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This 3rd season of the PSAFL is seeing some changes that takes the league more in line with her sister league, the PAFL; that said, drafting is drafting, and is the heartbeat of any team attempting to win a Super Bowl. This year, the rookies being drafted entered the NFL in 2022, and have a full season of stats to look at before making that most critical selection. With that in mind, and with the current draft order set, here is how I see the draft playing out…knowing full well that I am probably going to miss way more than I hit.
1) Seattle – CB Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner
There is a GA with regards to this pick, with the tentative deal involving Lamar Jackson, the 1.8 pick and this pick; that said, both parties are in firm agreement that the shutdown CB is the way to go here. Sauce did about as well as any CB coming into the league since Lattimore, and will go a long way to holding the best WR’s in the league 1-on-1 somewhat in check.
2) Houston – QB Kenny Pickett
I have high hopes that Mayfield might see his career restart in Tampa this coming year, but that is hardly a guarantee, and getting one of the two top QB’s in this class is certainly a way to start building a franchise. Brock Purdy might also be in play here, but the certainty of Pickett, along with a decent rookie season, gives the Texans a signal caller they can count on for seasons to come.
3) New Orleans – WR Garrett Wilson
The Saints go into this season set with a franchise QB; what they don’t have is someone for Lawrence to throw the ball to. The Saints could go either Wilson or Chris Olave, depending on who they prefer, but the idea of Aaron Rodgers throwing deep routes to Wilson is a tough thing to pass up.
4) Washington – QB Brock Purdy
Andy is sitting there with just Carson Wentz and Teddy Bridgewater under center, so he will almost assuredly take whichever QB that Houston doesn’t take. Once Purdy took over in San Fran last year, the 49ers really took off, and while he might not get the reps during the OTA’s and pre-season, Shanahan has said the Brock enters the season as the #1 over Trey Lance. Given there is no Jimmy G around anymore, and Lance has never impressed since he has been drafted, the audition that was last season should give the Commanders a bit of assurance Purdy will be the guy.
5) Pittsburgh – DE Aidan Hutchinson
Confession here…I hate drafting RB’s in the first round, especially early; that said, Pittsburgh has a decent team, and RB is a big level of need for them. That said, I think that Pittsburgh might roll the dice here and hope a decent RB falls to them in the 2nd round that would allow them to play that position by committee, and grab the top DL in the draft and give themselves a very good front 7 going forward.
6) Detroit – WR Chris Olave
Detroit would probably love for there to be a QB available, but really there is nothing out there worthy of this pick on the table, so I figure they will be looking to grab a solid #1 WR here in Olave, especially one that can stretch the field and pair up nicely with Hockenson. Certainly Thibodeaux is in play here, as well as Walker, but Olave gives them the deep threat to go with whoever they decide is their future at QB.
7) Jacksonville – WR Drake London
The cupboard is bare when it comes to skill positions in Jacksonville, and really the world is their oyster with regards to who can help the team. All rebuilds start with a single pick, and London fits the bill as a #1 WR, and is also young enough to see this rebuild through.
8) Baltimore – DE-OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux
This pick will almost certainly be heading to Seattle, along with Lamar, after the draft, but I think both teams could see Thibodeaux adding to their defensive pass rush almost immediately. While Thibodeaux took a bit to get going last year, towards the end of the season, he was playing as well as any rookie DE in the league. Seattle should be respectable in their front 7, and Thibodeaux should only get better with time.
9) Chicago – CB Tariq Woolen
Really could go several ways here; if London fell to here, he would almost certainly be the pick, but I’m thinking he won’t make it this far down. Scanning the board, I would think locking up a shutdown corner would make the most sense, and would give the Bears the semblance of a decent defense going into Season 3.
10) Tennessee – CB Trent McDuffie
Tennessee could go in several different directions, but mainly they need help on the defensive side of the ball. OLB Travon Walker would also be a good candidate, but there needs to be a #1 CB in Tennessee, and I just don’t see Kerby Joseph taking on that role. McDuffie had some durability issues last year, but in the long run, McDuffie could be a solid CB for years to come.
11) Tampa Bay – RB Kenneth Walker
RB this early would have to eat at Calvin’s soul, but he desperately needs carries, and Walker gives him a solid #1 RB. If he manages to get a GA for a RB, then OLB Travon Walker is probably a better long-term prospect, but barring that, Walker fills a need and should be #1 going into camp next season in Seattle as well.
12) Miami – T Braxton Jones
Miami needs O-line help and has his choice of who to pick from in this mock; while Charles Cross and Ikem Ekwonu might have went higher in the NFL draft, Jones had the best Action PC season, so I went that direction. Mind you, any of those 3 guys are probably going to be long-term starters and will help bookend any O-line, but Jones is the highest rated at this point per DKS.
13) Minnesota – G-T Tyler Smith
The winner of the inaugural Super Bowl has several needs he has to try and plug; probably the biggest need is at guard, but usually it would be too early to pick an interior lineman. Smith will probably be a T long-term, but can immediately plug the hole at G this year, and eventually take over at T since there are two guys that will be on the wrong side of 30 next season. Would be a shocker if the Vikings grab a traditional G next round or in the 3rd, as they are mighty thin there.
