Re-Drafting the 2018 NFL Draft
"If I could turn back time, if I could find a way…"
It's everyone's favorite Cher song (admit it—it's in your head now). And it's the mantra of all 32 NFL general managers as they look back at a three- or five-year-old draft class and wonder what the heck they were thinking when it was their turn to pick.
But what if you could? What if you could go back with several years' knowledge of how players will perform in the NFL? What if you could erase mistakes and grab guaranteed stars instead of the fat bag of maybe that is the real thing? How much different would the draft look at the end of one round?
Hint—it's a lot different.
That's what we're going to do here. Five years after one of the most heralded quarterback classes in recent memory, we're going back through the 2018 NFL draft and re-doing the first round.
In case you were wondering, the first pick ain't Baker Mayfield.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: For the purposes of this re-draft, all trades that took place after the draft began on April 26, 2018 were reversed. However, trades that were made before draft day remain intact.
1. Cleveland Browns
1 of 32
The Pick Then: Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
The Pick Now: Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
Over the span of two years, the Cleveland Browns had consecutive No. 1 overall picks in classes that included Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen. That the Browns wound up with none of them and instead drafted Baker Mayfield in 2018 is so very Cleveland, although Watson would eventually wind up in Cleveland on a fully guaranteed, $230 million contract.
That's just salt in the wound.
This time, though, the Browns will get it right with a pick that could have ostensibly altered the entire trajectory of their franchise.
There were questions about Josh Allen's accuracy entering the NFL, but after struggling a bit in that regard his first two years, Allen has topped 60 percent and 4,000 passing yards in each of the past three seasons. He has thrown 138 career touchdown passes against 60 interceptions, won 52 of 76 regular-season starts and led the Buffalo Bills to the playoffs each of the past four seasons.
Since the Browns re-joined the NFL In 1999, they have made the playoffs twice—total.
2. New York Giants
2 of 32
The Pick Then: Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
The Pick Now: Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
This one is actually tough. Saquon Barkley has been a great player at times for the Giants over five seasons. Quarterback Daniel Jones, whom the Giants drafted sixth overall the following year, teamed with Barkley to lead the G-Men to the postseason in 2022.
Still, you just don't pass on drafting an MVP quarterback like Lamar Jackson.
Since that magical season in 2019 when he rushed for a quarterback single-season record 1,206 yards and led the league with 36 touchdown passes, Jackson has been unable to duplicate those gaudy numbers. He has also missed substantial time in each of the past two seasons. But he's the only quarterback in NFL history to rush for over 1,000 yards in back-to-back years and one of the most dangerous offensive threats in the league.
That Jackson's No. 1 receiver in New York in 2018 would have been Odell Beckham Jr. is proof that time is a flat circle.
3. New York Jets (from Indianapolis Colts)
3 of 32
The Pick Then: Sam Darnold, QB, USC
The Pick Now: Daron Payne, DT, Alabama
Three picks in, and things are already getting weird.
Let's be honest here. The Jets traded up in 2018 for one reason and one reason only: to select a quarterback. That said quarterback wound up a bust and defensive tackle Daron Payne wound up a Pro Bowler isn't relevant. Teams don't mortgage their futures for defensive linemen, even excellent ones.
However, trades that occurred before the draft started count here, so the Jets are on the clock at No. 3. Defensive linemen carry a high premium in the NFL draft.
And Payne is an excellent lineman.
It took Payne a little while to truly hit his stride, but hit it he has. In 2021, the 6'3", 320-pounder posted 61 total tackles. The following season, Payne exploded for a career-best 11.5 sacks and 64 tackles.
Payne and Quinnen Williams (whom the Jets drafted third overall in 2019) would be a truly terrifying pair of tackles.
Now all New York has to do is wait for Aaron Rodgers.
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4. Cleveland Browns (from Houston Texans)
4 of 32
The Pick Then: Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State
The Pick Now: Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville
Given how many picks the Cleveland Browns have whiffed on in recent years, it's tempting to just leave Denzel Ward alone here. Ward has appeared in a pair of Pro Bowls with the Browns and signed a five-year, $100.5 million extension with the team last year.
