This week, I wanted to take everybody through a different mock draft so you can see how your team changes based on what draft selection you have. For this draft, I selected out of the No. 2 spot and I took Todd Gurley in the first round. I did this hoping that one of the elite WRs would be there when I drafted in the second round. Plus, he’s awesome and I wanted him on my team. When drafting at the beginning of the round, it can be a challenge to get a WR that you really love in the second round.
I drafted out of the #2 spot in two separate drafts last week, and I decided to use this mock as an exercise because I doubt many drafters will be able to get AJ Green with their second round pick like I did. We're going to use the draft where AJ Green was gone, and I had to select TY Hilton because that will be the case in most drafts. If I had to do it over again, I would take a different WR. Andrew Luck’s recovery is making me nervous which clearly impacts TY Hilton. Mike Evans would be the pick here if I had to do it again.
With my third pick, I was excited to get Bengals RB Joe Mixon. I think he’s going to have a breakout year, and there weren't any WRs that I wanted to take over him.
One of the big reasons I took Mixon in the 3rd was because I was pretty sure Seahawks WR Doug Baldwin would fall to me here in the 4th round. I now have two of my top 10 RBs and 2 of my top 10 WRs on my squad. Looking good so far.
In round 5, I selected JuJu Smith-Schuster and he will be a good flex with a lot of upside. I could have had any of the top QBs or Mark Ingram or Chris Hogan here, but I’m cool with JuJu. Though I am extremely high on Hogan this year.
Round 6 is where I decided to take my TE because I was terrified of what would be left if I didn’t take Evan Engram here. I’m concerned about the amount of targets he’ll get this year with a healthy Odell Beckham returning, but I’ll take my chances. I don’t feel comfortable rolling with Kyle Rudolph at TE, so Engram is the pick.
Typically, I wait a little longer for a QB, but getting Russell Wilson in the 7th round felt like good value. Plus, I can stack him with Doug Baldwin. Baldwin looks like he’ll be ready for the season opener, and is already sprinting on his sore knee, according to reports.
Now, I’m all about going for depth at RB, and WR to some extent. I grab Packers RB Jamaal Williams with my 8th round pick, and he’s set to be the starter. Not bad value.
In the 9th round I felt good about my RBs, so I decided to take an upside receiver with Panthers’ 1st round pick, DJ Moore. This dude can really run and the guys available that I could have selected were Sterling Shepard, Jamison Crowder, and Jordy Nelson. I’m fine with all of these WRs, but I like Moore’s upside for this mock.
When round 10 came around I decided to lockup the Bengals backfield and selected Giovani Bernard. Easy decision...
In round 11, I took a RB that I take in almost every draft. He’s dirt cheap and there’s a good chance he’ll begin the season as the starting RB. Lions RB LeGarrette Blount is the man I’m referring to.
Round 12 I grabbed another upside WR with Mike Williams of the LA Chargers. He could be a big TD guy, so I rolled the dice.
Browns RB Nick Chubb was my pick in the 13th round, and I grabbed Jets RB Bilal Powell with my 14th round selection. He’s set to be at least the co-starter, and that’s great value in the 14th. I then added a defense and a kicker.
This is my second edition of Mock my mock and I’ll be drafting at the bottom of a mock draft for next week’s exercise. Pick number eleven or twelve, and all my mock drafts have been on ESPN, just so you know the ADP I’m working with. Be sure to check out my new show MoneyLine with Jerry Bo on ESPN 97.5. We’re on every Sunday from 10-noon, and we’ll talk a lot of fantasy football and NFL gambling. Our goal is to get you ready for your draft, and to help with Start/Sit questions when the regular season begins. Also, be sure to follow us on Twitter. If you missed last week's article drafting from the #7 spot, you can check it out here.
