NFL Draft Week 4: The Risers, The Fallers, and The Mock

We are officially a quarter of the way through the NFL season! Well, I guess technically with the added game we aren’t but hey, you get the idea! The top teams are starting to take shape, team needs are starting to present themselves, and we continue to have movement in prospect rankings as the college season is in full swing. So who are these risers and fallers up to this point in the season? Let us dive into it! 

Risers:📈📈📈📈📈

Offensive Lineman

I have added three offensive linemen to my first-round mock and honestly, I could have added more! It was hard, especially towards the end of the round, to pick apart which lineman would go where. This is a very talented class that may even see Evan Neal come off the board at #1. Not only is this class talented, but there is a ton of versatility as well. Many of these linemen can play multiple positions across the offensive line which adds tremendous value and will see their draft stock soar. One of my favorites right now is Trevor Penning from Northern Iowa. Penning plays LT but has the athleticism to kick inside and plays with a nasty streak and is a highlight reel for pancake blocks. Watch for his name to continue to climb as the season rolls along! 

Defense Wins Championships

This defensive class looks impressive and very well could be highlighted by a talented EDGE defender, Kayvon Thibodeaux. Thibodeaux is a freak of nature coming off the edge with the ability to get to the QB with ease while also being a disrupter in the run game. He has a very strong chance of going #1 depending on who lands that pick. Add in one of the best cornerback prospects I have ever watched in Derek Stingley and a versatile safety in Kyle Hamilton both going top 5, and you can start to see how loaded this class is defensively. With the way the NFL offenses are starting to boom, teams may continue to look to load up on defensive talent to combat it. 

Fallers: 📉📉📉📉📉

Quarterback Class

While I didn’t have much movement in terms of the number of QBs in this mock, I am personally not completely sold on any one player. I have seen mocks with Rattler falling outside the first round while others have him going #1. This class is so volatile and hard to pin down that I almost hope teams pivot away from QB altogether. Most of the teams that need a QB also have a ton of other big needs, so why not build your roster and talent with high-end players and wait to take your shot on QB? When it comes to teams like Detroit and Atlanta, I think they will do just that which could lead to some of these QBs being pushed down the board. 

Mock Draft(order based on odds to win the SB from FanDuel Sportsbook 10/05/21)

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

Notes: 📝📝📝📝📝

Where do the WRs go? One thing that is hard for me to project is just how many and where these receivers will land. I love this class as a whole and there are some potential WR1s all over the place combined with teams that have the need. But with such a strong class, do teams wait until Day 2 to pull the trigger? 

Does Detroit Wait? As I alluded to before, and you can see in my mock, there is a strong chance the Lions wait on QB. Goff has been serviceable and none of these QBs are slam dunks. So why not pull the trigger on the top EDGE defender and add another offensive weapon? Putting more talent on this team will not only help Goff, but it will help whoever the future is at QB. And don’t forget, they have multiple firsts next year too!