However, while Ward has been great, Jaire Alexander has been even better. Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus ranked Alexander among the top five players at his position in the NFL.
"Alexander bounced back in 2022 having missed the majority of the year before with injury," Monson wrote. "Last season, he allowed just a 66.2 passer rating when targeted, earning an 82.1 PFF coverage grade in the process. Alexander also set a new career high with five interceptions and is still just entering the prime of his career at 26 years old."
When you can upgrade in a re-draft, you upgrade.
5. Denver Broncos
5 of 32
The Pick Then: Bradley Chubb, Edge, NC State
The Pick Now: Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame
In his first five seasons, edge-rusher Bradley Chubb has failed to meet expectations—so much so that the Denver Broncos shipped him to Miami last year. After tallying 12 sacks as a rookie, Chubb has just 16.5 sacks over the past four years combined.
Meanwhile, the player picked one spot after him back in 2018 has done nothing but exceed expectations.
In each of his five NFL seasons, Quenton Nelson has been named a Pro Bowler. He's also a three-time first-team All-Pro. Nelson allowed five sacks last season, per PFF, but that may say more about quarterback Matt Ryan than it does about Nelson given that he surrendered four sacks over the first four years of his career combined. He's also missed only four games in five seasons, all in 2021.
Nelson is arguably the best offensive lineman in the NFL. If that doesn't merit a top-five pick, what does?
6. Indianapolis Colts (from New York Jets)
6 of 32
The Pick Then: Quenton Nelson, OG, Notre Dame
The Pick Now: Orlando Brown Jr., OT, Oklahoma
The Indianapolis Colts don't have an opportunity to select Quenton Nelson in this re-draft. But they still have an opportunity here to bolster the offensive line at what most would argue is a more valuable position.
Brown hasn't quite had the career Nelson has, but he's not exactly cat food, either. In five seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs and now the Cincinnati Bengals, Brown has been named to the Pro Bowl four times. PFF's Gordon McGuinness recently slotted him as the NFL's 14th-best offensive tackle.
"Brown has developed into a high-floor NFL player, with his PFF grade sitting between 73.0 and 78.0 in each of the past four seasons," McGuinness wrote. "Five seasons into his NFL career, it's fair to wonder if he'll ever be a top-10 tackle. But at the very worst, he is a more-than-capable starting player on the left side."
That may not sound like the most glowing of recommendations. But in today's NFL, a "more-than-capable" left tackle is absolutely worth a top-10 pick.
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
7 of 32
The Pick Then: Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming (by Buffalo Bills)
The Pick Now: Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia
Back in 2018, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers traded this pick to the Buffalo Bills, who selected Josh Allen. That move shaped the Bills franchise for years to come.
But there are no draft-day trades in the Land of Do-Over, so the Buccaneers are forced to stand pat and add a running mate for Lavonte David at linebacker in Roquan Smith.
The poor dears.
Smith, whom the Chicago Bears originally drafted eighth overall, has become arguably the best off-ball linebacker in the NFL. He has at least 100 tackles in all five of his seasons and has missed only four games, all in 2019. Smith has chipped in 18.5 sacks and has eclipsed the 160-tackle mark in each of the past two seasons.
In 2022, Smith posted a career-high 169 tackles and was named both a Pro Bowler and a first-team All-Pro—during a year in which he was traded in late October and had to learn a new defense on the fly.
8. Chicago Bears
8 of 32
The Pick Then: Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia
The Pick Now: Fred Warner, LB, BYU
In this re-draft, the Bears miss out on their original selection by one pick. There was much gnashing of teeth. Some furniture may have been thrown.
And then the Bears took an off-ball linebacker anyway.
A third-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 2018, Fred Warner was thrown to the wolves as a rookie and hasn't missed a beat since. In five seasons, Warner has missed all of one start. His season-low in tackles is 118, and he has hit 130 total stops each of the past two years.
