Mock Draft 4.0: Santa believes in trench warfare this Christmas

Have a holly jolly mock draft.

This may have been the best week for the Atlanta Falcons since they throttled the Green Bay Packers in the 2016 NFC Championship game, and I don’t think that it’s much of an exaggeration.

1) The Michael Penix era commences in Atlanta and starts off with the Falcons playing their first complete game of the season. In fact, their 27-point margin of victory is the largest since they throttled Derek Carr and the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020.

2) Speaking of Derek Carr, the New Orleans Saints became the first team to be shut out this season in a 34-0 drubbing by the Green Bay Packers, the worst loss by a Saints team since George W. Bush’s first term in office (2002).

3) The Dallas Cowboys had a chance to phone in the rest of the season and put themselves at the front of the Ashton Jeanty sweepstakes after they were knocked out of the playoffs earlier that day when the Washington Commanders beat the Philadelphia Eagles. Instead, they played spoiler and knocked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of first place in the NFC South with a 26-24 upset.

What a Christmas present.

The Falcons are back in charge of their playoff destiny and the NFC South has two teams in the back half of the top ten of next year’s draft and find themselves in prime position to find a premium player to continue building themselves back to the top of the division.

The playoff field is almost completely filled out with ten teams vying for five spots in both conferences.

For the 13 teams that have already been knocked out, enjoy this early look into next year’s draft class.

1) New York Giants – Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders

The New York Giants and Brian Daboll need a quarterback. They need a leader to lift their league-worst offense and fourth-worst passing offense out of their slump and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders does just that. There isn’t a bigger name than Sanders right now, and his confidence and swagger will be necessary as he traverses having to rebuild a winning culture in the Big Apple.

2) New England Patriots – Texas OT Kelvin Banks, Jr.

The Patriots potentially going big for a receiver in free agency opens the door for New England to go in any direction in this year’s draft. While the allure of a high-end defensive player looms large, Drake Maye has proven to be the quarterback of the future, so it’s time to build around him.

Out of 60 tackles with over 800 pass-blocking snaps, Texas’ Kelvin Banks is one of only eight tackles in the country with eight or less pressures and six or less hurries on the quarterback, according to PFF. Banks has all the makings of an elite pass blocker with great foot speed and devastating strength at the point of attack.

3) Jacksonville Jaguars – Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter

The Jaguars need someone to help turn the tide of their franchise. In the 2016 draft, they almost pulled it off with the drafting of eventual Super Bowl champion Jalen Ramsey. Now, they get a shot at redemption, taking one of the more prolific athletes to play in college football with Colorado’s Travis Hunter.

The Heisman winner will come in with questions of where he will find a home in the NFL, on offense or defense, but there’s no question about his ability to play the football and make an explosive play, regardless of which side of the ball he’s on.

4) Tennessee Titans – LSU OT Will Campbell

With Banks shooting up draft boards, that leaves Tennessee to get one of the safer picks in this year’s draft with LSU’s Will Campbell.

Campbell let up his first sack in two years against the Oklahoma Sooners, breaking a streak of over two years without allowing one. Campbell’s smooth movement skills allows him to rarely be found out of position in pass-blocking situations.

5) Cleveland Browns – Miami QB Cam Ward

With a chance to draft an actual franchise QB, the Cleveland Browns take it and select Miami’s Cam Ward. Ward’s play-making ability both in and out of the pocket will be a revelation for head coach Kevin Stefanski.

Not to mention he’s got an arm to make virtually any throw on the field.

6) Las Vegas Raiders – Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan

With Cleveland possibly in the hunt for a QB, that makes Tennessee a prime candidate for a pre-draft or draft-day trade, but that’s way down the line. For now, the Raiders miss out and have to settle for continuing to build around the quarterback position instead of finding their answer this draft.

The 6’5”, 212-pound Tetairoa McMillan is easily the best wide receiver prospect in this cycle. While missing out on the quarterback hurts, getting a one-year rental and continuing to build the infrastructure of the offense is nothing to sneeze at.

7) Carolina Panthers – Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter

After losing Brian Burns last off-season, the Carolina Panthers have a chance to find their next elite pass-rushing talent in Penn State’s Abdul Carter. Despite having almost 300 pass-rushing snaps (290), Carter has a pass-rush “win” percentage of 23%, the highest of anyone with 250+ pass-rushing snaps this season.

Carter’s explosive get-off and ability to bend around the edge make him as close to a can’t-miss prospect as can be.

8) New York Jets – Michigan DL Mason Graham

The New York Jets are currently 24th in EPA/rush allowed and 29th in defensive rushing success rate. After years of controlling that side of the ball, mainly through the trenches, 2024 has seemed to be a down year for the defensive unit. There may not be a better spark plug for a defense this year than Michigan’s man in the middle, Mason Graham.

