2018 NFL Mock Draft

Ian Whitfield, Staff Reporter|April 10, 2018

2018 NFL Mock Draft
  1. Cleveland Browns- Sam Darnold, QB, USC-The Browns have made headlines with all the moves they have made with Tyrod Taylor, Jarvis Landry, Carlos Hyde, and Damarious Randall. Tyrod is good for now, but he is not the answer to a new look franchise in Cleveland. Darnold is a young QB that could be groomed and could learn to eventually become the leader of a new faced Browns team. Darnold doesn’t have one stand out trait like Josh Allen’s athleticism or Josh Rosen’s brains, but he is the most complete QB in the draft and would be great for the Browns in the future.

 

  1. New York Giants- Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA- The Giants have made headlines this offseason by saying they will not be drafting a QB, but how can they pass up on Rosen when Eli is going on 38. Rosen has incredible on the field management and is an all around very complete QB. The Giants will draft Rosen in order for him to be groomed under Eli for the future as the Giants have a lot of pieces still missing. One issue he has is he is very outspoken and will need to watch his mouth has he does not want to let that affect his young career.

 

  1. New York Jets- Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming-The Jets gave up an overload of picks in order to get the 3 spot from the Colts. This move almost guarantees that they are looking for a QB. With Rosen and Darnold off the table, that would leave Allen. Allen is no consolation prize though. Allen has freak athleticism and has lots of size. He has been drawing comparisons to Carson Wentz and he has huge potential to turn into a top tier NFL QB.

 

  1. Cleveland Browns- Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State- Even though the Browns signed a top RB in Carlos Hyde, Barkley is too good to pass on. A double headed monster of Hyde and Barkley along with the running ability of Taylor, and threats like Landry, Josh Gordon, and Njoku down field will be a scary sight for NFL defenses.

 

  1. Denver Broncos- Quenton Nelson, OG, Notre Dame- Nelson is the best O-lineman in the draft by far, and with the Broncos adding Kase Keenum to their roster allows them to pass on a QB for the time being. Nelson is a need for the Broncos whose O-line gave up 52 sacks last year (tied for 3rd most).

 

  1. Indianapolis Colts- Bradley Chubb, DE, NC State- It almost feels like destiny, no really, this is the perfect match for the Colts. The Colts totaled only 25 sacks last year (31st in the league) and had next to no presents on the D-line. The addition of Chubb to this D-line adds another level of scariness to it. Chubb is huge, 6’4” and 269 pounds, and is quite explosive and strong. He would be a perfect fit to fix the weak Colts D-line.

 

  1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State- The Bucs secondary was just woeful this past season allowing 261 passing yards per game, most in the league. Ward impressed at the combine and increased his draft stock by a lot. Ward offers a level of explosiveness and versatility at the CB position that could be an extreme boost to a struggling Bucs secondary.

 

  1. Chicago Bears- Minkah Fitzpatrick, CB/S, Alabama- The Bears have quite the piece sitting for them at 8. The Bears came into the offseason focusing on WRs for Mitch Trubisky, and they addressed that by signing Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel. This allows the Bears to focus on stacking the defense. Fitzpatrick offers a versatile ability of being able to play all over the field, and offers an extremely high level of awareness and could make the Bears secondary even better.

 

  1. San Francisco 49ers- Roquan Smith, ILB, Georgia- Smith is a true competitor with extremely good instincts and awareness. Smith is getting pushed by Tremaine Edmunds for the title of “top linebacker in the draft”, but it is hard to compete with the season Smith had this past year. Edmunds put up better athletic numbers at the combine with more size too, but Smith showed so well this season he would be a great add to the 49ers front seven. Smith would allow the 49ers to stack up their front 7 even more and put them in playoff contention.

 

 

  1. Oakland Raiders- Tremaine Edmunds, OLB, Virginia Tech- Freak Athlete. The only two words to describe Edmunds. The 6’5” and 253 pound linebacker offers insane agility with size and has a great tackling ability to go along with it. Coming off the edge with his speed will be a huge boost to the Raiders who need more speed and agility in their second level.

 

  1. Miami Dolphins- Derwin James, S/CB, Florida State- The Dolphins need an explosive defensive back to help bulk up a secondary that needs some help. The Dolphins were one of five teams to only have single digit interceptions last year. James is a natural leader and is very explosive. He is an ideal DB in today’s NFL and he can play all over the secondary.

