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Imaginary Big 12 players draft, Part III

Following up on NFL draft weekend, we’ve been conducting our own draft, picking from current Big 12 players to fill out three 22-man lineups.

Below is a recap of the first 15 rounds of the draft from the past two days, followed by rounds 16-22.

As another reminder, this is NOT a Top 25 player ranking. It’s only an exercise in determining where the value of the league lies, and the different strategies to putting a team together from the league’s present talent pool.

Jake Trotter:

Brandon Chatmon:

Max Olson:

Round 16

  • Olson: WR/RB Tyreek Hill, Oklahoma State

  • Chatmon: OLB Pete Robertson, Texas Tech

  • Trotter: OLB Brandon Golson, West Virginia

  • Analysis: "To combat the offensive attacks I would face in the Big 12, I'm going with a 3-4 on defense. Golson, who led the Big 12 in forced fumbles last season, is another playmaking outside linebacker who would fit in nicely in this scheme opposite Striker." -- Trotter

Round 17

  • Trotter: LB Paul Dawson, TCU

  • Chatmon: C Dominic Espinosa, Texas

  • Olson: RB Johnathan Gray, Texas

  • Analysis: “I ended up getting a potential All-Big 12 running back in the 17th round. So I feel pretty good about that. Gray should be healthy for the opener, and he leads all returning Big 12 rushers with 86 rushing yards per game last season." -- Olson

Round 18

  • Olson: OT Troy Baker, Baylor

  • Chatmon: SS Quentin Hayes, Oklahoma

  • Trotter: OG Mark Glowinski, West Virginia

  • Analysis: "I wanted a safety who is comfortable in holding his own in coverage, while also having the ability to make plays all over the field. Hayes is the guy. With Worley, Shepherd, White, Barnett and Hayes in the secondary, I can unleash the rest of my defense on the quarterback and feel comfortable about my secondary holding its own against anyone." -- Chatmon

Round 19

  • Trotter: OG Nila Kasitati, Oklahoma

  • Chatmon: WR Tony Pierson, Kansas

  • Olson: SS Terrell Burt, Baylor

  • Analysis: "With Max and Brandon hoarding centers, I needed to attack the interior of my offensive line. Kasitati can excel manning either guard or center, and Glowinski is one of the league’s top returning guards." -- Trotter

Round 20

  • Olson: OT Halapoulivaati Vaitai, TCU

  • Chatmon: WR Jhajuan Seales, Oklahoma State

  • Trotter: WR Quenton Bundrage, Iowa State

  • Analysis: "The guys I wanted for my second guard spot weren't available at this round, so I'm going with the mammoth "Big V" Vaitai (6-foot-6, 308 pounds) and moving one of my other tackle selections inside. I ended up with a fairly good offensive line, which was pretty much my plan going in." -- Olson

Round 21

  • Trotter: CB Nigel Tribune, Iowa State

  • Chatmon: WR Wendell Smallwood, West Virginia

  • Olson: LB Nick Kwiatkoski, West Virginia

  • Analysis: “I picked up Bundrage in the previous round to seal up what I feel is the best all-around receiving corps, even if I didn’t get Goodley or Lockett. Tribune, the only true freshman to play for Iowa State in the past two seasons, is a corner with a ton of upside and, paired with Kevin Peterson, should provide me plenty of tenaciousness against the pass.” -- Trotter

Round 22

  • Olson: WR Jaxon Shipley, Texas

  • Chatmon: QB Trevor Knight, Oklahoma

  • Trotter: C Jared Kaster, Texas Tech

  • Analysis: “I just got the steal of the draft, and I knew I would wait until the final round to do so. As soon as Jake snapped up Petty, I knew I would be content with Davis Webb or Trevor Knight and wouldn’t draft a quarterback until the final round. The fact that Max opted for Webb made things even better for me as Knight has the versatility to run a run-heavy offense or spread things out and use his arm. He fits perfectly with the versatility I was striving for with each pick.” -- Chatmon