(This is a NO TRADE MOCK DRAFT. For more, download Three Yards Per Carry)

This is a No Trade Mock Draft, but there are two instances I do see the Miami Dolphins making a move with their 1st round picks. For one, if they are presented with a lucrative offer from the Broncos for #6 (swap), I do believe they would entertain it, having a reasonable expectation that Waddle or Smith will be there at #9.

The other instance I can see a trade, is in a Trade Down from #18 that lands them in a sweet spot before RB hot spots #24 (Steelers) or #30 (Bills) in order to gain an asset (or two) and land Najee Harris (or the Edge/LB of their choice) anyway, or possibly, a Travis Etienne. #18 is wide open, and all of these positions are in play with their 2nd pick in the 1st round (RB, Edge, LB, RT)

1. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-15)

Trevor Lawrence QB Clemson Junior 6’6″ 220 lbs

The Best QB Prospect since Andrew Luck. This time..for real.

2. New York Jets (2-14)

Zach Wilson QB BYU Junior 6’3″ 210 lbs

Zach Wilson really ran up boards in a short amount of time. The Jets went from a lock for Lawrence to blowing their draft position, to settling in and being happy with the BYU signal caller at #2.

3. San Francisco 49ers (6-10) (from Miami through Houston)

Trey Lance QB North Dakota State RS Sophomore 6’3″ 224 lbs

Some serious Tea Leaf reading suggested that this move up to #3 was made for Justin Fields. There are now reports that the 49ers have settled on Trey Lance or Mac Jones. This is not a spot where they really need to hide their intentions all that much, so I tend to believe these reports, but just refuse to believe this move was made for Mac Jones. Trey Lance goes here.

4. Atlanta Falcons (4-12)

Kyle Pitts TE Florida Junior 6’5″ 239 lbs

An extension for Matt Ryan, and one last shot at it with a Unicorn to pair with Ridley/Jones.

5. Cincinnati Bengals (4-11-1)

Ja’Marr Chase WR LSU Junior 6’1″ 208 lbs

Rumors that Burrow is pushing for Chase, are just rumors (disputed), and Bengals brass need to protect their investment. Having said that, I think they convince themselves that the investments they made in Williams and Reiff is enough at the tackles, and they get Burrow his 2019 bestie.

6. Miami Dolphins (10-6) (from Philadelphia)

DeVonta Smith WR Alabama Senior 6’1″ 170 lbs

I wonder what the Dolphins brass would do, presented with the choice between Waddle and Smith. On one hand, Waddle is probably the better fit schematically. On the other hand, HIS TEAMMATE won the Heisman, had better numbers, and is objectively, the better player overall. It’s close, but Smith gets the nod. BTW, who would Tua pick?

7. Detroit Lions (5-11)

Jaylen Waddle WR Alabama Junior 5’10” 182 lbs

While Detroit sends away Golladay and Jones, they need talent at the position. This is a gift.

8. Carolina Panthers (5-11)

Penei Sewell OT Oregon Junior 6’5″ 325 lbs

A big move for Watson didn’t martialize, so a smaller move for Sam Darnold has them looking to bookend Taylor Moton (current RT) with the best Left Tackle in the draft.

9. Denver Broncos (5-11)

Justin Fields QB Ohio State Junior 6’3″ 223 lbs

Broncos have a pretty talented roster, but Drew Lock has not settled the QB position. He gets competition for it now.

10. Dallas Cowboys (6-10)

Patrick Surtain II CB Alabama Junior 6’1″ 203 lbs

A Cowboys defense that was historically bad, pairs one promising Bama CB (Trevon Diggs) with another.

11. New York Giants (6-10)

Micah Parsons LB Penn State Junior 6’2″ 245 lbs

Giants made an investment on skill talent, and were big spenders overall in free agency. Parsons gives them a signature player for the Defense.

12. Philadelphia Eagles (4-11-1) (from Miami Dolphins through San Francisco)

Jaycee Horn CB South Carolina Junior 6’1″ 205 lbs

Their gambit to move up for a QB didn’t work, so you add talent to a secondary that has been begging for upgrades for the last 3 years.

