Happy Thanksgiving! Here’s a mock draft for the holidays, using the latest updated draft order from Tankathon. Jacksonville, whose season has completely gone down the drain, kicks things off with the first overall pick.
In this edition, Charles McDonald makes the selection of the odd-numbered draft picks while Nate Tice selects the even.
Previous mock drafts: 1.0
1. Jacksonville Jaguars — Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado
It’s hard to deny that Hunter is the best player in this draft class with his combination of athleticism, ability to play both sides at a high level and overall love for the game. Hunter is more polished as a cornerback right now, with legitimate shutdown ability on one side of the field. He’s raw in some of the more finer parts of wide receiver play, but that’s exciting because he’s already an incredible playmaker in that area of the field. For a team like the Jaguars that need talent on both sides of the ball, Hunter makes sense. — Charles McDonald
2. New York Giants — Cam Ward, QB, Miami
Even before Daniel Jones’ benching and release, the Giants were going to be doing homework on QBs. Now their efforts have hit overdrive. Ward is an aggressive QB with a quick release and a penchant for hunting big plays. He still has things to clean up and needs to learn what throws he can get away with at the next level. But Ward has rapidly improved every year in college and would bring excitement to the position for a team long needing a spark at the spot. — Nate Tice
3. Las Vegas Raiders — Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
The Raiders are desperately in need of a franchise quarterback and while they might have to squint a bit to find one in this class, Sanders at least has a chance to be that guy. What he lacks in overall physical talent he makes up for in knowledge of the position and good enough accuracy. That’s better than anything the Raiders have on their roster right now.
4. New England Patriots — Will Campbell, OT, LSU
The Patriots need a lot of help on offense to even get to league average. That’s the reality of the barren cupboard Bill Belichick left. Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan gets a long look here to pair Drake Maye with a real No. 1 receiver. (A trade back would also help the Pats accumulate more picks to replenish their personnel.) Instead, the Patriots take Campbell, a technician and good athlete with clean footwork and the ability to bend in both the run and pass games. Campbell is an intelligent player, too, who would help solidify one of the league’s weakest units. Keeping the franchise QB upright should be the first priority.
5. Carolina Panthers — Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
BPA, BPA, BPA. The Panthers might be able to avoid forcing a pick at quarterback if the recent improvement from Bryce Young is real and sustainable. That would be great if so, because this team needs elite talent in the worst possible way. Johnson has had a quiet season this year as he nurses a lower body injury, but he has dominant CB1 tape when he’s on the field. That works for Carolina.
6. Tennessee Titans — Kelvin Banks, OT/OG, Texas
The offensive line hat trick! After taking linemen the previous two years (Peter Skoronski and JC Latham), the Titans continue to solidify their front and give o-line coach Bill Callahan another toy to work with. While Banks might be best as a guard at the next level, he has the movement ability, length and footwork to have a chance to stay outside. Either way, Banks will shore up the right side (right tackle has been a dry spot for the Titans for a while) and give Tennessee a young and talented set of blockers to build their whole team around.
7. New York Jets — Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State
It’s unclear at this point what the Jets’ quarterback situation will look like this time next year, but they need bodies on both sides of the ball. There might not be an edge rusher in this class with better traits than Carter and he would make for one hell of a tandem with Will McDonald off the edge for the future.
8. Cleveland Browns — Jalon Walker, Edge/LB, Georgia
Walker is a dynamo as a pass rusher but is also a talented off-ball player as well. Either way he constantly impacts the game at Georgia and would give the Browns another speedy player next to Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (or to fill in for in case his scary neck injury is significant), while also giving defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz another piece to throw QBs on passing downs.
9. New Orleans Saints — Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
Another NFC South team taking the best player available. The Saints will probably have more pressing needs than a safety, but they have so many needs right now. Taking good players and continuing to chip away at their massive salary-cap debt over the next few years is probably the smart way to handle this.
10. Cincinnati Bengals — Mykel Williams, Edge, Georgia
Between Mason Graham and Williams, the Bengals have a couple of pristine options here to help inject talent into their front seven. Williams is still a work in progress but has really flashed after coming back from injury this season. He’s long, strong, can move across the defensive line, and will give the Bengals a player with high-end upside. Williams needs polish but can push the pocket and finally give Trey Hendrickson some help to take down the QB.
