun Watson – Clemson
Unfortunately, this year there isn’t a Peyton Manning or Andrew Luck type of player in the NFL Draft. All the above QBs have issues that can be picked apart. Trubisky is considered by most to be the best of the group, but he has only started for 1 year. Kizer is probably the most physically gifted, but the inconsistency of his accuracy shows up way too much. Watson has accomplished the most of the 3 in college, but he struggles in the pocket too much and has accuracy issues. The next ranked guys that I expect to go in rounds 2 or 3 are Patrick Mahomes, Brad Kaaya, and Davis Webb.
Running Backs:
Leonard Fournette – LSU
Dalvin Cook – Florida State
Christian McCaffrey – Stanford
All 3 of these backs bring something different to the team that drafts them. Fournette is 240 pounds and runs a 4.51 forty. He is a pounder that runs in between the tackles, but enough speed to get to the outside. Cook is smaller at 210 pounds, but he’s a better pass catcher and has more quickness in the hole. He arguably is better overall than Fournette, but some off the field issues may push him to the 2nd half of the 1st round.
McCaffrey is a WR in an RB’s body. That’s not to say he can’t get 20 touches a game and start as an RB, just means he will get 4-5 of those touches as catches out the backfield. He is probably the most versatile of the 3 as he can get 10-15 carries in the backfield, he can play in the slot as a WR, and he can handle punt return and kick return duties. The other RB that has obvious 1st round talent is Joe Mixon, but an off the field, domestic violence, issue caught on camera pushes him down to at least round 2.
Wide Receivers:
Mike Williams – Clemson
Corey Davis – Western Michigan
John Ross – Washington
Just like the RBs, all 3 of these talented WRs bring something different, but they are all extremely good at what they do. Williams is the biggest of the 3 and is great at high-pointing the ball. He has a wide throwing area and has faced the best competition. Davis may be the best overall of the 3. He is a great route runner, spectacular with the ball after the catch, and is faster than Williams. Speaking of fast, Ross broke the combine’s 40-time record by running a 4.22 forty. He is a home run hitter and probably fits better in the slot, but can play on the outside. He reminds me a lot of Brandin Cooks.
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Tight Ends:
OJ Howard – Alabama
David Njoku – Miami
Howard is the most complete TE to come out in a very long time. He has the speed to get past most TEs, and the power to run over most DBs. Howard is one of the few TEs now that can catch but also is a very good blocker. He could end up going as high as 4th to the Jaguars. Njoku is more of the new-age TE. He is not the best of blockers, but his athletic ability is off the charts. He can split out wide against a Safety and beat them most of the time. Njoku will be a mismatch nightmare in the NFL.
Offensive Linemen:
Ryan Ramczyk – Wisconsin
Cam Robinson – Alabama
Forrest Lamp – Western Kentucky
Garett Bolles – Utah
Ramczyk faces some good competition this year and stood up against all. In fact, he’s someone who is looked at as a day 1 starter at LT. Not a “can’t miss”, but a solid player for 10+ years. On the other hand, Robinson is someone who I think would be better on the right side. He’s a great run blocker, but is inconsistent as a pass blocker, very like Ereck Flowers. However, Lamp is the most versatile of the group. Left tackle may be a bit of a stretch but he ca play RT as well as both guard spots. In addition, Bolles is best for a zone blocking system. He as strong as the other 3, but probably is the most athletic of the group.
Above are 15 players that I think can, and most likely will, go in the 1st round. With as much as 25 more players to be named on the defensive side of the ball, it means 1 things, there will be a lot of top notch talent on day 2 of the draft. Consequently, this year’s NFL Draft has an abundance of talent on both sides of the ball. Nonetheless, it’s considered 1 of the deepest drafts of recent times. If you are a team that has multiple 1st or 2nd round picks, congratulations because this is the perfect year to have them. Next up, I’ll be discussing the NFL defensive 1st round picks.