NFC East Roundup: Mocking the Other Teams

Here is a roundup of the picks that the other NFC East teams currently have, along with Mel Kiper’s predictions for the first three rounds, Charles Davis’ latest mock draft and mocks from the teams’ local media.

DALLAS COWBOYS

Round 1, Pick 27 (27)
Round 2, Pick 28 (60)
Round 3, Pick 27 (91)
Round 4, Pick 28 (127)
Round 5, Pick 27 (163)
Round 7, Pick 19 (236)
Round 7, Pick 26 (243)

Kiper has the Cowboys taking UConn CB Byron Jones, Ohio State DT Michael Bennett and Michigan State RB Jeremy Langford in the first three rounds:

There’s already a need at cornerback — you can’t have enough if you expect to play with some leads — and that’s before we have a resolution on Brandon Carr’s contract situation. Jones is one of the biggest sleepers in the draft, a cornerback with the ability to handle safety, an extraordinary athlete with very good instincts. He’s also a great kid. While I want to address the defensive line, I just don’t want to pass on Jones at this point. In Round 2, we get Bennett, a player with the ability to beat blockers inside and be a disruptor, and I really like the value at that point. I think Bennett has been surpassed by high-upside defensive tackles, but few players have as much quality tape as he has going back through his sophomore and junior seasons.

Davis also thinks the Cowboys will address their secondary in the first round, but with Wake Forest CB Kevin Johnson:

With both top running backs off the board, the Cowboys think about defensive tackle here but ultimately opt for a smooth corner that is aggressive in coverage.

Bill Jones of CBS Dallas-Fort Worth thinks the Cowboys will trade back out of the first round and select Florida State DL Mario Edwards with the 41st overall pick:

The Cowboys couldn’t afford to wait until 51 and hope Edwards would still be there. This junior from Denton Ryan High School can play several positions along the defensive line. He was primarily a right DE at Florida State. Go watch the 2013 national championship game. Edwards played the game of his life against Auburn’s Greg Robinson, who was the 2nd pick in the draft last year. Some questioned his motor in 2014, but I think the fact he was playing about 20 pounds heavier affected his quickness and probably his conditioning too. At 6-3, 279, Edwards could turn out to be the consummate 3-technique in Rod Marinelli’s defense.

NEW YORK GIANTS

Round 1, Pick 9 (9)
Round 2, Pick 8 (40)
Round 3, Pick 10 (74)
Round 4, Pick 9 (108)
Round 5, Pick 8 (144)
Round 6, Pick 10 (186)
Round 7, Pick 9 (226)
Round 7, Pick 28 (245)

Kiper thinks the Giants will target Iowa OL Brandon Scherff, Utah DB Eric Rowe and Washington LB Shaq Thompson on the first two days of the draft:

I’m still in the camp that says Scherff can be a tackle. I’m also in the camp that says he’s going to be a monster in the run game if we start him at guard out of the gate — and for my offense, which averaged 3.6 yards per carry last season, that sounds pretty good. I think it’s the safe call to make at No. 9 because not only do I need the immediate impact, I could have seen the Jets or Falcons grabbing him before us, so I’m happy he’s around. I use the next two picks to attack pretty clear personnel voids on defense. Rowe is one of the more underrated players in the draft for me, and we have nothing at free safety on the roster right now. When you factor in need, I can stomach what might look like a slight reach.

Davis also has the Giants nabbing Scherff in the first round:

I had DT Malcom Brown here in my last mock, but am back to the Giants taking an OL. Scherff can play tackle, but he’s my top-rated guard. The Giants are ramping up their offense for a strong playoff push in 2015.

Nick Powell of NJ.com thinks Michigan State CB Trae Waynes could be a darkhorse candidate for the Giants’ top pick:

In a cornerback-rich draft, Waynes might not be a consideration at No. 9. But the Giants like him, and if they are going to hang around in a division that includes Tony Romo and Chip Kelly’s high octane Eagles offense, they will need some bodies in the secondary that they can throw out there and keep the clamps on their receivers.

WASHINGTON

Round 1, Pick 5 (5)
Round 2, Pick 6 (38)
Round 3, Pick 5 (69)
Round 4, Pick 6 (182)
Round 5, Pick 5 (141)
Round 6, Pick 6 (182)
Round 7, Pick 5 (222)

Kiper has Washington taking Florida OLB Dante Fowler, Texas A&M OT Cedric Ogbuehi and South Carolina G A.J. Cann with its first three picks:

If there’s been one thing that defines our defense in Washington over the past couple of seasons, it’s been a lack of physical play up front and a ton of bad tackling pretty much everywhere. Fowler doesn’t just bring the presence of a pass-rusher — in reality, he still has a ways to go to be really good in that area — he also is just a relentless battler up front, is versatile and is going to help us against the run, where we were simply awful last year. Combine him with the big bodies we’ve added in free agency and there’s reason for optimism. Maybe we don’t have certainty at the QB position, but adding Ogbuehi (a first-round talent available in Round 2 because of a knee injury) and Cann will help up front.

Davis thinks that USC DE Leonard Williams will fall to Washington at No. 5:

The Titans end any discussion of Marcus Mariota landing in Washington, but no tears are shed in DC. The Redskins happily welcome the versatile defender to the nation’s capital.

Mark Maske of The Washington Post agrees with Kiper, giving Washington Fowler in his latest mock draft:

Scot McCloughan, the Redskins’ first-year GM, undoubtedly would like to trade down as many times as he possibly can, given the number of gaping holes on the team’s roster, to pick up as many additional picks as he can, then take the best remaining of the very good pass rushers available. But that’s easier said than done. Being able to do it requires a team wanting to trade up to your spot. If the Redskins are forced to stay put and Fowler isn’t gone, he would make sense as a pass-rushing complement to Ryan Kerrigan.