So the Saints need guys like Lattimore and Jones on their defense. This is a no-brainer. We ended up with the board where we all felt it needed to be., 8:30 p.m.: Two picks left, including Kansas City at 31. The Los Angeles Chargers might consider taking a quarterback at No. But what about the Top 3 order? As a return specialist, Jackson can be one of the best in the league. Back in the Raiders draft room, after pick 19, Ziegler said, Josh, you wanna look at trades? On the board were four players with similar grades: Georgia defensive end Nolan Smith, Maryland corner Deonte Banks, Harrison the Oklahoma tackle, and Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders. LSU safety Jamal Adams is one of the five best players in this draft, for my money. Over the last three years, Simms has been pretty spot-on with his draft analysis. The Panthers have a little bit of an NFL-college-hybrid offense with Newton at the helm. I haven't seen UCLA's Fabian Moreau anywhere in the first round in mock drafts, and people are dropping the ball with him. I believe he played out of position at end at Alabama, and while he could be a versatile tackle-end hybrid in the NFL, he might be a show-stopping 3-technique. As I said before, I don't love putting trades in my mock. We're going to wrap up with former Washington safety Budda Baker, who I consider one of the best all-around players in the draft. TE - Was good last year. Plus, that 37.5-inch vertical is going to allow him to out-leap most defensive backs. In all, the needy Raiders, trying to rebound from a few years of failed top picks, got two likely starters out of the draftWilson and Mayer. Cook can be the versatile running back who complements them. Howard can block, run great routes and outrun people with the football in his handshe's the epitome of the new-age tight end. Texas A&M's Myles Garrettmight seem like an obvious choice here, but there's no point in overthinking it. The Colts have talented receivers like T.Y. There are two schools of thought when it comes to targeting prospects early in the NFL draft. Calais Campbell is gone, and Daryl Washington hasn't played in three years because of a suspension. Former NFL quarterback Chris Simms made waves last year by placing Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles at No. Now they need to add that modern-day NFL middle linebacker. RELATED: When is the 2022 NFL Draft: Dates, schedule, TV channel, start time, Round 1 draft order. If you're looking for someone who can break big plays and outrun NFL corners and safeties, Fournette's your guy. Seahawks: Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia Click to here to watch all of Simms' first-round picks for 2023. Ziegler to McDaniels in a hushed tone: Arizona wants to trade back up.. QB - Josh Allen at 1 and Lamar Jackson at 4, Kyler Murray at 1 and Daniel Jones at 6 RB - Is all over the place. If you watched the Chicago Bears last year, you know the team is devoid of talent in the secondary. Chris Simms spent eight seasons playing in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans. With his combination of physical skills and a Von Miller-esque first step, Garrett is a can't-miss edge prospect. We'll be focusing on the second group here. The choice wasnt up to Ziegler; other teams decided for him. He isn't yet on a Rob Gronkowski level, but he could be coached up in the NFL. A team doesn't need to have a specific role in mind for Baker in order for him to succeed. Whichever team drafts Allen will get a guy who can do a lot of things for its defense for many, many years. Chris Simms has gotten a lot of heat recently on social media for his weak evaluation of Ohio State star QB Justin Fields, who is likely to be a top 15 pick on Thursday. I've put a lot of time and work into the evaluation of these draft prospects, and I'm basing my mock on my own evaluations. He also had 92 carries for 204 yards and five touchdowns. He ran the three-cone drill in 6.68 seconds at the combine, which shows his ability to stick his foot in the ground and change direction. Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett can make life simpler for Watson. So I could still see Conley being drafted early if a team believes Conley's story that he is innocent. Close to them: Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer. Thats four games a year for the next few years against these great young quarterbacks. Conley has tremendous size (6'0", 195 lbs), length and speedand he plays faster than his 4.44-second combine 40 would indicate. Fluker at right tackle with Lamp and Justin Pugh as guards and Weston Richburg in the middle. Can Thomas develop into a superstar? Kelly, Ziegler (cell phone to his ear at least half of the evening), McDaniels, Davis, left to right in front of the room, in swivel chairs, able to look ahead at trade possibilities or back at the state of the draft board. Projected Round (2017): Top-25 Pick. Conley should be able to play either on the outside or in the slot. They got a speed cornerback, Banks teammate Jakorian Bennett, with pick 104, and the Raiders hope he plays early. Ziegler and McDaniels did know by staying putand they would get a phone call that surprised and tempted them minutes before their pickthey were not in control of their fate. And a truly Nostradamus ranking would have probably had Herbert at 1. I think the Atlanta Falcons are looking to add an edge-rusher with their first pick, and they can get their guy a few selections into the second round. 1 and No. The Packers pass defense was an embarrassment last year. All based on film. 11. Few tight ends are capable of doing all of that. I'm not sure Garrett has been coached all that well to this point. It's largely this media breakout clip where he says Mahomes has the most special arm of anyone in the class. Njoku is athletic, has long arms and is a phenomenal run-blocker. Short conversation with KC. You can put him at nickel or at free safety if need be, but he's also a guy you can put on an island and let him run with the other team's No. 7:36 p.m.: Crosby sent a video message to Wilson, and in the draft room, Ziegler had it and he showed it to McDaniels and Davis on his phone. Now that Branden Albert is gone and the team is moving Laremy Tunsil to left tackle, there is a need at guard. Baker and Lamar is an honest conversation. Panthers (via Bears): Bryce Young, QB, Alabama 2. Sure. The NFL draft is all about elite talent, proposed value and where you can get guys in relation to their value. Clemson's Mike Williams is a weapon. We needed three quarterbacks to go, and were so happy we got one of the four non-quarterbacks who were our top-rated guys on the board. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. James Harrison (38) is getting up there in age, and the Steelers have parted ways with Jarvis Jones. Howard is a difference-maker, and the Jets could desperately use one of those on offense. Hes got elite arm talent, a [Brett] Favre or [Pat] Mahomes arm. I went pick by pick, team by team, 1 to 32. Last year, he had Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert as his top two prospects. He also has the strength and drive to collapse an area of the defensive line in the run game. This is the modern draft, where lips are no longer loose, where mock drafts are a mockery of reality. Links to content and the quotation of material from other news sources are not the responsibility of Bleacher Nation. At the same time, I approached this mock draft as if I am an NFL GM. Simms always ranks these guys as he sees them. If Tom Coughlin wants to help his offense and quarterback, Fournette is the perfect guy to do it. Can he run?. No surprise, all this mystery. Even during his worst year, he'll still likely be hovering around 10 sacks. His only real negative is that Alabama didn't use him much as a traditional tight end, especially this past season. has great hands, makes people miss and can take a pass up the seam and explode for a 70-yard touchdown. However, people I've talked to around the league tell me there are legitimate concerns about Lattimore's hamstring issues. Once he gets around an NFL defensive line coach who can show him proper technique, the sky is the limit for this kid. ESPN's Chris Mortensen believes that the decision comes down to Darnold or Allen. Give him some time, and I think he's a Pro Bowler. We're going back to the secondary well one more time for the Saints. NBC analyst and former NFL quarterback Chris Simms releases his quarterback rankings each year ahead of every draft, and he has weighed in with his top five for 2022 ahead of the Thursday's first . Ross can play the Tyreek Hill role. So, just wanted to touch base on a few things. After their rookie year we would probably go Baker, Lamar, Allen. We don't have a clue where these quarterbacks are going to go. But people have started taking his ranks as gospel, when they have errors just like any other analyst's rankings. There is enough secondary depth in this draft that Oakland can get a starter in Round 2. They would get their signal-caller of the future and still take Garrett at No. Josh Jones