 

  1. Buffalo Bills-Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma- The signing of AJ McCarron was a great pick up for the Bills as they sit at number 12 and do not need to trade up any higher. They have a somewhat experienced QB in McCarron who has shown well in his few NFL starts, and with the addition of Mayfield have a backup or a QB who could end up with starting role. Mayfield offers a complete fiery passion on the field who brings a top level competitiveness and has an extremely high level with his passing accuracy. This would be a great problem for the Bills to have trying to decide between McCarron and Mayfield.

 

  1. Washington Redskins- Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama- The Redskins recently traded for Alex Smith, but Smith does not have many options to throw to as of right now. Jordan Reed, Josh Doctson, and Paul Richardson are the targets for Smith right now, but the issue is that they are constantly injured. Ridley offers a quality WR for the Redskins who could have a dangerous aerial threat for the Skins if everyone can remain healthy.

 

  1. Green Bay Packers- Josh Jackson, CB, Iowa-The Packers allowed 237 passing yards per game (top 10 most in the league). They also gave up 30 passing TDs which is tied for 2nd most in the league. Jackson is a natural route reader, he had 8 interceptions and 27 pass deflections. He is a ball winner and has superb timing on jump balls. He would be a huge boost to an extremely weak Packers secondary.

 

  1. Arizona Cardinals- Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville- The Cardinals signed Sam Bradford this offseason, but he is not a certain QB1 for the Cardinals. Bradford is constantly getting hurt and has not shown well in his NFL starts. Jackson is a pure athlete. Is throwing is ability is at a high level, but not is not a NFL level passer… yet. Jackson is a once in a lifetime player who is gaining comparisons to Michael Vick. The Cardinals will be looking at one of the deadliest QBs in the league If Jackson can become more comfortable in the pocket and up his passing ability a little bit.

 

  1. Baltimore Ravens- James Washington, WR, Oklahoma State- The Ravens had two big WR adds in Michael Crabtree and John Brown, but the problem is not solved. Crabtree has only broken 1,000 yards twice in his career and is a WR2 at best. Brown is a big play threat, but that is about it. Washington offers a quick WR who is big play threat and is an all around complete WR who would make the other WR around him better by opening up holes with his speed.

 

  1. Los Angeles Chargers- Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma- Brown was a major disappointment at the combine, but that does not dismiss the fact he is quite the O-lineman. Brown is a complete rock solid lineman who will offer another level on a weaker Chargers O-line. Brown offers massive size at 6’7” and has tremendous arm length that makes him extremely hard to get around.

 

  1. Seattle Seahawks- Derrius Guice, RB, LSU- The Seahawks struggles at RB last season heavily affected their offense as they only had 4 rushing TDs all last season, tied more last in the league. Guice has been overshadowed by Barkley all season but Guice is quite the piece. He offers elusiveness and has speed as he ran a sub 4.50 on the 40.

 

  1. Cowboys- Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU- Dez Bryant is past his prime, the Cowboys need to accept that. Bryant’s skills are depleting and he is no longer a top level WR1. Sutton has great potential as he is a big frame with great jump ball ability. He has great catch in traffic and is incredible at keeping the defender on his hip on slants.

 

  1. Detroit Lions- Rashaan Evan, LB, Alabama- Evans bring a lot of goodness to the table. Great speed and explosiveness, good length, never gives up his gap responsibility, and never gets baited out of position. Not to mention he is built like a modern NFL LB at 6’3” and 234 pounds. The Lions have lots of positions to address including OG, TE, and LB. The Lions have a solid linebacker in Jarrad Davis, but no other piece to be a big threat. So why not create possibly one of the best LB duos in the NFL in Davis and Evans?

 

  1. Cincinnati Bengals- Will Hernandez, OG, UTEP- The struggles at the O-line have been a dagger for the Bengals, so why not buff it up with Hernandez? The 6’2” and 348 pound OG from UTEP has great movement for his size and is a natural at clearing the run lane with his fantastic lateral movement. Hernandez could end up being a great piece that Andy Dalton could lean on in the future as the Bengals have lots of rebuilding that still needs to be done.

