2018 Mock Draft #1

Mock Draft after the end of the regular season. 

1. Cleveland Browns - QB Josh Rosen, UCLA

It just makes too much sense for them to go with Rosen. In a Hue Jackson offense and with a good offensive line taking Rosen makes more sense than Darnold. He’s much more polished in the pocket, needs less time to develop, and is already used to standing in against a rush and playing from behind. Rosen is a better version of Matt Ryan and if Hue, Dorsey, and company get that, they will be ecstatic. I’d be surprised if this isn’t the pick in 4 months.

2. New York Giants - QB Sam Darnold, USC

While I probably agree another year at USC could help Darnold, if I’m a top 5 pick guaranteed there is a zero percent chance i go back to school so this is the selection. Darnold is raw, still needs some seasoning, and turns it over way too much. That being said he’s also a physical specimen, can run like a deer, and has the size and stature to make every throw. He also has the most important thing I think, which is the “it” factor. When you watch the team play, the kid is a total leader, and when the game becomes close he almost always comes through. He’s a bit ugly when you watch him play, there’s not a lot of smoothness here, that being said… i’ll take him every day. The kid is a freaking gamer and his size, mobility, and toughness means to me he can’t be later than the 2nd pick.

3. Denver Broncos - QB Josh Allen, Wyoming 

In this scenario I have Denver giving up a second in 2019 and their first in 2018 to move up two spots and grab the talented Allen. While there may definitely need to be some polishing up here this kid is as talented as any quarterback to come out of the draft in years. He’s big, with good mobility, and has an enormous arm. He’s a mobile Joe Flacco to me. The Broncos still have needs on their offensive line, but it got better this year. That being said their biggest need by far is at the quarterback position and in a wide open AFC West with an extremely talented defense, taking a big swing at qb makes too much sense.

4. Cleveland Browns - RB Saquan Barkley, Penn State

Clearly the best player in this draft and the best running back I’ve ever scouted, Barkley gives Rosen a dynamic and explosive weapon. Pairing him with a scary player like Duke Johnson and speed on the outside with Coleman and a potential underrated weapon like Higgins, and someone who could be a rising star at tight end in David Njoku means that Rosen has the chance to be good as a rookie. Barkley isn’t human. No one his size should have athletic ability and burst like he does. He’s the best player in the class and with these two guys, Cleveland may not turn it around immediatley, but there’s immediate hope. 

5. Indianapolis Colts - DE Bradley Chubb, NC State

Adding a 2019 2nd was a nice move in this draft, because it’s weak but the team still needs immediate help. While offensive line is the clear need with a team that gave up over 50 sacks in 2017, they also badly need pass rush help and the tackles here are probably a reach. Chubb is as polished a defensive end as you will get and while he doesn’t have the explosiveness or burst of a Clowney or Garrett, he plays with great effort and can also help stop the run, which is huge in a division with Tennessee and Jacksonville. He’s a really good player with both a high floor and a high ceiling. 

6. New York Jets - QB Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma

I would absolutely not do this if I were the Jets but from everything I’m reading it seems very likely that Mayfield doesn’t make it out of the top 12 picks in this draft. He’s small at likely under 6 feet tall and has some solid baggage both on the field and off. That being said he also was exceptionally productive, was a top tier leader, and is an all-time winner. He has tremendous accuracy, good mobility, and gives his guys the chance to run after the catch in a way that few quarterbacks do. The Jets overachieved this season and were competitive but their roster is still awful. They absolutely need a quarterback and won’t leave the first round without one.

7.  Tampa Bay Buccaneers - DE Arden Key, LSU

This was a really difficult pick with Minkah Fitzpatrick still on the board but there is nothing that helps a secondary like pass rush. I would take Fitzpatrick if it were me but this is a mock so I go with Key here because his upside is stupid. Key is a freak athlete with his size and speed combination and out of every potential top 10 pick int his draft he’s the one that screams bust to me the most. That being said he also could be a freak double digit sack guy who causes constant disruption so someone is going to take a big swing. The Bucs were terrible in pass rush this seaosn, probably the worst in the NFL at generating consistent pressure, so adding Key to this team makes some sense. I’d take Fitzpatrick here but the Bucs need for pass rush is too much so they grab high upside with pick 7.

