Defensive Rookie of the Year: TJ Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers

Younger brother of future Hall of Famer J.J. Watt. Same college, Wisconsin, as elder brother J.J. Watt. Similar draft hype as J.J. Watt coming into 2017, as we see at midseason, the hype was not misplaced. 7 games into the season, T.J. Watt has put up tremendous numbers. 21 solo tackles, 5 additional assisted tackles, 4 sacks, and 1 interception. Very strong start from his first outings as a professional, looking forward to seeing this young man grow into the monster that T.J. Watt can become.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans

This may be a controversial pick for some, but a tough decision for me nonetheless. Running back Kareem Hunt and Quarterback Deshaun Watson will battle to the end of the season for the award.

However, Deshaun Watson appears to be more elite. Starting merely 5 games, Watson has still thrown for 1,297 yards, 15 touchdown, 5 interceptions, completing passes at a 61.5 percent clip. Deshaun has even rushed for an additional 202 yards with two touchdowns on the ground to compliment. Despite all this, an even more impressive stat is Watson’s total QBR at 80.8. This rating leads league, higher than the likes of household names such as Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and even defending MVP Matt Ryan. This earns him the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

Comeback Player of the Year: Rob Gronkowski, New England

Playing a mere 8 games last year, Rob Gronkowski had yet another injury riddled season. Despite playing only half the season, in two of the eight games, Gronkowski was nowhere to be seen with no receptions. His season ended with back surgery, putting Rob on the shelf for good. Entering the 2017 regular season, Gronkowski’s health and durability had become a large question mark for the New England offense. Nonetheless, the Gronk has bounced back in a way few experts projected. With 452 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns on 29 receptions, Rob Gronkowski has nearly surpassed the entirety of last season’s output. 25 receptions, 540 yards, and only 3 touchdowns was the 2016 statline among his eight outings. Barring another injury, *knock on wood* Rob Gronkowski should own this year’s Comeback Player of the Year award.

Coach of the Year: Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams

The Rams may just be the surprise of the year. Following a miserable 4-12 record, the 2017 offseason did not show many roster changes, expecting to repeat the previous season’s failures.

Despite only notably adding wide receivers Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods, the Los Angeles Rams has made unbelievable changes moving forward. Their 5-2 record can be accounted due to the mindset of Head Coach Sean McVay. Following up the abomination of a coaching job completed by Jeff Fisher, McVay continues the dominant march of the defense. Additionally, Sean McVay has made the necessary changes to turn around the offense from a piddling 14.0 points per game in the 2016 to an astonishing 30.3 points per game, the highest scoring offense in the league. Coach Sean McVay is the difference moving this Rams football team past its previous mediocrity, earning McVay the 2017 Coach of the Year award.

Defensive Player of the Year: Melvin Ingram, Los Angeles Chargers

Bringing in a mighty 8 and a half sacks and 25 solo tackles, the LA Chargers have a beast at linebacker. The six-season veteran has made strides from an already elite level. Melvin Ingram has also forced two fumbles, recovering one. Ingram seemingly steps up his game daily, with the best of his outings coming within the last three games. Incoming offenses must be wary when moving the ball in his direction, giving space for other elite defenders to make plays. Defensive ends Joey Bosa and Chris McCain, cornerbacks Casey Hayward and Desmond King, and the entirety of the Charger defense benefit from his mere presence on the field.

Offensive Player of the Year: Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs

Prior to this week, Alex Smith was the frontrunner for this season’s MVP award. Despite this, Smith is being thwarted by a younger, more mobile quarterback. However, do not dare take anything away from Alex Smith. Twelve years into the league, Smith is seemingly putting up his best numbers yet. Passing for 1,979 yards, 15 touchdowns, and zero turnovers. All of this coming on a 72.4 completion percentage, enabling the Chiefs a hot 5-2 start. This record not only leads the the AFC West, but also leads the entire AFC. Their record matched only by the Patriots and Steelers. Capping off his impressive numbers, Alex Smith leads the entire league in passer rating at 120.5, solidifying him as the Offensive Player of the Year.

MVP: Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles

Quite possibly the most difficult move was the decision to give the MVP nod to Carson Wentz. Despite having overall worse numbers by a slight margin, Wentz tops Alex Smith in a much more important category: Wins. The Eagles have soared high to grab the best record in the NFL, winning six of their first seven. Aided by the struggles of their NFC East rivals, as well as key injuries to top NFC contenders, such as Aaron Rodgers, Dalvin Cook, and Josh Norman, the Eagles seem to have a smooth ride to a first-round playoff bye. Wentz is passing for a remarkable 1,852 yards and 17 touchdowns, and completing 61.6 percent of his passes, with only 4 interceptions to rebut. Maintaining a total QBR of 72.7, a league wide third best, the impressive numbers by Wentz will be the determining factor for deep postseason success.

