1. Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow, QB, LSU
Joe Burrow appears to be the clear No. 1 this year. With the Cincinnati Bengals ready to move on from Andy Dalton, the national champion from Southern Ohio, Joe Burrow looks to be a sure thing. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner looks to have two matchups per year with Baker Mayfield for the foreseeable future.
2. Washington Redskins: Chase Young, DE, Ohio State
There are a few questions to ask here; are the Washington Redskins satisfied with Dwayne Haskins or Kyle Allen at quarterback? Will Alex Smith ever play football again? And lastly, what position do they see most necessary to upgrade on defense?
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It appears after trading for Allen the Redskins believe they have their quarterback and will draft defensive needs. With the success of Ohio State defensive lineman recently (Bosa brothers), expect this decision will be easy to take Chase Young, the dominant defensive end.
In recent history, rookie pass-rushers have adapted well to the NFL and Young has proven to be a dual-threat setting the edge in the run game and being able to get to the quarterback even when double-teamed.
3. Detroit Lions: Jeff Okudah, DB, Ohio State
The Detroit Lions will be tempted here to trade back with a quarterback hungry team such as the Jacksonville Jaguars or Los Angeles Chargers. The Lions have been active in free agency signing anyone who ever played for the New England Patriots previously with Matt Patricia. While this is a strange strategy, it does show they are trying to win now with Matthew Stafford vs. building for the future.
With the departure of Darius Slay to the Philadelphia Eagles, look for the Lions to draft another lock-down corner in Jeff Okudah from the Ohio State University. Hard to believe the top three picks in this mock all played for the Buckeyes at one point in time, even though Burrow’s success came at LSU.