When we opened up this MockOut GM Mock Draft Contest without any big announcement, and only a day after Maximus Prime won a pair of Jets tickets for winning the Turn On The Jets contest… I admit, I was a little skeptical. But Dan assured me these GMs would not disappoint.

Dan was right.

This mock draft was nutso, both in the number of trades and in the depth of knowledge they showed; not just for the NFL draft and the 2017 draft prospects, but also for players currently on NFL rosters. All the GMs did a really great job. But, as is the reason we compete in these multi-GM mock drafts in the first place… some did better than others.

But first! Congratulations to Ryanmarston, who won MockOut’s Mock Draft Contest for this draft. If you don’t have the app yet, you don’t even know.

Now, on to the superlatives! Below are the GMs whose teams are the most improved immediately after the mock draft, and set up for success in future rounds and future drafts.

Top GMs From MockOut’s GM Contest

1. @gm49ersdan

Gained: Hooker, Ross, TEN 3rd

Lost: SF 2nd and 4th

While this user was a little late to the game, I was told he approved of the first pick-trade combo, and since they were proposed from TEN to the 49ers (not a 49er proposition) I assume he would have accepted as well. But this top ranking isn’t so much for getting Hooker + the Titans pick #100 for the second pick, but for what they did at the end of the round. Moving up to get John Ross, who shockingly fell to pick 28, was opportunistic. Having to give up only pick #109 to make the jump from the second round was stupendous. Essentially, they drafted Hooker (who I love) at 2, John Ross (who I love) in the 2nd round, and got to move up 9 spots in the third, just because. Well done.

2. @dabears

Gained: Ramczyk, HOU 2nd, HOU 3rd, HOU 2018 1st, HOU 2018 3rd

Lost: 3rd, 2018 2nd

Many believe Houston is going to have to move up if they want their QB… it’s just a matter of who is going to get their bounty. In this contest it was the Bears, and while maybe it wasn’t quite the haul we’re used to seeing from teams moving up into the top of the draft for a QB, it was still plenty good. I like the Bears’ strategy of loading up on picks this year, where there is so much talent in the 2nd-4th rounds, as opposed to getting just future picks. Where I think the Bears faltered was in their selection of Ramczyk. I think John Ross would have been a better selection there, but this Bears team is now loaded with mid-round and future picks.

3. @whodeyknowitall

Gained: Barnett, Colts 3rd, Colts 4th

Lost:

The Bengals didn’t pull any earth shattering trades or jump around the draft and acquire players and picks, here and there, like some other GMs did… they pulled one smart trade, and grabbed a player that perfectly fits their system and their needs, at a great value. Just a solid get. I personally love Barnett, and would consider him starting at pick 8. That they were able to get him at pick 15 probably says a lot about the depth of the DE class, but also about the lack of excitement the draft community has over Barnett. All of that consistent, dominant production doesn’t disappear just because he didn’t light up the combine. The strengths in his game translate very well to the pro game, and I believe that a team will draft him in the top-10, well before he is slotted to go in all our mock drafts.

4. @raidersgm

Gained: Dalvin Cook, Jalen Collins, Dominique Easley, HOU 6th, Rams 2018 2nd

Lost: 4th, 6th, SEA 7th, Amerson, Connor Cook

On the opposite end of the spectrum were the Raiders, who made it near impossible to track all their trades as they maneuvered around the draft, both in this first round and in later rounds. But we don’t give points just for trading- they have to actively improve your team. I believe the Raiders did that. Mostly, I love that they moved up to grab Dalvin Cook, who will have a Zeke Elliott-type season running behind that O-line. The pro players they swapped for should give better value than the ones they lost, and pocketing the Rams second rounder next year is a great get. I don’t like how much they had to give up in the mid-late rounds of this year’s draft, but this team is very close to being elite, so it’s not a deal-breaker for me.

5. (tie) Sometimes it’s Best to Take the Value and Not Mess Up

@chargersgm

Getting Jamal Adams at 7 was comfortable and easy. Don’t get crazy, don’t try and impress people with a surprise pick or with a move down… just pull the trigger and be happy he’s coming to Los Angeles.