is a perfect example of your modern NFL safety. The Cleveland Browns have a stockpile of draft picks and the need for a quarterback, and they can't risk missing out on their guy. Considering they had the league's 31st-ranked pass defense last year (269.2 yards per game allowed), the pick should be a corner. Be humble, which you are. All McDaniels and Ziegler knew was that these four non-QBs sat at the top of their board a short spiral away, graded closely: But as Ziegler and McDaniels hashed it out, and McDaniels talked about the latest intel hed heard about the top six (I hope Ill have something coming in on Houston at two, but Nicks tight, he said, referring to Texans GM/CIA agent Nick Caserio), they realized they were just like the rest of America: They doubted Houston would pick a quarterback at two, they didnt know which GM was fixing to pay a ransom to trade up with Arizona at three, they didnt know which quarterback Indianapolis would choose at four, and they didnt know if Seattle would go QB or best defensive weapon at five. 1 overall. He won't beat you with pure speed, but he has enough wiggle to gain separation, and those long arms give him an unreal catch radius. In the age of finding the mismatch, running the no-huddle offense and forcing defenses to stay in the same personnel set, Howard can be elite. Bleacher Nation is a private media site owned and operated by Betsperts, Inc., and it is not affiliated in any way with Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, the Chicago Cubs, the Chicago Bears, the Chicago Bulls, the Chicago White Sox, or the Chicago Blackhawks. He has special mobility, and he's an incredible sideline-to-sideline player. He can do things that aging running back Jonathan Stewart simply cannot. Hooker, who snagged seven interceptions last season, would immediately add a playmaking presence to the back end of Chicago's defense. This was all probably just a humble moment God wanted me to go through. The plan was preordained. Miguel Amaya is Reportedly On His Way to D.C. Padres vs. Reds Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets Monday, May 1, 2023, Dodgers vs. Phillies Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets Monday, May 1, 2023, How to Watch Dodgers vs. Phillies: Live Stream or on TV, Padres vs. Reds: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch, Nuggets vs. Suns Western Conference Semifinals Game 2 Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets Monday, May 1, 2023, Updating the Blackhawks Draft Board After Round One of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and Obsession, Bleacher Nation Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. I was trying to find two great football men. That left Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, and Josh Rosen to follow behind that duo. Marcus Mariota doesn't helm a traditional NFL offensethere are some college elements to what the Titans do. Chris Simms' 2022 NFL Draft Position Rankings: The top QBs, WRs, RBs, and more ahead of draft weekend By Mary Omatiga Apr 25, 2022, 1:00 PM EDT Share this: Click to share on Flipboard (Opens in new window) 1 Comment The 2022 NFL Draft is right around the corner. 32and some teams love him a lot more than people realize. 1 corner. 3 overall selection, which would suggest that they do not believe he will be available with their selection. In 2017, he called Patrick Mahomes the 2017 NFL Drafts most special QB talent.. But there wasnt much enthusiasm to deal after Banks and Harrison went off the board. Trading the pick to Jacksonville potentially gets the team an extra second- or third-round selection. I really think that theres different types of ways to be smart. Leonard Fournette is 6'0", 240 pounds and runs the 40 in 4.51 seconds. The beauty with Foster is that he has the makeup to play inside in either a 3-4 or a 4-3. Michael Mayer, Notre Dame 4. And for the Texans, that bit of motivation will be a very good thing. When you're looking at both film and physical ability, it's hard to find an accurate comparison for him. He's worthy of such a comparison. So much so, it makes me think we should take a closer look at what he is presenting with his rankings. He also signed veteran quarterback Drew Stanton. I mean, theyve tried everything else. Taco Charlton, a 6'6", 277-pound Michigan product, can do both. But at the same time, I could feel it: C.J. Youre gonna talk to the media here in a bit. He's strong enough to shed blockers, and his ability to read and react in the run game is incredible. Even when the team was playing in Super Bowl 50, the line wasn't the greatest group in footballand it hasn't improved since. 