In two of the past three years, Warner has made the Pro Bowl and been named a first-team All-Pro. Warner is also fantastic in coverage, allowing a passer rating against of less than 75 in two of the last three seasons.
Warner hasn't made as many big plays as Smith to this point in his NFL career. But make no mistake: He's right there with Smith in the conversation for the league's best linebacker.
9. San Francisco 49ers
9 of 32
The Pick Then: Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame
The Pick Now: Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State
In 2023, the San Francisco 49ers are widely regarded as one of the most stable and talented rosters in the NFL. But back in 2018, they were fresh off a 6-10 campaign and had holes all over the place on both sides of the ball.
Those holes included the secondary. San Francisco's No. 1 cornerback in 2018 was a well-past-his-prime Richard Sherman. That year, the team finished a woeful 28th in the league in scoring defense.
In five seasons with the Cleveland Browns, Denzel Ward has piled up 239 total tackles and 13 interceptions. He has never allowed more than 61 percent of the passes thrown in his direction to be completed or posted a passer rating against of over 80. He's also been named to the Pro Bowl twice.
Ward might not be an elite cover corner. But he's not at all far off, and he'd be an excellent addition to the 49ers defense.
10. Las Vegas/Oakland Raiders
10 of 32
The Pick Then: Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA (by Arizona Cardinals)
The Pick Now: Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama
In 2018, the then-Oakland Raiders traded back in the draft, grabbing some extra draft capital from the Arizona Cardinals before eventually selecting offensive tackle Kolton Miller.
That move worked out pretty well for the Raiders, but not so much for the Cardinals. Quarterback Josh Rosen is one of the bigger draft busts in recent memory.
This time, however, draft-day deals are out. Instead, the Raiders will pivot to a player who would fit in well in Vegas.
Because there's no shortage of sizzle with safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick's tenure as a member of the Miami Dolphins was rocky, but since being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers, he has become arguably the best deep safety in the league. Fitzpatrick has been named both a Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro three times in five seasons. He has amassed 19 interceptions over that span, and he surpassed 95 tackles each of the last two years.
11. Miami Dolphins
11 of 32
The Pick Then: Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama
The Pick Now: Derwin James, S, Florida State
We have our second instance in this re-draft of a team missing out on its original selection by one pick—and the second time said team went with the same position anyway.
When something isn't broken, there's no point in fixing it.
Actually, the Miami Dolphins benefit from the do-over here. As good as Fitzpatrick has been, he clashed with the coaching staff in Miami at the time and lasted just a year and change before being shipped to Pittsburgh.
Derwin James has had bumps in the road of his own—he has missed time in four of five NFL seasons, including 11 games in 2019 and the entirety of 2020 with an injured knee. But when he has been healthy, James has been one of the best box safeties in the game.
In 2018, James was runner-up to Shaquille Leonard for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. In 2021, he was third in Comeback Player of the Year voting after tallying a career-best 118 stops.
12. Buffalo Bills (from Cincinnati Bengals)
12 of 32
The Pick Then: Vita Vea, DT, Washington (by Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
The Pick Now: Shaquille Leonard, LB, South Carolina State
In 2018, the Bills traded up to get the guy who would become the cornerstone of their franchise in quarterback Josh Allen. But there's no trade this go-round, Allen is long gone, and there aren't any quarterbacks left on the board worth a first-rounder.
With that in mind, the Bills will pivot here to the defensive side of the ball—and one of the biggest steals of the 2018 class.
Were it not for the back injury that cost Shaquille Leonard most of last season, an argument could be made for taking him ahead of both Roquan Smith and Fred Warner. Leonard logged a jaw-dropping 163 total tackles (including 111 solo stops) on the way to Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2018, and he's one of only three players from the Class of 2018 to be named a first-team All-Pro three times.
The Bills used the No. 16 overall pick in 2018 on linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. This time, they are just addressing the position a bit earlier.
