Audacity Sports

Mock drafts are, inherently, an exercise in futility. With so many moving parts to consider—trades, free-agent signings, retirements (and, in the case of Tom Brady, unretirements), Combine measurements, Pro Day results, intel from trusted scouts and evaluators—putting together a first-round mock with any level of accuracy is little more than a pipe dream. But even if we’re more wrong than right, mocks give teams and fans a chance to dream big, seduced by the timeless siren song of hope in the form of young, up-and-coming talent. A franchise-altering star could be just a pick away while the disappointment of missing out on a player destined for NFL greatness looms just as large, hovering over teams like a storm cloud waiting to burst. This first-round mock isn’t meant to be taken as gospel, though it should identify positions of need and possible fits for all 32 franchises ahead of next month’s NFL Draft, scheduled for April 28-30 in Las Vegas.