1 selection by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Mel Kiper, for one, liked the first two picks but the others, not so much. Yeah, he might be able to outrun you, but he also might grab the ball and then run your ass over, too. Adams is one of the best open-field tacklers in the entire draft. General Manager John Dorsey acquired veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor in a trade with the Buffalo Bills. Hand: 9.5. Reuben Foster was put on earth to play middle linebacker. Its a huge weekend for them. Conley and Jackson are each in my top four when it comes to upside for cornerbacks. I had over a 3.0 in high school. On the field, Conley is a No. He had to be dealing with Detroit, trying to get ahead of Vegas to ensure getting Johnson. The question is whether he's going to be a good slot or outside cover corner or if he can develop into an elite shutdown stud. While he is definitely lower than most on the rankings for Fields, is Simms someone who has been right in the past or constantly wrong? Melifonwu has tremendous size (6'4", 224 lbs), tremendous speed (ran a 4.40-second 40 at the combine) and unreal leaping ability (logged a 44.0-inch vertical at the combine). Everything that Ive done in college, Ive been very consistent. I have no idea where Jackson will be selected in the draft. His ceiling could be Michael Bennett. Then he can take over and be the man in Buffalo. Allen completed just 56-percent of his passes over the last two seasons. As a guard, though, Robinson isn't going to get overpowered by interior pass-rushers. I'm not saying the guys featured here can't be special, either. They can and will sling the ball deep. 5, and I think they try to move the pick. Here was his final list: There is no way around it, this is a great list. Hushed discussion, presumably exchanging potential offers for the pick. 1 QB. After the top two, Kiper said, I dont see value with the rest of this class.. I'm confident that at his worst, he's starting on a defensive front for years to come. He's also the safest prospect at his position on the board. The San Francisco 49ers are going to be running a Seattle Seahawks type of defense, and Stanford's Solomon Thomas can be San Francisco's version of Michael Bennett. I can check down. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Fournette is also a special kind of physical. . Smart move by Ossenfort, choosing not to close a deal for the seventh pick and instead dealing for the sixthensuring that the Cards would get the tackle they wanted. Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. He's just too talented to ignore. All smiles, man. When I look at tape of Conley, nothing jumps out as a major concern. The beauty of Baker is that he has the talent and the ball skills to potentially step into whichever position is vacated first. Ultimately, the Browns might be scared that the New York Jets could take Mitchell Trubisky at No. 40 Time: 4.67. When we hired them, everybody thought we were trying to re-create the Patriots. Mitch Trubisky*, QB, North Carolina Height: 6-2. 1 quarterback, there is a lot to like about Allen. They did a good job of improving it by adding defensive tackle Terrell McClain in free agency. 1 overall quarterback on his board entering the 2018 draft.. On the latest episode of The Simms & Lefkoe Podcast, Simms . Gameday, baby! Son of Al announced to the room. The Titans need speed and Ross can provide it (he ran a 4.22-second 40 at the combine, after all). Instead, its an honest assessment based on one mans vision. He's a hard-hitting, quality-in-coverage safety who can set the tone in the Chargers secondary. First, a reminder that Simms is pretty good at this stuff. Green Bay needs that on its defense. The Raiders loved Harrisonnot as much as Johnson, but enough maybe to lose the fourth non-QB they love in order to pick up the 33rd pick. When I think of true can't-miss cornerbacks, I think of the next two guys featured herethe first being USC's Adoree Jackson. See below to find out who made the top 5 names for each position. CHRIS SIMMS RELEASES HIS 2020 NFL DRAFT QUARTERBACK RANKINGS ON "CHRIS SIMMS UNBUTTONED" PODCAST Simms' Top Five Prospects: Joe Burrow (#1), Justin Herbert (#2), Jordan Love (#3), Tua Tagovailoa (#4), and Jacob Eason (#5) "It's the cleanest film I've ever seen from a college quarterback." - Simms on Joe Burrow He also had 75 carries for 82 yards and five touchdowns. I have no such concerns with Adams. He's a