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Mayock mock: Browns, Cardinals trade up for QBs

PHILADELPHIA -- NFL Network draft expert Mike Mayock unveiled his one and only mock draft on Wednesday. Here are seven quick takeaways from Mayock's first-round projections.

  1. It's a homecoming for Cleveland-area native Mitchell Trubisky, and the honeymoon begins with a trade-up to make it happen. Mayock projects the Cleveland Browns to trade the No. 12 pick to the Tennessee Titans to take Trubisky at No. 5, giving the club its latest answer to a painful long-term question at the quarterback position. This trade would suggest the Browns are unnerved by the possibility that the New York Jets would turn in the card for Trubisky at No. 6 overall.
  1. After the Browns make a move for a quarterback, the next-best passers are expected to slip toward the end of the round. Mayock sees Clemson QB Deshaun Watson falling to the Houston Texans at No. 25 and Patrick Mahomes going to the Arizona Cardinals, via a trade with the New Orleans Saints, at No. 32. That scenario would give Mahomes the softest of the three QB landing spots in the first round, giving the former Texas Tech star a developmental window to learn behind veteran Carson Palmer.
  1. Nobody adds first-round speed quite like the Tennessee Titans under the Mayock mock, plucking a pair of explosive Pac-12 skill players to improve on offense, defense and special teams. Start with the fastest player in NFL Scouting Combine history in John Ross at No. 12 overall, followed by USC's Adoree' Jackson at No. 18. Ross would give QB Marcus Mariota a dynamic deep threat on offense, while Jackson, who reached the U.S. Olympic Trials as a long jumper, would bring dynamic wheels to the Titans secondary at cornerback. Both are experienced return men, as well.
  1. Offensive linemen don't start coming off the board until the 20th pick, but from there, they're in high demand. Mayock projects Wisconsin's Ryan Ramczyk to be the first at No. 20 overall to the Broncos, followed soon after by Utah's Garett Bolles at No. 23 (Giants), Alabama's Cam Robinson at No. 24 (Raiders), and Western Kentucky's Forrest Lamp at No. 26 (Seahawks).
  1. How about five straight picks from just two schools (Alabama and Stanford)? Mayock begins the stretch with the Jets taking Alabama TE O.J. Howard at No. 6 overall, followed by the Chargers (Stanford DL Solomon Thomas), Panthers (Stanford RB Christian McCaffrey), Bengals (Alabama DL Jonathan Allen) and the Bills taking Alabama LB Reuben Foster at No. 10 overall.
  1. Mayock has FSU RB Dalvin Cook sliding all the way to the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 27 overall as the third running back chosen, 19 picks after Stanford's Christian McCaffrey and just two ahead of Tennessee's Alvin Kamara.
  1. Some of the top talent to miss out on Mayock's first round: Florida LB Jarrad Davis, Michigan DE Taco Charlton and Miami TE David Njoku.

*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.

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