Here is a rundown of what some of the mock drafts are showing ahead of the NFL Scouting Combine, which will be March 1-4 in Indianapolis:
USA Today Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling (Updated Feb. 19)
Wide receiver Kelvin Harmon: First round, 27th overall to Oakland Raiders
Easterling noted that after trading receiver Amari Cooper, the Raiders could use a replacement for him and don’t have one on the roster that “can boast Harmon’s big frame and complete skill set.” Harmon is the third receiver off the board behind Ole Miss’ D.K. Metcalf, who went to the Buffalo Bills at pick No. 14, and Arizona State’s N’Keal Harry, who was slotted to the Baltimore Ravens at No. 22.
Center Garrett Bradbury: Second round, 40th overall to the Buffalo Bills
Bradbury goes one pick after Boston College’s Chris Lindstrom, an All-ACC offensive tackle who is projected to be a guard/center in the NFL. They are the first two projected interior linemen off the board.
Linebacker Germaine Pratt: Third round, 88th overall to the Detroit Lions
The final Wolfpacker projected to go in this four-round mock draft (the NFL Draft is seven rounds) is Pratt, who is part of a run of linebackers in the third round. He is the seventh player at his position off the board at this point.
WalterFootball.com (Updated Feb. 20)
Harmon: Second round, 38th overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars
Harmon was noted to be a “thick, well-put-together wideout who has some quickness and nice hands, plus runs quality routes.” He was the fifth receiver picked in this mock draft.
Quarterback Ryan Finley: Second round, 60th overall to the Los Angeles Chargers
They noted that “the most important trait for any quarterback is accuracy, which Finley has.” If the Chargers did pick Finley, it may solidify the organization as Wolfpack fans’ unofficial team of choice in the NFL. Finley would join former Pack quarterback Philip Rivers on the Chargers’ roster, plus defensive tackles Justin Jones and T.Y. McGill.
Bradbury: Third round, 71st overall to the Denver Broncos
WalterFootball.com is not as bullish on Bradbury as many other mock drafts, waiting until the third round to take him off the board. It noted that the Broncos could lose center Matt Paradis in free agency. Lindstrom, Ohio State’s Michael Jordan, Mississippi State’s Elgton Jenkins and Texas A&M’s Erik McCoy were all interior linemen picked in the second round of this mock draft.
Pratt: Third round, 94th overall to the Cleveland Browns
Pratt becomes the fourth NC State player to be picked in the first two days of the draft (first day is round one, and second day is rounds two and three). It noted that the Browns need linebacker help, and that Pratt “is a tough defender at the point of attack with the speed to fly around the field and a physical, attacking style of play.”
NFL.com’s Chad Reuter (Updated Feb. 5)
Harmon: First round, 26th overall to the Indianapolis Colts
Reuter has Harmon as a “big-bodied receiver to complement T.Y. Hilton” and the second receiver off the board in his three-round mock draft behind Oklahoma’s Marquise Brown, who went No. 20 to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Bradbury: Second round, 47th overall to the Carolina Panthers
Bradbury, a Charlotte native, stays home in this mock draft to replace retiring center Ryan Kalil. Reuter noted that Bradbury and Kalil have similar skill sets. He is picked after McCoy and Lindstrom among interior linemen in the second round.
Finley: Third round, 73rd overall to the New England Patriots
Reuter has Finley going to the Patriots for backup quarterback purposes and praised Finley’s efficiency. Ironically New England picked Finley’s predecessor at QB, Jacoby Brissett, in the third round in 2016.
Other mock drafts
• CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson came out with an updated mock draft Tuesday and projected Harmon to go to the Baltimore Ravens at pick No. 22 in the first round. He also had Bradbury’s top competitor as an interior lineman in the draft, Lindstrom, going in the first round to the Houston Texans. Wilson only projected the first round.
• NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks also has Harmon going in the first round, and like DraftWire.com has him going to the Oakland Raiders. Brooks’ projection, released Feb. 3, only went 32 picks deep.
• TheRinger.com is one mock draft that has Bradbury being the first Wolfpacker picked, projecting him with the next-to-last pick in the first round with the 31st selection to the Los Angeles Rams. The outlet also did only the first round in its Feb. 19 update.
• ESPN.com’s Mel Kiper did not have any NC State players selected in his updated first round mock draft this week, but he has several Wolfpackers among his top-ranked prospects by position (updated Feb. 6): Finley the No. 6 quarterback, Harmon the No. 10 wideout, Bradbury the No. 3 center and Pratt the No. 9 outside linebacker. None, however, were listed on his big board of the top 32 prospects regardless of position.
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