better overall prospect than Keanu Neal was coming out last year, and I loved Neal. I didn't know how special Aqib Talib would become when he first walked into our locker room. Let's examine year by year. He can play every position in the secondary, which is where his value lies. One wall, which McDaniels, Ziegler, assistant GM Champ Kelly and Davis face, with three things: a big TV tuned to the draft, computerized pick-by-pick directly from the league, so its faster than what you see on TV, and a constantly updated list of trade discussions with draft-trade charts showing trade proposals broken down by a value chart. Chris Simms' 2021 NFL Draft: Zach Wilson 'clearly' the No. Ramczyk doesn't have the anchor to handle speed and power edge-rushers as an elite tackle, but he can be one of the better guards in football. Fournette is a quick-footed, physical runner in the class of Adrian Peterson, Bo Jackson and Herschel Walker. He doesn't have the footwork or the agility to fully excel against edge-rushers at the pro level. Alabama's Cam Robinson is a big, powerful tackle who I ultimately think fits better as an NFL guard. Whichever team drafts him should have its starting No. Did Fields Get Enough Help? Ziegler made a couple of calls about moving up to fill a hole left by the trade of tight end Darren Waller with Mayer, but never got faror appeared enthusiastic to do it. We have a ton of talented defensive backs and edge-rushers in this draft. He's the type of safety in today's NFL who can give guys like Rob Gronkowski, Greg Olsen and Jordan Reed their money's worth in coverage. 5:42 p.m.: Cards GM Monti Ossenfort called Ziegler. People talk about his accuracy, but his pass-protection was poor, and he had the worst talent around him of any of these guys but hes got the biggest upside of anyone in the class. The NFL analyst and former quarterback is known for his yearly QB draft rankings has a surprise pick at No. Cleveland gets its quarterback and the Titans get extra draft capitalit's a win-win. The NFL's 88th annual draft, aka its "Player Selection Meeting," will kick off next week in . Texas Tech's Patrick Mahomes is a special, special talent. The New York Jets have reportedly not yet scheduled a pre-draft visit with Darnold. Based on what I've heard from NFL teams, the diluted sample, the combine dismissal and Foster's off-field concerns add up to make him an iffy prospect. In 2017, he called Patrick Mahomes the 2017 NFL Draft's "most special QB talent." That seems to have been accurate, to say the least. Just express how excited youwhich I know you are.. Witherspoon would have been great to add to a needy secondary. 1 NFL corner. Is the Back 7 Good Now? Las Vegas is on the clock, tinny voice says. Chris had Trubisky going 5 in a trade up by the Browns, Mahomes at 10 to the Bills, Deshaun at 31 in a trade up by the Jags. The tenor of the message: Congrats, Tyree. Jackson could even catch a few passes per game if a team needed him to. OL - Really Solid actually EDGE - Good in 19, Bad in 20, Mixed in 21, His motivation, his drive, how he handles adversity off the charts. But when you dig deeper, the Nostradamus level of hype these rankings get are a bit overblown. You can be football smart. Even if he's a bust, that means he'll only go to one Pro Bowl instead of five during his time with your team. While he might not be as versatile as some of the other backs in this class, Fournette can legitimately carry an offense. But more than that, Simms previous rankings have been prophetic at times. Hehas great hands, makes people miss and can take a pass up the seam and explode for a 70-yard touchdown. Figuring out the draft order is where things get difficult. 5:50 p.m.: Tinny voice from Draft HQ: Detroit has traded its pick to Arizona. Stroud will remember this pre-draft process. The names are familiar, but the places they land arent. He can cover passes to the tight end or defend screens to the running back. Chris Simms spent eight seasons playing in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans. Detroit's general manager Bob Quinn is another guy I worked for in New Englandand New England loves tight ends. 70 of Simms' league-wide quarterback rankings. Harris is athletic enough to cover and do linebacker things if you want him to, but his best fit is as a pass-rushing end. 1 receiver and pick off a couple of passes in his first practice, though, I knew he belonged on an NFL field. Ziegler and McDaniels stared at the trade-value board in the back of the room, analyzing trade possibilitiesthe values, plus or