It's only January 6th. We still have the east west shrine, senior bowl, combine, pro days, and team workouts, but it's never too soon for a mock draft.
Obviously these picks could change between now and April. And we don't know what we will do in free agency or even who exactly will coach the offense, defense, and special teams.
All of that said, here are the 5 players I believe could contribute in a big way, from day one.
1 - DT Ed Oliver - HOU
Oliver was the consensus best overall player in this class coming off of his 2017 season. This year he battled with injury and had some sideline occurrences with the coaching staff. He is also said to not have the strength to be considered the next Aaron Donald. To me this all looks like history repeating itself, as Warren Sapp saw his draft stock drop a bit leading into the draft, and we all know how that worked out for this franchise. I'm not saying Oliver is Sapp, but his good tape certainly reminds me of old 99. Having Vea and Oliver in the middle of the line, with JPP and Carl Nassib outside, the pass rush would be a massive strength. A move like this would also help the secondary quite a bit as the pass rush should be much quicker to disrupt the QB.
2 - RT Jonah Williams - BAMA
Teams do not see Jonah as a LT in the NFL. Most view him as either RT or Guard. This could push him down to the top of the 2nd round, similar to Taylor Decker a couple of years ago.
3 - RG Michael Jordan - OSU
Jordan has experience at both Guard and Center and versatility is always a plus. He's been the most consistent and reliable OLineman for a prolific Ohio State offense. Plug and play RG and a noticeable upgrade over Benenoch from day one.
4 - CB Jamel Dean - AUB
Carlton Davis' teammate in 2017. Dean is a solid cover corner but his lack of elite athleticism will see him drop outside of the top 100 picks. He and Carlton would make for a promising young duo of press-man, perimeter corners. With Hargreaves in the nickel slot, the secondary could be pretty good, provided our pass rush is consistent.
5 - RB Rodney Anderson - OKLA
Anderson has dealt with some unfortunate injuries over the years, but his healthiest season at Oklahoma was a very good one as he and Baker Mayfield drove a high octane offense to a college playoff berth. Anderson reminds me a lot of Arian Foster in the way he runs. Due to injury he has much less wear and tear than the average RB prospect. Had he stayed healthy I believe he would be a late first, early second round pick, but instead we get him at a bargain.