13. Los Angeles Chargers (7-9)

Rashawn Slater OT Northwestern Senior 6’4″ 315 lbs

With Herbert, Skill players in Tow, Tackle help is necessary with an aging Bryan Bulaga as the only reliable starter at OT.

14. Minnesota Vikings (7-9)

Christian Barmore IDL Alabama RS Sophomore 6’5″ 310 lbs

Vikings need new blood on the Defensive line, and get a 3 tech penetrator for the interior to help the front 7.

15. New England Patriots (7-9)

Mac Jones QB Alabama RS Junior 6’2.5″ 217 lbs

With J.C. Jackson ready to break the bank, and Gilmore on the way out, one of the top cornerbacks makes sense, but Mac Jones drops to them instead, and they invest in the QB of the future at #15.

16. Arizona Cardinals (8-8)

Zaven Collins LB Tulsa RS Junior 6’4″ 260 lbs

Cards have a need at Linebacker, the Edge (Age), and they get both in one package here. Zaven is a versatile 3 down player that this defense desperately needs.

17. Las Vegas Raiders (8-8)

Alijah Vera-Tucker IOL USC RS Junior 6’4″ 300 lbs

LT Kolton Miller gets a partner on the left side for now. Vera-Tucker has also played Left Tackle before, which affords the Raiders some flexibility in the future.

18. Miami Dolphins (10-6)

Najee Harris RB Alabama Senior 6’2″ 230 lbs

So many ways the Dolphins can go here, from reinforcing the Offensive line with Tevin Jenkins to getting another chess piece for Coach Flores on defense, but I settled where I started. There is enough smoke to suggest that new OC Eric Studesville will get his way on a back, and he gets RB1 here.

19. Washington Football Team (7-9)

Christian Darrisaw OT Virginia Tech Senior 6’5″ 314 lbs

A team building well at all positions, besides tackle, makes Darrisaw an obvious choice here.

20. Chicago Bears (8-8)

Teven Jenkins OT Oklahoma State RS Senior 6’6″ 315 lbs

Bears can use some skill talent, but it has to start up front with them. Jenkins is a perfect fit.

21. Indianapolis Colts (11-5)

Jaelan Phillips EDGE Miami RS Junior 6’5″ 258 lbs

Colts can use a pass rusher, and Phillips may be the best off the edge for the job.

22. Tennessee Titans (11-5)

Caleb Farley CB Virginia Tech RS Junior 6’2″ 197 lbs

Titans can go in many directions (RT is one), and in this case, the BPA could be Caleb Farley, at a position (CB) that immediately helps an average secondary.

23. New York Jets (from Seattle 12-4)

Jalen Mayfield OT Michigan RS Sophomore 6’5″ 319 lbs

After drafting Wilson #2 overall, it makes a lot of sense to take a Right Tackle to play opposite of standout 1st rounder from last year, Mekhi Becton.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)

Alex Leatherwood OT Alabama Senior 6’5″ 312 lbs

The Steelers have traditionally had strong offensive lines in the Big Ben era, but there was a noticeable dropoff last year. Leatherwood begins to rectify that a bit.

25. Jacksonville Jaguars (from LA Rams 10-6)

Asante Samuel Jr. CB Alabama Junior 5’10” 184 lbs

The defense needs help, and here they add a CB to pair with 2nd year player C.J. Henderson.

26. Cleveland Browns (11-5)

Kwity Paye EDGE Michigan Senior 6’4″ 277 lbs

Olivier Vernon’s injury leaves a vacancy opposite of all-world end Myles Garrett, who himself battled injury in 2020.

27. Baltimore Ravens (11-5)

Azeez Ojulari EDGE Georgia RS Sophomore 6’3″ 240 lbs

Ravens need some help on the edge, and Ojulari fits the bill as a WLB/EDGE pass rush specialist they desperately need. Ojulari steps in and plays important snaps right away.

28. New Orleans Saints (12-4)

Rashod Bateman WR Minnesota Junior 6’1″ 210 lbs

The Saints can go in many directions, so going with Bateman here makes sense to compliment Michael Thomas and a skill group that didn’t look as formidable last year, as it did in years past.

