NFL draft: Cardinals trade up for Josh Rosen, QBs bookend first round; how Star's mock stacked up

Lev said: Another strong trade-down candidate. In lieu of that option, cornerback became the focal point. And Isaiah Oliver became the pick over UCF’s Mike Hughes, who has some off-the-field concerns. Oliver has excellent size at just over 6 feet and 201 pounds. The Vikings have a stud corner in Xavier Rhodes. They’ve spent considerable draft capital to find a complement but have yet to strike gold.

Spears said: The Steelers’ current right tackle Marcus Gilbert has dealt with ankle injuries. UCLA’s Kolton Miller is a big boy standing at 6-foot-9, and weighing 309 pounds. Pittsburgh’s left tackle, Alejandro Villanueva, is also 6-foot-9. Think of Miller as a hybrid tackle that will be ready when his name is called. The Steelers have solid guards in David DeCastro and Ramon Foster, but if either of them were to suffer a setback, Gilbert could slide down to guard with Miller at tackle and that unit wouldn’t miss a beat.

Finley said (for New Orleans): The Saints are selling out to give Drew Brees one more shot at a Super Bowl title, and have added the right offensive pieces to keep their offense humming. Their defense, however, still needs more bodies, and the skilled, quick Jaire Alexander makes a ton of sense at No. 27 overall. The Saints can never have too many defensive backs, especially since they share a division with Matt Ryan, Cam Newton and Jameis Winston.

The Star did not pick Penny in the first round.

Baciocco said (for Tennessee): Tennessee is desperate for pass rushers. For a team that quietly ranked fifth in getting to the quarterback last season, only 5.5 of their 43 sacks came from players lined up as edge rushers. Harold Landry would be an ideal pick here, but since he was drafted just before, the Titans can stock up on other needs early. Leighton Vander Esch would be a good fit to plug in the middle of Derrick Morgan and Brian Orakpo. He has a knack for stopping the rush and is a productive pass defender, making him a valuable linebacker to own in the NFL. 

Star's pick for Hurst: 16th to Baltimore Ravens

Star's pick for Moore: 26th to Atlanta Falcons

Lev said (for Buffalo, who traded pick to Baltimore): There was heartbreak in the Bills’ war room when Dom took Will Hernandez at 21. Buffalo’s offensive line is a mess; Jackson, or whoever the Bills’ new QB is, will need to stay upright. Rashaan Evans is a fine consolation prize who also happens to fill a need. Top linebacker and leading 2017 tackler Preston Brown left via free agency. What remains is a mishmash.

Star's pick for Evans: 22nd to Buffalo Bills

Baciocco said: Will Hernandez is an athletic run blocker who started at left guard for four years at UTEP. That’s awfully convenient for a team that struggled mightily when rushing the ball a year ago. Cincinnati managed to average just 3.6 yards per carry. That’s difficult to do with three capable rushers. Second-year back Joe Mixon has a ton of potential and should earn the majority of carries, making Hernandez a hot commodity in Cincy.

Finley said: The next Dez? Probably not. But the 6-1, 190-pound Calvin Ridley just might be the most polished, talented receiver in this draft class. The Alabama star caught an eye-popping 224 passes over three seasons, proving himself to be a durable, reliable — and, most important, drama-free — receiver. In Dallas, that kind of consistency and calmness are much-needed.

Lev says: It’s more likely than not that the Seahawks will trade down from this spot. If they stay put, Mike McGlinchey makes a ton of sense. He can be plugged in immediately at right tackle for a team that has struggled up front for years. Seattle can address its secondary and pass-catching needs later. John Schneider and Pete Carroll have found hidden gems throughout their tenure.

Spears said (for Baltimore): The elite Joe Flacco needs a big body to block and catch. The Ravens haven’t had a productive tight end since Dennis Pitta, but it’s been two years since he suited up in Baltimore. South Carolina tight end Hayden Hurst, former 2012 MLB Draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates, will turn 25 years old in August. He’s mature, a solid blocker and is effective in the passing game.

