NFL Mock Draft With the Stars of Tomorrow
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You could probably guess this based off my Twitter handle, @MJ_NFLDraft, but there are very few things that I love more than scouting football players and the NFL Draft. I will tell anyone who will listen that the NFL Draft…
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Continue ReadingYou could probably guess this based off my Twitter handle, @MJ_NFLDraft, but there are very few things that I love more than scouting football players and the NFL Draft. I will tell anyone who will listen that the NFL Draft is the three best days of the year. New names in new places. The potential impact of each selection. The career projection of each player based off where they may end up. I love it all! With today being the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft I wanted to create some fun content based off the most popular piece of content this time of year: Mock drafts. This isn’t going to be a standard mock draft, though.
Instead of using current draft prospects, we are going to make selections using the top talent that Wisconsin has to offer as our player pool. I am going to go through and predict how I believe the first round of the NFL Draft would play out if our state was supplying all of the talent. To come up with a more condensed pool of players I used the top 25 players from the Class of 2021, 2022, and 2023 to choose from. There won’t be any trades in this mock draft, and my goal is to find the balance between best player available and actually filling a need for each team with each pick. For each pick I will also include a quick explanation of why I made the selection. With that being said… The Jacksonville Jaguars are on the clock!
- Jacksonville Jaguars: QB
Myles Burkett
Myles
Burkett
6'1" | 200 lbs | QB
Franklin | 2022
State
WI
, Franklin HS
With the first selection of the Jacksonville Jaguars select QB Myles Burkett Myles Burkett 6'1" | 200 lbs | QB Franklin | 2022 State WI . The Jags need to find their franchise QB and Burkett is the best that Wisconsin has to offer making for an easy selection here. Myles has the arm talent to make all the necessary throws and has the athleticism to hurt defenses on the ground. However, he doesn’t rely on it for success. He wins first and foremost with his arm. - New York Jets: QB
Chase Spellman
Chase
Spellman
6'4" | 230 lbs | QB
Kettle Moraine | 2024
WI
, Kettle Moraine HS
Very similar to the Jags, the Jets also need to find a face for their franchise and a leader of their offense. They traded away Sam Darnold, so this has to be the next best QB on the board. Spellman is a great pick at #2. He can make every throw with accuracy and velocity. He has the prototypical frame, and he also offers some dual threat ability on the ground. You can build a team around Chase. - San Francisco 49ers: QB
Tak Tateoka
Tak
Tateoka
6'3" | 195 lbs | QB
Waukesha South | 2023
State
WI
, Waukesha South HS
Just like it will be during the actual draft, this draft begins off with a heavy run on QBs. It’s no surprise as it is the most important position on the field and we have a lot to choose from. The 49ers select Tak to lead their offense. Tak couldn’t be going to a better situation either. The 49ers are ready for a run and Tak has the talent to lead them. There is a good chance he has one of the strongest arms in the state and as he continues to gain experience and fill out his frame he could develop into a special talent at the position. - Atlanta Falcons: TE
Jerry Cross
Jerry
Cross
6'6" | 240 lbs | TE
Rufus King | 2022
State
WI
, Rufus King HS
This is the pick where things could get interesting. I could easily see the Falcons go with an offensive weapon as they try to make a playoff push with their current team or they could enter more of a rebuild and go QB. I believe they think their playoff window is open and they will add the best weapon for their team. That’s Cross in this situation. The 6’6″ 240 TE has elite size and athleticism and has a massive catch radius. I think in the actual draft this is Kyle Pitts, and Jerry is built very similarly. It’s a great fit. - Cincinnati Bengals: OT
Joe Brunner
Joe
Brunner
6'6" | 300 lbs | OL
Whitefish Bay | 2022
State
WI
, Whitefish Bay HS
Another team that could go multiple ways is the Bengals. They could go WR to give Burrow more weapons, but after his knee injury last year I don’t know how they can’t be focused on protecting him at all costs. That is what we are going to do here as I have them selecting the OT out of St. Croix Central. The 6’6’’ 305 lbs lineman has the size, strength, and athleticism to hold down either tackle spot and ensure that Burrow has time to find their already talented WR corp. - Miami Dolphins: WR Quinton Henry, Kenosha Bradford HS
If the board falls this way the Dolphins will sprint to the podium to announce this selection. I could see a top lineman going here, but I think they really want to get their QB a reliable target. With this pick they get to provide their franchise QB with a weapon that has so much to offer. He is a big play waiting to happen as he can stretch the field with his exceptional speed, or create consistent separation with sharp route running. The Dolphins are in need of a go to playmaker on the outside. They get that with this pick. - Detroit Lions: WR/TE