11. Dallas Cowboys — Mason Graham, DL, Michigan
Dallas has been run on relentlessly this year, and has a very clear and obvious need to get better up front and become a more stout team. Mason Graham helps with that and has the potential to be a real enforcer up front, which the Cowboys are desperately missing right now.
12. Chicago Bears — Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
Why not? Interior offensive line is still a need for this team (no great options here), and they could use a defensive tackle as well. AND the Bears signed D’Andre Swift as a free agent. But the presence of Swift should not preclude this team from adding even more firepower around Caleb Williams, especially considering the caliber of player Jeanty is. Jeanty would turboboost this run game and his ability to play all three downs as a receiver and pass protector only add mores value to his rare big-play ability from the backfield.
13. Indianapolis Colts — Aireontae Ersery, OT, Minnesota
Anthony Richardson probably won’t be replaced after this season, putting the Colts in a spot to upgrade the offense around him. The Colts’ line, which was once a great strength of this unit, has become mediocre. Aireontae Ersery might not be a household name, but he’s a stout player that can help the Colts offense get back to being consistently productive.
14. Miami Dolphins — Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon
Harmon is one of the biggest risers this season. He’s listed as a defensive tackle, but can play across the line of scrimmage depending on the defensive play call. Harmon impacts both the run and pass and can fill a variety of roles. He could be a great early-down replacement for Calais Campbell and would add even more juice to the Dolphins front that includes Zach Sieler and the emerging Chop Robinson (and Jaelan Phillips when he’s healthy) on passing downs.
15. Denver Broncos (via Buccaneers) — Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
First trade up in the draft! The Broncos are settling into life with Bo Nix as their quarterback and have an incredibly high floor for the future as long as the defense can continue to play like this. Adding to their core of skill players would only help Nix and Sean Payton realize the vision for this offense, which has a better base of talent than previously realized.
16. Los Angeles Rams — Shavon Revel, CB, East Carolina
Even despite an early-season ACL injury and playing at East Carolina, Revel has already displayed enough talent to keep his name in the first round. The Rams have rebuilt their defensive front in recent drafts and now look to rejuvenate the back end. Revel has prototypical size and is a fluid mover with real No. 1 cornerback upside, he would help this Rams unit tremendously when their pass rush isn’t able to affect the passer like they have been able to lately.
17. Atlanta Falcons (via 49ers) — James Pearce Jr., Edge, Tennessee
Another trade! James Pearce Jr. hasn’t had the season he was hoping to have this year, but he still has the pedigree to get drafted highly in the NFL. The Falcons need a pass rusher, so here’s a guy who has at least flashed some big-time potential.
18. Arizona Cardinals — Josh Conerly Jr., OT, Oregon
The Cardinals are building through their lines and Conerly would give them a player to bookend their offensive line with emerging star Paris Johnson Jr.. Conerly is a very good athlete with light feet and has displayed improved play strength so far this year, and would add more talent to a team that already has a bully mindset.
19. San Francisco 49ers (via Falcons) — Jonah Savaiinaea, OL, Arizona
One of the areas of the 49ers’ offense that’s really taken a step back is their offensive line. Jonah Savaiinaea can play tackle or guard, which is what the 49ers need up front. At times, their blocking is really holding them back and they should consider spending more premium assets there.
20. Seattle Seahawks — Cameron Williams, OT, Texas
Whether it’s Abe Lucas insurance or just adding a monster to slot next to Charles Cross, Williams will help reinforce an offensive line that has hindered any consistency on this side of the ball (although they’ve been greatly improved in recent weeks). Seahawks could go in a few directions here (Michigan tight end Colston Loveland was tempting), but I defaulted to the line.
21. Washington Commanders — Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M
Washington has had a great start to the Dan Quinn-Jayden Daniels era, but their defense is still very weak and they could use some more help up front. Nic Scourton has the ability to go much higher than this, but for now he’s a nice potential inside-out player that Quinn has usually valued highly in his defenses.
