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By Seth Quinn
Contributing Sports Writer
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The NFL draft is just one week away, an exciting thought for all draft gurus and die-hards. The rumor mill is heating up, with landing spots for top players such as Travis Hunter, Abdul Carter, and Shedeur Sanders still up in the air.
The only true certainty so far in this draft process seems to be quarterback Cam Ward will go first overall to the Tennessee Titans. While opinions are starting to become more consistent on the following picks, the draft really begins a the second overall pick with the Cleveland Browns.
Without further ado, here is the sixth iteration of mock drafts, with this being the mock draft just before the final one, which will be put out on the day of the draft. This mock will be the final one without trades, while the one on the day of the draft will have trades.
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1. Tennessee Titans - Cam Ward, QB, Miami
The Titans need a quarterback, and based on the opinions of scouts, Ward seems to be the only one worth a first-round pick. That makes him worthy of the first overall pick, even if he doesn't have an incredible ceiling.
2. Cleveland Browns - Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado
If the Browns don't select a quarterback in this spot, they might as well take the best player available and take one later in the draft. The best player in this entire draft is Hunter, based on his incredible athleticism and IQ that allows him to play both sides of the ball.
3. New York Giants - Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn St.
The Giants are in a similar spot as the Browns, meaning they will likely take the next best player in the draft in Carter. The Giants will have a weak offense still next season, but their defense could be stellar with the addition of Carter being a game-breaker.
4. New England Patriots - Will Campbell, LT, LSU
The Patriots need a left tackle, and while a trade down likely makes more sense, taking Campbell is the safest move to make. Other players that could potentially go here are running back Ashton Jeanty and linebacker Jalon Walker, but both have risks that aren't worth taking on.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars - Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
The Jaguars are another candidate to trade down, but are perfectly fine to take Graham here, who is consistently mocked to them for good reason. Other potential options seem to be Ashton Jeanty or Tetairoa McMillan on offense, as well as Jalon Walker or secondary help on defense.
6. Las Vegas Raiders - Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise St.
The Raiders have other needs, but none match the talent level of the top running back in Jeanty. Given how obvious it seems the Raiders will want Jeanty, it is entirely possible a team trades up ahead of them to grab him, which wouldn't be a bad thing for the Raiders.
More news: Pittsburgh Insider Drops Huge Aaron Rodgers Update as Steelers Continue Waiting
7. New York Jets - Tyler Warren, TE, Penn St.
The Jets need more weapons to support Garrett Wilson. While Armand Membou is a pick that makes a lot of sense, Warren is arguably the better prospect. The Jets currently have Jeremy Ruckert as their starting tight end, so grabbing one here makes a lot of sense.
8. Carolina Panthers - Jalon Walker, LB, Georgia
The Panthers seem certain to take a defender at this point, so they are happy to select Walker here despite his raw potential. The Panthers also seem to be a trade-up candidate to potentially grab an Abdul Carter or Mason Graham in the top five.
9. New Orleans Saints - Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
With the Derek Carr injury news, the quarterback seems almost a certainty for the Saints in the first round. Unless they believe in Spencer Rattler, they need to address the position as soon as possible, making the ninth pick fit the bill.
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10. Chicago Bears - Armand Membou, OT, Missouri
The Bears continue to add to their offensive line with Membou becoming their starting right tackle. This pick seems similar to when the Lions took Penei Sewell, head coach Ben Johnson's former team, early in the draft and slotted him at right tackle, where he has been a stud ever since.
11. San Francisco 49ers - Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas
The 49ers seem like a potential trade-up or trade-down candidate. They have a lot of needs entering the NFL draft and a lot of picks to fill them. How they fill them is the question. They start here with arguably the best player available at a position of need in Barron.
12. Dallas Cowboys - Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
This pick could also be Matthew Golden, but McMillan still seems to be the likely top receiver picked, besides Travis Hunter. McMillan has the size and strength that serve as a great complement to CeeDee Lamb, and can provide real production at the WR2 spot for the first time in a long time for the Cowboys.
13. Miami Dolphins - Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
This pick makes a lot of sense given the trade rumors surrounding Jalen Ramsey. Johnson would be a seamless replacement on the perimeter, as long as he is healthy and ready to go entering his rookie season.
14. Indianapolis Colts - Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
This pick goes against the grain a bit, given that usually a tight end goes here. With Tyler Warren off the board, the Colts decide to address a different huge need with arguably the best player left on the board. Campbell is a versatile linebacker who can help out any NFL defense.