13. Washington Commanders
13 of 32
The Pick Then: DaRon Payne, DT, Alabama
The Pick Now: Wyatt Teller, G, Virginia Tech
After a long run of defensive players who have become stars, we're back to offense in this re-draft with the second interior lineman to be selected in the top 15.
That may sound odd, but the 2018 class produced arguably the two best guards currently playing in the NFL: Quenton Nelson and Wyatt Teller.
Teller didn't enter the NFL with the sort of fanfare Nelson did. The 6'4", 315-pounder out of Virginia Tech lasted until the 166th pick before the Buffalo Bills drafted him. After starting most of the back half of his rookie year, Teller was shipped to Cleveland for a pair of Day 3 picks in 2019.
By the midway point of his debut season in Cleveland, Teller was starting for the Browns. In 2021, he earned the first of two Pro Bowl trips and a fat contract extension. Now, he's considered perhaps the best guard in the league not named Quenton Nelson.
14. Green Bay Packers
14 of 32
The Pick Then: Marcus Davenport, Edge, UTSA (by New Orleans Saints)
The Pick Now: Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
The 2018 class had both its strengths and weaknesses. If you were hunting for offensive line help or a safety, it was a good year. But if you wanted a wide receiver or edge-rusher, not so much.
The New Orleans Saints found that out the hard way. The Saints dealt their first-rounder the following year to move up and grab Marcus Davenport, who was…OK for five years before leaving for Minnesota in free agency this year.
Now, the Packers are keeping the pick and using it to upgrade a backfield that (at the time) was short on talent and explosiveness. When healthy, Saquon Barkley is loaded with both.
As a rookie, Barkley exploded for over 2,000 total yards on the way to being named Offensive Rookie of the Year. It was the first of three 1,000-yard rushing seasons for the two-time Pro Bowler.
Maybe if the Packers had been better than 22nd in the league running the ball in 2018, then-head coach Mike McCarthy wouldn't have been fired in-season that year.
15. Arizona Cardinals
15 of 32
The Pick Then: Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA (by Las Vegas Raiders)
The Pick Now: Jordan Mailata, OT
No team in the NFL needs a mulligan for the 2018 draft more than the Arizona Cardinals. Josh Rosen was terrible under center, first-year head coach Steve Wilks looked overmatched, and the Redbirds went 3-13.
Both Rosen and Wilks were gone in 2019.
That the Cardinals are using their opportunity to rewrite history to draft an offensive lineman who didn't even play college football is oddly fitting. Not only did Jordan Mailata not play college football, but when the former rugby standout tried out for the NFL, he only picked left tackle because he was familiar with the position from the movie The Blind Side.
A seventh-round flier by the Eagles in 2018, the massive 6'8", 365-pounder didn't crack the lineup until 2020. But after starting 10 games that season, Mailata has been a fixture on the left side of the Eagles' line ever since.
And it can be argued that he's better than Michael Oher ever was.
16. Baltimore Ravens
16 of 32
The Pick Then: Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech (by Buffalo Bills)
The Pick Now: D.J. Moore, WR, Maryland
The Baltimore Ravens have seemingly been searching for wide receiver help since the inception of the team in 1996. The 2018 campaign was no exception, as their leading receiver that year (John Brown) caught 42 passes for 715 yards.
The 2018 draft wasn't a great class at wide receiver, but it wasn't a complete wasteland, either. D.J. Moore had a relatively modest 63 catches for 888 yards in 2022, but he topped 1,100 receiving yards in each of the three preceding campaigns. The Chicago Bears thought enough of Moore's talent to make him part of the trade that gave the Panthers the first overall pick in 2023.
This was also the draft class in which the Ravens drafted tight ends Mark Andrews and Hayden Hurst, and Andrews was absolutely a consideration here.
But it's just too tempting to envision a world in which the Ravens have a proven commodity at wideout.
17. Los Angeles Chargers
17 of 32
The Pick Then: Derwin James, S, Florida State
The Pick Now: Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech
The Chargers chose well back in 2018, as safety Derwin James has become a cornerstone on defense. But this time around, James is long gone, so they'll address another defensive position of need instead.
