Mock Draft 1.0: Titans Land Abdul Carter, Giants Get Their QB of the Future

It’s time! My first mock draft in two years. Let’s just say I’ve had this moment marked for a minute. I’ve spent months reviewing film, studying NFL rosters, and speaking to trusted contacts and personnel departments across the league to prepare for this exercise, which we’ll repeat several times throughout draft season. A few housekeeping notes before diving into my selections:

First, I don’t have any trades in this mock. That’s intentional. There’s a lot of smoke about what some of the top teams, including Tennessee at no. 1, intend to do. Right now, it’s just that—smoke. I’ll identify potential trades in future mocks, but I want to wait until after the NFL combine and free agency to better assess team needs and the organizations that might be buyers or sellers leading up to the draft. 

Second, I have two quarterbacks in this first-round mock—Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders—but that could change by the time Mock 2.0 debuts. If a third quarterback does go in the first round, I expect it to be Ole Miss’s Jaxson Dart. 

Finally, I considered several players who did not make the first-round cut this time, including Georgia safety Malaki Starks, Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III, North Dakota State offensive tackle Grey Zabel, and Toledo defensive tackle Darius Alexander. Don’t be surprised to see those names rising throughout draft season.

So much of this is fluid, and I’ll have much more to say in the coming weeks as I update my board. But here’s how I see the first round one week out from the NFL combine.

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