2018 NFL Mock Draft: First Edition

Here is my first edition of my 2018 NFL Mock draft.

1. Cleveland Browns- Sam Darnold, Quarterback, USC: The Browns are insistent to snag a potential franchise quarterback in this draft and Darnold would seem like the bet here. They have passed on Carson Wentz and DeShaun Watson in the past and they regret passing on both of them.

2. New York Giants- Josh Rosen, Quarterback, UCLA: Rosen openly admitted that he did not want to get drafted by the Browns, so the bet is that he gets picked here by the Giants. They don't necessarily have to draft a quarterback in this spot, but they don't get to pick in the top five often, so this would be their opportunity to draft Eli Manning's successor.

3. Indianapolis Colts- Saquon Barkley, Running Back, Penn State: The Colts have options here. They can trade down or take the best player available. I don't do trades in my mocks so give me the best player available here, which is Barkley, who can be impactful immediately and a security blanket for Andrew Luck and the Colts.

4. Cleveland Browns (via Houston Texans)- Minkah Fitzpatrick, Cornerback/Safety, Alabama: The Browns should go defense with this pick if Barkley is off the board and Fitzpatrick is the best defensive player perhaps in this draft. He would have an immediate impact on a secondary that needs playmakers due to his versatility.

5. Denver Broncos- Baker Mayfield, Quarterback, Oklahoma: This pick is a bit of a wild card because not only the Broncos need a quarterback, but recently the team asked Mayfield to be on their team at the Senior Bowl. The Broncos are a component quarterback away from being a contender again and Mayfield could appeal to them here.

6. New York Jets- Josh Allen, Quarterback, Wyoming: The Jets need a young franchise quarterback in the worst way. Josh McCown played well for them and I'd sign him to another one-year deal and 
Allen needs some work before he can step onto an NFL field, but his upside is tantalizing enough for a team that can redshirt him for a year to grab him.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Bradley Chubb, Defensive End, North Carolina State: The Bucs can go a number of ways with this pick. Chubb would be a good fit for the Bucs here with dominant edge-rushing and high level of play.

8. Chicago Bears- Calvin Ridley, Wide Reciever, Alabama: The Bears have a huge need at wide receiver and Ridley fits the bill. Ridley brings a downfield, speedy option on the outside and the Bears have lacked that for a few years now.

9. San Francisco 49ers- Quenton Nelson, Guard, Notre Dame: The Niners would be getting a steal if Nelson lasts until the ninth pick, as he's one of the few blue-chip prospects in this draft with a relatively high floor.

10. Oakland Raiders- Josh Jackson, Cornerback, Iowa: One can argue Jackson at this spot would be a steal. A breakout performer in 2017, Jackson led the nation in both pass breakups (18) and interceptions (8). His length and playmaking will upgrade an inconsistent Raiders’ secondary that has struggled to keep up with its disruptive defensive line in recent years.

11. Miami Dolphins- Roquan Smith, Linebacker, Georgia: The Dolphins defense struggled at the second level last year, and adding Smith would give them a boost both in run defense, where Lawrence Timmons struggled, and pass defense, where Kiko Alonso graded out terribly.

12. Cincinnati Bengals- Mike McGlinchey, Offensive Tackle, Notre Dame: The Bengals have to come out of this draft with a better plan for their offensive line after the disaster of 2017, and McGlinchey is a great step in the right direction. He has proven himself against some of the country's best edge-rushers during his Notre Dame career, and he'll improve both the pass- and run-blocking for a team that desperately needs it.

13. Washington Redskins- Arden Key, Defensive End/Linebacker, LSU: This would be a steal for the Redskins. The premier pass-rusher dealt with injuries himself in 2017, but he's impressed against top SEC talent and should be a constant sack threat in the NFL if he can stay on the field.

14. Green Bay Packers- Derwin James, Strong Safety, Florida State: Perhaps the best defensive playmaker in the draft, James is the new NFL prototype as a safety capable of producing against the run or in both man and zone coverage. Florida State also used him as a pure edge rusher, where he regularly pressured the quarterback.

15. Arizona Cardinals- Mason Rudolph, Quarterback, Oklahoma State: There will be plenty of turnover in Arizona with QB Carson Palmer and head coach Bruce Arians both retiring, and they’ll certainly be in the quarterback market. Rudolph has mixed opinions around the league, but he’s extremely accurate.

16. Baltimore Ravens- James Washington, Wide Receiver, Oklahoma State: The Ravens have lacked a deep-threat wide receiver the last few seasons and Washington would provide just that. He has the speed and route-running to be the first receiver off the board in a wide receiver class with no clear favorite at the top.