The Chargers' signing of linebacker Eric Kendricks in the 2023 offseason is the continuation of a theme that has seemingly dogged them since they were in San Diego. The names have changed time and again, but the song has been the same—inside linebacker play for the Chargers has been inconsistent at best.
Say what you will about the whopper of a contract that Tremaine Edmunds got from the Chicago Bears this year after they traded Roquan Smith in 2022, but Edmunds was certainly consistent over five seasons with the Bills. The athletic 6'5", 250-pounder eclipsed 100 tackles in all five seasons, and he has played in fewer than 15 games only once.
The Chargers could absolutely use an anchor in the middle of their defense. And Edmunds, a two-time Pro Bowler, has demonstrated that he's up to that task.
18. Seattle Seahawks
18 of 32
The Pick Then: Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville (by Green Bay Packers)
The Pick Now: Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia
In 2018, the Seattle Seahawks traded back on draft day before selecting running back Rashaad Penny. He has flashed at times in the pros, but he has struggled to stay on the field because of injuries.
We can't remedy Penny's durability issues here. But with draft-day deals verboten in this re-draft, we can at least accomplish what Seattle was trying to do in 2018—land the Seahawks a franchise running back.
Nick Chubb hasn't been immune to getting nicked up over his five seasons with the Cleveland Browns. But Chubb has also been as consistently productive as any back in the league over that span.
Chubb had 996 rushing yards as a rookie, and he's had at least 1,000 rushing yards in each of the past four seasons. He has never scored fewer than eight touchdowns in a season. Last year, Chubb erupted for a career-best 1,525 rushing yards, and he has averaged a robust 5.2 yards per carry for his career.
Chubb may be the best pure runner in the league. Despite the ongoing devaluation of running backs, he's absolutely worth a top-20 pick here.
19. Dallas Cowboys
19 of 32
The Pick Then: Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State
The Pick Now: Mark Andrews, TE, Oklahoma
The Cowboys didn't do badly with their first pick in 2018. Leighton Vander Esch isn't a star (largely because of injuries), but he has become a capable NFL linebacker. The team also drafted a solid tight end that same year in Dalton Schultz.
Here, however, the Cowboys are going to pivot from the former to upgrade the latter.
Some of the gaudy numbers that Mark Andrews has posted in five years with the Ravens can be attributed to Baltimore's lack of talent at wide receiver over that span. But credit where credit is due: Since becoming a full-time player for the Ravens in 2019, Andrews ranks second among tight ends in targets, receptions, yards and touchdowns, according to Dallas Robinson on Pro Football Network.
Two years ago, the three-time Pro Bowler had the best season of his career with 107 catches for 1,361 yards and nine scores. That was the third-most receiving yards for a tight end in a season in NFL history.
Given the lack of talent of the Cowboys had at wideout in 2018, Andrews would actually be walking into a similar situation in Dallas—one where he potentially could wind up the top target in the passing game.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
20. Detroit Lions
20 of 32
The Pick Then: Frank Ragnow, C, Arkansas
The Pick Now: Frank Ragnow, C, Arkansas
Well, it took 20 picks. But we finally have a situation where the pick back in 2018 and the one with the benefit of five years' hindsight are the same.
That's it's another interior lineman on the O-line speaks to the sort of class the NFL had in the 2018 draft.
Frank Ragnow has had some injury issues since being drafted 20th overall by the Lions in 2018, including missing most of the 2021 season with a toe injury. But when healthy, the 6'5", 310-pounder has been one of the NFL's better centers. A 65-game starter and two-time Pro Bowler, Ragnow allowed just one sack in 1,074 snaps last year, per Pro Football Focus.
Is this a sexy pick? No. Are there players at more premium positions available? Yes. Twenty picks in, no edge-rushers have been drafted.
But Ragnow has been an excellent player for the Lions the past five years. And as we've already said once in this re-draft: When something is not broken, there's no need to fix it.
