(AUDACY) The Ultimate Mock Draft, a collaborative effort between Audacy and the Locked On Podcast Network, rolls on Thursday with picks 18-22. We’ve seen big names come off the board, but plenty of star power remains with Alabama running back Najee Harris and Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons both up for grabs.
The podcast Thursday features analysis from Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin of NFL Network, longtime Dolphins beat writer Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, morning host Mike “Mully” Mulligan from 670 The Score and Jason Smith of 92.9 ESPN Memphis. To jog your memory, picks 1-17, made during the first three installments of the series, are listed below.
1. Jacksonville Jaguars — QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
2. New York Jets — QB Zach Wilson, BYU
3. San Francisco 49ers — QB Justin Fields, Ohio State
4. Atlanta Falcons — TE Kyle Pitts, Florida
5. Cincinnati Bengals — WR Ja’Marr Chase, LSU
6. Miami Dolphins — WR Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
7. Detroit Lions — OT Penei Sewell, Oregon
8. Carolina Panthers — QB Trey Lance, North Dakota State
9. Denver Broncos — CB Jaycee Horn, South Carolina
10. Dallas Cowboys — CB Patrick Surtain II, Alabama
11. New York Giants — OT Rashawn Slater, Northwestern
12. Philadelphia Eagles — WR DeVonta Smith, Alabama
13. Los Angeles Chargers — OL Alijah Vera-Tucker, USC
14. Minnesota Vikings — DE Kwity Paye, Michigan
15. New England Patriots — QB Mac Jones, Alabama
16. Arizona Cardinals — CB Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech
17. Las Vegas Raiders — OT Christian Darrisaw, Virginia Tech
18. Miami Dolphins — RB Najee Harris, Alabama
19. Washington Football Team – LB Micah Parsons, Penn State
20. Chicago Bears – WR Rashod Bateman, Minnesota
Expert analysis from Mike Mulligan of 670 The Score:
“I don’t believe there are great size concerns about Rashod Bateman. Bateman is a guy that was listed at 6-foot-2 and probably 210. And when he went to his pro day, he’s basically a hair under 6-foot-1 and probably closer to 200 pounds. That’s not great size, but he plays physical. If you watch him, there are plenty of circus catches. He’s got good body control. He’s got enough suddenness as an athlete and he ran a couple sub 4.4 40-yard dashes, so you know he’s got speed. Is it playing speed? Seems like he kind of needs to get under himself to get to top speed. While he’s a great athlete, you wonder how it’s going to work after the catch. That’s always a concern.
Michael Thomas has been mentioned. (I think he’s) more like a Keenan Allen with smaller size and more speed. He’s excellent at receiving the ball at the catch point, really goes up and gets it. He was a high school basketball player, led his team to a state title as a junior. Didn’t play his senior year of basketball, concentrated on football and got himself a scholarship offer to Minnesota when he went to a camp as a junior. Never set foot in the state when P.J. Fleck saw him in Atlanta, gave him a scholarship offer and he accepted it. The SEC came calling. He stuck with Minnesota, and he had a great career there and he’s definitely a guy who’s going to be tough to handle in the NFL.
Rashod Bateman would fit in well with the Chicago Bears. The Bears have a definite need at wide receiver, not just in the immediate future but in the future future. God, it’s a mess up there. You look at Allen Robinson. He’s playing on a franchise tag. He’s a really good NFL professional wide receiver. Unfortunately, they couldn’t come up with any kind of long-term deal. You wonder if this is his final season with the Bears. You look at Darnell Mooney. He is probably their second-best receiver, a speedy rookie who got on the field quicker than expected, but health concerns are always a factor when a guy can’t finish out a season. Anthony Miller has been wildly inconsistent. Reportedly, the Bears have been trying to trade him. He is not a hot commodity around the league. Good luck trading him. Good luck getting anything in return. Javon Wims, they were contemplating cutting him after an incident last year, disappointing player. You look at Riley Ridley, they spent a draft pick on him. Apparently, he’s not good enough to get on the field.
They need help at that position and I think that Bateman would be a good pick. The problem for the Bears, of course, is that they need help at multiple positions. They’ve got to get themselves a cornerback, they’ve got to get themselves an offensive tackle. They have to get a quarterback. It would be great to get Bateman, but who’s throwing to him and who’s throwing to him beyond this year with the Red Rifle effectively on a one-year deal?”
21. Dallas Cowboys (trade with Colts) – DE Azeez Ojulari, Georgia
22. Tennessee Titans – CB Greg Newsome, Northwestern
You can listen to the full analysis of the most recent picks in the podcast below.
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