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NFL Draft: Greg Cote totals 9 Exactos in scorching-hot mock draft as Dolphins get Chop Robinson 21st

Greg Cote
·9 min read

My 33rd annual Miami Herald mock draft is on the clock and I’m doubling down on the potential for public embarrassment by doing a live, real-time commentary tonight on how my picks fared in the first round of the NFL Draft in Detroit.

Or will I be bathing in a champagne-filled vat of Exactos!?

I invite you to join us and check back often to see how we’re doing with our mock picks listed below. But I do not recommend any sort of drinking game in which you take a shot after every pick I bull’s-eye, because you are at risk of getting mighty thirsty.

Last year I had five Exactos (right player to right team or in exact draft order), or 16.1 percent. I correctly had 25 of 31 first-round selections overall, or 80.6 percent. Those are the numbers I’ll be hoping to beat tonight.

And did!

Had a big, big total of nine Exactos -- 28.1 percent -- to almost double last year’s total. Also improved by one in overall 1R picks. The review:

1. Chicago Bears--Caleb Williams, QB, Southern Cal: THE PICK--Caleb Williams. EXACTO! Zero surprise. Absolutely insane crowd in Detroit. So weird the draft has become such a major live fan event. The marketing power of King Sport! Loved Eminem walking out with Roger Goodell to make the commissioner seem (slightly) cooler by osmosis. He got booed anyway. But so weird seeing Jared Goff actually popular somewhere. (Spoiler alert! NHL Lightning two quick goals to start second period to tie Panthers, 2-2. Ouch.) Mock score: 1 Exacto, 1-for-1 1R overall.

2. Washington Commanders--Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU: THE PICK--Jayden Daniels. EXACTO! No real surprise. ESPN’s Booger McFarlandis dressed like an Orange Bowl Committee representative. Mock score:2 Exactos, 2-for-2 1R overall.

3. New England Patriots--Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina: THE PICK--Drake Maye. EXACTO! Not a huge surprise, either. Still, a great start for us! Should get 4tgh pick right, too. Then it gets much tougher. Mock score: 3 Exactos, 3-for-3 1R overall.

4. Arizona Cardinals--Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State: THE PICK--Marvin Harrison Jr. EXACTO! No real surprises in draft yet. But we’re perfect so far, bay-bee! Marvin Jr. leads the draft in dreads. (Spolier alert: Panthers tie Lightning, 2-2 Reinhart.) Mock score: 4 Exactos, 4-for-4 1R overall.

5. Los Angeles Chargers--Malik Nabers, WR, LSU: THE PICK--Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame. First trade of draft night here, perhaps? No. Bolts stay put and take guy I had going two spots later. My first blemish of night. Alt did not look real thrilled ha ha. Mock score: 4 Exactos, 5-for-5 1R overall.

6. New York Giants--Rome Odunze, WR, Washington: THE PICK--Malik Nabers, WR, LSU. Had Nabers going one spot higher. Nabers leads the draft in tailored interior jacket lining. (Spoiler alert! Panthers up 3-2!) Mock score: 4 Exactos, 6-for-6 1R overall.

7. Tennessee Titans--Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame: THE PICK--J.C. Latham, OT, Alabama. Alt went two spots higher, so Titans go for same position in an OT-rich draft. I had Latham going 17th overall. Mock score: 4 Exactos, 7-for-7 1R overall.

8. Atlanta Falcons--Dallas Turner, OLB, Alabama: THE PICK--Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington. Stunner! Late rumor Falcons were going QB despite signing vet Kirk Cousins. Was hard to believe. Needed defense! And Penix was not a consensus first round guy -- and nowhere in my first round. Fourth QB taken. Mock score: 4 Exactos, 7-for-8 1R overall.

9. Chicago Bears--Brian Thomas, WR, LSU: THE PICK: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington. Had right position but wrong guy for Bears’ second pick. Had Odunze going three spots higher. Mock score: 4 Exactos, 8-for-9 1R overall.

10. Minnesota Vikings--J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan: Trade! Vikings deal with Jets to move up one spot. THE PICK: J.J. McCarthy. EXACTO! McCarthy has a handsome dog. Labrador? Mock score: 5 Exactos, 9-for-10 1R overall.

11. New York Jets--Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia: Trade! NYJ moves down one spot from 10th. THE PICK: Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn State. Had him going 14th. Mock score: 5 Exactos, 10-for-11 1R overall.

12. Denver Broncos--Bo Nix, QB, Oregon: THE PICK: Bo Nix. EXACTO! Sixth QB taken already, tying the all-time draft mark set in 1983 (Dan Marino’s draft). Really nice Exacto by me! Mock score: 6 Exactos, 11-for-12 1R overall.

13. Las Vegas Raiders--Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama: THE PICK: Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia. I had Bowers going two spots higher. Mock score: 6 Exactos, 12-for-13 1R overall.

Taking a brief break in our live mock night to write a column on tonight’s Panthers-Lightning playoff Game 3. OK here is the column. Now let’s catch back up to our draft!...)

14. New Orleans Saints--Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn State: THE PICK: Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State. Right position, wrong guy. My guy went three spots higher. I had Fuaga going four lower. Mock score: 6 Exactos, 13-for-14 1R overall.