21. Cincinnati Bengals
21 of 32
The Pick Then: Billy Price, C, Ohio State
The Pick Now: Bradley Chubb, Edge, NC State
It's an understatement to say that no edge-rushers being taken in the top 20 picks of an NFL draft would be unprecedented. But when you have five years of play to find value, you go where the numbers take you. And with the 2018 class, that value wasn't on the edge.
With that five years of perspective, the Cincinnati Bengals would probably take just about anyone over Ohio State center Billy Price in 2018. Price couldn't stay on the field, was a liability when he could and is now on his fourth team.
Bradley Chubb exploded for 12 sacks as a rookie and has made two Pro Bowls since. However, the 6'4", 275-pounder has only 16.5 sacks over the past four seasons combined.
Eight of those sacks came in 2022, and a Bengals team badly in need of pressure off the edge (fifth-fewest sacks in the league in 2018) can't afford to pass on Chubb's potential.
22. Buffalo Bills (from Kansas City Chiefs)
22 of 32
The Pick Then: Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama (by Tennessee Titans)
The Pick Now: Harold Landry, Edge, Boston College
The Bills were very busy in the 2018 draft. They used this pick, which they obtained as part of the Patrick Mahomes trade in 2017, in the trades that landed them two Pro Bowlers in quarterback Josh Allen and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.
But this time, there won't be any moving and shaking. And if the Bills have to use this pick, it might as well be to bolster a pass rush that managed only 36 sacks in 2018, the seventh-fewest in the NFL.
While Harold Landry has shown promising flashes at times (specifically a 75-tackle, 12-sack Pro Bowl campaign in 2021), there has also been inconsistency and injuries. Landry didn't play a snap for the Titans last year, as he tore his ACL a few months after signing a five-year, $87.5 million contract extension.
Still, the Bills badly needed to improve getting after the quarterback in 2018. It's late enough in Round 1 that Landry's durability concerns shouldn't scare Buffalo off.
23. New England Patriots
23 of 32
The Pick Then: Isaiah Wynn, OT, Georgia
The Pick Now: Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA
For much of the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick era in New England, the Patriots benefited from routinely finding value late in Round 1. This would be another example of that.
While Kolton Miller may not have become the dominant tackle the then-Oakland Raiders hoped he would when they drafted him 15th overall in 2018, he has developed into a capable veteran tackle.
Miller's first two years in the NFL were a mess. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed a whopping 23 sacks over that span, including a staggering 16 as a rookie. But he has allowed only 10 sacks over the past three seasons combined, including four in 1,035 snaps in 2022.
The Patriots would have had to weather that early storm. But in the long term, Miller has developed into a steadier and more reliable tackle than Wynn, who is now in Miami after signing a one-year deal with the Dolphins in the spring.
24. Carolina Panthers
24 of 32
The Pick Then: D.J. Moore, WR, Maryland
The Pick Now: Josh Sweat, Edge, Florida State
Like the Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills, the Carolina Panthers struggled rushing the passer in 2018, checking in 27th in the NFL with 35 sacks. It's one of the reasons why they drafted Brian Burns with the 16th overall pick the following season.
This time, the Panthers will have a running mate ready for him.
Originally a fourth-round pick of the Eagles in 2018, it took Josh Sweat a while to get going. He played sparingly as a rookie and posted only 10 sacks over his first three NFL seasons. But in 2021, the lightbulb came on, and he finished with 45 total tackles, 7.5 sacks and a trip to the Pro Bowl.
In 2022, that lightbulb turned up the brightness to blinding. Sweat logged career-bests in both tackles (48) and sacks (11) on Philly's way to the Super Bowl.
Last year's eruption might be as much of a fluke as a coming-out party. But when your pass rush is shaky and a Pro Bowl-caliber edge-rusher is available, that risk is worth taking 10 times out of 10.
