3GML Mock Draft 1.0

With a new league identity and new rosters, it’s time for a new mock draft. The NFL Draft is two and a half weeks away and the suspense with how new league members will draft is palpable. 

The Eagles control the first overall pick, one of only two times that has happened in league history - the last time the Packers selected a superstar (Myles Garrett). Can the Eagles find a franchise altering talent? 

The Texans sit at 3 with zero roster holes after an aggressive approach during the expansion draft and an almost more aggressive free agency, spending almost $90 million on Javon Hargrave. Do they stand pat at 3 and take the draft’s best player in Will Anderson, or do they take advantage of a QB needy team and add multiple high value picks? 

At 5 the Packers are in an interesting spot. They have a complete roster but adding Anderson would be an incredible move and value at 5, but will he be there? Do they take best player available? Do they work a tradeback if possible, despite having maybe only the draft’s 4th best QB there at a reduced value? 

The Ravens are in win-now mode and are sitting at 9 & 21, is this a spot where they try to find value by adding even more picks by trading back, or are they aggressive in an approach to tactically target someone? Their roster is good enough to hoist a Lombardi, is their GM going to look for value, or try to push his chips in to win now?

The Chargers always play the value and draft pick accumulation game. WIth the option of standing at 4 or moving back, he predictably moved back and accumulated a mountain of day 2 picks while settling in at 13. Does he try to move back again? Can he find a trade partner in a weak draft up top? Does he finally draft a DB who can play outside the hashes?

The SF 49ers have built up a formidable team. With a pair of first rounders and a two time defending MVP, does he try to give Justin Fields more weapons or does he build up around his top tier defense? The 49ers were good across the board last season, but were decimated by injuries. In a draft better situated for value in rounds 2 & 3 does GM CD utilize a deep draft to build up massive depth, or does he try to move up to add a superstar in a draft low on them?

1. Philadelphia Eagles - QB Bryce Young, Alabama

• This is going to be a brutally tough decision for the Eagles but with pick 1, you have a unique opportunity to get a difference maker. The odds of ever getting pick 1 again are insanely small, so this is a chance to get a program changer. While the rumor mill is that Will Levis, the QB with the highest upside in my opinion, is possible here, the Eagles go with QB1 in Bryce Young. Young’s small stature is a huge debate topic, but his play isn’t. He’s a dynamic playmaker and can operate off script, something that could create big plays in an offense that has impressive weaponry. It’s a risky move, instead of taking bigger players like CJ Stroud, the safest QB option, or the freak athlete in Richardson, but Young is the best QB right now of the group. 

2. Chicago Bears - QB CJ Stroud, Ohio State

3. Houston Texans - DE Will Anderson, Alabama

• The Texans don’t get any offers good enough to move back and of of the draft’s best player. Anderson is an elite edge rusher whose ability reminds some of Von Miller, but he reminds me of a combination of TJ Watt and Maxx Crosby. GM TH will gladly take any combination of the 3. The issue here is the Texans have an elite edge tandem AND great depth on the DL. Phillips and Rousseau as the starters along with James Houston IV who leapt onto the scene last season and a top tier young run stopper in Michael Clemons gives the team 4 very good guys under contract for 3 years each. The Texans though say you can never have enough elite edge guys and simply take the best player at a key position passing up critical depth for the shot at a Superstar.

4. Indianapolis Colts - QB Will Levis

5. Tennessee Titans (Trade from GB) - QB Anthony Richardson

• The Packers give up pick 5 and pick up pick 11 and a 2024 1st round pick from Tennessee to move back, while also snagging a 4th in 2024.

6. Detroit Lions - CB Christian Gonzalez, Oregon

7. Las Vegas Raiders - DE Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech

8. Atlanta Falcons - CB Devon Witherspoon, Illinois

9. Baltimore Ravens - OT Peter Skoronski, Northwestern

• The Ravens look at both edge and OT here but settle on OT. Braden Smith struggled a bit in 2022 and Samuel Cosmi is likely best at guard now after 2 or 3 really rough goes last season. The team is currently without a starting left tackle and for a team in win now mode, that won’t do. Skoronski is the safest of all the OL in this draft class and despite short arms he’s an athletic guy who simply doesn’t get beat often and come jump right into the team’s biggest weakness - LT. For a team in win now mode, Skornoski isn’t exciting, but he’s good and can play immediately. The other nice thing - if he sucks at LT he could be a truly special guard.