Drew Biber
Drew
Biber
6'5" | 200 lbs | WR
Cedarburg | 2021
State
WI
, Cedarburg HS
Reports have been coming out that the Lions were trying to trade up predraft to be able to select the top WR. Reportedly, the price was too steep, so instead they stay put and get the chance to select another weapon. Biber will offer a huge target for new QB Jared Goff who can line up out wide and dominate in the redzone. The Lions lost a ton of receiver talent this offseason. They start to replenish the position with this selection. - Carolina Panthers: OL
JP Benzschawel
JP
Benzschawel
6'7" | 260 lbs | OL
Grafton | 2021
State
WI
, Grafton HS
What a steal for the Panthers as one of the best players in the draft pool falls to them at 8! JP is the perfect addition to a young team that is ready to take the next step forward. They added Sam Darnold who is looking to revive his career and for him to do that he needs protection. Benzschawel will be able to lock down the blindside for years to come. He is huge, yet moves with surprising smoothness, and he has the strength to maul smaller edge defenders. The Panthers get better with this pick. - Denver Broncos: LB
Braelon Allen
Braelon
Allen
6'2" | 230 lbs | DB
Fond du Lac | 2021
State
WI
, Fond du Lac HS
This is a potential QB landing spot on draft night, but if this is how the draft plays out then I don’t think the Broncos could pass on Braelon. Him holding down the middle of the defense as Chubb and Miller dominated on the edge could shape this front seven into one of the best in football. The 6’2″ 240 lbs LB has sideline to sideline range, and diagnoses plays very quickly. He also is able to quickly work through the trash and get off blocks leading to him always being around the ball. This could take the Broncos defense to the next level. - Dallas Cowboys: CB
JaVaughn Byrd
JaVaughn
Byrd
6'2" | 170 lbs | DB
Rufus King | 2021
State
WI
, Rufus King HS
The Cowboys need so much help in coverage. A cornerback has been the most popular selection in mock drafts when it comes to the Cowboys and we are going to follow suit. It’s easy to go with the public opinion when the best cornerback in the state is still on the board. Byrd is going to give the Cowboys a lockdown man to man corner who also isn’t afraid to come up and make plays against the run on the outside. Jerry Jones would be smiling ear to ear as the TV shows the #1 CB headed to his defense. - New York Giants: OL
Carson Hinzman
Carson
Hinzman
6'5" | 280 lbs | OL
Saint Croix Central | 2022
State
WI
, St. Croix Central HS
With the 11th pick the Giants make the steal of the draft as they select the #1 overall player on the board. The Giants do seem to be comfortable with their current OTs, so for me this pick came down to either IOL or WR. I don’t see how they could pass on the best player in the draft falling to them outside the top 10. They make the call to add the dominant interior offensive lineman to help win the battle in the trenches, open up lanes for Saquon Barkley, and give Daniel Jones time to attack down the field to new WR Kenny Golladay. - Philadelphia Eagles: S
Hunter Wohler
Hunter
Wohler
6'2" | 190 lbs | DB
Muskego | 2021
State
WI
, Muskego HS
The Eagles have a ton of holes to fill, especially in their defensive backfield. You could make an argument for any of the remaining top prospects, but Wohler provides them with the best combination of best player available and being able to fill a need. Having Hunter on the back half in going to give the Eagles a rangy ball hawk who also has the size to deliver jarring hits down the field and also successfully step up against the run game. Another steal outside the top 10! - L.A. Chargers: IOL
Billy Schrauth
Billy
Schrauth
6'5" | 280 lbs | OL
St. Mary's Springs | 2022
State
WI
, St. Mary’s Springs HS
This pick is in the conversation for best combination of need and talent. Schrauth was my second best overall player on the board, but being that he plays on the interior it’s not quite as highly sought after in the draft. The Chargers waste no time stopping his slide as they take him at 13. This would be a franchise altering pick as I believe Schrauth has the potential to lock down this spot for years to come. Herbert will be able to take another step forward knowing that his protection has improved greatly. - Minnesota Vikings: OT
Barrett Nelson
Barrett
Nelson
6'7" | 260 lbs | OL
Stoughton | 2022
State
WI
, Fall River
Vikings fans would be losing their minds with this selection as one of the best OTs in the draft lands right in their laps. They just lost their long time starter, Riley Reiff, this offseason as he joined the Bengals. Nelson will be able to slide right into that void and use his very impressive length and athleticism to protect Cousins’ blindside from a division full of talented pass rushers. As a Packers fan, this would be a devastating pick for me. - New England Patriots: DL
Isaac Hamm
Isaac
Hamm
6'6" | 270 lbs | LB
Sun Prairie | 2022
State
WI
, Sun Prairie HS
