NFL Draft 2018: Updated Order and Mock Draft After Saturday's Divisional Results

As more teams fall out of the playoffs, more NFL fans turn their attention toward the 2018 NFL draft.

The NFL Scouting Combine doesn't get underway until February 27, yet the draft is already the hottest topic for most fans in the wake of Saturday's divisional-round results.

There, the Atlanta Falcons' draft spot was cemented after they bowed out of the playoffs against a Philadelphia Eagles team starting a backup under center. The Tennessee Titans joined them after looking lost against the New England Patriots.

Those teams join the hunt for improvements and look at a draft class with four or five quarterbacks who could come off the board in the top 15 and droves of defensive depth, not to mention the continued resurgence of the running back position. Here's a look at the order and a mock.

2018 NFL Mock Draft 

1. Cleveland Browns: Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

2. New York Giants: Sam Darnold, QB, USC

3. Indianapolis Colts: Derwin James, S, Florida State

4. Cleveland Browns (via Houston Texans): Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

5. Denver Broncos: Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA

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

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

8. Chicago Bears: Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU

*9. San Francisco 49ers: Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame

*10. Oakland Raiders: Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia

11. Miami Dolphins: Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama

12. Cincinnati Bengals: Connor Williams, OT, Texas

13. Washington Redskins: Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama

14. Green Bay Packers: Arden Key, DE/OLB, LSU

15. Arizona Cardinals: Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma

16. Baltimore Ravens: Harold Landry, DE/OLB, Boston College

17. Los Angeles Chargers: Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama

18. Seattle Seahawks: Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame

19. Dallas Cowboys: Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson

20. Detroit Lions: Bryce Love, RB, Stanford 

21. Buffalo Bills: Joshua Jackson, CB, Iowa

22. Buffalo Bills (via Kansas City Chiefs): Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming

23. Los Angeles Rams: Billy Price, C/G, Ohio State

24. Carolina Panthers: James Washington, WR, Oklahoma State

25. Tennessee Titans: Vita Vea, DT, Washington

26. Atlanta Falcons: Da'Ron Payne, DT, Alabama

27. Jacksonville Jaguars: Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama

28. New Orleans Saints: Malik Jefferson, LB, Texas

29. Pittsburgh Steelers: Marcus Davenport, DE/OLB, UTSA

30. Minnesota Vikings: Isaiah Oliver, CB, Colorado

31. Philadelphia Eagles: Derrius Guice, RB, LSU

32. New England Patriots: Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, EDGE, Oklahoma

*Depicts tiebreakers to be decided by a coin-flip. Pick Nos. 27-32 will be determined by playoff results.

3. Indianapolis Colts: Derwin James, S, Florida State

STEVEN CANNON/Associated Press

For a team like the Indianapolis Colts, they can't afford to do anything short of selecting the best player available. 

In the above scenario, said status belongs to Derwin James.

The Florida State product is one of the best defensive back prospects in years, in large part because of instincts coaches can't teach and a versatility coaches covet. Combine that with a 6'3", 215-pound frame, and it isn't hard to see why the NFL likes what it sees.

Before noting a knee injury, MMQB's Albert Breer had nothing but strong comparisons for James: "Florida State safety Derwin James arrived in Tallahassee in 2015, and his freakish play as a true freshman conjured images of super-sized safeties of the past, like Sean Taylor and Kam Chancellor."

With the top of the draft being all about upside, the Colts will have to look past the knee injury for the sake of upside and the strong ripple effect James could have on the entire unit. Pairing him with an elite prospect like Malik Hooker isn't redundant so much as it is smart given the league's pass-happy status as the next generation of elite quarterbacks begins to take over.

Speaking of quarterbacks, the Colts could still have one of the top guys in the league in Andrew Luck. They have to round out the rest of the roster with blue-chip prospects—a classification James won't lose as the draft process continues.

*10. Oakland Raiders: Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia

What better way to usher in the second Jon Gruden era for the Oakland Raiders than to secure a prospect like Roquan Smith?

Smith, like James, is one of the best sheer prospects at his position for a long time and is the latest to prove the "undersized" label at linebacker isn't much of a factor anymore.

After all, Smith comes in at 6'1" and 225 pounds, but his sideline-to-sideline speed has him on the radar as a top-10 pick before the draft process gets underway in earnest. Smith personifies the cliche "always around the football" and put it on full display recently during a College Football Playoff game, as CBSSports.com's Tom Fornelli illustrated:

Few things other than a guard prospect are as sure as a linebacker like Smith in the draft process, which is why the Raiders won't hesitate to pull the trigger in the above scenario.

Adding Smith to a core featuring Bruce Irvin and Khalil Mack will only make the Raiders nastier and more effective. The offense has its problems to work out, but Smith is an enforcer and leader who could help shape the team's identity around what Gruden wants.

20. Detroit Lions: Bryce Love, RB, Stanford

Saquon Barkley gets most of the hype because he is talented enough to come off the board first overall, which helps a guy like Stanford's Bryce Love fly under the proverbial radar.

This isn't necessarily a good thing for Love other than the fact it could enable him to land in a strong long-term fit and maximize his chances at a long pro career. It certainly benefits the Detroit Lions in the above scenario.

Love took over for Stanford last year, turning 263 carries into 2,118 yards and 19 touchdowns on an 8.1 yards-per-carry average. While he isn't as versatile as former teammate Christian McCaffrey, Love's pro upside has enough to woo a team like the Lions into a smart pick on draft day.

To say Love's potential farewell tour was effective would be an understatement, as Sports on Earth's Matt Brown pointed out:

Efficiency is something the Lions could use in a big way behind quarterback Matthew Stafford. The Ameer Abdullah experiment looks dead in the water after his 552 yards and four scores on a 3.3 yards-per-carry average over 14 games—which led the team in rushing this past season.

Love is the sort of back who could come in and start as a rookie, especially while playing off the threat of Stafford as a passer. Given the impact of rookie rushers lately (Leonard Fournette, Alvin Kamara, Jordan Howard, etc.), a prospect like Love could be the difference between another 2017-esque campaign or a deep playoff run for the Lions.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com.