Now that the new league year is upon us, and there are but a handful of top-tier players left on the open market, the focus for all NFL shot-callers turns toward the draft. While some coaches and executives left hanging around in free agency won’t have to do too much to their draft boards, other teams are understandably changing their approaches. The Patriots, for example, probably won’t draft two tight ends after picking up Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith. They will, however, run two-tight end sets more often in 2021 than the eight times they did so in 2020 — probably in the first quarter of the first game alone. And the Titans probably aren’t quite as desperate for an edge-rusher after signing Bid Dupree and Denico Autry. Also, just because the Lions got Jared Goff in the Matthew Stafford trade doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be looking for a franchise quarterback, as you’re about to see.
Other teams who did improve in free agency might still be working toward further improvement in the draft. Does signing Riley Reiff mean that the Bengals are out of the picture when it comes to selecting a great offensive tackle? Most likely not. Could the Seahawks still select a running back in the first round even after re-signing Chris Carson? You bet, because they’re the Seahawks.
Wait a minute, you’re saying… the Seahawks don’t have a first-round pick this year because they offloaded it to the Jets in the Jamal Adams deal, right? Right you are, dear reader, but there are two radical trades that set this mock up for the Ari Spyros Chaos Grenade.
I’m sorry. It’s basically one giant chaos grenade! https://t.co/Dd6PvAZoTU pic.twitter.com/MEiRXiRJ59
— Stephen Kunken (@stephenkunken) January 7, 2021
Here’s how that rolls. Bears fans, avert your eyes, because it’s all happening without you. There’s this:
New York Jets get: QB Deshaun Watson.
Houston Texans get: The Jets’ second, 23rd, and 34th overall picks in 2021, and the Jets’ first-round pick in 2022.
And then, there’s THIS:
Miami Dolphins get: QB Russell Wilson.
Seattle Seahawks get: QB Tua Tagovailoa, Miami’s third, 18th, and 36th overall picks in 2021, and Miami’s first-round pick in 2022.
If you haven’t slammed your laptop closed or thrown your phone across the room in total outrage, let’s get to the picks. There will be actual explanations for these picks in a separate article, published Monday. As always, all criticisms of this mock draft should be rife with misspellings, awful grammar, and ad hominem insults.