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The most active team was Chicago as they made two trades. The Bears are extremely desperate for young, controllable talent on both sides of the ball. They were able to get the quarterback of the future and did so without mortgaging the future. The Cowboys pick up a talented running back to replace DeMarco Murray. The biggest winner from this draft for me is the New Orleans Saints who used all three picks to select starting caliber players at really good values.

There were several teams I wanted to trade up or down for, but was unable to due to a lack of trade partners or assets. These teams just selected the best player available if the draft spot wasn’t worth the player that was right for the team.

My next NFL piece will be a review of the draft. Until then enjoy both my final mock and the real draft.

Round 1

The post NFL Draft: Predicting the First Two Rounds appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Teams like the Jaguars, Raiders, Rams, and Vikings could all trade up if they fail to address the position earlier in the first round. Also tackles will start to come off the board pretty fast as there is a need for young controllable linemen, although most of the players taken this year will be moved to the right side of the line or inside to guard, there is still a huge need to protect the quarterback.

These picks are what I think teams will do at certain positions based off the needs I believe they need to address, but also from what I’ve been reading about each team from numerous sources. There is an occasional pick where I went with what I solely thought the team should do, but that’s only one or two picks. I did not include trades, but I will in the next mock draft. The three picks I like the most are the picks to Kansas City, New England, and Carolina, all of which I think got steals at their positions either based off value, or a player that I feel is underrated. Here we go, the San Diego Chargers are on the clock.

17) San Diego Chargers:  Melvin Gordon III- RB Wisconsin

The best running back in college football this year with Todd Gurley sitting most of the year out. Even with Gurley playing Gordon would’ve still ben extremely productive and fighting with Gurley for position as the top running back. The Chargers watched their top running back leave for Philly, and even though he was injury-prone, he was a productive back and they have no immediate solution. Gordon will be the perfect fit for the chargers who have a third down back in Woodhead and would allow Gordon to focus on running and limit the number of passing plays he would be a part of as catching is one of his biggest weaknesses.

Other Options: Malcolm Brown, Cameron Erving, Breshad Perriman

18) Kansas City Chiefs: Cameron Erving-OC Florida St.

Erving is one of my favorite players in this year’s draft. He has been playing center for Florida State, but was originally a tackle and should have the ability to play multiple positions on the line. Here he would stay at center where the Chiefs lost their starter to Oakland. The Chiefs have a couple positions to draft on the line and have addressed the need with the acquisition of Grubbs from the Saints. They could also look for receiver here or try to address depth on the defensive side of the ball.

Other Options: Breshad Perriman, Jaelen Strong, Landon Collins,

19) Cleveland Browns: Breshad Perriman- WR UCF

Nobody has seen their draft stock rise faster than Perriman due to one test. His 40-yard dash at his Pro day came out with numbers below 4.24 seconds being reported. On top of that he has good height and hands but again lacks polish in focus and route-running. The browns are in trouble on offense with Josh Gordon facing another suspension and Manziel being in rehab. If they want to succeed with Josh McCown as their quarterback they are going to need to surround him with weapons like he had in Chicago.

Other Option: Malcolm Brown. Landon Collins, TJ Clemmings

20) Philadelphia Eagles: Landon Collins- S Alabama

Landon Collins may be seeing a drop due to an injury he sustained during the season, or it may be that teams reviewed the tape and were not as thrilled as they were originally, for any reason, he is still a quality player and will address a need for Chip Kelly. After their offseason of confusion, it’s a little difficult to predict anything for this team, but this seems like a logical and safe way to go for the Eagles.

Other Options: TJ Clemmings, Dorial Green-Beckham

21) Cincinnati Bengals:  Malcolm Brown- DT Texas

The Bengals could really go a couple of different routes with this pick and if Malcolm Brown is available here I think this makes the most sense. This defense has been hit by injuries and players leaving in free agency, and could really use some depth especially along the offensive line. Being on a talented defense should help Brown’s development as he will probably see very few double teams and will opportunities created by other players on the defense.

Other Options: TJ Clemmings, Dorial Green-Beckham,

22) Pittsburgh Steelers: TJ Clemmings- OT Pittsburgh

Wow this would be a cool scenario for Clemmings to stay in town and play football for the same city he’s played for the last four years for. The Steelers definitely could go defense here, but adding depth along the offensive line to protect Roethlisberger is important. We saw last year, when Big Ben was protected, there was no way to slow down this offense, but Ben also had one of his healthiest seasons in a while. This offensive line has had some injuries and really could use the depth to make sure Big Ben stays upright all year.

Other Options: Marcus Peters, Brad Dupree

23) Detroit Lions: Brad Dupree- OLB Kentucky

The Lions were hurt in free agency this year when they lost Suh to the Dolphins. Adding Haloti Ngata was a great addition and they really could use more help along the defensive line, but their choices here are not great. Still this defense could really some cost-controlled play-makers to help negate the loss of their best player last year. Dupree brings a great rush to stop passers from having time to survey the field, also can be a run-stopper with his great speed. The only thing he needs to work on is his pass-coverage which he will be asked to do more being in a 4-3 system.