15. Indianapolis Colts--Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo: THE PICK: Laiatu Latu, OLB, UCLA. Latu had neck surgery, but a great pick if he’s healthy. I had him going 23rd. Mock score: 6 Exactos, 14-for-15 1R overall.

16. Seattle Seahawks--Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas: THE PICK: Byron Murphy. EXACTO! Huge mid-round hit for me. Mock score: 7 Exactos, 15-for-16 1R overall.

17. Minnesota Vikings--Laiatu Latu, OLB, UCLA: Trade. Vikes deal with Jaguars to move up from 23rd. THE PICK: Dallas Turner, OLB, Alabama. Right position, wrong player. Turner is a steal at 17; I had him going 8th. Mock score: 7 Exactos, 16-for-17 1R overall.

18. Cincinnati Bengals--Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State: THE PICK: Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia. Again with the right position but wrong guy. Fuaga went 14th. I had Mims going 24th. Mock score: 7 Exactos, 17-for-18 1R overall.

19. Los Angeles Rams--Jared Verse, DE, Florida State: THE PICK: Jared Verse. EXACTO! Wow. Great draft for me so far! Mock score: 8 Exactos, 18-for-19 1R overall.

20. Pittsburgh Steelers--Troy Fautanu, OT/OG, Washington: Troy Fautanu. EXACTO! Pinch me. This is crazy. Mock score: 9 Exactos, 19-for-20 1R overall.

21. MIAMI DOLPHINS--GRAHAM BARTON, C, DUKE: THE PICK: CHOP ROBINSON, OLB, PENN STATE. Ouch. Such a great draft, but I misfired on the one pick I like to get most of all. Thought they were going interior O-line, and should have. I think Dolphins preferred FSU’s Jared verse for an edge guy, but he went two spots sooner. I had Robinson going 26th. This pick may indicate some concern that Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb, both in similar roles and recovering from serious injuries, may not be ready for the start of the regular season. Mock score: 9 Exactos, 20-for-21 1R overall.

22. Philadelphia Eagles--Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa: THE PICK: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo. Yet another right position, wrong guy. I had Mitchell going much earlier, at 15th. Mock score: 9 Exactos, 21-for-22 1R overall.

23. Jacksonville Jaguars--J.C. Latham, OT, Alabama: Trade. Jags move down from 17th in deal with Vikings. THE PICK: Brian Thomas, WR, LSU. I overestimated Thomas; had him going 9th. Thomas leads the draft in indoor sunglasses. Mock score: 9 Exactos, 22-for-23 1R overall.

24. Detroit Lions--Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama: Trade. Draft-site Detroit trades up five spots with Dallas. THE PICK: Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama. Another right position, wrong pick guy. Good choice here; I had Arnold going way sooner, at 13th. Arnold leads the draft in pink suits with white bowties. Mock score: 9 Exactos, 23-for-24 1R overall.

25. Green Bay Packers--Dareius Robinson, DT/DE/OLB, Missouri: THE PICK: Jordan Morgan, OT, Arizona. Huh! A surprised. Morgan did not show up in many mock drafts, including my own. Loved TV showing the Packers fan with the dumbfounded look. Mock score: 9 Exactos, 23-for-25 1R overall.

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers--Chop Robinson, OLB, Penn State: THE PICK: Graham Barton, C, Duke. Weird. My pick for Tampa went to Miami. And my pick for Miami went to Tampa. Mock score: 9 Exactos, 24-for-26 1R overall.

27. Arizona Cardinals--Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson: THE PICK: Dareius Robinson, DT/DE/OLB, Missouri. I had Robinson going two spots sooner. Mock score: 9 Exactos, 25-for-27 1R overall.

28. Kansas City Chiefs--Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia: Trade. Super Bowl champs move up four spots in deal with Buffalo. THE PICK: Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas. Another right position/wrong guy case. Worthy has the speed to finally replace Tyreek Hill. I did not have Worthy in my first round, but he was really, really close. Mock score: 9 Exactos, 25-for-28 1R overall.

29. Dallas Cowboys--Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia: Trade. Dallas trades down five spots in deal with draft host Detroit. THE PICK: Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma. Latest in a slew of right position/wrong guy for me. My guy Mims went 18th. Did not have Guyton in my mock but he was among the last men out. Mock score: 9 Exactos, 25-for-29 1R overall.

30. Baltimore Ravens--Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU: THE PICK: Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson. I had Wiggins going three spots sooner. Mock score: 9 Exactos, 26-for-30 1R overall.

31. San Francisco 49ers--Jackson Powers-Johnson, C, Oregon: THE PICK: Ricky Pearsall, WR, Florida. Finally, a state guy gets drafted. Did not have Pearsall in my mock in what appears a reach by Niners. Mock score: 9 Exactos, 26-for-31 1R overall.

32. Carolina Panthers--No original pick in round: Trade. Carolina moves up one spot to 32nd, Buffalo moves out of first round from 32nd to 33rd. THE PICK: Xavier Legette, WR, South Carolina. Note: I had Buffalo selecting Texas WR Adonai Mitchell, who was not taken in first round. Did not have Legette in my mock. FINAL MOCK SCORE: 9 Exactos, 26-for-32 1R overall.

Thanks y’all for following along!