13. Las Vegas Raiders: TJ Parker, EDGE, Clemson
The Las Vegas Raiders will probably just take the best defensive player on their board in this scenario. New general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll inherited a roster that was already rough on defense, but then they let a lot of the most notable players go. It’s going to be a fun evaluation season with a number of former high draft picks and reclamation projects on that side of the ball. TJ Parker would be a great pairing with star pass rusher Maxx Crosby off the edge.
14. Cleveland Browns (from Jaguars): Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
If the Browns are going to be convinced enough to take a quarterback in the 1st round, they’d probably just take him with their first pick and not risk it. But in this instance, they get their guy one way or the other. Fernando Mendoza, like many of the projected top QBs in this class, got off to a slower start, but bounced back in a big way the second week of the college season. He continues to be one of the most intriguing possible 1st-round talents in the country.
15. Houston Texans: Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
The Houston Texans would probably love for this draft class to be top-heavy on the defensive line, but that’s not looking like it will be the case. They could very well find themselves in the mix for early offensive line help as well, but Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq might be too tantalizing to pass on here. He’s not only a dynamic pass-catching option, but physical in the running game as well.
16. Los Angeles Rams (from Falcons): Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
The biggest need on the Los Angeles Rams roster right now looks like the cornerback position. We’ll see where things go for them at the quarterback position long-term with Matthew Stafford’s health and retirement status seemingly always a question these days, but a corner like Avieon Terrell would be a great piece, and they have multiple 1st-round picks to play with anyway.