NFL Mock Draft: How would the draft look if the order was reversed?
Pick Analysis. Scouting Report. RB. Penn State. Saquon Barkley. 1. player. 54
The Eagles here still take a player projected to go in the top five. There is not a real need for the Eagles to go out and get Barkley, but keeping him in the Keystone State gives it a real LeSean McCoy type feel for the franchise. Barkley might be the best overall player in the draft. He is also the most the NFL ready.
The pick adds RB depth for the Eagles. Ironically, the team with the most room for error this draft will select the player who does not need any room for error.
The Birds taking a QB here would just be a flat-out waste. They do not need any QB for they already have two very good ones on the roster.
Louisville. Lamar Jackson . Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. QB . 47. 2. player
And here we are off with the fun picks. However, this one does make sense. Aside from the fact that the Patriots have not picked this high in the draft in what feels like decades, the two-dimensional QB from Louisville is a good fit here.
The Patriots do not need a QB who is NFL ready now, but just to be a backup. That would just be a repeat of the Jimmy Garoppolo saga. By taking Jackson here they can allow him to learn a great system and learn from Tom Brady. They are also not wasting any talent or anyone’s time.
Lamar Jackson will be the heir to Tom Brady who still needs some development. Taking Jackson makes sense and will eventually pay off. It seems like Belichick would want to work with someone like him anyway.
60. Pick Analysis. TE . player. Penn State. Mike Gesicki . 3 . Scouting Report
Do not call me crazy. This would be a solid pick for the Vikings. They have no need for a QB and it seems like good defensive players grow on trees in Minnesota. The offense by far needs the most help for them.
Gesicki is not high on a lot of boards, but this one is reversed so he is high here. Also, the dude can catch the football. Kirk Cousins will already start his journey in Minnesota with a pass-catching tight end in Kevin Rudolph. This instantly makes a great TE duo. You like that?
Scouting Report. Roquan Smith . 52. Pick Analysis. LB . Georgia. 4. player
This is another pick who is going to end up going high in the draft in whatever order. However, four overall is still too high for some draft boards. The Jags might need a QB because Blake Bortles just does not bring it. But Doug Marrone is horrible at working with QBs for whatever reason.
The Jags’ identity is defense and it won them a playoff game. With their LB depth chart narrowing and that position being of great importance for them, they would be gifted with Smith here, who otherwise would never fall to them.