Zierlein mock draft 5.0: Mahomes taken ahead of Watson
Published:
School: Texas A&M. No reason to get cute here. Cleveland goes with the top-rated talent.
School: Stanford. Sorry, but the name "Shanahan" has never been synonomous with leaks, and too many have been getting out lately. Feels like a smoke screen to entice a trade.
School: Alabama. Allen is tough to call because his draft stock is tied to his medical reports. If healthy, he's a good fit here.
School: LSU. Fournette could be the target of the
[49ers](/teams/sanfrancisco49ers/profile?team=SF) with the No. 2 pick, but if not, Jacksonville should be his destination.
School: Ohio State. The best pure cover corner in this draft goes to a team that needs his services badly.
School: Alabama. Top flight athlete with the ability to stretch the field or block in-line. The
[Jets](/teams/newyorkjets/profile?team=NYJ) would love to move back.
School: LSU. If Adams and Hooker are both on the board here, it could be an interesting call. This could also be the spot Cleveland targets for a trade-up for Mitchell Trubisky.
School: Stanford. While I don't have a grade quite this high on McCaffrey, it's hard to argue with the overall value he brings to a team. He would help jump-start Carolina's offense.
School: Temple. One of the fastest risers in the postseason, Reddick offers the
[Bengals](/teams/cincinnatibengals/profile?team=CIN) a weapon who can be deployed from several spots along the front seven.
School: Clemson. The
[Bills](/teams/buffalobills/profile?team=BUF) could turn to a quarterback in this spot with Reddick -- their target -- off the board, but finding a receiver here is a logical choice.
School: Alabama. The
[Saints](/teams/neworleanssaints/profile?team=NO) are supposedly smitten with Humphrey's size, speed and toughness. They could use all three in the secondary.
School: North Carolina. The kid who grew up a
[Browns](/teams/clevelandbrowns/profile?team=CLE) fan will get his wish to play for Cleveland if the
[Browns](/teams/clevelandbrowns/profile?team=CLE) decide to move up in the draft.
School: Ohio State. Hooker is a tremendous talent and he might not fall this far, but if he does, it's because teams are concerned with the duration of his recovery from surgery.
School: Tennessee. The
[Eagles](/teams/philadelphiaeagles/profile?team=PHI) need help at a few positions, but Barnett gives them a physical pass rusher whom Jim Schwartz should love.
School: Washington. Long man-to-man cornerback who improves the
[Colts](/teams/indianapoliscolts/profile?team=IND)' size, talent, and ball skills outside.
School: Western Michigan. The
[Ravens](/teams/baltimoreravens/profile?team=BAL) might have to choose between a pass-catcher and Reuben Foster here, but Davis is a talented target who could compete for early reps.
School: Alabama. Foster could fall due to off-field concers and worries about injuries, but he fits a need for the
[Redskins](/teams/washingtonredskins/profile?team=WAS), bringing a tough playmaker into the fold.
School: Washington. Speed galore. Ross gives
[Marcus Mariota](/player/marcusmariota/2552466/profile) a deep target and keeps opposing safeties away from the line of scrimmage.
School: Florida State. The Bucs like Cook, but they could also look for a pass rusher here as well.
School: Alabama. With Mike McCoy running the offense, the
[Broncos](/teams/denverbroncos/profile?team=DEN) could look toward Robinson to provide more power in the running attack.
School: Missouri. Talented pass rusher who needs to find the right home. Will 4-3 teams consider him a full-time defensive end?
School: Michigan. Has all the talent in the world but lacks consistency. Miami needs an edge player with rush potential and that is Charlton all day.
School: Miami. Njoku could get taken earlier than anyone expects. He's still raw but it doesn't take much tape to see all that upside.
School: Florida. The
[Raiders](/teams/oaklandraiders/profile?team=OAK) would be a perfect match for Davis and vice versa. His physical demeanor and athletic traits are much-needed in the middle for Oakland.
School: Texas Tech. Could Houston have their pick of either Mahomes or Watson? Maybe, maybe not, but if Mahomes is there, I think he comes off the board as the 25th pick.
School: Wisconsin. This is a wild-card spot with names like Obi Melifonwu and Daeshon Hall possibly emerging as surpise selections. Ramczyk, however, is a smart pick.
School: Colorado. Surprise name makes it into the first round. Many teams believe he goes in the first. His in-your-face style and good size could grab the
[Chiefs](/teams/kansascitychiefs/profile?team=KC)' interest.
School: Florida. Rod Marinelli's defense will require a cornerback with cover talent in zone and a willingness to hit. With so many holes in the secondary, drafting this position is a strong possibility.
School: UCLA. If McKinley were to fall to Green Bay, it might be seen as a huge win inside their war room as they are in desperate need of a pass rusher. And we know about their affinity for players from UCLA.
School: Ole Miss. Kevin Colbert tends to look for the best players rather than just ones with upside. Engram is a productive pass-catcher from a strong conference. He fits the profile.
School: Western Kentucky. Atlanta could look for the top available talent here or even trade out. However, Lamp is clearly the best guard in this draft and that is something the
[Falcons](/teams/atlantafalcons/profile?team=ATL) need.
School: Clemson. To be clear, I think Watson could end up going here, but it might not be with the
[Saints](/teams/neworleanssaints/profile?team=NO). Getting a fifth-year option on him as a first-round pick would be appealing for teams.