10. Carolina Panthers - DE Lukas Van Ness, Iowa

11. Green Bay Packers - CB Joey Porter Jr, Penn State

• The Packers are one of the most complete teams in the 3GML universe top to bottom and so they gained valuable draft assets by moving back. The team missed out on Anderson so wisely decided to gain an additional 1 and 4 by moving back 6 spots. The team is pretty darn solid top to bottom but could use a CB1, this is where Porter steps in. While Gonzalez is the freak athlete and Witherspoon is the thumper, Porter Jr is the most solid. The team is deep at CB but they don’t have a talent like JPJ on their roster. This move would also allow McDuffie to play more slot which is where he could be a superstar. 

12. New York Jets - OT Broderick Jones, Georgia

13. Detroit Lions (Trade with LAC) - DT Jalen Carter, Georgia

• The Lions give up their 2 in 2023 and a 3 in 2024 to move up 5 spots to grab maybe the draft’s best player.

14. New England Patriots - OT Darnell Wright, Tennessee

15. Seattle Seahawks - WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba - Ohio State

16. Washington Commanders - CB Deonte Banks, Maryland

17. Pittsburgh Steelers - EDGE Nolan Smith, Georgia

18. San Diego Chargers - WR Quentin Johnston, TCU

• The Chargers do what they do best under GM EP, add more picks. Then they went out and got the draft’s most talented WR in Johnston who can certainly be a big body to block in the run game and is exceptional after the catch. It was good value and Johnston has the highest upside of any WR in the class, while filling a need for a big WR on the team.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - RB Bijan Robinson, Texas

20. Dallas Cowboys - TE Dalton Kincaid, Utah

21. Baltimore Ravens - EDGE Will McDonald, Iowa State

• The Ravens being in win now mode go for it with their other roster hole and snag McDonald, a dynamic pass rusher who was ultra productive in college. While Dorance Armstrong is a nice player, he’s better reducing down to rush inside and a speed rush combo of McDonald and Sweat is lethal.

22. Arizona Cardinals - WR Jordan Addison, USC

23. Minnesota Vikings - QB Hendon Hooker, Tennessee

    
    

24. Jacksonville Jaguars - S Brian Branch, Alabama

25. New York Giants - TE Michael Mayer, Notre Dame

26. San Francisco 49ers - OT Anton Harrison, Oklahoma

• Harrison is a really impressive pass rusher with electric feet. With the 49ers run game needing athletes outside they select the guy who can really move. Harrison would be in the running to compete right away with Charles Leno, or kick Leno to RT. Zach Tom showed a ton last season as did James Hudson in limited duty but neither look like they may get a chance to develop through no fault of their own. 

27. Buffalo Bills - OG O’Cyrus Torrence, Florida

28. Cincinnati Bengals - RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama

29. San Francisco 49ers - DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State

• The 49ers have a superstar in Brian Burns on one side and then a bit of a rotation on the other with Jerry Hughes who is 3 ½ decades old, Arden Key, a solid player who can reduce down, and Zach Allen who is probably best suited as a 3T. The team is pretty well situated constantly and while they could look at guard or center here, they take a more analytical approach by taking an impressive pass rusher in FAU. This could go a variety of positions, including SF looking to trade up for a star instead of waiting, but they take a very good player who is good against the run and offers impressive upside. 

30. New Orleans Saints - WR Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee

31. Kansas City Chiefs - WR Zay Flowers, Boston College

3GML NFL Draft Order - 1st Round

1. Philadelphia Eagles

2. Carolina Panthers 

3. Washington Commanders

4. Indianapolis Colts

5. Green Bay Packers

6. Detroit Lions

7. Las Vegas Raiders

8. Atlanta Falcons

9. Baltimore Ravens

10. Chicago Bears

11. Tennessee Titans

12. New York Jets

13. San Diego Chargers

14. New England Patriots

15. Seattle Seahawks

16. Houston Texans

17. Pittsburgh Steelers

18. Detroit Lions

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

20. Dallas Cowboys

21. Baltimore Ravens

22. Arizona Cardinals

23. Minnesota Vikings

24. Jacksonville Jaguars

25. New York Giants

26. San Francisco 49ers

27. Buffalo Bills

28. Cincinnati Bengals

29. San Francisco 49ers

30. New Orleans Saints

31. Kansas City Chiefs

Breaking News - 3GML Expanding to Six Teams

Fresh off an exciting eighth season, the 3GML opened its membership to three new teams.  The expansion was done to add both a level of competition to the league and a larger sense of community among the general managers.