 

  1. Buffalo Bills- Vita Vea, DT, Washington- Massive, great power moves, and ability to shred blocks like no ones business. Vea offers a big threat at DT that is just sitting there for the Bills. The Bills are in need of a new DT as Kyle Williams is bound to retire soon and Adolphus Washington is the only remaining DT for the Bills. Vea is naturally a nose tackle but also possess the traits of a modern NFL DT.

 

 

  1. LA Rams- Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State- The Rams have traded away LBs Robert Quinn and Alec Ogletree this offseason and now have a gaping hole in their linebacking corp. Vander Esch is a perfect find.. The edition of Vander Esch’s insane range from sideline-to-sideline and his ability to avoid blocks to make tackles would be a great fit to fill up the hole.

 

  1. Carolina Panthers- Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M- The Panthers finished the season last year within the 5th lowest passing yard total. Trading away Kelvin Benjamin midway through last season made the receiving corp of the Panthers relatively weak. Kirk is well built and has great body control. He is great against the zone and has naturally great hands. He would be a big boost to a Panthers offense that only has passing threats in Devin Funchess and Christian McCaffrey.

 

  1. Tennessee Titans- Harold Landry, DE/OLB, Boston College- The best part about this pick is that Landry is a brilliant defender who does not just play DE, but can also play in the OLB role. Harold could end up like Jadeveon Clowney because the Titans are likely to switch the star edge from Boston College to an linebacker role. Landry offers great movement and is very quick in his ability to switch direction. A brilliant athlete but does lack in height.

 

  1. Atlanta Falcons- Marcus Davenport, DT, UTSA- With the departure of Adrian Clayborn, the Falcons need a new piece on their DL.Davenport is an extremely aggressive D-Lineman who is extremely good lateral quickness and speed on the inside. With his speed and massive size of 6’6” and 264 pounds, Davenport is a top DT prospect sitting for the Falcons.

 

  1. New Orleans Saints- Dallas Goedert, TE, SDSU- Brees loves a high level TE, and the Saints haven’t had one since the departure of Graham. Goedert is a huge frame who has the ability to catch passes at all three levels on the field. He is very good at fighting through contact and finding holes while running his routes.

 

  1. Pittsburgh Steelers- Lorenzo Carter, LB, Georgia- The Steelers only possess one solid linebacker in TJ Watt. Watt had a magnificent rookie season, but the middle level of the Steelers was still exposed without another solid LB after Ryan Shazier went down.Carter is massive. The 6’ 6” and 250 lbs has a great ability to close space quickly and to shred blocks with ease. His lengthy arms are a huge help when making tackles and when closing space. Carter would be a huge boost to the Steelers linebacking corp.

 

  1. Jacksonville Jaguars- Mike Gesicki, TE, Penn State- Gesicki is a very athletic TE who had a great college career. Gesicki has great route running ability and does a great job running the seam without hesitation. The Jaguars do not possess a high quality TE, but do have a few decent WR that could benefit a lot from the addition of Gesicki. Gesicki would open up more routes for the very quick Jaguars WR like Dede Westbrook and Marqise Lee.

 

  1. Minnesota Vikings- Isaiah Oliver, CB, Colorado- The combination of Xavier Rhodes and Oliver would be absolutely devastating for opposing NFL teams. Oliver offers elite size with not only his frame, but extremely lengthy arms that give him a huge boost in pass deflections. He is very good at defending deep balls and fly routes with his great speed and strength, but has trouble guarding routes with quick slants or post in them.

 

  1. New England Patriots- Kolton Miller, OL, UCLA- Why not give Tom Brady more time to throw the ball. Miller is exceptionally large standing at 6’ 9” and 310 lbs. He has a work ethic that gives his 100% effort and uses his body size to his advantage. Still a little premature in his technique of blocking low (maybe because he’s 6’ 9”), but with size and raw talent like this, Belichick could have quite the piece to develop.

 

  1. Philadelphia Eagles- Connor Williams, OL, Texas- Jason Peters is coming off a torn ACL which caused problems for the Eagles at OL last year. They also need a piece to add with Lane Johnson for the future. Williams has great footwork and uses his hips at a high level. He is very good at predicting defensive-lineman’s moves and able to bat them away.