Chicago Bears trade back twice for defensive end in Mock Draft 2.0

The Minnesota Vikings improve and deepen a defense that struggled at a time with Georgia’s Nolan Smith, who can help Danielle Hunter and Zadarius Smith get after opposing quarterbacks. Despite his size, Smith was elite against the run at Georgia and could help a unit that struggled against the run in 2022.

The Jacksonville Jaguars select Florida’s O’Cyrus Torrence to continue to protect franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence and improve a run game that relies heavily on a speedy player in Travis Etienne Jr. The best interior lineman in this draft class, Torrence should be a consistent player at the next level, and could join an elite, young core in Jacksonville.

The New York Giants need serious help at the wide receiver position, and Boston College’s Zay Flowers is a name that will continue to pick up steam the closer we get to the draft. Flowers has the speed and route-running skills to create separation on any route and could be a reliable slot receiver for Daniel Jones as the Giants flush out their passing game.

The Dallas Cowboys continue to invest on defense, drafting Army’s Andre Carter II to complement Micah Parsons and eventually take over the base defensive end role from DeMarcus Lawrence. At 6’7″, Carter has the length and power to disrupt the passer and set the edge, and could even join the defense on third downs as a pass-rushing 3-technique early in his career.

After trading back with the Cincinnati Bengals, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers bolster their offensive line with Georgia’s Broderick Jones, who can work opposite of tackle Tristan Wirfs for Tampa Bay. A true left tackle, Jones is an elite pass blocker and could help create one of the best offensive tackle combos in the NFL.