Finley said (for Arizona): The Cardinals are in need of not just a quarterback but an organizational rebrand, and the brash, bullish Baker Mayfield provides just that. Expect new coach Steve Wilks to run to the podium, baseball cap in hand, if Mayfield drops all the way to No. 15.

Baciocco said: Run-stoppers are the name of the game for the defense that surrendered more rushing yards than any team a season ago. Vita Vea drew high praise at the combine for being quick on his feet. Put quick feet on a 6-foot-4, 347-pound beast, and the Redskins have themselves a run-stopper who can play anywhere on the defensive front. The Pac-12 defensive player of the year will cause fits in the NFC East.

Spears said: A.J. McCarron and interception machine Nathan Peterman are the current quarterbacks on roster. Yawn. Not only does Buffalo need a passer, but it gets so cold in Buffalo that they’ll need a mobile quarterback. Now who is available that fits both qualities? Former Heisman winner Lamar Jackson. In three seasons at Louisville, he threw for over 9,000 yards and rushed for 4,132 yards. Jackson has to be smarter with his throws to avoid the 10 interceptions he threw in 13 games last year, but that’ll come in time. Jackson will be a quality quarterback in the NFL, and it’ll be with the Buffalo Bills.

Star's pick for Vea: 13th to Washington Redskins

Lev said (for Oakland): After Dom went rogue at No. 9, the Raiders were in a great spot at 10. Two elite defenders were sitting there in Tremaine Edmunds and Florida State safety Derwin James. Edmunds — an absolute athletic freak who’s just 19 years old — gives Oakland what it has needed for years: a bookend for star pass rusher Khalil Mack. If Edmunds lands here, Jon Gruden will be happy.

Star's pick for Rosen: Third to New York Jets

Baciocco said: Did somebody say hot take? Here’s one: Ogbonnia Okoronkwo will finish top-two in sacks for the 49ers in 2018. San Francisco was 26th in sacks last year. The co-Big 12 defensive player of the year shined at Oklahoma in his junior and senior seasons, making 143 tackles, 29.5 for loss, and reeling in 17 sacks. If that’s not good enough for San Francisco, it’ll likely have an eye on the offensive line with all the money in the world now staked in Jimmy Garoppolo.

Star's pick for McGlinchey: 18th to Seattle Seahawks

Finley said (for Tampa Bay): The draft can sometimes be simple. The Bucs, in this case, desperately need a safety — and Minkah Fitzpatrick is the best safety available. The 6-foot-1-inch, 203-pounder learned the finer points of the position under Nick Saban and should be an instant starter in Tampa.

Star's pick for Allen: 11th to Miami Dolphins

Lev said: The Colts need a lot of help, especially on defense. With no trade-down option available — a strong possibility in real life — it was simply a matter of taking the best defensive player available. That’s Roquan Smith, a true sideline-to-sideline linebacker who excels in space. Smith could have the type of impact on Indy that Luke Kuechly has had on Carolina.

Spears said: Kevin Costner isn’t Cleveland’s general manager, but if there’s one thing that he taught me about winning a fictional draft in the movie Draft Day, it’s that you never pick the quarterback unless you’re 100 percent sold on him as a leader. Do the Browns want to gamble on a undersized Baker Mayfield or a mysterious Josh Allen? Bradley Chubb is the top defensive player in the draft, and rightfully so. Chubb weighs 269 pounds and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.65 seconds. Put Chubb on the other side of last year’s No. 1 pick Myles Garrett? Call it a day.

Finley said: New York was always going to grab a quarterback with the third overall pick. With Darnold off the board, the J-E-T-S Jets-Jets-Jets turn to Josh Rosen, a prototypical pocket passer with a rocket arm, off-the-charts smarts and a personality worthy of the Big Apple. Rosen’s injury history — he missed significant time with a pair of concussions — is concerning, but it won’t be enough to stop the Jets from landing their man.