Football in many ways is a year-round experience.
The NFL’s 17-game regular season and postseason leading up to the Super Bowl offers the world plenty of thrills and chills. However, the “off” season is far from “off.”
The annual combine, free agency and – this year in particular – trades are always points of reference for football fans. And, of course, there is the NFL Draft.
This year the Draft begins Thursday, April 28, with the first round. The second and third rounds are on Friday and the remaining fourth through seventh rounds are Saturday.
The following are The Clayton Tribune publisher Enoch Autry’s top 100 projections of players who will hear their names called on Thursday and Friday. To see how Autry does with his selections, log onto www.thehuddlereport.com. The Huddle Report is an invite-only competition of first-round mock drafts and top 100 picks.
Autry has been a participant in the mock competition for the past five years against some of the best from CBS, NBC, NFL Network, ESPN and newspapers.
- Aidan Hutchinson, Edge, Michigan
- Kayvon Thibodeaux, Edge, Oregon
- Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
- Ikem Ekonu, OT, NC State
- Evan Neal, OT, Alabama
- Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State
- Travon Walker, Edge, Georgia
- Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
- Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame
- Jermaine Johnson, Edge, Florida State
- Derek Stingley, CB, LSU
- Jordan Davis, IDL, Georgia
- Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama
- Devonte Wyatt, IDL, Georgia
- Drake London, WR, USC
- Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State
- Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa
- Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington
- Zion Johnson, IOL, Boston College
- Malik Willis, QB, Liberty
- Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah
- George Karlaftis, Edge, Purdue
- Andrew Booth Jr., CB, Clemson
- Daxton Hill, S, Michigan
- Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida
- Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia
- Kenyon Green, IOL, Texas A&M
- Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas
- Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State
- Boye Mafe, Edge, Minnesota
- Tyler Linderbaum, IOL, Iowa
- Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh
- Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State
- Lewis Cine, S, Georgia
- Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State
- Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan
- Arnold Ebiketie, Edge, Penn State
- Perrion Winfrey, IDL, Oklahoma
- Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan
- Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati
- David Ojabo, Edge, Michigan
- Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington
- Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss
- DeMarvin Leal, IDL, Texas A&M
- Travis Jones, IDL, UConn
- Tariq Woolen, CB, UTSA
- George Pickens, WR, Georgia
- Tyler Smith, IOL, Tulsa
- Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota
- Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor
- Cameron Thomas, Edge, San Diego State
- Sean Rhyan, IOL, UCLA
- Quay Walker, LB, Georgia
- Jamaree Salyer, IOL, Georgia
- Nik Bonitto, Edge, Oklahoma
- John Metchie III, WR, Alabama
- Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State
- Christian Harris, LB, Alabama
- Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State
- David Bell, WR, Purdue
- Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn
- Kenneth Walker III, RB, Michigan State
- Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina
- Logan Hall, Edge, Houston
- Leo Chenal, LB, Wisconsin
- Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming
- Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina
- Nicholas Petit-Frere, OT, Ohio State
- Calvin Austin III, WR, Memphis
- Dylan Parham, IOL, Memphis
- Josh Paschal, Edge, Kentucky
- Abraham Lucas, OT, Washington State
- Kingsley Enagbare, Edge, South Carolina
- Drake Jackson, Edge, USC
- Brian Asamoah, LB, Oklahoma
- Darian Kinnard, IOL, Kentucky
- Darrian Beavers, LB, Cincinnati
- Troy Andersen, LB, Montana State
- Channing Tindall, LB, Georgia
- Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M
- Ed Ingram, IOL, LSU
- Phidarian Mathis, IDL, Alabama
- Cole Strange, IOL, Chattanooga
- Alontae Taylor, CB, Tennessee
- Jalen Tolbert, WR, South Alabama
- Zachary Carter, IDL, Florida
- James Cook, RB, Georgia
- Sam Williams Edge, Ole Miss
- Kyle Phillips, WR, UCLA
- Cade Otton, TE, Washington
- Cam Taylor-Britt, CB, Nebraska
- Rasheed Walker, OT, Penn State
- Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati
- Marcus Jones, CB, Houston
- Martin Emerson, CB, Mississippi State
- Mario Goodrich, CB, Clemson
- Wan’Dale Robinson
- Carson Strong, QB, Nevada
- Tyreke Smith, Edge, Ohio State
- Myjai Sanders, Edge, Cincinnati