We're down to the final days and hours until the commissioner announces the start of the real thing! In the mean time, the let's keep the mock drafting going!
Here is the last edition.
Now onto the new one
At 11 Washington offered a trio of Saturday selections while Vegas went with 13 & next season's first for it and 108. With Jayden Daniels being simmed to the Broken-down Planes at 10 and McCarthy still on the board maybe Thursday can bring some craziness!
As enticing as New York's offer is, there is no time like the present so this GM went with his top choice for the team to bring him from Michigan to Minnesota.
23 presented three more exchange options
Detroit 29 & 2025 second
Cleveland 54, 85, 206, 2025 second and third
Houston 42, 59 and 2025 second for 23 & 108
With three starter-caliber DL, two centers and CB Kool-Aid McKinstry the math suggests that one of them would get through the gap to 29 but when the computer didn't approve a pair of modified packages they were all rejected.
It's a spot where Brian Flores' evaluation chops would be well-suited but absent that I went with Tex Murphy.
New York was back on the phone for the 108th, 111 & 185. Could be for Clemson RB Will Shipley or for one of a quartet of defenders. The move back didn't work out in my favor as the three top CBs on the board took up the space. So I could have gone back-to-back for the defensive line rotation or the less likely move, the running back.
Since that spot is still supposed to be the QBs best friend and the top 2 on the depth chart have uncertain futures beyond 2024 I anchored Shipley for Vikesborg!
For 129 I chose between OGs Brandon Coleman (TCU), Mason McCormick (SD St.) and Jaylan Ford (LB Texas). While there was a rumor a few days ago that Dalton Risner is re-signing with the Purple that awaited move also hasn't happened yet so I went with the athlete from Brookings to fortify the competition at the interior.
157 begins the heart of the draft for the team as things stand four days out. Tight-ends Jared Wiley (TCU) & Jaheim Bell (FSU) lead the board with LB Tyrice Knight (UTEP) behind them. Michigan interior Zak Zinter was not far behind either. Because of the volume of selections the team can afford to go best player available with less regard for the position as the talent level continues to flatten out. Rookie TEs are notoriously unreliable in the first year but having another one to serve as insurance for the Norseman made it even easier to go with the red-zone target from Texas.
167 brought a single consideration - CB Elijah Jones (Boston College).
10 picks later Detroit came with 201 & 205 for the 232 as well. A counter for 249 as well was accepted so flash forward to 185. A pair of DT ranked just outside the top 150 remained on the board, with the option going the way of Alabama's Justin Eboigbe.
With 201 Air Force safety Trey Taylor was at the center of the radar while 205 was for Iowa TE Erick All. It stands to reason that every team will be looking for fits for the adjusted kickoff rule during Saturday and All could also serve in that capacity.
At 230 and beyond it's about stealing potential undrafted signees from other teams. In this case that meant a call to South Dakota CB Myles Harden. It's even more true at 249 so I ended how it started, with a quarterback - Kedon Slovis (BYU).
11 picks in all, six for the offense. We'll know the real ratio in 150 hours and counting!
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