2018 NFL Mock Draft: Post Week 5 Breakdown
The race for the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL draft is already becoming an interesting storyline as the 2017 season unfolds.
After Sunday's action, we're down to just three winless teams in the NFL: the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants.
The race for No. 1 is particularly interesting this season because all three winless teams would likely use the No. 1 pick on a quarterback—but there's no guarantee that a worthy quarterback would be available at No. 2 or No. 3.
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For the purposes of this mock draft, we'll use the latest Super Bowl odds from OddsShark.com to set the draft order, which gives the No. 1 pick to Cleveland.
Here's a look at the mock draft, followed by a closer examination of a few key selections:
1. Cleveland Browns: Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
2. San Francisco 49ers: Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
3. Chicago Bears: Arden Key, DE, LSU
4. Los Angeles Chargers: Derwin James, S, Florida State
5. Indianapolis Colts: Minkah Fitzpatrick, CB/S, Alabama
6. Miami Dolphins: Christian Wilkins, DL, Clemson
7. New York Jets: Sam Darnold, QB, USC
8. New York Giants: Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma
9. Cincinnati Bengals: Tarvarus McFadden, CB, Florida State
10. Jacksonville Jaguars: James Washington, WR, Oklahoma State
11. Baltimore Ravens: Derrius Guice, RB, LSU
12. Arizona Cardinals: Martinas Rankin, OT, Mississippi State
13. Washington Redskins: Harold Landry, DE/LB, Boston College
14. New Orleans Saints: Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State
15. Minnesota Vikings: Vita Vea, DT, Washington
16. Buffalo Bills: Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville
17. Los Angeles Rams: Connor Williams, OT, Texas
18. Tennessee Titans: Sam Hubbard, DE, Ohio State
19. Cleveland Browns (from HOU): Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Bradley Chubb, DE, N.C. State
21. Carolina Panthers: Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson
22. Philadelphia Eagles: Jerome Baker, LB, Ohio State
23. Detroit Lions: Austin Bryant, DE, Clemson
24. Oakland Raiders: Mitch Hyatt, OT, Clemson
25. Denver Broncos: Billy Price, G/C, Ohio State
26. Dallas Cowboys: Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M
27. Pittsburgh Steelers: Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan
28. Seattle Seahawks: Brandon Facyson, CB, Virginia Tech
29. Atlanta Falcons: Quin Blanding, S, Virginia
30. Buffalo Bills (from KC): Deontay Burnett, WR, USC
31. Green Bay Packers: Da'Shawn Hand, DL, Alabama
32. New England Patriots: Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama
1. Cleveland Browns: Josh Rosen
The Browns drafted DeShone Kizer in the second round in April and have given him every opportunity to prove he deserves to be their quarterback of the future. Just five games into his career, however, it appears as though Cleveland already has doubts about Kizer's future.
After a scoreless first half against the Jets, Browns head coach Hue Jackson made the decision to bench Kizer—an odd choice if the Browns are committed to developing him for the future.
Despite Kizer's replacement, Kevin Hogan, briefly giving the Browns their first lead of the season, they ultimately fell to the Jets, dropping their record to 0-5.
In the league's cellar once again, the Browns appear to be in position to have a shot at UCLA's Josh Rosen, who is in the midst of a stellar junior year and may be establishing himself as the prize of the 2018 draft class.
Based on their recent handling of Kizer, it appears likely that the Browns would target a quarterback with the No. 1 pick, and, as of now, Rosen should be considered the favorite for that slot.
12. Arizona Cardinals: Martinas Rankin
Entering Week 5, Carson Palmer had been sacked 17 times, which was more than any other quarterback in the league. On Sunday, the Eagles added two more sacks to Palmer's total while holding the Cardinals offense to just seven points.
It's becoming increasingly clear that Arizona's window of opportunity with their 37-year-old quarterback is closing. Palmer has never been an exceptionally mobile quarterback, and as his skills diminish he's struggling to perform behind a shaky offensive line.
Whether it's Palmer or a new young quarterback under center in 2018, the Cardinals need to improve their pass protection before taking another step forward.
The silver lining of the Cardinals struggles is their improved draft position, which could help them find a significant upgrade on the line, such as Mississippi State left tackle Martinas Rankin.
Rankin has already given his draft stock a boost this season with strong performances against LSU and Georgia, two of the better pass-rushing teams in the country.
17. Los Angeles Rams: Connor Williams
Led by free-agent addition Andrew Whitworth at left tackle, the Rams have done a decent job protecting Jared Goff, especially compared to their struggles a season ago.
In just seven starts in 2016, Goff was sacked 26 times. But through five games this season, Goff has been brought down only six times.
Due to this improvement, the offensive line may not appear to be a glaring need in Los Angeles, but Whitworth turns 36 in December and the Rams need to think about the future of that position.
Texas left tackle Connor Williams could potentially be a target for the Rams in the mid-to-late first round.
Williams has missed the last few weeks with a knee injury, and his status for the remainder of the season is still up in the air. Assuming he's able to get back on the field this season, he'll have an opportunity to solidify his status as a first-round selection.
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