NFL Draft 2018: Updated Selection Order After AFC, NFC Championships
If you are a fan of the Minnesota Vikings or Jacksonville Jaguars, welcome to the rest of the league looking ahead to next season.
While the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles will battle for a Super Bowl title in two weeks, the 30 other teams have already been eliminated and are looking for ways to get to that point next year. One of the key ways is the NFL draft, and the order is finally starting to take shape.
The final two spots are still to be decided, but here is a look at the rest of the first round following the two conference title games.
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NFL Draft First-Round Order
1. Cleveland Browns
2. New York Giants
3. Indianapolis Colts
4. Cleveland Browns (via Texans)
5. Denver Broncos
6. New York Jets
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
8. Chicago Bears
9.* San Francisco 49ers
10.* Oakland Raiders
11. Miami Dolphins
12. Cincinnati Bengals
13. Washington Redskins
14. Green Bay Packers
15. Arizona Cardinals
16. Baltimore Ravens
17. Los Angeles Chargers
18. Seattle Seahawks
19. Dallas Cowboys
20. Detroit Lions
21. Buffalo Bills
22. Buffalo Bills (via Chiefs)
23. Los Angeles Rams
24. Carolina Panthers
25. Tennessee Titans
26. Atlanta Falcons
27. New Orleans Saints
28. Pittsburgh Steelers
29. Jacksonville Jaguars
30. Minnesota Vikings
31. Philadelphia Eagles
32. New England Patriots
*Order pending coin flip. Final two picks subject to Super Bowl result.
First-Round Storylines
Confusion at Quarterback
Very rarely is there any sort of consensus about the top quarterback, and the debate usually rages on for a number of years. Fans and analysts argued about Mitchell Trubisky, Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson and DeShone Kizer throughout last year, and we still aren't ready to decide on an order.
Still, this year might be tougher to choose with as many as six players in the running to be the best quarterback in the class.
USC's Sam Darnold and UCLA's Josh Rosen are arguably the two most classic choices, each coming from major programs and with the size and arm talent necessary to succeed at the next level. Both players can make all the throws, although consistency has been a problem.
Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield was the Heisman Trophy winner, but his numbers don't necessarily mean his success will translate to the next level. The same could be said about Mason Rudolph, who has good size but has benefited from Oklahoma State's great offensive system.
Lousiville's Lamar Jackson is a bit of a wild card thanks to his elite rushing ability, although he is still developing as a quarterback. Teams might want to move him to receiver, but he deserves a chance to show what he can do under center.
Finally, Josh Allen is an unknown among most fans after playing in Wyoming, but his natural talents should have scouts interested.
These players could realistically be taken in almost any order during the draft.
Running Back Depth
Penn State's Saquon Barkley seems like the clear top running back in the class, but there can be a lot of quality players available for those willing to wait.
Jordan Schultz of Yahoo Sports provided his thoughts on the group of running backs:
Even though Bryce Love is headed back to Stanford, there are still future starters who will be available throughout the three days of the draft.
Derrius Guice could be a star after stepping out of Leonard Fournette's shadows at LSU, while there are tons of sleepers down the board like Notre Dame's Josh Adams and Northwestern's Justin Jackson.
The Georgia duo of Nick Chubb and Sony Michel also showed quite a bit this year and could become early selections in the draft. There are a lot of teams in need of depth in the backfield, and this class should help fill a lot of those spots.
Edge-Rusher Shortage
NFL teams have realized that in order to stop the pass, you need players who can get to the quarterback. Last year, eight different edge-rushers—either defensive ends or 3-4 outside linebackers—were taken in the first round. This included the first and third overall selections.
Those types of players will be in high demand once again, although there might not be as many elite ones available as teams are hoping.
There are definitely elite players in the group, including North Carolina State's Bradley Chubb. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller provided a quick breakdown of the defensive end:
LSU's Arden Key and Boston College's Harold Landry also have high upside and could each be selected in the top half of the first round.
However, there is a seeming lack of depth beyond the top players. With Clemson end Clelin Ferrell deciding to return to school, there is one less option for teams looking to fill that role.
The result could either push average players to go higher in the draft or force teams to look in other directions to help their teams.
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