NFL Draft: The Risers, The Fallers, and The Mock

Week 1 of the NFL season has finally come and gone. College football is well underway. And fans of football are officially in heaven. While we all rejoice in another season and tinker away at our fantasy lineups, my focus is turned to one of my favorite aspects of football where college and pros collide; the NFL Draft. 

This season, I will be adding a bit more to my mock drafts to give you a better insight into the movement we are seeing with these players, the direction you could see your favorite team going, and highlight some of the interesting aspects of the mocks. Check out the players I see rising up the ranks, falling down the mocks, and of course; my post week 1 NFL Mock Draft! 

This week, it is Risers and Fallers: QB Edition…

Risers:📈📈📈📈📈

Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss

Matt Corral has exploded onto the CFB scene in 2021 in a major way averaging over 300 yards per game and a combined seven total touchdowns. Now I will admit, I have never been the highest on Corral and still want to see him do it over the long haul, but it is hard not to take notice of what he is doing and acknowledge some of the elite traits he brings to the table. Corral has a very quick release and an excellent throwing motion. He has a powerful arm and athleticism to make plays with his feet. If he can clean up a few things and continue this high pace, he will be talked about as a potential #1 pick. 

Carson Strong, QB, Nevada

Carson Strong has been a Devy Watch favorite for a minute now! Shout out to Greg for turning us on to him and leading the charge. Since the first tape study I did of Strong, I knew he was going to be a guy that rose up the ranks quickly. Lo and behold, here we are projecting Strong as a potential top 15 pick after a few weeks of play. Strong has a very classic play style. A tall QB with a strong arm, stands tall and poised in the pocket with good accuracy and touch. When you add in his production at over 300 yards in his first two games, Strong will continue to climb into the conversation of being a top 5 pick. 

Will Levis, Kentucky

This is my darkhorse, curveball selection here! Will Levis is an under-the-radar transfer who has shown some tremendous progress and upside in his first two starts with the Wildcats. In the first game of the season vs ULM, Levis put up nearly 400 yards and added 4 TDs! Levis has a ton of tools at his disposal with excellent size at 6’4” 230lbs and still moves very well. He is poised in the pocket, can work through progressions, has a smooth release, and has a very good arm. His one knock will be the fact he will be nearly 23 years old come draft time. But if he can continue to put up numbers and show off top-tier traits, there is no reason to think he can’t sneak into the first round of the draft. 

Fallers: 📉📉📉📉📉

Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina

You will notice that I still have Howell in the top 10. That is because I still think he has the capability of being one of the top QBs selected. But make no mistake, his fall from the top is noticeable. Howell was projected as a top 5 lock with many projecting him as the top QB off the board which is why his first start this year was worrisome. Howell was barely over 50% completion and threw 3 INTs with only 1 TD. He did bounce back in week 2 but against a far worse opponent. After seeing his top two receivers and two RBs get drafted, the questions surrounding him will be whether or not he can produce with lesser talent. If he can start to show what he did last season, there is no doubt he will bounce back into the QB1 conversation.  

Kedon Slovis, QB, USC

I was never a huge fan of Slovis. I questioned a lot of his mechanics and thought he had a tough time reading defenses. During my study of him, it seemed like the offense was designed for short and easy throws. I am not sure much has changed so far this season which has resulted in him dropping from a top 15 projection to many mocks having him out of the first round completely. Slovis will need to show some improvements in his game and start putting up the numbers to back it up. Otherwise, we could see a continual drop-down of draft boards. 

Mock Draft(order based on odds to win the SB from FanDuel Sportsbook 9/14/21)

1. Detroit Lions – Spencer Rattler, QB, Oklahoma
2. Houston Texans – Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss
3. Jacksonville Jaguars – Evan Neal, OL, Alabama
4. New York Jets – Kayvvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon
5. New York Giants – Carson Strong, QB, Nevada
6. Atlanta Falcons – Derek Stingley, CB, LSU
7. Cincinnati Bengals – Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame
8. Carolina Panthers – DeMarvin Leal, DT, Texas A&M
9. Washington FT – Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina
10. Philadelphia Eagles – Kenyon Green, OL, Texas A&M
11. New York Giants (via CHI) – Charles Cross, OL, Mississippi State
12. Las Vegas Raiders – George Karlaftis, EDGE, Purdue
13. Denver Broncos – Malik Willis, QB, Liberty
14. Minnesota Vikings – Drake Jackson, EDGE, USC
15. New England Patriots – Kaair Elam, CB, Florida
16. Philadelphia Eagles (via IND) – Christian Harris, LB, Alabama
17. Arizona Cardinals – Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson
18. Philadelphia Eagles (via MIA) – Sevyn Banks, CB, Ohio State
19. Pittsburgh Steelers – Jaxon Kirkland, OT, Washington
20. Dallas Cowboys – Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE, Michigan
21. Los Angeles Chargers – Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
22. Tennessee Titans – Jalen Wydermyer, TE, Texas A&M
23. New Orleans Saints – Chris Olave, WR, Ohio St
24. Baltimore Ravens – Darian Kinnard, OL, Kentucky
25. New York Jets (via SEA) – Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
26. Cleveland Browns – George Pickens, WR, Georgia
27. Green Bay Packers – Zion Nelson, OL, Miami
28. Miami Dolphins (via SF) – Zach Harrison, EDGE, Ohio State
29. Buffalo Bills – Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington
30. Detroit Lions (via LAR) – David Bell, WR, Purdue
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
32. Kansas City Chiefs – Myjai Sanders, EDGE, Cincinnati

Notes: 📝📝📝📝📝

• QBs still come hot and heavy! 5 QBs going in the top 15 picks, similar to what we saw a season ago. This QB class isn’t as strong in my opinion, but teams that are in need seem to want to take their shot when they can so don’t be surprised to see another run in 2022. 
• The New York Giants reload on offense! Daniel Jones isn’t the guy. Personally, I think they should move on now and retool. In my mock, they snag fast riser Carson Strong and then use their second first-round pick on a versatile offensive lineman to protect him. With weapons everywhere, it is important to secure these two spots in order to get back to competing for the division. 
• Detroit’s rebuild begins! The Lions have work to do. With the first overall pick, don’t waste any time kicking things off! The Lions snagged the top overall QB and electric playmaker; Spencer Rattler. At the end of the first, they grab Rattler a go-to weapon in David Bell. The Lions need to reshape their offense and drafting these two will help jumpstart them.