29. Green Bay Packers (13-3)

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah LB Notre Dame RS Junior 6’2″ 216 lbs

The Packers take a swing here on a day 1 starter, to compliment a pretty good LB corp. 3rd down defense can use a boost.

30. Buffalo Bills (13-3)

Javonte Williams RB North Carolina Junior 5’10” 220 lbs

Not a reach when there is a “run” on RB’s for 2021 standards. Bills would be content with any of the top 3 backs, and they get one of them here.

31. Baltimore Ravens (11-5) (From Kansas City)

Levi Onwuzurike IDL Washington RS Senior 6’3″ 290 lbs

Ravens can use help all along the defense, and it probably starts with the DL. Age, depth are issues, and several roles get filled with the 2nd of two first round picks.

32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5)

Jayson Oweh EDGE Penn State RS Sophomore 6’5″ 257 lbs

The Bucs are clearly in BPA mode as they really have “everything”, so why not a high upside player at a premium position?

Alfredo Arteaga (@Alf_Arteaga) is one-third of the trio that does the Three Yards Per Carry (@3YardsPerCarry) podcast.

After the Miami Heat expanded their winning streak to 3 games on Thursday night against the Warriors, on the same night Victor Oladipo made his Heat debut, the defense is what truly stood out. Miami has the option to run lineups with 4, or even 5, of the most versatile defenders in this league, which was absolutely extraordinary to watch last night.

So, let’s take a look at every positive takeaway from the defensive end in that game, including player spotlights, team defense, and more…

– Victor Oladipo:

It would be offensive not to start this piece with Victor Oladipo, especially since he had so many great defensive flashes.

He eliminates any possible pass to the cutter as the play begins, then immediately switches onto Andrew Wiggins on the screen. He angles him to the baseline, knowing that he had Bam Adebayo for the cut-off on the backside. It leads to a turnover and Miami possession.

But that wasn’t the only thing that stood out on this play. They aren’t even one minute into the game, and Steph Curry is seeing his third different one-on-one match-up. Yes, third. From Trevor Ariza out the gate to Victor Oladipo the following possession to Jimmy Butler on this play. This told us the identity of this team right away, that they have defensive options now.

One thing that stood out about Oladipo in this game was that he is not easily beat when he’s on his heels, which is a terrific attribute. While it seems as if the ball-handler may be able to find an opening baseline on this possession, Oladipo stops him in his tracks. He then forces him to lose the ball, which could’ve led to transition offense.

And although I’ll dive into Duncan Robinson a bit more later, just take a look at this contest on Curry, forcing a miss to cap off a great defensive possession.

The part to watch on this play is the amount of switching Oladipo does in a matter of seconds, guarding three players in less than a 10 second span. The reason the switching is less problematic now is due to it being a revolving door of good perimeter defenders. If Oladipo noticed a weaker defender in that spot, he would probably fight over the screen.

Although the main part of this possession for him is the final contest, it’s about him being able to predict the offensive player. He notices Kevon Looney unwilling to utilize his size on him, which leads to him awaiting the jump-shot on the DHO. These are the attributes that make up a good defender.

Now, this was one of the plays that stuck out to most people when watching Oladipo’s debut. This team has gradually increased in the team defense category, but they’ve missed this one-on-one point of attack defender.

It’s far from an easy task to guard the greatest shooter to ever play this game, but he did it rather effortlessly. Aside from looking at Oladipo on this play, take a look at Adebayo, since that’ll tell you the level of defense Oladipo is bringing. If that was Kendrick Nunn or Goran Dragic on Curry here, Adebayo would not be standing on that side of the paint, since he would force the extra pass and rely on backside rotations.

And well, that right there is why Oladipo elevates this team on that end of the floor.

Here’s yet another example of predicting the offensive player, since it’s usually a good choice to take the charge when a big is running the floor, due to the lack of body control. Well, unless your name is Bam Adebayo.