8. Chicago Bears - WR Calvin Ridley, Alabama

There is one receiver who is clearly better than all the rest in this draft and it’s Ridley from the Crimson Tide. While he’s not an A.J. Green or Julio Jones he’s still someone who has number one potential in the NFL. He’s explosive and has some moxy to him with and without the football in his hands. I considered tackle here but the team’s completely bereft of weapons and its best pass catcher is a 5’6 running back a year removed from North Carolina A&T. We have to see what Trubisky is and we can’t if he has no one to throw to. I think the kid has a chance to be successful in the league, lets get him some weapons.

9. Cincinnati Bengals - OT Mike McGlinchey, Notre Dame

I had another trade here with the Bengals in desperate need of tackle help, they give up a 2017 3rd and a 2018 5th to move up two spots to grab the Fighting Irish tackle. The past two years the team reached on tackles and it showed with both of those guys, to be honest sucking and now the Bengals need to waste more draft capital on the position. There’s a chance that the new Bengals brass wants to move on from Dalton but after the top 4 qb’s go super early they make a move to grab a really solid player in McGlinchey. I actually think he has a lower upside of the other two tackles but his floor his higher. He is solid if unspectacular as a first round tackle but he’s a really nice player with less of a chance of failure. A nice pick at 9 and a pick Cincy needs if they want to protect whoever is behind center in 2018.

10. San Francisco 49ers - DB Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama

The 9ers really wanted to give Jimmy G, some weapons but when the best defensive player in the draft falls to you at 10 you just simply have to take him. Jimmy can make plays with whoever is out there in my opinion, the kid is a star in the league so you help make a mediocre defense better. Fitzpatrick is a really good corner but could be a game changer at safety so wherever you need the kid you’re getting a difference maker. The 9ers could be a VERY scary team in 2018 and when you add a piece like Minkah, maybe you make the Astride a little quicker.

11. Miami Dolphins - G Quentin Nelson, Notre Dame

One of the better players in this entire draft Nelson solves a long time Dolphins problem at the guard position. If I were taking bets on who would be a Hall of Fame player out of this draft there is a decent shot that Nelson would be my pick. He may not be perfect at the guard spot but he’s damn close as a prospect and he’s a guy who can dominate the line of scrimmage. Nelson is a really good player who can pass protect well but who could absolutely change your running game by blowing people up and creating huge holes. I hate drafting guards this early but Nelson is a different breed and in a really bad draft his upside and ability is worth the high selection here. He’s great.

12. Oakland Raiders - LB Roquan Smith, Georgia

After adding a couple more draft picks the Raiders still get the player they wanted overall in Smith from Georgia. A rangy linebacker and a terrific playmaker, Smith can run sideline to sideline chasing running backs and tight ends. The Raiders defense needed help at all 3 levels and while they were tempted to take Minkah, their need at linebacker and the opportunity to add more picks was too much to pass up. Smith is a really good player and someone who is made for today’s NFL. 

13. Washington Redskins - S Derwin James, Florida State

So much of what the Redskins do here will be determined on whether or not they keep Kirk Cousins, but I simply don’t think they can let him walk out the door. The dude is very productive and is a franchise quarterback, they don’t grow on trees. So I’m assuming they find a way to keep him and need to start looking to improve the roster around him. The team can run the ball a little bit and the underrated but interesting backfield of Perine and Thompson is pretty solid. Jamison Crowder and when healthy Jordan Reed are excellent in the middle of the field. The team could look to grab an outside guy here too, but James is simply too good to pass up at the 13th selection. He’s a physical freak who in his freshmen season could have gone in the first round, after an injury cut short his sophomore year he came back not quite as good this season. That being said he has a tremendous upside, and could really help a secondary that is going to have to figure out how to stop Carson Went for the next decade.

14. Green Bay Packers - OLB Harold Landry, Boston College

Denzel Ward was really tempting here but the team struggles to rush the passer with consistency, and if you draft Ward you might go into 2018 with a first year and a second year corner at your starting spots. I just think that might be too much to overcome in a division that has Detroit and the best wide receiver combination in the league in Minnesota. Landry is a really good football player who has a good motor, great instincts, and has shown awesome productivity. While his 2017 wasn’t great, his 2016 showed what he’s capable of and for a team that really needs pass rushers, Landry is an easy selection here at 14.

15. Arizona Cardinals - OT Connor Williams, Texas

Williams got bit by the injury bug this season but he’s an exceptionally talented lineman who could end up being as good as any lineman in this draft. He has good feet, mirrors well, and while his technique needs to get cleaned up there is high potential here. DJ Humphries started to improve this season, in my opinion but still has a ways to go. Williams talent gives them a ton of potential on the edges of their offensive line. This is yet another team that may be in need of a quarterback but I could see them potentially doing something different this offseason and really going after a good veteran like Alex Smith, Kirk Cousins, or Eli Manning. If they do, grabbing a good offensive lineman is never a bad move.