25. Tennessee Titans
25 of 32
The Pick Then: Hayden Hurst, TE, South Carolina (by Baltimore Ravens)
The Pick Now: Vita Vea, DT, Washington
This pick changed hands more than once in 2018 thanks to some draft-day wheeling and dealing, but in this do-over, it sticks with the Tennessee Titans. In the original draft, the Titans added off-ball linebacker help in Rashaan Evans before circling back in Round 2 for an edge-rusher in Harold Landry.
Both wound up being capable players for the Titans. But with the Titans holding the pick here, they're instead going to add some bulk along the defensive front in the form of defensive tackle Vita Vea.
Earlier in his career, the 6'4", 347-pound Vea was almost exclusively a lane-clogging run defender, notching only 7.5 sacks over the first three seasons of his career combined. But in the past two seasons, Vea has been much more effective rushing the passer.
In 2021, Vea logged four sacks on the way to his first Pro Bowl nod. Last year, he took it up another notch with 31 tackles and a career-high 6.5 sacks.
The Titans have long liked to run a lot of three-man fronts. Vea would be a fine anchor for the defensive line as Tennessee's nose tackle, just as he has been in Tampa.
26. Atlanta Falcons
26 of 32
The Pick Then: Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama
The Pick Now: Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M
It's possible that Calvin Ridley will recapture the 2020 form that saw him catch 90 passes and top 1,300 receiving yards. However, he missed most of the 2021 campaign due to personal issues and all of the 2022 season because of a gambling suspension.
The Falcons wouldn't want to go down that road again. Some help off the edge would be great, but the Round 1 talents at that position all went in the past few picks.
So, the Falcons are going to try the wideout route again—just with a different player.
A second-round pick of the Cardinals in 2018, Christian Kirk was good but not great over four seasons in Arizona. But the Jacksonville Jaguars saw enough to offer Kirk a four-year, $72 million contract in 2022, and he blossomed in his first year with the Jaguars, catching 84 passes for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns.
Those aren't quite Ridley's numbers from 2020. But they aren't that far off the pace, either.
27. New Orleans Saints
27 of 32
The Pick Then: Rashaad Penny, RB, San Diego State (by Seattle Seahawks)
The Pick Now: Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame
Back in 2018, the New Orleans Saints were still a legitimate Super Bowl contender. As such, they might have been better served just taking the best player available instead of trading up for Marcus Davenport, which not only didn't pan out but also cost the Saints their first-rounder in 2019.
The Saints didn't necessarily need help at offensive tackle in 2018. But if the Niners hadn't thrown Mike McGlinchey into the starting lineup after selecting him ninth overall in 2018 and instead gave him some time to develop, perhaps he'd be better than the slightly above-average right tackle he is today.
That McGlinchey signed a five-year, $87.5 million contract with the Denver Broncos in free agency this offseason says a lot more about how desperate teams are for even adequate tackles than McGlinchey as a player.
That's all the more reason for the Saints to add him—whether they'd need him or not.
28. Pittsburgh Steelers
28 of 32
The Pick Then: Terrell Edmunds, S, Virginia Tech
The Pick Now: Jessie Bates III, S, Wake Forest
The Steelers attempted to upgrade the safety position back in 2018 by grabbing one of the Edmunds twins late in the first round. They succeeded the following year when they made the trade with the Miami Dolphins that brought in Minkah Fitzpatrick.
But had they drafted Jessie Bates III over Terrell Edmunds in 2018, Pittsburgh would have been well on its way to building the best safety duo in the league.
Over his five seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, Bates averaged over 95 tackles per season and topped 100 total tackles in each of his first three years. He also picked off 14 passes and was named a second-team All-Pro in 2020.
Pairing Bates with Fitzpatrick would give the Steelers two safeties who are capable of filling several roles, whether it's deep safety, box safety or even the slot. That versatility would make it easier for a Steelers team that loves to try to disguise their defensive looks to do so.
That would have made the NFL's sixth-ranked defense in 2018 that much harder to deal with.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars
29 of 32
The Pick Then: Taven Bryan, DT, Florida
The Pick Now: Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama
Heading into the 2018 season, the Jacksonville Jaguars were fresh off an appearance in the AFC Championship Game, which they narrowly lost to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.
