Mel Kiper has 49ers selecting cornerback in first round

The splash page headline reads “Browns take a QB, but not the one you’d guess”.

With Mel Kiper’s first mock draft of the year arriving at ESPN, we can officially say that mock draft season has begun in earnest. Calvin Ridley, wide receiver, Alabama.

The thing that impressed me most with NaVorro is that they got him here midseason and by the end of the year, it appeared to me that he was kind of the leader of the unit, making a lot of calls. He’s a quick-twitch home run threat that can blow the top off of defenses, runs great routes and is a nightmare after the catch. Arguably no position group on this team so desperately needs an upgrade as receiver does.

LSU past year had three players selected in the first round, with running back Leonard Fournette at No. 4 overall (Jacksonville Jaguars), safety Jamal Adams at No. 6 (New York Jets) and cornerback Tre’Davious White at No. 27 (Buffalo Bills).

“I think DJ Chark is going to be interesting”, Kiper said.

If Kiper is correct, Darnold and Green would be the first duo of Trojan first rounders since Leonard Williams and Nelson Agholor went to the Jets and Eagles respectively in 2015. He projected Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen to the Browns at No. 1, followed by Josh Rosen to the Giants second overall. This is a surprise because many have both UCLA’s Josh Rosen and USC’s Sam Darnold rated higher.

There are certainly plenty of variables in place too, with the Senior Bowl, NFL Combine, pro days, individual workouts and free agency still left that could change the direction some teams want to go and how they feel about certain prospects. Denver’s Von Miller was the second overall pick in 2011. After getting hurt in the national championship game loss to Clemson, the Tide running back made a decision to return to school instead of leaving early for the NFL.

I have mentioned Allen’s stats for a while and his career 56 percent completion percentage and some point to his surrounding cast, as does Kiper. He’s a guy who gives you everything he has. That means beginning to take a look at some of the prospects analysts think Los Angeles may select in this spring’s NFL Draft. For others, he is just the best offensive player available. I’m just reading into Pace’s pattern. And ultimately, who really knows what the Chicago Bears will do?

Allen is in the mix to be the 1st quarterback selected, but will need to have an impressive Senior Bowl performance.