A truly unique blend of size and speed that would be a fun running mate on the interior next to Quinnen Williams. Not to mention opening up opportunities for the edge rush department.

9) Chicago Bears – Minnesota OT Aierontae Ersery

Talent is abundant at the offensive tackle position in this draft and the Chicago Bears refuse to leave this draft without trying their hand at finding a difference-maker there. Minnesota’s Aierontae Ersery didn’t start playing football until late, making him a prime candidate to develop into an elite tackle in the league next to a young, developing offense.

10) New Orleans Saints – Georgia EDGE Mykel Williams

What would be a better way to drive Falcons fans crazy than to go into Athens and poach one of the elite pass-rushers in this draft? Williams has some serious strength in his hands and uses them to drive would-be blockers into the quarterback. New Orleans needs as many difference-makers, on cheap contracts, as they can get as they look to build back up.

11) San Francisco 49ers – LSU OT Emery Jones, Jr.

LSU’s Emery Jones has experience on both the inside and outside, making him one of the more versatile weapons on the offensive line. San Francisco has experienced a lot of turnover due to injury and love to bring in athletic, mauling types like Jones. Jones’ attitude mixes well with the physicality of the Shanahan run game and could make for a good marriage.

12) Miami Dolphins – Kentucky DL Deone Walker

The Miami Dolphins are tired of getting beat up in the trenches in the late stages of the regular season. They need to start getting more physical and there isn’t a bigger testament to physicality (maybe literally) than Kentucky’s Deone Walker.

At 6’6”, 345 pounds, the mountain of a man moves extremely well and can cause consistent havoc for a Miami defense that ranks near the bottom in success rate (7th-worst, according to Field Vision).

13) Indianapolis Colts – Michigan CB Will Johnson

As tempting as it may be to take another athletic freak at defensive back, who we will get to very soon, Indianapolis can’t pass on a chance to snag a premium cornerback in this year’s draft.

The fact that Michigan’s Will Johnson lasted this long in this draft is crazy, but it could happen. Johnson is a clear cornerback one with smooth movement skills and elite length that makes it difficult for receivers to separate. His 56.2 passer rating allowed, per PFF, this season would be ranked sixth-best in the NFL this season.

14) Cincinnati Bengals – Georgia S Malaki Starks

Cincinnati has to find some answers on the defensive side of the football. There’s not a much better answer for defensive woes than a do-it-all safety like Georgia’s Malaki Starks.

Starks has been everything for this Georgia defense. He can run downhill effectively in the run game, he is a half-field eraser over the top of a two-high defense, he even has the ability to match up well with tight ends due to his size and speed.

15) Dallas Cowboys – Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty

There’s simply too many aspects at play here that make the Jeanty-Dallas Cowboys situation far too hard to pass up. There’s the Jerry Jones aspect where a name like Jeanty behind Dak Prescott looks pretty good on a media guide. There’s the lack of efficiency in the running game where the Cowboys rank in the bottom quarter of the league in yards per attempt (30th) and rushing EPA (25th).

Most importantly, though, Ashton Jeanty is just awesome. He’s a callback to the physical, rough-nosed style of running that most recently gave notoriety to backs such as Marshawn Lynch and Michael “Burner” Turner. His homerun ability, despite the number of carries you give him, is too much to pass up if you’re the Dallas Cowboys.

16) Arizona Cardinals – Notre Dame CB Benjamin Morrison

The Arizona Cardinals are 28th in EPA/dropback allowed and dead last in defensive dropback success rate. On a down-to-down basis, teams are able to do whatever they want to against this secondary.

Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morrison could be a good first step into mitigating that problem. Morrison is a smart, physical corner that revels in making life a nightmare for opposing receivers.

17) Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Georgia LB Jalon Walker

The Buccaneers need a weapon in their defensive front seven. For too long, they have sort of coasted into mediocre territory, allowing their defense to be okay, but not good. They need a guy up front that will demand attention that’s not named Lavonte David.

Georgia’s Jalon Walker is that certified weapon up front that can be used both off-ball and off the edge. Walker has awesome sideline-to-sideline speed and combines that with a knack for rushing and pressuring quaterbacks.

18) Seattle Seahawks – Alabama iOL Tyler Booker

The Seattle Seahawks have to find answers on the interior of the offensive line and Alabama’s Tyler Booker may be one of the best ones. With his 6’5”, 325-pound frame, Booker can slot in and be a pass-protecting force inside for the Seahawks. Not to mention he has the quickness and movement skills to pull and be a solid lead blocker in the run game.

19) Atlanta Falcons – Tennessee EDGE James Pearce Jr.

While these last few weeks with Arnold Ebiketie and this Falcons pass rush have been remarkable, they need a finisher. Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr. came into this season as a potential number-one overall pick, but has seen a decline in his stock, despite leading the SEC in sacks.