This is the most Patriots thing to happen in this scenario. Of course one of the most talented players in the whole draft ends up sliding right into their lap making Coach Belichick’s job very easy. The Patriots always seem to get the absolute most out of their defenders, so to add one of the best defenders to the mix should take their team to the next level. Hamm can do it all. He is strong at the point of attack. He has elite size. He can get after the QB. It’s a match made in heaven. - Arizona Cardinals: OT
Marcus Mbow
Marcus
Mbow
6'5" | 310 lbs | OL
Wauwatosa East | 2021
State
WI
, Wauwatosa East HS
This was a tough selection to make. I could see the Cardinals go CB or WR as well as OT. They do have D.J. Humphries holding down the LT spot, but they seem to be looking for answers still at RT. It would definitely be more flashy to add one of those outside positions, but when you have a franchise QB you must protect them. So, the Cardinals emphasize protection and select the very athletic OT from Wauwatosa East HS. Marcus is going to be able to come in and provide Kyler all the time he needs to attack down the field with Hopkins. He is also going to be able to generate consistent movement up front as he opens lanes for new RB James Conner. - Las Vegas Raiders: DL
Cameron Done
Cameron
Done
6'5" | 280 lbs | DL
Rufus King | 2022
State
WI
, Rufus King
The Raiders need a ton of help on the defensive side of the ball. They address that by working on winning the battle in the trenches. Cameron will be able to come in and play several spots along the defensive line. He has been filling out like crazy over the past year. That should only improve his power and allow him to win along the interior while Ferrell and Crosby win on the edge. The athletic and strong big man could become a key piece to revamping the struggling Raiders defense. - Miami Dolphins: OT
Nathan Skebba
Nathan
Skebba
6'5" | 270 lbs | OL
Grafton | 2022
State
WI
, Grafton HS
The Dolphins take advantage of their second first round pick and continue to provide more help for Tua. Just this week the Dolphins traded their guard Ereck Flowers and announced that Robert Hunt would be sliding inside to play guard this season. This leaves a hole at RT and Skebba can slide right into it. He has the size at 6’5″ and has great movement skills. His reactive athleticism will allow him to provide solid pass protection. The Dolphins offense should take a step forward after a pair of very good additions. - Washington Football Team: OL
Joey Okla
Joey
Okla
6'4" | 280 lbs | OL
Arrowhead | 2022
State
WI
, Arrowhead HS
This is a popular place for an off ball LB to be selected. However, while looking through our talent pool and the WFT depth chart it became clear they need help on the left side of the offensive line. To do that they select stud OG Okla out of Arrowhead HS. The Illinois commit has the size and a dominating presence on the interior of the OL. Him and Scherff would make for one of the better guard duos in the league. Antonio Gibson is going to love running behind this line. - Chicago Bears: QB
Nate Kollath
Nate
Kollath
6'4" | 235 lbs | QB
Sussex Hamilton | 2023
State
WI
, Sussex Hamilton HS
The Bears have spent decades looking for their answer at QB. So far they have had little to no success and are currently rolling with Andy Dalton under a one year contract. Whether you look at the short term or long term this isn’t the answer. They need to add a younger prospect, so they go with Kollath out of Sussex Hamilton. Nate is one of the younger kids in this mock so he has plenty of time to continue to develop. He already has great size at 6’3″ 205 lbs and is an impactful athlete. Add in a live arm that can work the whole field and the Bears might be on to something at the QB position. - Indianapolis Colts: EDGE
Ayo Adebogun
Ayo
Adebogun
6'3" | 215 lbs | DL
Homestead | 2021
State
WI
, Homestead HS
What a steal for the Colts as they land the best edge rusher in the player pool down at pick 21. They would be ecstatic to add this type of player without having to trade up. Ayo has the proven production, and great length and initial burst off the line to consistently get after the QB. The Colts have been looking to get after the QB for awhile. They could have their guy to do it now. - Tennessee Titans: WR
Matteo Bonnin
Matteo
Bonnin
6'3" | 210 lbs | WR
Hudson | 2021
State
WI
, Hudson HS
This was a tough choice. The Titans need help at RT, but with how many OT prospects are left we are going to go to a group with less depth and pick a WR. Matteo is a dynamic playmaker who will be a great complement to A.J. Brown. Similar to Brown, Matteo is a big and strong WR who also has the top end speed to be able to turn any broken tackle into a huge play. Tannehill would be poised for his best year ever with these weapons. - New York Jets: EDGE
Hayden Nelson
Hayden
Nelson
6'4" | 240 lbs | DL
Brookfield Central | 2021
State
WI
, Brookfield Central HS
Another impressive steal as the Jets make their second pick here in the first round. They start off with their franchise QB and now they add a key piece in their pursuit of pressuring their opponents’ QB. Hayden is very strong on the edge and will be able to set the edge against the run. That will be huge as the Pats, Bills, and Dolphins are going to want to be able to have a consistent rushing attack in 2021. Nelson is also able to use that strength to collapse the pocket and get after the QB. Coach Robert Saleh will love this addition. - Pittsburgh Steelers: RB