He takes the hit at a crucial point in the third quarter, which seems to be a recurring theme lately, where the third quarter defense sparks offensive runs. And there’s nothing like drawing a charge to give the offense a bit of a boost, since gaining possessions is one of those things players always discuss as sparks.

Let’s take one last look at Oladipo’s defense in this game, and it’s pretty intriguing to acknowledge the difference in movement when a guy is taking you off the dribble, compared to other Heat guards. Possessions like this always end in a reach in foul, since foot speed is always an issue when they get you on your heels.

But as mentioned earlier, his recovery speed when back-pedaling is fantastic, and he doesn’t even need to use the slightest advantage with his hands, since he relies so heavily on his movement. He cuts him off, jumps in the air, and forces a risky kick-out which led to a Butler deflection.

– Bam Adebayo:

Other than this Adebayo block passing Udonis Haslem on the franchise blocks list, this play showcases something unique with Adebayo. Most shot blockers are guys who camp out on the bottom box, then rise up for easy swats when players attack. The difference with Adebayo is that most of his blocks in his career begin with him defending on the perimeter, and there’s a reason for that.

Even though every player is aware of Adebayo’s freakishly unique defensive skill-set for his size, it never seems to click until a few possessions like this. Guys see a big switched onto them and immediately think to themselves that they can beat this guy off the dribble. Well, until this happens.

It’s the Adebayo effect, and it leads to indecisive movement from guys when he switches onto them more and more.

Other than the result of this play being a Draymond Green score, it’s just yet another moment that defines Adebayo. Take a look at him blanketing Curry off the ball on this possession, starting way above the top of the key, following him to the corner, and flowing right over two off-ball screens. It’s just not a normal thing for a big man.

It also seems like Tyler Herro has been taking some Andre Iguodala defensive lessons, since he’s utilized that swipe down more and more. The only difference is that he may not get officiated on those plays the same way a veteran Iguodala does, but it’s pretty promising to see Herro finding ways to improve on that end.

And now, the play of the game, which ended up being the ultimate closing possession for Miami. Adebayo switches onto Curry without hesitation, while knowing his only option is a three-point attempt.

He has great body control on the final behind the back cross-over to continue into a strong contest, and leads to a Curry air ball. Once again, these just aren’t normal occurrences for big men to defend guards to close out games, but Adebayo is just that guy.

– Trevor Ariza:

Although the key point of attack defender for Miami has become Oladipo, Trevor Ariza has done as great of a job as anybody on smaller guys since joining the Heat. He tips the Curry pass 10 seconds into this game, while Bally Sports still hasn’t even placed the scoreboard on the screen.

He stays right with Curry on the second switch, and his lengthy wingspan allows him to get a nice block on his mid-range jumper, kicking off the Oladipo defensive era with quite the bang. And honestly, I wouldn’t be shocked if Coach Spo has Ariza begin on talented point guards instead of Oladipo, especially if Oladipo gets into a real rhythm offensively, which could lead to taking some pressure off of him.

Guards aren’t the only position he can cover, since he did a pretty great job on guys like Draymond Green as well. He awaits the Curry drive so he can cut it off, which would pretty much put him out of the position for a Green drive after receiving the ball.

Except he somehow turns and recovers, while angling himself toward the basket for quite the contest on a Green runner. When Ariza begins to truly find himself in the offensive scheme, which he began to do slowly in the first half of this game, it’ll be an interesting choice for Coach Spo when deciding between him and Iguodala in certain situations.

– Jimmy Butler:

I figured we should limit Jimmy Butler defensive talk to one clip, since it’s something I dive into almost every single game. The one thing that I wanted to point out here is Butler’s ability to guard bigger guys, especially in the post.

Obviously his savviness allows him to poke the ball free like he did here, or pull the chair when they try to overpower him, but his overall strength is really impressive. He has continually been able to handle post players, especially since Adebayo never feels the urge to help when he’s in that position. And it’s the one thing that basically covers up some of Adebayo’s soft switching on the perimeter, since Butler is capable of handling it on the backside.

– Tyler Herro/Duncan Robinson:

You may be wondering how Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro found themselves on a defensive piece, but it’s extremely important to track their development, especially on a night where both of them had plenty of good flashes.