Fresh off his leave of absence, GM EP returns with a new team.  After years of leading the Miami Dolphins in the 3GML, EP was hired to build a winner in the Los Angeles Chargers.  EP will look to bring his brand of hard-hitting defense and strong character players to the Chargers as they look to win their first ever Super Bowl in franchise history.  Adding intrigue to interest, the Chargers have been rumored to be exploring a potential to return to San Diego.

The league also approved the addition of General Manager BD, who will lead the Philadelphia Eagles.  BD is fresh to the role but already looking to build a team that can run with anyone.  The Eagles want to compete now with players like Patrick Surtain II and Haason Reddick, shipped over from the Packers,  as well as a dynamic receiving duo of AJ Brown and Devonta Smith on the roster.

Like BD, General Manager TP is new to the league and will be taking the reins of the Baltimore Ravens.  TP comes from the EP front office tree, so we'll see if he takes the same team building approach or goes a different route.  The biggest move out of the gate was the acquisition of quarterback Jalen Hurts who will keep the Ravens in every game they play.  Baltimore has always been known for their defense and TP will try to keep that reputation going with linebacker Roquan Smith captaining the squad.  

With the addition of these teams, the 3GML now has three teams in each conference, making the path to the Super Bowl that much harder.  GMs CD, SD, and TH will have their hands full battling it out with the new squads when the ninth 3GML season kicks off in the fall.

2022 3GML Season - Super Bowl LVII

Houston Texans vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

PHOENIX - The Houston Texans became the first team to win back to back Super Bowls since the 2003-2004 New England Patriots with a nail-biting 27-26 come from behind win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  The win brings a third title to GM TH who pulls into a tie with GM SD for the league lead.

"Great win," TH said. "This team has clawed and scratched all year and found ways to win.  I had no doubt we'd be able to come out on top in this one."

Things looked a little bleak when the Buccaneers scored late making it 26-24.  However, rookie quarterback Malik Willis led the Houston offense down the field with less than two minutes setting up a Rodrigo Blankenship field goal for the win.

"A ton of confidence in that young man," Coach David Shaw said after the game.  "Malik has shown he's a leader.  Can't speak highly enough of what he did out there today."

Defensively, the Texans did just enough to keep the game with in reach.  Super Bowl MVP Jerome Baker had a key interception late with Houston down ten, flipping the momentum when it felt like things could get out of hand.

"Not many players get to say they picked off Tom Brady in the Super Bowl,"  Baker said.  "I'll remember this for the rest of my life."

The question on everyone's mind moving forward will be "Is Houston on the verge of a dynasty?"  Next year they'll have the chance to become the first team to win three Super Bowls in a row and answer that question definitively. 

For the 3GML, the league now heads toward its ninth season overall.  What's next and what changes will these teams make to their rosters?  Stay tuned to find out.

2022 3GML Season - Conference Championships

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP - Green Bay Packers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

GREEN BAY - The magical ride of Sam Howell came to its final stop for Green Bay as the Packers fell 30-27 to Tampa Bay.  The Buccaneers have been the hottest team in the NFC closing out the season and they will keep that going as they head to Super Bowl LVII.

For the Packers, it's a disappointing end to a season with Super Bowl hopes.  The emergence of Tua Tagovailoa this season was giving Packer fans championship dreams.  However, multiple concussions turned those into a nightmare as the quarterback wasn't available down the stretch in the playoffs.

At the same time Sam Howell showed he belonged in the NFL with a dazzling performance in week 18 as well as the divisional round in Dallas.  With the injury concerns for Tagovailoa, Howell will be crucial to Green Bay's plans next year.

The Packers now turn to the offseason with cap concerns that need addressing.  Both Justin Jefferson and Quinnen Williams will be looking for monster contracts while multiple players will need their cap hit lowered through cuts, trades, and restructures.  GM SD has his hands full maneuvering the salary cap to keep his stars and fill out a roster.

On the bright side, Green Bay has three first round picks including number five and ten.  Does SD pick at those spots, move up, or move back?  All options will be on the table.  League insiders have even think it's possible the Packers take a quarterback in the top five considering the question marks around health at the position.  A move like this would create all kinds of questions heading into the 2023 season.

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP - Houston Texans @ Kansas City Chiefs

KANSAS CITY - In the game of the year, the Houston Texans upset the Kansas City Chiefs 32-29 in overtime.  Houston looked overmatched early as the Chiefs built a 17-0 lead.  However the Texans recognized there is no 17 point play and went to work.  In fact the Texans never led in this one until the final score.  The conditions were terrible with snow and howling winds.

"This one reminded me of the AFC Championship game back in 2017 when I was with the Jets," GM TH said.  "Crazy wind, three yard punts, and an overtime win."