Other Options: Green-Beckham, Eddie Goldman

24) Arizona Cardinals: Todd Gurley- RB Georgia

The Cardinals were the surprise team of the NFL last year with how well they played with Carson Palmer under center. Although most of the credit should go to the defense for being in the top five for almost every defensive category last year. The goal now is to try and improve a little offensively to take some pressure off the defense. Gurley would give them the power back they’ve been lacking to convert short third down and short into a new set of downs. He can take pressure off the quarterback and really open the play-action passes while also keeping their defense off the field by extending drives. He is coming off an ACL injury, but his talent warrants the risk at this point in the draft.

Other Options: Dorial Green-Beckham, DJ Humphries

25) Carolina Panthers: Dorial Green-Beckham- WR Missouri

His name has been all over the news lately and this mock draft for other options. Green-Beckham is super talented at 6’5” and 230+ pounds, he runs extremely well and is a ball hawk in the air. The reason he could drop this far is he has a history of off-the-field issues and many teams were concerned, but after the combine, teams see so much talent that they almost cannot look pass him and I expect him to rise up draft boards and make a push towards the top ten. The Panthers really could use a lot of help on offense and another defensive linemen could help as well. Remember this team made the playoffs with a below .500 record so they are a team with a lot of needs, but I felt made several good under the radar moves to try and improve this team. It will be interesting to see who is available at this time because that will most likely determine which position this team will draft.

Other Options: Cedric Ogbuehi, Owamagbe Odighizuwa

26) Baltimore Ravens: Devin Smith- WR Ohio State

I think Baltimore is sitting here hoping a WR falls as drafting Smith here may be a little` bit of a reach. After losing Torrey Smith in free agency, the Ravens will need to replace his production. The Ravens really do not have a glaring need, but do have several areas across the board that could use help, depth, or may start to need a replacement due to aging players. This really allows the Ravens to draft the best available player and not draft a need. Then again how many teams actually draft the best available player instead of a need? The answer; very few.

Other Options: Trade Down, Eddie Goldman, Tevin Coleman

27) Dallas Cowboys: Jaelen Strong- WR Arizona State

The Cowboys really could go a lot of ways here as they have several needs and areas to improve. Really any position could use an upgrade outside of that fantastic offensive line. That said, the idea is to improve and draft the best available player. This team made the playoffs because it is already talented on one side of the ball and the defense really played a lot better than it should have thanks to Rod Marenelli. Adding Strong would be more to protect Dez Bryant and take some pressure off 0f him and I believe Strong is the best available player at this point. Obviously adding any defensive player would help this defense, but that can be addressed at a later point. If addressing the defense is the main concern, I would highly suggest trading down instead of reaching for a player.

Other Option: Eddie Goldman, Trade Down, Benardrick McKinney

28) Denver Broncos: Eddie Goldman- DT Florida State

Denver just lost their starting nose tackle to free agency and really could use a cost-effective solution that has upside. Enter Goldman, who will need to add some weight and would probably be a better fit in a 4-3 system, but he will bring effort and experience. His speed could cause some problems for centers, but the main benefit is being on a talented defense and not needing to perform immediately and could use the time to develop. The Broncos could also go offensive lineman to try and keep Peyton Manning upright, they also could use some depth at the position. Either way, it looks like the trenches is the way Denver to improve.

29) Indianapolis Colts: DJ Humphries- OT Florida

If there is any quarterback that needs a little protection in the pocket it would be Andrew Luck. The Colts have been one of the worst teams at protecting the passer that last two years. It’s actually scary to think how good Luck could be if he had time to throw. Now Humphries will not solve the problem, actually this does not even come close to solve the problem, but it will be a solid start as Humphries projects to be a solid right tackle or a great guard. Either way this is a start, with four other positions that could use long-term solution on the offensive line. Expect the Colts to draft a couple linemen.

30) Green Bay Packers: Kevin Johnson- CB Wake Forest

The Packers are in a great situation where they really do not have a glaring need and really can draft however they feel like drafting. The fact is the defense is solid and the offense is great as long as Aaron Rodgers is under center. Johnson makes sense here since the Packers are at risk of losing Shields in the future and could really use some depth now just to protect in case of an injury.

Other Options: Maxx Williams

31) New Orleans Saints:  Maxx Williams- TE Minnesota

The Saints have two picks in the first round thanks to the Jimmy Graham trade that shocked the whole sports world. If Williams is available at this point I would declare the Saints the winner of the trade. I believe Williams to be a future Graham-like tight end that is an absolute match-up problem for defenses and a ball hawk in the air. The addition of Unger and Williams would really help Brees and the Saints to have a bounce back year.

32) New England Patriots: Marcus Peters- CB Washington

Arguably the most talented corner in the draft, but his stock has taken a hit due to off-the-field issue. Peters has great ball skills and plays faster than his 40 time shows. He can help fill the void left by Revis and Browner leaving this offseason. The Patriots will still need another corner, but getting a starter is more important than the nickel, and they will probably wait until a later round to address that need.

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