It’s necessary to begin with this impressive Robinson block, not only because it’s a highlight play for him, but also why it occurred. When I discussed his development on this side of the ball recently, I mentioned the need to utilize his length to his advantage. And he did just that here, since even though it looked as if Kelly Oubre had a step on Robinson, his reach allowed him to recover and send it back.

These are the plays that weren’t happening a few months ago with Robinson on the defensive end. He gets put on an island at the top of the key, covering Andrew Wiggins, and not only does he not get beat, but he forces a kick-out to Green.

When he’s capable of making defensive plays like this consistently, it makes this team’s defense even more elite when he’s surrounded by four above average defenders. This play also refers back to the Ariza discussion, since he stays on Curry even while Green sets the immediate screen, and somehow keeps a hand in his face forcing the miss.

This possession is another moment that solidified a point I mentioned in my past piece. Defense elevates when shots are dropping, and it can make below average defenders at least average. After a Robinson three, he eliminates the rolling Looney as Bjelica lags behind, then flies back out to the wing at Kent Bazemore.

He swipes down and forces a jump-ball, mostly due to that made shot on the other end. As much as the phrase is defense to offense, this team seems to feed off offense to defense much more.

To further that earlier point about Robinson defending on an island out on the perimeter, here it is again, and here is Robinson stepping up in that area. He drops down on Green to await the rotation from Herro, then pops back out to Wiggins.

Once again, a few months ago, Wiggins would probably get a pretty good look on this possession, but Robinson seems to know exactly where he is going, and contests the shot to perfection. And another recurring theme: using his length to his advantage.

Teams are still finding ways to pick on Herro as much as possible on the defensive end, but it always seems to end late in the fourth. When things begin to clamp down at this point of the game, he always seems to make some of his best defensive plays, which may be a bit of awaiting the pass to the guy he is guarding since that’s usually the plan.

Even without a lengthy wingspan, he keeps his arms up to try and eliminate the pass to the cutter, but Green passes it anyway. He deflects the pass right into Butler’s hands, which was a big moment when Miami felt they pretty much had this game in their favor.

– Team Defense

Now that we addressed many of the individual plays that Heat players made, let’s finish this off with some of the team defense that is constantly harped on.

As Green fakes the DHO and dives to the rim, he gets stuck since Looney isn’t running in his direction. He still is forced to make that pass, and Herro, Butler, and Ariza collapse at that middle point to force a turnover. Also, these moments of slight overplaying just shows the level of confidence that they have in their rotations, which is a major element.

If you want a look into what Miami’s perimeter switching looks like when they have multiple versatile defenders on the floor, here you go. Adebayo crashes onto Poole to extract any possible dribble penetration, while Oladipo switches comfortably on Looney.

Oubre tries to take Iguodala off the dribble but is unsuccessful, so he kicks back out to Poole with Adebayo still blanketing. They roughly flow into a DHO as Adebayo pops out on Oubre, forcing a miss, and creating quite the glimpse of how good this Heat defense can be.

On this play, Adebayo reads the offense to slide over and cut off any possible lay-up for Wiggins. He uncomfortably kicks it out to a swarming corner with Butler and Ariza, which Butler saves it into him leading to a foul call.

Now, although Adebayo made this play, go back and watch it again, while focusing on both Butler and Ariza. They both knew where that ball was going next, which just shows the IQ of this Heat defense at this stage. When rotations are as crisp as this, it won’t even matter what personnel is on the floor, due to the scheme carrying the way.

One of the ways Miami handled Curry in the first match-up with him was by blitzing him on every screen, basically forcing every other player to beat them. And although they relied on individual defenders much more this time around, they sprinkled it in once in a while.

That occurred on this possession, as Bjelica flashed high and deflected the pass. While Bjelica reverting back may have seemed like a breakdown was coming, they recovered rather quickly, forcing the Warriors to reset. Curry receives the hand-off, which is something Iguodala has seen way too many times before, and blocks the shot. Although this play ended in a foul call, which was a bit interesting after the replay, it just shows the different things this team is capable of on that end of the floor.