Malik Willis was the one to lead the Texans offense back in this one after Gardner Minshew struggled early.  Willis played free and loose and it let to great things for the Houston O.

"Felt like I had nothing to lose out there," Willis said.

Late in the 4th needing a touchdown and a two point conversion to tie it, Willis hit Brandin Cooks with 17 seconds to go.  On the two point conversion, Laviska Shenault took the handoff across the goal line and the game headed to OT.

In overtime, the Chiefs won the toss but fumbled on their first play setting up the Texans.  After a turnover on downs from Houston, it was the Chiefs who looked poised to win.  However the Texans D held and the wind became the deciding factor as Tommy Townsend punted the ball 3 yards essentially setting up the Texans for the win.  A Rodrigo Blankeship field goal was all Houston needed and they were off to Super Bowl LVII. 

The Texans meet an extremely hot Tampa Bay Buccaneers team where Tom Brady will look for his 8th Super Bowl ring after knocking out the other two 3GML teams on the NFC side.  Houston, meanwhile, is looking to join the small list of teams to win back to back Super Bowls.

2022 3GML Season - Divisional Round

San Francisco 49ers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

TAMPA BAY - The San Francisco 49ers season came to a disappointing end as they fell 34-13 to Tampa Bay in the NFC divisional round.  The game came down to the 49ers inability slow down the offensive juggernaut that was Tom Brady and the Buccaneer offense.

"Tough way to end a season," Coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game.  "I'm proud of these guys and the effort they put out there all season.  Ultimately, we fell short of our goal, but we will reload and be ready for next year."

Justin Fields did what he could in this one and had a beautiful rushing touchdown to start things off. While he didn't end up on top in this one, Fields had one of the more memorable seasons in 3GML history en route to his second consecutive MVP.

"Would I trade the MVP for a Super Bowl? One hundred percent," Fields said.  "But I'm not going to hang my head.  You won't find someone who will work harder than me this off season."

For GM CD, while this season ends with disappointment, the last two years have marked a very successful run in the 3GML.  Under his guidance the 49ers have won back to back division titles and he drafted the two-time reigning MVP in Fields.  Look for the run on success to continue as CD has two first rounds picks and a fair amount of cap space to play with this offseason.

Green Bay Packers @ Dallas Cowboys

DALLAS - Call it the Patrick Surtain II game.  The Green Bay Packers upset the number one seed Dallas Cowboys 33-6 behind an epic four interception game by Surtain II.  

The Packers were down quarterback Tua Tagovailoa after it was announced his season was over this week, and came in as 10.5 point underdogs.  Rookie Sam Howell was once again forced into the starting roll as a result.  After some early nerves, Howell showed the Green Bay faithful why he was drafted.  GM SD loved Howell's arm coming out, saying he threw an "excellent deep ball."  That scouting report proved on point as Howell hit Packers receivers down the field multiple times in the game.  The prettiest of these was a 94 yard TD to Stefon Diggs to put the Packers up right before halftime.

Green Bay's defense was once again elite, not allowing a touchdown for the second consecutive week.  Surtain's four interceptions played a huge roll in that effort and the league is seeing why this young player is one of the best in the game.

"Preparation and effort," Surtain said.  "Two things no one can take away from you."

Green Bay will now travel to Tampa Bay where they will have a rematch against the Buccaneers for a chance to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.  The two teams played in week three when the Packers erased a 17-0 Tampa Bay lead to win 20-17.  A lot has changed since that meeting and Green Bay will have to pull out all the stops to keep Tom Brady from reaching his 11th Super Bowl.

Miami Dolphins @ Houston Texans

MIAMI - [Editors note: I'm not sure what I just witnessed.] The Houston Texans won one of the more bizarre NFL Playoff games in recent memory, taking down the Miami Dolphins 31-21 to reach their second consecutive AFC Championship game.

Miami had been riding a hot steak, winning six games in a row heading into this one.  However, on the first series of the game Aaron Rodgers threw a pick six to Kareem Jackson setting the tone for what was a strange game. 

The Dolphins were able to strike back and after another pair of scores, the game was knotted 14-14 heading to the third quarter.  This is when all hell broke loose and Rodgers threw another pick six deep in the red zone, this time to Mike Hilton.  The interception gave Houston all the momentum and they rode it the rest of the game to hold on for victory.

Looking at the stat sheet, Miami had 510 total yards of offense to Houston's 265, but at the end of the day, it's the points on the score board that matter.  The Texans got 14 points from their defense and it was the difference in the game.

