2018 NFL Mock Draft: Predictions for Landing Spots of Nation's Top Prospects

With just one college football game left to be played this season, most of the top prospects in the 2018 NFL draft class are beginning preparations to make the leap to the next level.

The pre-draft process is long, with the NFL Scouting Combine and pro days standing as the top ways to evaluate talent. However, their overall body of work and what they have already accomplished on the field will play a big role in where they land.

As prospects prepare for their final opportunities to impress scouts, general managers and coaches, here is a full, first-round mock draft, along with a breakdown of some of the top offensive weapons expected to come off the board in the opening round.

2018 1st-Round NFL Mock Draft

1. Cleveland Browns: Sam Darnold, QB, USC

2. New York Giants: Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA

3. Indianapolis Colts: Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama

4. Cleveland Browns (from HOU): Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

5. Denver Broncos: Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

6. New York Jets: Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Bradley Chubb, DE, NC State

8. Chicago Bears: Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma

9. Oakland Raiders: Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State

10. San Francisco 49ers: Derwin James, S, Florida State

11. Miami Dolphins: Arden Key, DE, LSU

12. Cincinnati Bengals: Quenton Nelson, OG, Notre Dame

13. Washington Redskins: Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame

14. Green Bay Packers: Da'Ron Payne, DT, Alabama

15. Arizona Cardinals: Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming

16. Baltimore Ravens: Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama

17. Los Angeles Chargers: Connor Williams, OT, Texas

18. Seattle Seahawks: Bryce Love, RB, Stanford

19. Dallas Cowboys: Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson

20. Detroit Lions: Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson

21. Tennessee Titans: Sam Hubbard, DE, Ohio State

22. Buffalo Bills: Marcus Davenport, DE, Texas-San Antonio

23. Jacksonville Jaguars: Mark Andrews, TE, Oklahoma

24. Buffalo Bills (from KC): Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan

25. Atlanta Falcons: Vita Vea, DT, Washington

26. Los Angeles Rams: Carlton Davis, CB, Auburn

27. New Orleans Saints: Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia

28. Carolina Panthers: Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M

29. Pittsburgh Steelers: Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama

30. Philadelphia Eagles: Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA

31. New England Patriots: Austin Bryant, DE, Clemson

32. Minnesota Vikings: Isaiah Wynn, OL, Georgia

Breaking Down Top Offensive Weapons

Calvin Ridley

While the 2018 draft isn't stacked with as much top-end talent at wide receiver as 2017's, Alabama wideout Calvin Ridley has a chance to be a stud in the NFL.

As part of an offense that runs the ball the vast majority of the time, Ridley has still managed to enjoy a strong statistical season, with 59 receptions for 935 yards and four touchdowns.

Making Ridley's performance even more impressive is the fact no other Crimson Tide player has more than 16 catches entering the CFP National Championship.

Ridley is essentially quarterback Jalen Hurts' only reliable target in the passing game, and even though he often faces double coverage, he still manages to produce.

Similar things were said about Julio Jones during his stint at Alabama, and he has gone on to be one of the NFL's elite pass-catchers.

NFL.com's Chad Reuter believes Ridley is on another level when it comes to his ability to adjust to the football:

That should translate well to the NFL and could help him reach the potential that has been capped to some degree in college because of the type of offense Bama runs.

The Baltimore Ravens have a glaring weakness at wide receiver, and they should find it hard to pass on Ridley if he is available with the No. 16 overall pick.

Top receivers Mike Wallace and Jeremy Maclin are getting up there in age, while Breshad Perriman appears to be a bust. With so little to speak of at wide receiver, quarterback Joe Flacco went from a passer who loved to take shots down the field to a checkdown guy for much of 2017.

Perhaps the biggest factor in Baltimore's failure to make the playoffs was the fact it didn't have a player capable of stretching the field and opening up the offense.

Ridley is that type of player, and he could bring the best out of Flacco—much like Torrey Smith did during his best years in Baltimore.

Mark Andrews

It can be argued the 2018 NFL draft is somewhat lean at tight end, but Oklahoma's Mark Andrews has the resume of a first-round pick.

Andrews got progressively better over the course of his collegiate career, and his junior campaign was one of the best by an FBS tight end in recent memory.

As a key part of Oklahoma's high-octane offense, Andrews made 62 catches for 958 yards and a team-leading eight touchdowns. He was a constant safety valve for Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Baker Mayfield, and he was his go-to target in the red zone.

Andrews also excelled at making plays down the field, which means he has the ability to be a true offensive difference-maker early in his NFL career.

Few teams have a bigger need at tight end than the Jacksonville Jaguars. Veteran Marcedes Lewis made 24 receptions for 318 yards and a team-leading five touchdowns in 2017, but at 33, his best years are almost certainly behind him.

Jacksonville is a run-first team that relies heavily on its defense, but quarterback Blake Bortles will have to make plays for the Jags to move into the elite ranks.

The Jaguars coaches try to rein in Bortles as best they can, and the best way to do that while still allowing him to push the ball down the field would be bringing in a seam-busting threat like Andrews at tight end.

Tight ends can be game-changers in conservative offenses, and Andrews is the type of player who could be Bortles' best friend because of his reliability as a pass-catcher.

Christian Kirk

Few players in the 2018 draft are more capable of scoring from anywhere on the field than Texas A&M wide receiver Christian Kirk.

Kirk is as quick and explosive as they come, but he also proved to be a consistent threat over the course of his three-year collegiate career.

He made at least 70 catches for 900 yards and seven touchdowns in each of his three seasons with the Aggies, and while his 71 grabs for 919 yards were career lows in 2017, he also had a career-high 10 touchdown grabs.

Kirk excelled in a difficult situation for the Aggies in 2017, as they cycled through a couple of different quarterbacks. Head coach Kevin Sumlin was also fired.

Additionally, Kirk showed a great deal of passion in deciding to play for Texas A&M in the Belk Bowl against Wake Forest, which was a move Brent Zwerneman of the Houston Chronicle praised:

Nearly every team in the NFL could use a receiver of Kirk's ilk, but perhaps no team would benefit more than the Carolina Panthers.

The Panthers essentially played the 2017 season without any type of deep threat following Ted Ginn Jr.'s departure. They also traded Kelvin Benjamin to the Buffalo Bills, which left Devin Funchess as quarterback Cam Newton's only real threat at receiver.

Newton made it work by throwing shorter stuff to Funchess, tight end Greg Olsen and running back Christian McCaffrey, but a deep threat like Kirk could open up the offense in a big way.

Carolina has long neglected to address its needs at wide receiver, but with a strong core in place on both sides of the ball, it has the luxury to go out and get Newton a shiny new toy for 2018 and beyond.