15. Atlanta Falcons - Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
The Falcons seem like another trade-down candidate due to their low amount of picks, but for the sake of this mock, they stick here and select Golden. They have a history of passing on edge rushers for receivers, so this pick makes sense to help out Michael Penix.
16. Arizona Cardinals - Kelvin Banks Jr., OL, Texas
Another Texas player, the Cardinals miss out on the top corners, so they settle on offensive line help. Banks seems to be a potential left tackle or guard in the NFL, so that versatility will be something the Cardinals would greatly benefit from.
17. Cincinnati Bengals - Mike Green, EDGE, Marshall
The Bengals need pass rush help, whether Trey Hendrickson sticks around or not. Green serves as a great potential long-term option at edge after a standout performance at the Senior Bowl.
18. Seattle Seahawks - Grey Zabel, OL, North Dakota St.
Speaking of Senior Bowl standouts, Zabel is a versatile offensive lineman that can help out the Seahawks a lot. They would also likely consider receiver here, but the top ones are off the board already.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College
Ezeiruaku has been a rising prospect throughout the draft process after a productive year at Boston College. He would provide nice pass rush ability to what is a solid all-around roster in Tampa looking to improve on a breakout season last year.
20. Denver Broncos - Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina
This pick just makes too much sense given the Broncos' drastically needing a running back. They could go receiver too, but they have multiple young options there, so it is unlikely they go that direction early in the draft unless McMillan or Golden falls to them.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers - Jaxon Dart, QB, Ole Miss
Like the Saints, the Steelers in theory are desperate for a quarterback and should take one as soon as possible. They are likely hoping Shedeur falls to them, but that is unlikely to happen, especially with potential trade-up scenarios.
22. Los Angeles Chargers - Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
This would be a dream pick for the Chargers, who need to add more weapons to help out Justin Herbert. He got exposed in the playoffs, so offensive line could also be the pick here, but Loveland is too good of a prospect to pass up here.
23. Green Bay Packers - Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss
Nolen has a wide variety of draft spots in mock drafts, so this is probably around the middle of where he could potentially go in the first round. The Packers need help on their defensive line, so they add a good interior pass rusher in Nolen.
24. Minnesota Vikings - Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
The Vikings need a backup plan for Harrison Smith at safety. The team also lost Camryn Bynum in free agency, so they need a safety who can play alongside him. Starks is versatile enough to play multiple roles on the back end of the defense.
25. Houston Texans - Emeka Egbuka, WR
The Texans may need offensive line help more, but pairing Egbuka with his former quarterback, C.J. Stroud, is too tantalizing to pass up. With Nico Collins as the x receiver and Tank Dell recovering from injury, another receiver is a great pick for the Texans' offense.
26. Los Angeles Rams - Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio St.
The Rams have Alaric Jackson at left tackle, but Simmons is an intriguing prospect that would be hard to pass up here. The Rams could use help at right tackle, and also could give extra time for Simmons to recover from injury.
27. Baltimore Ravens - Tyler Booker, OG, Alabama
The Ravens need help on the interior offensive line, and they get that here with Booker. Booker seems like the top pure guard in this year's draft class, making his overall positional value lower. That shouldn't stop the Ravens from taking him.
28. Detroit Lions - Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M
Stewart is a nice prospect for a team that can afford to have patience with his development. The Lions fit that bill, and need a pass rusher. Stewart's athleticism is off the charts, but his college production doesn't quite line up. Dan Campbell seems like a great coach to get the most out of him.
Read more: Adam Schefter Provides Big Update on Steelers, Aaron Rodgers Situation
29. Washington Commanders - James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Tennessee
Pearce is a polarizing prospect who at one point was considered a potential top ten pick. He clearly has the talent of a top edge rusher, but character concerns and his run-stopping ability hurt his draft stock for this year's draft.
30. Buffalo Bills - Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia
Williams is another polarizing edge rusher out of Georgia. The Bills continue a run on edge rushers with this pick. The team seems pretty set on offense, so adding the best defender available is the most likely approach here.
31. Kansas City Chiefs - Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan
The Chiefs need offensive line help more, but Grant is too good of a prospect at an alternate position of need to pass up. Grant may go above some these edge rushers as well, making this a potential value pick.
32. Philadelphia Eagles - Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina
After trading away CJ Gardner-Johnson, the Eagles could use a new safety. Emmanwori stole the show at the combine, which skyrocketed his draft stock to a potential first rounder. The Eagles would benefit greatly from his raw athleticism, even if he isn't good enough to start right away.
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