Now the Texans will try to make back-to-back Super Bowls with a win next week.  Standing in their way are the Kansas City Chiefs who have won 10 games in a row.  Like the NFC Championship, this game is a rematch from earlier in the season.  Back in week 15, the Chiefs easily handled the Texans winning 45-21.  However, both these squads are hot and riding high meaning the AFC Championship game is setting up to be must see TV.

2022 3GML Season - Wild Card Round

Washington Commanders @ Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY - The Green Bay Packers came out on fire en route to an absolutely dominant 51-6 win over the Washington Commanders.  The win is a reversal of the 2021 wild card round where Green Bay gave up 52 to the Seattle Seahawks.  This time it was the Pack dropping over 50 on their opponent.

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who returned after missing a game with a concussion, was lights out, throwing for 375 yards and four touchdowns.  Tagovailoa looked confident and distributed the ball to all the offensive weapons he had at his disposal.

"Good team win.  My first [playoff win] as a starter in the league," Tagovailoa said.  "Sun God [Amon Ra St. Brown] said it a couple weeks back.  We knew this offense was capable of a game like that."

Hunter Henry led the effort in the air with nine catches for 146 yards and a touchdown, but the two headed monster of Stefon Diggs (7 catches, 71 yards, TD) and Justin Jefferson (8 catches, 85 yards, 2 TDs) was equally impressive.

Defensively, the Packers gave quarterback Carson Wentz fits all day, leading to a frustrated coach in Ron Rivera.

"We need more out of the quarterback position.  We'll have to evaluate all options next week."  Rivera said, leading to confusion in the room.

"We were eliminated?" The seemingly shocked coach replied when informed his team wouldn't be playing next week.

As for the Packers, they move on to the divisional round to take on top seeded Dallas.

Denver Broncos @ Houston Texans

HOSUTON - The Houston Texans defense showed up when they were needed, intercepting Russell Wilson twice in the fourth quarter to hold on to a 20-17 victory.  This is the second year in a row the Texans took care of business at home against the Denver Broncos in their playoff opener.

The quarterback situation was the question all week and it was Gardner Minshew who saw most of the action, passing for 268 yards, a touchdown, and one interception.  However, Malik Willis did see the field and picked up a crucial 4th down with his legs late in the game to seal the win.

Showing his transcendent talent, receiver Brandin Cooks caught six balls for 129 yards and a touchdown, including a 67 yard strike from Minshew for the Texans first TD.

However, it was the defense who once again showed they are the backbone of this team.  After the Broncos had pulled within three, Minshew threw an interception deep in Houston territory, setting up at the very least, a Denver field goal to tie it.  However, on a 3rd and goal, Kareem Jackson cut off an out route and picked off Wilson, returning it to mid field.

"Right place, right time,"  Jackson said.

Later after the Texans offense stalled, the Broncos again looked poised to head down and tie the game or take the lead.  This time it was Mike Hilton who had other plans and picked off Wilson a second time, essentially giving the Houston the victory.

Of note, defensive tackle Ndamukong Such was a healthy scratch before the game, which came as a surprise to many.

"We couldn't find him in the locker room before the game," a puzzled David Shaw said.

The riddle was quickly solved when after the game Suh tweeted a gif of John Travolta's character Vincent Vega looking confused where to go from the movie Pulp Fiction and said, "Got lost heading to the stadium."

Needless to say, the Texans will likely send a car for him next week when they host the Miami Dolphins in the divisional round.

Arizona Cardinals @ San Francisco 49ers

SANTA CLARA - The San Francisco 49ers used some last minute heroics to pull out an exciting 17-13 win over the Arizona Cardinals in the wild card round.  Down 13-10 after an Arizona field goal gave them the lead with a minute to go, Justin Fields found CeeDee Lamb for a 54 yard touchdown reception with five seconds remaining in the game.  With the touchdown, the crowd absolutely went nuts with the nearby seismic monitoring station picking up vibrations from the game.

Defensively, the Niners did a much better job keeping the Cardinal offense in check than their week 18 matchup just six days ago.  Case Keenum and crew managed only 175 yards passing and 81 yards rushing on the afternoon.

"We were fired up after last week," Jerry Hughes Jr., who had two sacks on the day, said.  "Proud of the effort out there today."

GM CD could be seen throwing his beer pint glass against the wall late in the 4th quarter, ruining a perfectly good IPA.  When Lamb scored the game winner, he remained stone faced as if in disbelief of what just happened.

The expectations for the 49ers are obviously high as they now travel to Tampa Bay where they will try to avenge their week 14 loss.