16. Baltimore Ravens - WR Courtland Sutton, SMU

There are a number of different ways the Ravens could go here but I have them getting Flacco a much needed weapon. The defense here in Baltimore is probably the AFC’s best but offensively Flacco has been completely mediocre in every season except his 4 game Super Bowl run. They need to get some weaponry around him and Sutton is the man to do that. He definitely isn’t the burner that the Ravens typically go after but he is good deep down the field and uses his 6’4 frame to catch a lot of 50/50 passes. This draft isn’t super deep at receiver and this is probably a reach but Baltimore has to find Joe some weapons or their offense may continue to sputter.

17.  Los Angeles Chargers - DL Christian Wilkins, Clemson

I know kind of a weird one with the edge players the Chargers have but the team was not good against the run this season and Wilkins can really help that. In a deep linebacker draft I think they grab one in round two and take a really good player who can play 5 technique on early downs and 3 technique on pass rushing situations. He’s extremely productive, can set the edge even in a 34 DE position, and creates havoc on the interior. The team’s biggest weakness in 2017 was run stopping and this selection goes a pretty long way in helping that improve.

18. Seattle Seahawks - OT Orlando Brown, Oklahoma

The Hawks tried to shore up a shaky offensive line spot by grabbing another Brown in a move with the Texas for veteran Duane Brown during the season. They try again here in the draft with 6’8 345 pound Orlando Brown from Oklahoma. OB is a monster of a man and has good footwork despite his size. He is a guy who might end up being a tremendous right tackle but he has some traits, including great length to potentially play on the left side. The Hawks need running back help too so Derrius Guice was in play here but their franchise is Russell Wilson, and with an aging defense, and the legion of Boom starting to lose its luster and maybe it’s triumvirate, the team NEEDS a healthy Wilson to stay competitive in a division that may be extremely competitive once again in 2018 and beyond.

19.  Dallas Cowboys - CB Denzel Ward, Ohio State

The Cowboys really need help at wide receiver as Dez Bryant will likely not be back in 2018, and even if he is back, he’s no longer a number one receiver. That means the team doesn’t have much in terms of weapons so wide receiver makes a ton of sense here. That being said while I like Christian Kirk, I just don’t think adding another guy who projects in the slot makes sense at 19 for a team that already has Cole Beasley and Ryan Switzer there. Instead the Cowboys try to load up at corner with a really good player in Denzel Ward. He’s not as good at Lattimore was last year but he’s a good player and someone who can come in right away and help out a okay but not great secondary. 

20.  Detroit Lions - RB Derrius Guice, LSU

Look I know that the Lions could use some help at corner, and may need a pass rusher if they don’t resign Ansah, and maybe even if they do resign him they could. However, this team simply needs a bell cow running back to help out Matt Stafford and Guice is that guy. He’s a really good player who can slash through the holes to pick up nice chunks of yards. Saquan Barkley gets all the publicity in this draft but Guice has a chance to be an incredible consolation prize much like Gordon was the year that Gurley got picked. 

21. Tennessee Titans - CB Josh Jackson, Iowa

The Titans made the playoffs but have to be disappointed in how their offense sputtered this season and the strange regression of Mariota. That being said they’re going with him moving forward and they have used a ton of picks on offense recently so they grab a quality corner here in Jackson. He’s an absolute ball hawk and in a division that has Hopkins, Fuller, and TY Hilton, having quality corners is a good thing. 

22. Buffalo Bills - QB Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State

While many consider this a reach and I still don’t know why Buffalo has zero confidence in Tyrod Taylor, they are clearly looking to get a quarterback this offseason. The team still needs weapons around whomever plays the position but they grab their qb here in Rudolph. He’s a big kid who can make most of the NFL throws you’d want. He’s been extremely productive and has played pretty well in Stillwater. There will likely be growing pains here though as the system he played in was wide open and the Big 12 doesn’t play defense. He’s a good player but his upside is somewhat limited and he projects more as a game manager with upside than a star.

23. Atlanta Falcons - DT Vita Vea, Washington

The Dirty Birds have free agents inside on their defensive line so they make a move here to grab the 350 pound Vea. The kid was the DPOY in the Pac-12 this season and is a consistent force for a team that was excellent on defense this year. He is a mountain of a man but moves very well for his size and shows a propensity to make plays in the backfield and consistently reestablishes the line of scrimmage 3 yards farther back than the offense wants. 

