Metro Atlanta is made up of some of the top football talent in the country.
So what if NFL teams could only pick high school stars from Atlanta for the first round of the Draft?
Here's the #Team11 Metro Atlanta NFL Mock Draft. We matched the top high school seniors to teams based on their grade and need (analysis of each pick below).
1. Cleveland Browns – Justin Fields – QB – Harrison HS No secret the Browns were going to take a QB with the 1st overall pick. Much like the real NFL Draft, it won’t be an easy decision between the top tier prospects, but Cleveland opts for Fields’ mobility. Playing in front of the Dawg Pound seems like a perfect fit for Fields.
2. NY Giants – Trevor Lawrence – QB – Cartersville HS The Giants can’t believe their luck, picking up top-ranked Lawrence with the 2nd pick. Who better to replace Eli Manning than the man with long, flowing locks and a cannon for an arm. Lawrence and OBJ – a scary combination.
3. NY Jets – Jamaree Salyer – OG – Pace Academy With the top QBs off the board, the Jets decide to beef up their offensive line with Salyer. It’s the first time the Jets have picked an O-lineman in the 1st round since D’Brickashaw Ferguson. He was a three-time Pro Bowler, so not a bad comparison for the athletic Salyer.
4. Cleveland Browns – Kyler McMichael – CB – GAC The Browns, having picked their franchise QB in Fields, opt to fill their second-biggest need with the 4th pick – cornerback. McMichael is tall and fast – exactly what they need in a division that includes AJ Green and Antonio Brown.
5. Denver Broncos – Adam Anderson – LB – Rome The Broncos have two good linebackers, but little else behind them. Adam Anderson won’t stay behind them long. Anderson personifies the modern NFL linebacker. He's athletic like Deion Jones and tackles like Roquan Smith. This track star makes the Broncos defense a formidable unit…now if they can just find a running attack.
6. Indianapolis Colts – Brenton Cox – OLB – Stockbridge The Colts have needs everywhere, so not really a surprise to see them take the best-available metro Atlanta player still on the board. Cox, an OLB / DE hybrid, is a fierce pass rusher, something the Colts desperately need. Somewhere Dwight Freeney just smiled.
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Myles Sims – CB – Westlake The Buccaneers go with the diminutive Brent Grimes on one side and draft Myles Sims to lock down the other side of the field. At 6-foot-4, the rangy Westlake Lion will be asked to matchup against Julio Jones immediately. Sims’ nickname is ‘Spider’ – in part because of his reach.
8. Chicago Bears – Josh Vann – WR – Tucker The Bears were desperate for CB help, but with Sims off the board, Chicago picks Vann 8th overall. Vann won’t necessarily pop in a combine setting, but good luck stopping him. Vann has a #Team11 highlight reel as good as any we’ve ever seen. Nearly everything he touches goes for six.
9. San Francisco 49ers – Dylan Wonnum – OT – Tucker Back-to-back Tucker Tigers go off the board. Who better to protect Jimmy Garoppolo than 6-foot-5, 295-pound Dylan Wonnum? The big man follows his big brothers’ footsteps into the league.
10. Oakland Raiders – Matthew Hill – WR - Brookwood HS When you have one of the best young QBs in the league, you surround him with the best talent possible. Hill is the best receiver on the board. The explosive wide out will flourish with Derek Carr getting him the ball. Pairing Hill with Jordy Nelson & Amari Cooper gives the Raiders the best 1-2-3 in the NFL.
11. Miami Dolphins – Jarren Williams – QB – Central Gwinnett Adam Gase needs a QB. Jarren Williams is his guy. Williams is a natural born leader. There isn’t a single throw he can’t make. The Dolphins have been pining for their next Dan Marino for years. Williams is the answer.
12. Buffalo Bills – Derrik Allen – S – Lassiter The Bills are in rebuild mode, and with Williams off the board and no clear-cut QB choice, Buffalo goes with secondary help in Derrik Allen. The Lassiter Trojan is smart, instinctive, always takes the right first step and line to the ball. The Bills won’t regret this pick.
13. Washington Redskins – John Fitzpatrick – TE – Marist The Redskins take the best TE prospect of 2018, John Fitzpatrick out of Marist. Fitzpatrick will learn under Jordan Reed, and give Alex Smith the second outlet he needs. At 6-foot-7, Fitzpatrick catches everything thrown his way.
14. Green Bay Packers – Trey Dean – S – Dutchtown The Packers allowed a 102.0 QBR to opposing passers last season, second worst only to Cleveland. Trey Dean shores that up immediately, replacing another Team11 star safety, Morgan Burnett. Dean becomes the second safety in his family drafted into the NFL. His cousin, Ahmad Black, was drafted by the Bucs in 2011.
15. Arizona Cardinals – Azeez Ojulari – Marietta The Cardinals will take some flak for not addressing their QB / RB needs, but this is truly a ‘best-player available’ pick. Ojulari, when healthy, could be the best true pass rusher in this class. Ojulari will run around or through O-lineman with ease to get to the QB.