14) Philadelphia – OLB Travon Walker
The long lonely slide of last year’s NFL #1 ends here, as Rick loves his defensive guys, and Walker is just scratching the surface of what he can do. Charles Cross would also be a solid pick here, as someone to be a bookend T, and O-line is most definitely a position of need, but Walker has more upside and that ceiling might just be too tempting to pass up.
15) Las Vegas – CB Kader Kohou
Man, took some time and debated this pick; Kohou was not on anyone’s radar prior to the season last year, but managed to play right alongside a talented DB room in Miami and was as good as any nickel in the league at the end of last season. Picking George Pickens wouldn’t be nuts, but it really isn’t a position of need near as much as CB, and Kohou was a solid player last year, and should be in the rotation for years to come.
16) Cincinnati – RB Tyler Allgeier
Now, for the record, I doubt Pierce would just a 1st round pick on a RB, but then again, it would have the most immediate impact on his team, giving him someone besides Mixon to hand the ball to. He has bookend T’s, which eliminates the need for to draft either Ikky or Cross, and is solid in his defensive front 7. That double hammer might also come to be handy since the days of Mixon being the man are pretty much coming to an end in Cincy, so Allgeier can be a long-term solution.
17) Carolina – G Zion Johnson
Carolina has a couple of ways they could go; WR George Pickens would fill a need, with Hopkins having durability issues coming his way. Also, C Tyler Linderbaum would upgrade the center position as Ted Karras approaches his NFL end. Johnson was really playing better by the end of the season, and should be even better this year as the Panthers really have no other player set to play G this year that is worthy of being a starter.
18) Green Bay – S Kyle Hamilton
Just makes too much sense if he falls this far; the Packers need help at safety, and Hamilton had a solid 1st season with the Ravens. His long-term potential is through the roof, and can honestly see Hamilton being an All Pro in a couple of years.
19) Seattle (from KC) – RB Dameon Pierce
Don has 3 picks left this round from trades last season, and could be looking to score some players at the skill positions; unless Don has GA’s for the position, there is significant need for carries, as he currently has 67 on the roster. Pierce makes a fine addition and will most likely get a stable-mate this round to fill the position and create a bit of depth where there was none before.
20) New England – WR George Pickens
The Patriots need impact skill guys. Like badly. When Jakobi Meyers is your #1, you need to find someone to play on the other side. Allowing Elijah Moore to slide down to #3 makes the entire WR room look that much better, and makes the offense just a bit more palatable going into the season.
21) San Francisco – ILB Devin Lloyd
The 49ers could also go RB here, as they need carries, but they also need a 3rd LB to play alongside Warner, as Golden is 30 and hardly a long-term solution. If it were me (and it’s not) I would try to score a RB either next round, or through a trade, but there aren’t a ton of solid off-ball LB’s in this draft, and either Lloyd or Quay Walker would fit the need perfectly.
22) New York (N) – T Charles Cross
Now you may have thought I was ignoring Cross and Ekwonu to this point, but honestly, the teams picking ahead of them had no glaring need at tackle. In a way, I am ignoring the fact that Noteboom might very well come back next season and give the Giants an abundance of riches there, but having bookend tackles make a lot of sense for a team that is fairly solid across the board.
23) Seattle (from Buf) – T Ikem Ekwonu
Don has more O-linemen than Carter has liver pills (something my grandmother used to say all the time) but Ikky can slot in long-term at one side of the O-line and start for many years to come. Yeah, probably still looking at a RB to play alongside Pierce, but the slide of franchise T’s has finally ended.
24) Indianapolis – RB Isaiah Pacheco
Pacheco was one of the feel good stories for the Chiefs last year, slowly assuming the primary back responsibilities and running at nearly 5 yards a clip. Jonathan Taylor missed 6 games last year, and after Taylor, you are basically left with lawn clippings. Pacheco would spell Taylor and add carries to a backfield that needs it, and reduce the number of passes coming from the QB position.
25) Dallas – G Cole Strange
Len has a glaring hole in the interior of his O-line and can go several different ways here; if it were me, I would bite the bullet and go with G Kenyon Green, as I expect he has the higher ceiling long term. That said, the Patriots were vindicated in many ways with their selection of Strange in the 1st round last year, and he would be the highest rated guard on the board at this point, and would be a solid starter from day 1.
26) Kansas City (from LAN) – T Bernhard Raimann
Doug has talent all throughout his roster, but desperately needs help on the O-line; there are several players that would fit the bill, but tackle is usually the hardest one to fill, and Raimann started to play really well once Saturday took over coaching there. Long-term, Raimann appears to be a solid starter, and should give the Chiefs a bookend to their tackle needs.
27) Seattle (from Clev) – RB Brian Robinson
Not the sexiest of the RB’s mocked in the 1st round, but was solid and certainly would give the Seahawks the carries they need to get through the season. If Don gets through this round with close to 400 carries, a long term starter at DE and T, it would be a good day Tater.
28) Los Angeles (N) (from LAC) – G Kenyon Green
Last year’s defending champion, Kenny knows how to get the most out of his talent, and is probably willing to see if the highest rated guard going into the rookie draft last year develops into the stud he is supposed to. It’s not that Green played horribly, he just had to learn to play at NFL speed and was starting to do so as the season wound down. I think he will make a major leap in season 2, and will fill the O-line very nicely long term.
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