Cats Illustrated Mock Draft: Round 1 picks

Spring football is here and a flurry of spring and summer recruiting news, with commitments, is surely on the horizon. We at Cats Illustrated will be all over the relevant news on those fronts.

But we're trying something new to get you through the offseason.

Staff writers T.J. Walker, Jeff Drummond and Justin Rowland are trying out a mock draft featuring only current Kentucky football players. You'll find our Round 1 picks, with accompanying explanation, as we argue our case below.

But first, an explanation of how this will work.

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Anyone familiar with fantasy sports will be somewhat familiar with this exercise, although we've made up our own rules and roster sizes. There will be no statistical battle through the season. This is to help you (and us) get through the long offseason.

At the end of our draft, each of us will have selected: 1 quarterback, 1 running back, 3 receivers, 1 tight end, 5 offensive linemen, 4 defensive linemen, 4 linebackers, 4 defensive backs and one specialist. Additionally, we'll each have the opportunity to pick (at any point in the draft) one current coach on Kentucky's staff, whether it be Mark Stoops, a coordinator or a position coach.

At the end of the draft we'll put the rosters up for a vote, and fans can decide who has the best team or who made the most convincing case.

A random drawing has T.J. picking first in this snake draft format, which means he'll pick third in the second round and first again in the third. Jeff picks second in every round and Justin drew the last draw, which means he'll pick third, first, third and so-on.

Note also, those doing the drafting are making their picks under the assumption that everyone will be healthy by the time the season begins.

Round 1 picks

T.J. Walker

Benny Snell, RB: It would be a crime to miss on the best player on Kentucky's football team with my first pick. Snell may go down as one of the best players in Kentucky football history and this will be his farewell season. You can't be one dimensional in the SEC, but you must have a strong running game to be competitive. In our fantasy draft I will have the best offensive weapon and the best overall player.

Jeff Drummond

Lynn Bowden, WR/ATH: I think TJ went with the pick all three of us would have to make at No. 1 as Snell is the heart and soul of the UK team. That being said, I think I’ve picked up the best (cue Jerry Claiborne voice) ath-ul-ete and most dynamic playmaker on the team. This is a breakout year for Bowden, and I feel like he gives me a game-changer at recievier, as a “Wildcat” threat, and on special teams.

Justin Rowland

Terry Wilson, QB - I don't even know if Wilson is going to be Kentucky's starter. I think that's very much up in the air. I'm not saying I think he's a first round player on merit or even by how good he's going to be. This pick is about positional scarcity and how important the QB position always is. I'm exploiting the fact that there are really two solid quarterback options in this draft. I don't want to miss out on both Wilson and Hoak, so I'll try to force the other guys into using a second round pick on a quarterback, leaving the other scrambling to find an answer behind center (although Jeff does have Bowden, intriguing behind center). If my next pick wasn't the very next one, I would probably go with one of Kentucky's top defensive standouts to secure a playmaker on that side of the ball, but I think there are a number of good options on defense that will be available later.

If I had T.J.'s pick I also would have taken Snell because you know what you're getting and he's a phenomenal player to build around. I can also see Bowden at two because he's primed for a huge step forward and could conceivably slot at QB in this mock format.