Loyal Crawford
Loyal
Crawford
6'0" | 190 lbs | RB
Eau Claire Memorial | 2021
State
WI
, Eau Claire Memorial
We have our first RB off the board as the Steelers look to replace James Conner with the most talented RB in the state. Loyal is definitely a different type of running back from Conner. He relies more on speed and acceleration as well as elusiveness over pure power. Despite the differing play styles I think the Steelers jump at the chance to add a weapon for Big Ben as they try to make another playoff push. - Jacksonville Jaguars: OL
Calvin Muraski
Calvin
Muraski
6'8" | 290 lbs | OL
Bay Port | 2021
State
WI
, Bay Port HS
The Jaguars offensive line was one of the worst in the league in 2020. They need help all across the line, and with their new franchise QB taken at pick 1 we need to protect him. The Jags do that by finding a new LT to anchor the OL. Calvin has elite length as he checks in at 6’8″ with arms to match. He is going to be able to keep the pass rushers of the AFC South at bay for years to come. A franchise QB and LT are great additions to a team looking to rebuild. - Cleveland Browns: RB/LB
Jackson Acker
Jackson
Acker
6'2" | 220 lbs | RB
Verona Area | 2021
State
WI
, Verona
This is an interesting pick. Jackson has been a very productive HS RB, but I believe he will be at his best as an LB at the next level. That is what I would select him as here as well. Acker has a special blend of strength and athletic traits that would make him one of the best players available in this spot. The Browns roster is talented and if I was going to add anything it would be either a CB or an off ball LB. Acker is our best player at one of those two spots, so he is the easy pick here. - Baltimore Ravens: WR
Andrew Keller
Andrew
Keller
6'6" | 215 lbs | TE
Waunakee | 2022
State
WI
, Waunakee HS
I love the idea of getting Lamar more talent to throw to. I don’t love the idea that most mock drafts give him, though. They always want to give him a speedy guy who can stretch the field. I want to go the complete opposite. They have the speed guy in Marquise Brown. Now we are going to give him a massive target with Keller on the outside. The 6’5″ WR is going to give Lamar the biggest catch radius he has ever had. It should be a great pairing. - New Orleans Saints: WR
Jack Martens
Jack
Martens
5'11" | 185 lbs | WR
Cumberland | 2021
State
WI
, Cumberland HS
Finally the Saints get a WR that will be able to be a consistent impact opposite Michael Thomas. The Saints have cycled through a few veterans and late round draft picks trying to find a guy to man the spot. They get it here with Jack. Jack is going to use his high level route running to be able to get separation for whichever QB is chosen to start the 2021 season. The workload he could get as a rookie would make Jack a potential dark-horse OROY candidate. - Green Bay Packers CB
Aydan Dautermann
Aydan
Dautermann
6'2" | 185 lbs | DB
Slinger | 2021
State
WI
, Slinger HS
This was another tough choice. There are so many players at positions of need still available. The separator was that Aydan was my last available CB in my short list of prospects, so the Packers jump at the opportunity to add competition for Kevin King and maybe even the CB who does lock down the CB2 spot across from Jaire for years to come. Aydan has the physicality and play speed to bring the competition in camp. - Buffalo Bills: RB
Caleb Frazer
Caleb
Frazer
6'1" | 195 lbs | RB
Kimberly | 2021
State
WI
, Kimberly HS
The Bills need more offensive weapons. With this pick it came down to RB or WR for me. I went with RB because the Bills have tried on back to back drafts to find guys later that can form a successful committee, but it hasn’t produced much. We scrap the pure committee and bring a big, powerful back who will be able to handle a large workload without getting wore down. Caleb allows the Bills to impose their will on the ground. - Baltimore Ravens: OT
Ashton Beers
Ashton
Beers
6'6" | 295 lbs | OL
Slinger | 2022
State
WI
, Slinger HS
Baltimore uses the first round pick they got for trading away their disgruntled RT to grab him instant replacement. Beers is a steal this late in the first round. He will fit in perfectly with this offense that will continue to try and lead the league in rushing. The Ravens are built to run the ball and Ashton fits right into that ideology. - Tampa Bay Buccaneers: RB/LB
Zander Rockow
Zander
Rockow
6'1" | 240 lbs | ATH
Eau Claire Regis | 2023
State
WI
, Regis HS
This is a complete bonus for the best roster in football. They have resigned everyone from last year’s Super Bowl run and have no glaring weaknesses. So, that leads to the selection of Zander. He is one of the younger kids in this draft, and without any glaring needs it will give him time to continue to develop. He is already a solid RB and LB prospect as a 6’1″ 220 lbs sophomore. He could eventually work his way into one of those spots. Zander may even get early work at RB as they have shown to prefer a committee backfield.