minus for the Raiders, based on the numerical values Ziegler assigns to each pick: +177 ARI sends 2-33, LV gives back 4th (109), +68 ARI sends 2-33 and 6-213, LV gives back 3-100 and 4-109. Chris Simms 2022 NFL Draft DT and LB Rankings: Be sure to subscribe to Chris Simms Unbuttoned for more on the 2022 NFL Draft as well as an unfiltered look at the NFL, featuring player access, unabashed opinion, X&O film breakdown, and stories from a life in and around football. There just aren't a lot of human beings who are 251 pounds and run the 40 in 4.51 seconds. One wall taken up entirely with the draft board, ranking the players by position from top to bottom, on magnetic cards, the old-school way. McDaniels beamed. He has blazing speed when running on the edge, he can catch the ball out of the backfield, and he can line up at receiver and run a full route tree. After watching him shut down our No. Chris Simms April 19, 2017 Bob Levey/Getty Images There are two schools of thought when it comes to targeting prospects early in the NFL draft. You dont want your draft story to be all about your foot. Were still undefeated! Davis said as Roger Goodell kicked off the draft. Chris Simms unveiled his 2023 NFL Draft QB rankings earlier this week on the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast and had his fair share to say about this year's crop of signal-callers,. Temple's Haason Reddick can be the type of linebacker Washington was in his prime. We stood in a hallway just off the Texans locker room for 12 minutes and I asked him about what hes learned from the last three months. The Miami Dolphins could look at cornerbacks and pass-rushers here. Tell him this happened to Aaron Rodgers too. And when he looked up and saw speedy Jalin Hyatt, the wide receiver, still on the board with a high Raider grade, Davis said to McDaniels: Too bad we dont have a need at receiver. I love Ohio State's Malik HookerI think he could be an Ed Reed type if he hits his ceilinghowever, I can't give the "can't miss" seal of approval to a guy with 13 career starts. He has the potential to be an Aaron Rodgers-, Brett Favre-type quarterback in the NFL, and he'd be a good fit with the Buffalo Bills. The New York Jets haven't had a top-tier tight end sinceI don't even know when. But to think its a good indicator of future failureI mean, watch the games hes played. Arizona is on the clock. For Vegas, there goes day-one starting right tackle Paris Johnson. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers need help on their defensive line. I really respect him for the depth of his analysis and confidence to stray from the consensus rankings. What's not to like about a guy who is 6'0", 206 pounds, runs the 40 in 4.35 seconds and possesses the physicality of a former running back? The Bears could also go cornerback here, but the potential upside of Hooker is too hard to pass up. The 2022 NFL Draft is right around the corner. The Arizona Cardinals need a game-changing presence in their front seven. But the Titans already have bigger possession receivers in Rishard Matthews and Tajae Sharpe. Darnold completed 303-of-480 passes for 4,143 yards, 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions last season. He can immediately help an NFL offense as a blocker. Dont talk about timelines with your foot. Even if your team changed schemes during his career, he can adapt. Sam LaPorta, Iowa Tier Three 3. Regardless of what you think of him as a long term starter, he has more talent than Finley and Stidham. The Broncos line gets better as a whole by adding him. A player who played the way Stroud didparticularly in putting up 41 points in his superb final college game in the playoff against Georgiais not a player who cant process, or cant ID a defense. Josh Whyle, Cincinnati 5. Yet, he also has the speed, range and athleticism to cover the Jason Wittens and the Zach Ertzs of the world. I thought about going with Clemson's Mike Williams here. He touts great length, can jam receivers at the line and has outstanding change-of-direction skills. I can process very, very fast. So he actually back pedaled on what most consider to be his best year in ranking. There's not a better run-blocking lineman in the draft. EDIT: As others have posted, he actually changed his 2018 rankings after watching more tape and landed on: Allen, Rosen, Mayfield, Lamar, Darnold. He says Mahomes is probably his number 3, but depending on team, Davis Webb, Deshone Kizer and Nathan Peterman. Colorado's Chidobe Awuzie is one of the most physically gifted cornerbacks in this draft.