ESPN Insider draft guru Mel Kiper released his second mock draftof the NFL offseason on Thursday, with a collection of changes from his first batch of projections.Below, we'll take a look at his picks, as well as break down some of the more interesting projections from Kiper.SelectionsNoteworthy Picks and OmissionsCleveland Browns Select Carson WentzIt isn't a surprise that Kiper projects offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil to the Tennessee Titans with the top overall pick, as the team needs to upgrade the offensive line. Tunsil is one of the top players on the board and protecting franchise quarterback Marcus Mariota has to be the team's top priority.But the Browns selecting Carson Wentz, and not Jared Goff, at No. 2 is intriguing. Kiper himself acknowledges that the debate will likely rage until the draft about whether this pick will be Wentz or Goffand that the Browns might address the position via a tradeso seeing Wentz's name isn't a huge surprise.Kiper isn't the only draft analyst projecting Wentz to the Browns, of course. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com also projects the Browns to select Wentz (via the NFL on Twitter).But with the Titans almost assuredly taking Tunsil, the No. 2 selection will dictate much of how the rest of the draft plays out, making it one of the more interesting picks to monitor.Joey Bosa Drops to No. 6Kiper went from having Ohio State edge-rusher Joey Bosa as the top overall pick inmock draft 1.0 to dropping him all the way down to No. 6 in this edition.So, why the fall'Well, Kiper doesn't specify, so we'll have to speculate. One factor going against Bosa is that he doesn't have a natural position fit. While Bosa can fill several rolesand fill them wellhe doesn't have one obvious position. He's probably best-suited to play as a 4-3 defensive end, but could also slide inside and play as a 4-3 defensive tackle on passing downs or as a 3-4 end.He doesn't seem likely to play as a 3-4 outside linebacker at the next level, though it's certainly a possibility. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report is still trying to determine who Bosa compares to and where he'll fit at the next level:Some teams may see that potential versatility as a positive, of course. Other teams spending a top-five pick likely want to know exactly what they are getting. Bosa, for one, wants to model his game off one of the better pass-rushers in the league."Coach (Larry) Johnson, who was my (Ohio State defensive line) coach, he had a guy,Tamba Hali," Bosa toldNFL Networkbefore the Super Bowl, perChase Goodbread of NFL.com. "When I watch him, he's just so vicious with his hands. I see Coach Johnson in him so much that I'd like to resemble my game after him."Bosa remains one of this draft's most intriguing players. He's an excellent pass-rusher who can collapse the pocket, but he's also very good against the run and will likely have value at multiple positions. If he does drop out of the top five, however, it will likely be due to teams fearing that he'll be a jack of all trades on the defensive line and a master of none at the next level.Paxton Lynch Drops Out of 1st RoundKiper has just two quarterbacks being selected in the first round, both of them within the top four picks: Wentz to the Browns and Goff to the Cowboys.Goff to the Cowboys isn't all that surprising. Despite the fact that Dallas has the talent to compete for a playoff berth next season if the team stays healthyand thus, might want a player to instantly contributeTony Romo is 35 and injury-prone. Getting a young quarterback to groom behind him is smart, and the Cowboys may not have another opportunity in some time to draft a player of Goff's upside.So the bigger surprise when it comes to quarterbacks in Kiper's draft is that Paxton Lynch falls out of the first round altogether, especially when you consider that the following teams after the Cowboys pick currently have unsettled quarterback situations: the Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, New York Jets, Washington, Houston Texans and Denver Broncos.Meanwhile, a few teams might look to select a player like Lynch to groom him under a veteran quarterback.Yes, the Jets will likely re-sign Ryan Fitzpatrick, Washington will almost assuredly re-sign Kirk Cousins or slap the franchise tag on him and Denver will likely bring back Brock Osweiler. Sam Bradford might hit free agency as well, filling a quarterback need for another team.But the general point here is that there will likely be a few teams, come the draft, that will have a need for a talented, potential-laden player like Lynch. And Lynch remains highly regarded. Miller has him as his No. 3 quarterback, and most draft analysts have Goff, Wentz and Lynchin some orderas the top three players at their position.Generally, come draft day, quarterbacks climb up the board more than any other position. Every year, teams reach to fill the need. And given Lynch's immense upside and physical toolset, it's hard to see him dropping out of the first round.Saying so isn't putting Kiper on blast, who made a point to note that he didn't frame this draft around team needs, seeing as we haven't even gone through free agency yet. Once the quarterback market settles, it's possible Lynch will find his way back into the first round of Kiper's mock. Or Kiper may simply not grade Lynch as high as some other analysts. This isn't exactly rocket science, folks.Nonetheless, Lynch remains one of the more intriguing prospects in this draft, and plenty of teams will be keeping a close eye on him come draft day. If he does indeed drop out of the first round, it's hard to imagine he won't be a very popular name atop the second round for teams looking to add a young quarterback.You can follow TimothyRapponTwitter.
Click here to read full news..
