Everybody does mock drafts, most everybody does more than one, and every mock draft is done for different reasons. To get clicks? Well, duh. That would be reason No. 1, dear reader. Let’s not be arch about this. That aside, what we’re trying to do when we drill down into different scenarios with all these different mocks is to get a sense of where things stand at the moment.
Where things stand at this moment is: The scouting combine is next week. Free agency doesn’t start until mid-March. Even the unofficial official tampering period is still weeks away. So, with this mock, let’s do away with the potential trades that will be incessantly discussed by the NFL’s power brokers at the Indianapolis Steak ‘n Shake at 3:30 a.m. Let’s instead look at where each team might go with their picks if the draft started now, without the benefit of combine drills, player interviews, pro days and knowing which roster holes will be filled in free agency. When the combine is done, it’ll provide an interesting reference point as we move forward with our future mocks.