16. Baltimore Ravens – Robert Cooper – DT – South Gwinnett HS In 2006, the Ravens selected Defensive Tackle Haloti Ngata in the 1st round. Ngata will be remembered as one of the best space-eating DTs in NFL history. Robert Cooper is one of the few men on planet earth who could fill those shoes. Listed by Rivals as 6-foot-2, 350 pounds, Cooper demands double teams and frees up serious room for the LBs behind him.
17. LA Chargers – Michael Harris – ILB – Tucker The Chargers had the second-worst rush defense in the league last season. Harris, the third Tucker Tiger selected in the first round, will help in a big way. Paired with Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram, Harris will help stiffen up a defense on the rise.
18. Seattle Seahawks – Christopher Smith – CB - Hapeville Charter Gone is Richard Sherman, in steps Christopher Smith. Sometimes things just fall into place – and this is one of the easiest picks imaginable for Pete Carroll. Smith is a true cover corner. Leave him on an island and don’t worry about him for the rest of the game. Plug and play – a perfect fit.
19. Dallas Cowboys – Warren Ericson OG – North Gwinnett Replacing Dez Bryant was the goal here, but America’s Team opts to fill a major need on the interior offensive line with Warren Ericson. The North Gwinnett Bulldog can play any position on the line, and that flexibility moves him up the draft board and immediately into the role of making holes for Ezekiel Elliott and company.
20. Detroit Lions – Justin Mascoll – DE – South Gwinnett The 6th Gwinnett prospect off the board, Mascoll will give the Lions an immediate upgrade at pass rusher. The Lions got a steal here.
21. Cincinnati Bengals – Jaycee Horn – CB – Alpharetta HS Much like when the Browns took a CB, the No. 1 priority in the AFC North is stopping Antonio Brown. Horn will know what it takes to succeed in the NFL. His dad, Joe Horn, played in the league for 12 years. He had 44 tackles, five interceptions in his senior season. Horn will be needed right away for the Bengals.
22. Buffalo Bills – Smoke Monday – S – Carver The Bills shore up the safety position earlier, pairing up Quindarious ‘Smoke’ Monday with No. 12 overall pick Derrik Allen. Smoke replaced #Team11 standout Trey Matthews in college – and plays with a similar hard-hitting style. The nickname? Given to him by his grandfather when he ran around the house as a child.
23. New England Patriots – Caleb Tannor – OLB – Miller Grove Bill Belichick likes hard-working, team-first guys. Tannor is exactly that. A coaches award-winner, a team leader, Tannor fits right into the “Patriot Way.”
24. Carolina Panthers – Marquez Ezzard – WR – Stockbridge The Panthers' biggest need is filled immediately by Ezzard, a 6-foot1, 200-pound WR out of Stockbridge. Cam Newton gets the target he needs. Ezzard is explosive, he gets open and he’s perfect for the Panthers with the 24th overall pick.
25. Tennessee Titans – Richard Jibunor – DE – Athens Christian The Tennessee Titans, in desperate need of a pass rush, turn to Nigeria native Richard Jibunor. Jibunor is athletic enough to play several sports at the next level – but his football talents standout in a crowded #Team11 class.
26. Atlanta Falcons – James Ohonba – OG – Woodland With no more DTs left with a 1st round grade, Dan Quinn and Thomas Dimitroff draft James Ohonba out of Woodland-Stockbridge. He’s massive, standing at 6-foot5 and weighing-in at 320 pounds. The Falcons need answers on both lines, and Ohonba provides just that.
27. New Orleans Saints – Tyneil Hopper – TE – Roswell Drew Brees gets one more weapon to add to his collection. Hopper joins Rookie of the Year Alvin Kamara (Norcross) in one of the most formidable offenses in the league. As a senior, Hopper led the team in receiving, catching 22 passes for 350 yds and a touchdown.
28. Pittsburgh Steelers - Anthony Grant – RB – Buford The Steelers put the franchise tag on Le'Veon Bell, but turn to Anthony Grant for a long-term solution. In his senior season, the Buford back had a team-high 966 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns. Grant may have to wait for his opportunity, but count on him to take full-advantage when it arrives.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars – Kingsley Enagbare – DE – Hapeville Charter The Jags inexplicably don’t find a replacement for Blake Bortles – but they won’t regret drafting Kingsley Enagbare out of Hapeville Charter. Enagbare is a high-energy player who doesn’t quit on a play. Expect him to blossom in the Jags’ improving defense.
30. Minnesota Vikings - Jalil Irvin – OG – Stephenson Vikings fans will appreciate having Irvin on the offensive line to protect their biggest investment – QB Kirk Cousins. Irvin grades out as one of the best offensive lineman in metro Atlanta. Irvin is physical and plays with an anger that shows up on tape. Fun to watch.
31. New England Patriots – Kendall Williamson – CB – Brookwood Belichick will be thrilled Williamson fell to 31. With Malcolm Butler gone, Williamson steps right in. A 4.0 student, he will be a linchpin of the new Patriots defense for a long time.
32. Philadelphia Eagles – Christian Turner – RB – Buford Remarkably, Turner becomes the 2nd Running Back taken out of Buford in the first round. There’s room on the Super Bowl champs’ roster behind Jay Ajayi. The Eagles will love their version of ‘Turner the Burner’ – Christian was clocked at 4.43 in high school.