17. Los Angeles Chargers- Orlando Brown, Offensive Tackle, Oklahoma: The Chargers’ offensive line rebuild took a step in the right direction last season, but there’s still more work to do. Brown brings a physical run-blocker and capable pass-protector to Los Angeles. 

18. Seattle Seahawks- Denzel Ward, Cornerback, Ohio State: What a steal this would be for the Seahawks. The Legion of Boom could use more bodies, especially after a season in which the secondary wasn't healthy and showed a bit of vulnerability.

19. Dallas Cowboys- Vita Vea, Defensive End, Washington: Vea, a massive presence in the middle of a defensive line, will go a long way toward fixing that deficiency, while also providing enough quickness to penetrate into the backfield on some third downs.

20. Detroit Lions- Maurice Haust, Defensive Tackle, Michigan: Hurst doesn't have the size that teams are generally looking for in an interior defensive lineman, but his quickness more than makes up for that deficiency and makes him in particular a great threat rushing the passer on third downs.

21. Buffalo Bills- Tremaine Edmunds, Linebacker, Virginia Tech: Edmunds makes a whole lot of sense for Sean McDermott, who is used to having stud linebackers after coming to Buffalo from Carolina. Edmunds has the speed to cover the field and is a weapon rushing the passer as well after racking up 30.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in his final two years at Virginia Tech.

22. Buffalo Bills (via Kansas City Chiefs)- Lamar Jackson, Quarterback, Louisville: In all likelihood, the Bills will move on from Tyrod Taylor. Enter Jackson, who has more upside than Taylor and Jackson seems to be a polarizing prospect that could come off the board in a wide rage of possibilities, but if no one ahead of this spot falls in love with the former Heisman winner, I think this could be his floor.

23. Los Angeles Rams- Carlton Davis, Cornerback, Auburn: With Turmaine Johnson heading to free agency unless the Rams can work out a long-term deal, cornerback should be a need for the team heading into the draft. Davis brings similar size to Johnson at the position, and if he runs well at the combine, he could end up much higher than this when all is said and done.

24. Carolina Panthers- Courtland Sutton, Wide Receiver, SMU: Sutton put together back-to-back seasons of 1,000 yards and 10 TDs, and he scored 32 times in all in his three seasons with the Mustangs. He'll give Cam Newton a great replacement for Kelvin Benjamin in the offense.

25. Tennessee Titans- Rashaad Evans, Linebacker, Alabama: Alabama continues to churn out linebacker prospects and Evans brings an athletic presence who can fill multiple roles. He was more of an edge defender early in his career, and he pressured the quarterback on 67 of his 284 career rushes. However, he also showed well in a more traditional role over the last two years. Evans brings a much-needed speedy playmaker to the Titans’ linebacking corps.

26. Atlanta Falcons- Isaiah Oliver, Cornerback, Colorado: Oliver, a corner with good size and speed who would combine with Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford to give the Falcons a great trio of cover guys while also serving as insurance in case either of the team's top two corners become too expensive to keep down the road.

27. New Orleans Saints- Malik Jefferson, Outside Linebacker, Texas: The Saints should be happy with the play of Manti Te'o in the middle, but they need to surround him with more talent at the position. Enter Jefferson, a top recruit coming out of high school who has the sideline-to-sideline speed to stick on the weakside and play all three downs for the Saints on their young, rising defense.

28. Pittsburgh Steelers- Harold Landry, Outside Linebacker, Boston College: What a steal this would be for the Steelers. Landry would give the Steelers a boost in getting after the quarterback, in which they were vulnerable at this season.

29. Jacksonville Jaguars- Connor Williams, Offensive Tackle, Texas: The Jaguars would be wise to bring in a potential franchise left tackle after watching Cam Robinson struggle at the position this year, and Williams could fit the bill. Some analysts think he's a lock for the top 10, while others can't imagine him being taken in the first round. In the end, his potential on the blind side is too great for the Jaguars to pass on.

30. Philadelphia Eagles- Tyrell Crosby, Offensive Tackle, Oregon: With Jason Peters heading into his 36-year-old season, it’s time for the Eagles to address the tackle spot. He’s improved in pass protection, allowing only four pressures last season. He’s also produced at both right and left tackle during his time at Oregon.

31. Minnesota Vikings- Billy Price, Guard, Ohio State: Assuming the Vikings figure out what to do with their free-agent quarterbacks heading into the draft, Price would be a great target for them as a potential replacement for Joe Berger inside. Price would be one of the better starting centers in the league, so the Vikings have the option of sticking him at the pivot immediately and having Pat Elflein compete at a guard spot.

32. New England Patriots- Taven Bryan, Defensive End, Florida: The Pats have a need here and can use youth at the position and Bryan would be a good fit, who draws comparisons to JJ Watt.