ESPN's Jordan Reid releases 2-round mock draft
We are now officially less than a week away from the start of the new league year.
Free agency is likely going to shake up many teams' draft plans. However, that hasn't stopped analysts from across the NFL landscape from releasing updated first-round predictions now that the combine is over.
ESPN's Jordan Reid is the latest draft analyst to update his predictions for the draft. But Reid took his new mock draft a step further as he projected the first two rounds of picks.
When it came to the Giants and the No. 6 pick, the draft analyst went with a common name in many mock drafts - Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze.
"He is sure-handed and can beat coverage in multiple ways," wrote Reid. "His aggressive "my ball" mentality helped him tie for the most contested catches (24) in the FBS last season, routinely hauling in passes in tight coverage."
Odunze was one of the top wide receivers in the country this past season as he caught 92 passes for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound wideout registered 100 or more receiving yards in 10 out of 15 games, which led to him being named Consensus All-American in addition to first-team All-Pac-12.
It marked the second consecutive season in which he was selected first-team all-conference. As a redshirt sophomore, he caught 75 passes for 1,145 yards and seven touchdowns.
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When it came to the first of the Giants' two second-round picks, Reid went with Oregon quarterback Bo Nix at No. 39.
"In this scenario, the Giants missed out on the QBs at the top of the draft, but why not take a chance on a Day 2 option to get some competition for Daniel Jones (who is coming off a torn ACL)?" Reid asked. "The accuracy and decisiveness of Nix pairs well with offensive coordinator Mike Kafka's scheme. Nix threw 45 TD passes and three interceptions in 2023 while completing 77.4% of his passes."
Nix is coming off a standout season at Oregon. As Reid mentions above, the 24-year-old quarterback threw a whopping 45 touchdowns to just three interceptions while completing 77.4 percent of his passes for 4,508 yards, all of which were by far the best of his collegiate career. He also recorded 234 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.
Nix set the all-time NCAA record with his 77.45 completion percentage, just narrowly beating out former Alabama quarterback Mac Jones (77.36). Nix's 2023 performance led to him being named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year along with first-team All-Pac-12.
The 6-foot-2, 214-pound quarterback took a noticeable leap upon transferring to Oregon. In his first season with the Ducks in 2022, Nix completed 71.9 percent of his passes for 3,593 yards and 29 touchdowns, all of which easily topped his marks from any of his three seasons at Auburn. He added 89 rush attempts for 510 yards (5.7 avg.) and an impressive 14 touchdowns, along with one receiving touchdown.
As for the No. 47 overall pick, Reid has the Giants selecting Florida State defensive tackle Braden Fiske.
"The Giants got this pick from Seattle in exchange for Leonard Williams at the trade deadline, and they could use it to get their replacement for him," the draft analyst wrote. "Fiske was a huge combine winner after leading all defensive tackles in the 40 (4.78), vertical (33.5 inches) and broad jump (9-foot-9). He is a high-energy and disruptive interior defender who could create havoc as a complement to Dexter Lawrence II. I would not be surprised if Fiske is ultimately drafted much higher than this spot."
Fiske performed well in his one year with the Seminoles as he registered six sacks and nine tackles for loss across 13 games. He earned a selection as second-team All-ACC for his 2023 campaign.
Prior to transferring to Florida State, the 6-foot-4, 292-pound defensive lineman spent four seasons at Western Michigan. He had his best campaign in 2022 when he recorded 59 tackles (32 solo), six sacks, 12 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and three passes defensed. This led to him being named second-team All-MAC.
Fiske was one of the biggest winners at the NFL Combine last week as he led all defensive tackles in several categories. He finished with the No. 1 athleticism score among all defensive tackles in Indianapolis, according to Next Gen Stats.
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