The 2018 Jaguars had Super Bowl aspirations, but after ranking a so-so 17th in the league in passing offense in 2017, they knew they needed offensive firepower. Their selection of DJ Chark in Round 2 wasn't a bad pick, but with all due respect to what Chark has accomplished (including a Pro Bowl trip of his own), he isn't on the same level talent-wise as Calvin Ridley.
At least, not the Calvin Ridley we saw tear up the NFL in 2020.
Yes, Ridley had an MVP quarterback in Matt Ryan and a borderline Hall of Famer opposite him in Julio Jones. And the difficulties that derailed his 2021 and 2022 season have already been mentioned.
But in terms of skill and upside, there isn't another wideout left who can compete with Ridley.
The fact that Jacksonville is where he's attempting to restart his career in 2023 is just another example of the whole "time is a flat circle" thing.
30. Minnesota Vikings
30 of 32
The Pick Then: Mike Hughes, CB, UCF
The Pick Now: J.C. Jackson, CB, Maryland
The Minnesota Vikings won 13 games and made the NFC Championship Game in 2017, where their defense fell apart in a 38-7 shellacking against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Vikes tried to address the back end of their defense in the first round of the 2018 draft, but their selection of Mike Hughes was not wise in retrospect. He made only seven starts over three seasons in the Twin Cities before the Vikings cut bait in 2021.
J.C. Jackson isn't a sure bet here. The former undrafted free agent tore his patellar tendon last year after signing a fat free-agent deal with the Los Angeles Chargers. But over his four years in New England, Jackson was one of the best in the game at taking the ball away. He had 25 interceptions in total, including nine in 2020 and eight in his Pro Bowl season the following year.
If Jackson fully recovers from last year's knee injury, he should reclaim his spot as one of the NFL's best cornerbacks. And he's light-years better than anyone the Vikings have now.
31. New England Patriots
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The Pick Then: Sony Michel, RB, Georgia
The Pick Now: Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU
The New England Patriots have fielded some impressive wide receiver corps that included outside threats like Brandin Cooks and Randy Moss. But 2018 wasn't one of those years. The Pats traded Cooks before the 2018 draft and later lost Julian Edelman to a four-game PED suspension.
That didn't stop the Pats from winning Super Bowl LIII, but with the benefit of hindsight, the Patriots' wide receiver room was never the same after that. And a few years later, Tom Brady was off to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Would the addition of Courtland Sutton have prolonged the Brady era in New England? Probably not. Sutton has only one 1,000-yard season on his NFL resume (in 2019), and a year later, he caught all of three passes before an ACL tear ended his season.
But a healthy Sutton offers the Patriots something the team hasn't had in some time—a legitimate downfield threat on the outside who can win 50-50 battles for the ball.
It's not like the Patriots haven't been looking for that.
32. Philadelphia Eagles
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The Pick Then: Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville (by Baltimore Ravens)
The Pick Now: Brian O'Neill, OT, Pitt
This was maybe the most impactful pick of the first round of the 2018 draft. When the Baltimore Ravens traded back up into the first round to grab Lamar Jackson, it changed their fortunes in a major way.
Here, though, the Eagles have to pick—so we're going full Howie Roseman.
The Eagles won Super Bowl LII and made it to Super Bowl LVII in large part because they had one of the best offensive and defensive lines in the NFL both seasons. That's because Roseman, the Eagles' general manager, hoards linemen on both sides of the ball.
Brian O'Neill wouldn't solve the problem created for the Eagles at left tackle after Jordan Mailata came off the board so early here. The 6'7", 310-pounder has spent most of his career on the right side.
But O'Neill is a 75-game starter and made the Pro Bowl in 2021. In a pinch, he has shown he can play left tackle as well.
Don't think for one minute that Roseman wouldn't spend a high draft pick on a "swing" tackle. He absolutely would.
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