22. Houston Texans — Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State
Enough is enough. I’m tired of talking about the Texans’ line hindering their offense, so let’s add some more talent. While I would love to add a real center or guard to this line, Simmons has been a hard riser up boards before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Whether it’s to replace Tytus Howard at right tackle and move him elsewhere or to start inside as he fully recovers, Simmons is worth having on your line somewhere, and would be a vast improvement. He’s even best on zone runs that offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik prefers.
23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (via Broncos) — Luther Burden, WR, Missouri
Tampa Bay gets a stud slot receiver in Luther Burden who can jump in as a starting player. They might not need this player depending on Chris Godwin’s health for next season, but it certainly couldn’t hurt to add a player like Burden to the offense.
24. Los Angeles Chargers — Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
This is a match that felt even better as I marinated on it. It only felt right that Jim Harbaugh added one of his former Wolverines and the Chargers further bolstered their pass catching corps. Interior offensive line and defensive back are other spots to look at here, but giving Justin Herbert another talented option to pair with Ladd McConkey isn’t the worst thing in the world. Loveland’s skill set also synergizes well with Will Dissly. And he would fit Harbaugh and Greg Roman’s preferred passing game concepts, too.
25. Baltimore Ravens — Deone Walker, DL, Kentucky
The Ravens can always use some more beef, and the 340-350 pound Walker brings a lot of that to the table. Unlike most players his size, Walker has the athletic ability to end up as a serious penetrating talent in the interior.
26. Pittsburgh Steelers — Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
Not sure if the Steelers would break their streak of not taking a wide receiver in the first round, but in this exercise they do exactly that. Egbuka simply plays like a Steeler: He’s smart, tough, and just a good overall football player that is a QB’s best friend. He can play inside and out, is willing to do the dirty work, has a great feel against zone coverage and complements George Pickens perfectly (Mike Tomlin and Arthur Smith will love Egbuka, too). Considering the Steelers’ revamped offensive line and once Roman Wilson returns from injury, they have an intriguing group of young players on offense. Now if they can figure out the long-term QB.
27. Green Bay Packers — Tyleik Williams, DL, Ohio State
The Packers need to get much more consistent on defense and the easiest way to do that is to make sure your front seven is strong. Tyleik Williams has had a good season on the interior and would make sense here for the Packers.
28. Minnesota Vikings — Grey Zabel, OG/OC, North Dakota State
This might be a little rich for Zabel, but this would let the Vikings move on from Ed Ingram, who has been a glaring weakness on this line. Zabel has experience across the offensive line and would shore up the interior for future QB J.J. McCarthy and one of the league’s most explosive attacks.
29. Tennessee Titans (via Eagles) — Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU
Another trade! The Titans jump back into the mix and grab a potential franchise quarterback in Garrett Nussmeier. Nussmeier has a lot of fans in the scouting community and may wind up drafted higher than this if he decides to declare, despite LSU’s struggles this year.
30. Buffalo Bills — Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan
The Bills always want to add to their defensive line. Grant would be a valuable player as part of their preferred rotations and a replacement for DaQuan Jones, who’s about to turn 33. The jumbo-sized Grant (6-foot-3, 339 pounds) would be a great player to complement the gap-shooting Ed Oliver in the Bills’ future interior line.
31. Kansas City Chiefs — Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss
Kansas City’s defense is still good, but they clearly need a little infusion of talent on the defensive line. Walter Nolen, a transfer player having a great year for Ole Miss, would be a boost of talent next to Chris Jones on the interior.
32. Detroit Lions — J.T. Tuimoloau, Edge, Ohio State
The Lions could go down a few paths here, maybe adding another offensive lineman to maintain their elite play in the future. Instead we go with Tuimoloau, a tough, pocket-pushing edge player that is productive against the run and pass. He fits the Lions’ personality perfectly and would be another strong player upfront with Alim McNeill and Aidan Hutchinson.
Team without a first-round pick in this mock
37. Philadelphia Eagles (via Titans) — Princely Umanmielen, Edge, Ole Miss
The Eagles don’t have many holes on their roster, which puts them into the “just draft an edge rusher” class of teams. Princely Umanmielen is another transfer defensive linemen for Ole Miss that has a chance to move forward as a top pick in next year’s draft.