24. Buffalo Bills - WR Christian Kirk, Texas A&M

Their second pick of the first round after their move back last year with the Chiefs, the Bills try to get Rudolph a weapon to pair with Zay Jones and Kelvin Benjamin. Kirk is an undersized receiver who likely will play the slot a lot in the NFL but he’s extremely quick and is dangerous with the ball in his hands. If you’re looking for a wonderful security blanket for a young quarterback this pick could make a ton of sense. It’s still not a great receiving corps but this pick would help that out a lot.

25. Carolina Panthers - OT Martinas Rankin, Mississippi State

While they could certainly use a wide receiver here the team still needs to do a better job consistently protecting Cam Newton. Rankin is a really solid player who has the potential to play either side in the league. While I’m not sure the kid projects as a super star he looks the part and has movement skills and ability to move that could help out in a Panthers offense that is starting to look increasing like a college offense with the additions of McCaffrey and the likely increased role of Samuel next season. 

26. Los Angeles Rams - G Billy Price, Ohio State

I’m not sure where they go here, as linebacker, defensive tackle, and even in the secondary were options depending on their offseason. I went with Price here because while the team was very good offensively this year their offensive line is good and not great. Tackle made some sense because Whitworth is old but there wasn’t a player worth the value so I took a quality safe pick here in Price. Les Snead has built a really good roster so this could be a huge opportunity for a trade down here too. In this scenario I just grab a good player instead.

27. Jacksonville Jaguars - TE Dallas Goedert, South Dakota State

With the top receivers gone in this class the Jaguars make a reach here for a tight end. They’d love to trade down but in a shallow draft their forced to stay put and take an intriguing prospect here. Goedert has been extremely productive and while there may be some transition to his game he gives the Jags a weapon in the middle of the field. The team is dominant on defense and has a game changer at the running back spot in Fournette but they have to be more multiple on offense to continue their ascension and Goedert could be a dynamic play action threat.

28. New Orleans - DT Mo Hurst, Michigan

I don’t know if I love this pick but the Saints do need more help up front. I think Rankins is going to turn into a really good player and Hurst and he share some similar characteristics in terms of initial quickness. I think pairing him with Rankins in passing downs is a scary proposition and having someone who is really tough to block inside gives this team some versatitliy on the types of fronts they want to play. He may not be a perfect fit but he’s a really good player and I can’t see him falling to round 2. 

29. Philadelphia Eagles - LB Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech

I think the Eagles likely have the best roster in the NFL and they don’t have a ton of needs but Edmunds gives them versatility at the linebacker position and could play a number of different spots their. He has great size and speed combination and shows a nice feel for zone coverage, while having the size to play man. He’s been productive each year in school and has shown consistent improvement so his upside is still growing. As a rookie he could be a dominant special teams player and he could add even more depth to a wonderfully built roster.

30. Pittsburgh Steelers - LB Malik Jefferson, Texas

I really hope I’m wrong but I’d be surprised if star linebacker Ryan Shazier plays next year, and maybe not ever again. If that’s the case the Steelers need a rangy dynamic linebacker and that’s what Jefferson could be. He’s a bit raw and he misses some tackles but his athleticism is elite and he can make plays sideline to sideline a lot like Shazier did for Pittsburgh. I really hope I’m wrong and he can make a comeback and if he does this could be defensive line, corner, or even a running back to replace Bell if they let him walk.

31. - New York Jets - OLB/DE Clelln Ferrell, Clemson

Ferrell can’t make it out of the first round and while the Jets are likely looking for upgrades everywhere they simply give up an additional 3rd in 2019 to grab Ferrell here from Minnesota who doesn’t have many needs. He’s a really good pass rusher who could help give the Jets some pressure packages and looks that could help them compete better. After adding two really nice pieces in the defensive backfield last year and getting a real emergence from Robby Anderson and a nice secondary piece with Kearse, the Jets are trying to add a pass rushing beast and get a good player in Ferrell with minimum given up.

32. New England Patriots - OLB/DE Marcus Davenport, UTSA

I know people who are reading this are probably like who the hell is this? He’s someone who is already rising up draft boards and will continue to do so and I’ve read multiple reports where people are saying he could end up in the top 15. I have watched some tape and damn he’s explosive and scary off the edge. Obviously there is some growing pains here because of his level of play but he’ll be coached by the best in New England. They could use some help rushing the passer, as shown by them going out and getting 39 year old James Harrison for their stretch run. Davenport could end up being in a perfect situation for this team and with this scheme to end up being a super sneaky double digit sack guy eventually.