Mock drafts are useless. It's something that almost any NFL analyst would admit to, but they're also fun to play around with. That's why they're so prevalent especially in the final days leading up to the draft.
One of the problems with mock drafts is that we never know just who will trade picks, moving up or down in the draft order. One such move can completely shift the rest of the drafting process.
Two teams that may make moves appear to be the Detroit Lions (currently picking 5th overall) and the Atlanta Falcons (currently picking 30th overall).
The Lions' general manager, Martin Mayhew denied rumors that the Lions were looking to move up to the top of the draft order (via the Detroit Free Press), but he didn't outright state that the Lions won't be moving in the draft either. One potential trading partner could be Jacksonville, a team that may want out of the second slot to gain some value before picking their player (perhaps Geno Smith).
Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff may be more actively searching for a trading partner, although it's not clear if/who the Falcons may want to move up to pick from the top end of the draft.
"If you feel that you want to package picks to go up and get the player that you feel can help the team, well, then you use your draft picks as fodder to go after that player," Dimitroff told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
We'll be hearing more and more about potential trades as draft day creeps ever closer, but it's worth keeping in mind that this year's draft class is perceived as lacking home-run players. Trades may be more abundant after the top end of the first round.