@scottinthe503

Similarly, having Kevin King fall to the Hawks at 26 was wonderful. He is everything the Hawks want and need. I don’t think he lasts past Philly in the real draft, but in this mock Seattle was calm and patient, and was rewarded for it.

*BONUS* Super Homer Award

@chefcurrysauce

I kind of lost track of the Lions, who like the Raiders, jumped all around the draft. But when I settled down and looked at it, and saw that they grabbed Jabrill Peppers at pick 22, then Taco Charlton at pick 32, I put the pieces together. Michigan. I can only assume they selected Wormley in the second, and Chesson in the third, after convincing Jim Harbaugh to come back to the NFL and be their head coach.

Full Mock Draft Results, with Additional Trades at the End

1. Myles Garrett, DE Texas A&M

2. via Solomon Thomas, DE Stanford

SF traded pick 2 to TEN for picks 5 and 100

3. via Mitch Trubisky, QB UNC

CHI traded 2017 1st and 3rd and 2018 2nd to HOU for 2017 1st 2nd 3rd and 2018 1st and 3rd

4. Jonathan Allen, DE Alabama

5. via Malik Hooker, S Ohio State

6. Marshon Lattimore, CB Ohio State

7. Jamal Adams, S LSU

8. O.J. Howard, TE Alabama

9. via Jalen Tabor, CB Florida

CIN traded pick 9 to Colts for Pick 15, IND 3rd round, and IND 4th round

10. Reuben Foster, ILB Alabama

11. via Mike Williams, WR Clemson

NO traded pick 11 to WAS for Beshaud Breeland and their 2nd round pick

12. Malik McDowell, DE Michigan State

13. Haason Reddick, OLB Temple

14. Gareon Conley, CB Ohio State

15. via Derek Barnett, DE Tennessee

16. Leonard Fournette, RB LSU

17. Christian McCaffrey, RB Stanford

18. Corey Davis, WR Western Michigan

19. Budda Baker, S Washington

20. via Pat Mahomes, QB Texas Tech

DEN trades pick 20 to NO for DET 2nd, MIA 2nd, NE 3rd round picks

21. via Dalvin Cook, RB Florida State

DET traded the 21st pick in the draft to OAK for the 22nd pick and ATL 2nd round pick

22. via via Jabrill Peppers, S Michigan

MIA traded pick 22 to OAK for 2nd, 6th, and ATL 3rd rounders

23. Zach Cunningham, ILB Vanderbilt

24. via Cam Robinson, OT Alabama

OAK trades pick 24 to ATL for Jalen Collins, 2nd rounder, 3rd rounder

25. via Ryan Ramczyk, OT Wisconsin

26. Kevin King, CB Washington

27. Takkarist McKinley, DE UCLA

28. via John Ross, WR Washington

DAL traded pick 28 to SF for 2nd and 4th round picks

29. via Evan Engram, TE Ole Miss

GB trades pick 29 and 4th rounder to LAR for Trumaine Johnson & Mike Jordan

30. Carl Lawson, DE Auburn

31. T.J. Watt, OLB Wisconsin

32. via Taco Charlton, DE Michigan

NO traded pick 32 and NO 3rd round pick to DET for Kerry Hyder, Ameer Abdullah, and DET 2nd round pick

Additional Trades

Lions Receive: Dolphins 2017 2nd

Dolphins Receive: Lions 2017 4th, Laken Tomlinson

Chiefs Receive: Packers 2017 5th

Packers Receive: CB Kenneth Acker

Rams Receive: David Amerson, Raiders 2017 4th, 2017 Seattle 7th

Raiders Receive: Dominique Easley, Rams 2018 2nd

Texans Receive: Connor Cook

Raiders Receive: 2017 6th

You can track changes to my mock draft, as well as other mock drafts from around the web, at WalterFootball’s NFL Mock Draft Database.