Pearce has the versatility to drop in coverage if necessary and set the edge in the run game, but he is a dominant pass-rusher and that is what this Falcons defense has been craving for over a decade.

20) Houston Texans – Georgia iOL Tate Ratledge

The Texans have been one of the more disappointing teams coming into this year, despite making the playoffs. After the rookie season C.J. Stroud had, he was supposed to continue to show growth and become one of the more dominant quarterbacks in the league sooner rather than later. Instead, his offensive line (and playcalling) has made it much more difficult.

While we can’t do much about the play-caller here, the offensive line, specifically the interior, can at least be dealt with. Georgia’s Tate Ratledge is a sturdy, high-IQ guard that has been an effective interior lineman for the Bulldogs in both the run and pass game.

21) Los Angeles Chargers – Michigan TE Colston Loveland

Jim Harbaugh likes his Michigan guys; heck, he’s the one that recruited them. So, for him to find who he called “Michigan’s version of Travis Kelce” in a draft where he needs a tight end, it feels like fate is intervening.

Loveland’s physique, 6’5”, 245 pounds, is perfect for what Harbaugh will want from him as a pass-catcher while Herbert gets another much-needed weapon in the passing game.

22) Denver Broncos – Penn State TE Tyler Warren

One first-round tight end demands another. Especially with Sean Payton and how he enjoys creating matchup problems with his tight ends.

Tyler Warren is the prototypical build for a tight end at 6’6”, 257 pounds and flashes surprising athleticism that Payton will surely enjoy putting into open space.

23) Los Angeles Rams – East Carolina CB Shavon Revel

Due to a torn ACL, Revel has not been able to show off in his final season at East Carolina, but he’s already done more than enough to garner first-round recognition in this year’s draft.

A prototypical size for a corner at 6’3”, 193, Revel’s effortless movement skills and ability to play the football in the air make him too much for Sean McVay and the Rams to pass up, even if he can’t participate on the field in the pre-draft process.

24) Washington Commanders – Arizona CB Tacario Davis

I do believe this is my favorite pairing on the board. Arizona’s long, rangy cornerback Tacario Davis would be a godsend for Dan Quinn and the Commanders defense.

His long arms make it difficult for quarterbacks to find a place to fit the football away from Davis, making him a nightmare on one-on-one matchups near the sideline.

25) Pittsburgh Steelers – Missouri WR Luther Burden III

Arthur Smith takes the card out of Mike Tomlin’s hands and runs it in himself to get Missouri’s Luther Burden III. A combination of George Pickens and Burden would be a dream 1-2 punch for Smith, who is looking for that receiver that can find those hidden yards after the catch.

26) Baltimore Ravens – South Carolina S Nick Emmanwori

If there’s anyone that is willing to make South Carolina’s rangy, 6’3” safety a first-round draft pick, it’s the Ravens.

Nick Emmanwori wore a lot of hats for South Carolina, mainly in the secondary, which is perfect, because the Ravens are allowing the fourth-most passing yards per game right now.

27) Green Bay Packers – Ohio State DL Tyliek Williams

Ohio State’s Tyliek Williams is one of the better run defenders in this draft, showing a multitude of ways to get to the ball carrier and clog space in the middle of the defense. As the Packers continue to build up their trenches, Williams could be a key building block.

28) Philadelphia Eagles – Texas A&M EDGE Nic Scourton

Give me one reason why the Eagles should not be running to turn the card in for Texas A&M’s Nic Scourton. He has a solid bag of pass-rush moves and sets the edge very well in the run game. Not to mention a motor to track down elusive quarterbacks after they step up and out of the pocket.

Howie Roseman would love to continue to add to this potent defense by bringing in yet another potential star.

29) Buffalo Bills – Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen

Buffalo continues to steer into this more phyical style of play and adding Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen could be a perfect addition to the philosophical shift. Nolen’s power and surprising agility at 6’4”, 290 could make it difficult for Sean McDermott to keep him on the bench as he develops.

30) Minnesota Vikings – Ohio State RB Quinshon Judkins

Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins is a lightning-quick home-run hitter that could be a perfect backfield mate for J.J. McCarthy as Kevin O’Connell continues to build the next version of the Vikings offense.

31) Detroit Lions – Ohio State EDGE Jack Sawyer

Seeing the fiery side of Jack Sawyer after The Game this season only fueled another seemingly perfect pairing in mock drafts this off-season. The potential of Sawyer being Aidan Hutchinson’s running mate is the stuff of dreams for an aggressive head coach like Dan Campbell.

32) Kansas City Chiefs – West Virginia OL Wyatt Milum

West Virginia Wyatt Milum’s strength and power will come in handy with the varied running game the Chiefs like to run. Andy Reid and this Chiefs offense are still looking for constant answers on the offenisive line and Milum could be a really nice one.