2018 NFL Mock Draft: Breaking Down Top Prospects and Updated Predictions
The 2018 NFL draft class doesn't project as one of the deepest in recent memory, but the first round still figures to be loaded with high-caliber difference-makers on both sides of the ball.
With that in mind, it's time to take an early look at where some of the league's incoming studs could land and how they can facilitate change in a hurry upon landing in specific locales.
We've also provided an updated first-round mock draft, the order of which reflects the NFL standings through Week 16.
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Updated Predictions
- 1. Cleveland Browns: Sam Darnold, QB, USC
- 2. New York Giants: Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
- 3. Indianapolis Colts: Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
- 4. Cleveland Browns (via Houston Texans): Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama
- 5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Bradley Chubb, EDGE, NC State
- 6. Denver Broncos: Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
- 7. New York Jets: Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
- 8. San Francisco 49ers: Derwin James, DB, Florida State
- 9. Chicago Bears: Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama
- 10. Cincinnati Bengals: Quenton Nelson, OL, Notre Dame
- 11. Oakland Raiders: Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State
- 12. Miami Dolphins: Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia
- 13. Arizona Cardinals: Connor Williams, OT, Texas
- 14. Green Bay Packers: Josh Jackson, CB, Iowa
- 15. Washington Redskins: Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama
- 16. Los Angeles Chargers: Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
- 17. Dallas Cowboys: Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU
- 18. Buffalo Bills: Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State
- 19. Detroit Lions: Arden Key, EDGE, LSU
- 20. Seattle Seahawks: Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame
- 21. Tennessee Titans: Marcus Davenport, EDGE, UTSA
- 22. Atlanta Falcons: Vita Vea, DT, Washington
- 23. Baltimore Ravens: Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M
- 24. Carolina Panthers: Orlando Brown, OL, Oklahoma
- 25. Buffalo Bills (via Kansas City Chiefs): Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama
- 26. New Orleans Saints: Malik Jefferson, LB, Texas
- 27. Jacksonville Jaguars: Deon Cain, WR, Clemson
- 28. Los Angeles Rams: Tarvarus McFadden, CB, Florida State
- 29. Pittsburgh Steelers: Jerome Baker, LB, Ohio State
- 30. Minnesota Vikings: Will Hernandez, OL, UTEP
- 31. New England Patriots: Harold Landry, EDGE, Boston College
- 32. Philadelphia Eagles: Isaiah Oliver, CB, Colorado
Top Prospect Spotlight
Bradley Chubb, EDGE, NC State
North Carolina State's Bradley Chubb is the premier pass-rusher in the class of 2018, and it's not particularly close.
An explosive presence off the edge at 6'4'' and 275 pounds, Chubb has the blend of power, speed and size scouting departments are looking to identify in tentpole pieces along their defensive lines.
As USA Today's Luke Easterling put it, Chubb "has all the tools to be a destructive force at the next level" and "plays with a nasty mean streak NFL teams should quickly fall in love with as the predraft process moves along this offseason."
During the regular season, Chubb parlayed those traits into 10 sacks and 72 total tackles, including a whopping 23 for loss.
That kind of production should have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers salivating.
The Bucs enter Week 17 with a league-low 20 sacks so far this season, and a lack of pressure up front has put tremendous pressure on a secondary that ranks dead last in in passing yards allowed per game (262.5).
But with Chubb aboard alongside interior wrecking ball Gerald McCoy, the complexion of the Bucs defensive line could change in a flash entering 2018.
Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
Prospects don't get much more polarizing than Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson.
While Jackson recently became the first player in NCAA history to total 3,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in consecutive seasons, questions are already abounding regarding his viability as a franchise quarterback because he's not a polished pocket passer in the mold of USC's Sam Darnold or UCLA's Josh Rosen.
To that point, NFL.com's Bucky Brooks noted that while Jackson "displays outstanding arm strength and range" he "struggles with inconsistency" on timing routes in short and intermediate windows because of "unpolished mechanics."
"Jackson misses the mark on outside throws, particularly comebacks and deep outs beyond 12-15 yards," Brooks added. "He frequently misses high and wide on those throws, which is largely due to his failure to properly step into his passes."
However, Jackson's hardly a finished product. And in the right developmental setting, it stands to reason he could correct those woes and steadily develop into a starting signal-caller.
That makes the Los Angeles Chargers a particularly compelling fit for the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner.
While the Bolts have to identify a successor for 36-year-old Philip Rivers, they don't need a young quarterback to step in right away since Rivers still has some juice left.
As a result, they could allow Jackson to take a step back and polish his pocket-passing skills while Rivers leads the charge in 2018 before the Louisville product takes over in 2018.
Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU
Courtland Sutton didn't receive loads of national publicity playing at SMU, but make no mistake about it: The 6'4'', 215-pound boundary force should be a first-round lock when April's draft rolls around.
A physical specimen on the outside, Sutton has racked up 2,263 yards and 22 touchdowns over the past two seasons. While doing so, he's displayed an uncanny ability to win in traffic and repeatedly best cornerbacks in one-on-one situations to pick up chunk gains downfield.
Sutton's size is also a huge plus in the red zone since it allows him to maneuver around defenders to pull down fades and back-shoulder tosses with ease.
That skill set would be a perfect fit for the receiver-needy Dallas Cowboys—who could use another top-tier pass-catcher to take pressure off No. 1 Dez Bryant.
Sutton, a Texas native, would also represent an immediate upgrade over Terrance Williams and give Dallas the explosive receiving corps necessary to help quarterback Dak Prescott rebound following a shaky 2017 campaign.
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