Mel Kiper and Todd McShay’s dueling 2-round NFL mock drafts have some striking differences

Some NFL teams have enough needs that it makes it difficult to project what direction they’ll go in the first round. That was the case for ESPN draft analysts Todd McShay and Mel Kiper, who had some striking differences of opinion on a few players and teams in their latest two-round mock draft.

McShay has the LSU product heading to the Jacksonville Jaguars with the fourth overall pick. That would make Fournette the first running back off the board in his scenario, and that’s awfully high to take a running back by today’s standards. That’s where the Dallas Cowboys took Ezekiel Elliott last year, though, and it worked out for them. The Jaguars also have T.J. Yeldon and Chris Ivory on the roster, but McShay says Fournette would bring stability to the position for the Jaguars.

Kiper has Fournette coming off the board four picks later, to the Carolina Panthers at No. 8. The Panthers just signed Jonathan Stewart to a one-year extension, but the 30-year-old running back said via the team’s website that he has “open arms” to the idea of the team drafting a running back this year. Fournette would be a good fit.

Kiper projects the first quarterback off the board to be Mitchell Trubisky to the Jets with the No. 6 pick. It’s a sensible move, and while there are concerns about Trubisky’s starting experience, he has the qualities teams look for in a signal caller. He would definitely be able to compete with Josh McCown and Christian Hackenberg for an opportunity to start Week 1.

For McShay, it will be Deshaun Watson, going to the Chargers with the No. 7 pick. This was an unexpected twist, but taking Watson and giving him the opportunity to develop behind Philip Rivers into the Chargers’ next franchise quarterback is an intriguing idea.

They just differ on which quarterback that will be. Kiper projected Watson to the Cardinals in his third mock draft, but with Watson headed to the Browns one pick before in this scenario, Kiper went with Patrick Mahomes for Arizona. Mahomes has an extremely high ceiling and needs enough development that being drafted into a system with an established quarterback would be ideal.

McShay has Arizona going with Mitchell Trubisky. Trubisky is a little closer to being NFL-ready than Mahomes, but would also benefit from the opportunity to come into a system and learn from an entrenched veteran like Palmer.

Both Kiper and McShay think the Bengals will grab a wide receiver at No. 9, but they don’t agree on which receiver that will be. Kiper’s going with Clemson’s Mike Williams, who boosted his draft stock with a solid pro day performance. He’d be a nice complement to A.J. Green.

McShay has Cincinnati taking Western Michigan’s Corey Davis, who is big and fast but may be a bit of a reach this early. Still, receiver is a big need for an offense that looked flat after losing both Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu in free agency last season. McShay and Kiper flipped their picks for the Titans at No. 18, with Kiper projecting Davis to Tennessee and McShay picking Williams.

The Broncos need a tackle, and McShay and Kiper agree that Denver will get one with the No. 20 pick. Kiper thinks it will be Wisconsin’s Ryan Ramczyk, and McShay went with Utah’s Garrett Bolles.

Adding an impact defensive end would be a boost for the Lions defense, and it just is a matter of which one they want to take at No. 21. There’s a wealth of talent available at the position in this draft, and Kiper thinks Detroit will go with Missouri’s Charles Harris. McShay has UCLA’s Takkarist McKinley going to the Lions.

Despite the fact that Tony Romo is no longer a possibility for the Texans following his retirement Tuesday, neither McShay nor Kiper has a quarterback going to Houston with the No. 25 pick. Instead, they have the Texans boosting the offensive line with a tackle. Kiper has the Texans taking Alabama’s Cam Robinson, and McShay projects Ramczyk to Houston.

The Seahawks also need to strengthen the offensive line, but both Kiper and McShay have Seattle taking cornerbacks at No. 26. Kiper thinks it will be Alabama’s Marlon Humphrey, and McShay selected Washington’s Kevin King for Seattle.

Hue Jackson did his best to deflect questions about it at the owners’ meetings in March, but everyone knows the Browns are going to draft Myles Garrett with the first overall pick. It’s a foregone conclusion, and both Kiper and McShay agree on this one.

They’re of one accord at No. 2, also, with Stanford defensive end Solomon Thomas going to San Francisco. With the Niners’ pressing need at quarterback presumably filled by Brian Hoyer, San Francisco can afford to build its defense with a player who will make an impact from Day 1.

McShay and Kiper both have the Saints bolstering the linebacker corps with Haason Reddick at No. 11. That’s a huge need for New Orleans and a logical pick.

Tight end David Njoku would give the Buccaneers a versatile offensive threat at No. 19, and both McShay and Kiper have him landing in Tampa Bay. Incidentally, Njoku was Bucs Nation’s pick for Tampa Bay in Mocking the Draft’s writers’ mock.

In the second round, Kiper and McShay agree on San Francisco’s pick again. Both analysts have the Niners selecting safety Obi Melifonwu out of Connecticut. The 49ers have a talent deficit on both sides of the ball, and with the depth of talented defensive backs in this draft, it’s an opportunity for San Francisco to start rebuilding.

Both Kiper and McShay have the Jaguars taking tight end Evan Engram with the No. 35 pick, giving Blake Bortles another offensive weapon. They also agree on speedy wide receiver Zay Jones to the Chargers at No. 38.

With the No. 51 pick, both analysts have the Denver Broncos selecting tight end Adam Shaheen, who has a ridiculous combination of size, at 6’6 and 278 pounds, and speed, with a 4.79 40-yard dash.

Kiper and McShay both project running back Samaje Perine to the Giants at No. 55 and running back Alvin Kamara to the Raiders at No. 56.