NFL Draft 2018: Latest Mock Draft Following Week 16 Results
Now that Week 16 is officially in the books, many of the NFL's viable playoff contenders can focus on preparing for the final game of the regular season next weekend. But for other football fans, next week is merely a formality.
Most NFL teams won't get a sniff of postseason play in the New Year, meaning that the offseason begins as soon as Week 17 ends. And once the offseason begins, it's officially time for fans to start preparing mock drafts and scouting potential players that could make an impact for their favorite team at the next level.
Below we'll take a look at my updated mock draft now that Week 16 is over with some brief analysis on some questions surrounding this year's draft.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
2018 NFL Mock Draft
1. Cleveland Browns: Sam Darnold, QB, USC
2. New York Giants: Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
3. Indianapolis Colts: Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State
5. Cleveland Browns (via Houston Texans): Connor Williams, OT, Texas
6. Denver Broncos: Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame
7. San Francisco 49ers: Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama
8. New York Jets: Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
9. Chicago Bears: Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU
10. Cincinnati Bengals: Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia
11. Miami Dolphins: Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma
12. Oakland Raiders: Bradley Chubb, LB, NC State
13. Arizona Cardinals: Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
14. Washington: Vita Vea, DT, Washington
15. Green Bay Packers: Quenton Nelson, OG, Notre Dame
16. Los Angeles Chargers: Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama
17. Buffalo Bills: Derwin James, S, Florida State
18. Detroit Lions: Martinas Rankin, OT, Mississippi State
19. Dallas Cowboys: Joshua Jackson, CB, Iowa
20. Seattle Seahawks: Billy Price, C/OG, Ohio State
21. Tennessee Titans: Mark Andrews, TE, Oklahoma
22. Baltimore Ravens: Harold Landry, LB, Boston College
23. Atlanta Falcons: Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan
24. Carolina Panthers: James Washington, WR, Oklahoma State
25. Buffalo Bills: Arden Key, DE/OLB, LSU
26. Jacksonville Jaguars: Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
27. Los Angeles Rams: Carlton Davis, CB, Auburn
28. New Orleans Saints: Sam Hubbard, DE/OLB, Ohio State
29. Pittsburgh Steelers: Jerome Baker, OLB, Ohio State
30. Minnesota Vikings: Malik Jefferson, LB, Texas
31. New England Patriots: Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson
32. Philadelphia Eagles: Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson
Who Goes No. 1?
In the past 24 hours, the No. 1 quarterback in this draft has been a contentious debate when making this recent mock draft. While Josh Rosen may be the best quarterback prospect in this year's draft class, he might not be a good fit in Cleveland for a lot of reasons.
For one, it appears that Rosen has no desire to play for the Browns.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Rosen would prefer to play for the New York Giants and would consider staying in school for another season to avoid being selected by the Browns at No. 1.
"Rosen plans to sit down with his parents after Tuesday's Cactus Bowl for a 'serious conversation' before making a final decision about whether to turn pro, he said Saturday." Schefter wrote. "Whether Cleveland has the No. 1 overall pick could influence his decision, according to a source."
It's not unheard of for draft prospects to favor one team over another (John Elway, Eli Manning) but it's interesting to see how this all plays out.
The Browns could be scared of wasting their top selection on Rosen for this reason, forcing them to draft USC quarterback Sam Darnold. I'm not as high on Darnold as a lot of scouts and draft analysts, but he's still worthy of being in the discussion for a top-10 pick.
If Darnold goes No. 1, Rosen could have his wish of being selected No. 2 by the Giants. But it's possible—although unlikely—that both Rosen and Darnold elect to stay in college for another season since they still have some eligibility left.
Where will Roquan Smith, Bradley Chubb End Up?
Arguably the two most dominant defensive players in college football right now, Georgia's Roquan Smith and NC State's Bradley Chubb will hear their names called in this year's NFL draft, and both will likely be first round selections barring any setbacks.
Currently, Smith is set to be drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 10, two spots ahead of Chubb at No. 12 going to the Oakland Raiders.
While neither player will be the first defensive player drafted in the first round, both players should be able to make an impact for their future teams right away.
Smith should have little difficulty forcing himself into some immediate playing time for the Bengals defense, quickly becoming a leader in their linebackers unit.
Chubb, paired alongside Khalil Mack in Oakland, could set up a frightening duo of linebackers for the Raiders that would emulate the Carolina Panthers duo of Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
