NFL Draft 2018: Analyzing 1st-Round Mock Projections After Bowl Games

Sometimes the end is only the beginning, which is the interesting dynamic occurring in the world of football as the calendar starts heading toward February.

The NFL playoffs continue to inch closer to rewarding a Lombardi Trophy, and the college football bowl season kept doling out honors until Alabama reclaimed the throne.

While live football nears a conclusion, though, the NFL draft process is only beginning.

Those teams unfortunate enough to miss the playoffs already started beefing up what is now a year-long process. Prospects themselves have already reshaped the stock market ahead of something such as the Shrine Game thanks to performances in bowl games.

Let's marry the two below, using a mock to showcase team needs and the prospect stock market.

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: Vita Vea, DT, Washington

20. Detroit Lions: Derrius Guice, RB, LSU

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: Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan

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

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

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

29. Jacksonville Jaguars: Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama

30. Minnesota Vikings: Isaiah Oliver, CB, Colorado

31. Philadelphia Eagles: Ronald Jones II, RB, USC 

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

*Depicts tiebreakers to be decided by a coin flip. Pick Nos. 29-32 will be determined by playoff results.

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

With any luck, those who haven't already caught on to the fact Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith is one of the best prospects overall did so during the bowl games.

Smith was his usual self while trying to lift his Bulldogs to a national title and coming up short by three points in overtime—he flew all over the field, making sideline-to-sideline plays, letting the elite athleticism take over after his likewise elite instincts and play recognition put him on the right path.

While someone who might earn the "undersized" label (6'1", 225 pounds) by the unnecessarily long path to the draft, speedy linebackers who are always around the ball and bring a leadership quality to a unit aren't measured by size often anymore.

There's a reason even ESPN.com's Mel Kiper Jr. has Smith coming off the board at No. 10 to the Oakland Raiders: "Smith is the type of player new coach Jon Gruden loves. He's physical. He can get sideline to sideline in a hurry. He's a force in the middle. Smith was one of the best players on the field in the College Football Playoff National Championship, and he could slot into the middle of the Raiders' defense in place of NaVorro Bowman, who's a free agent. Oakland could also target a pass-rusher to help Khalil Mack & Co."

In the above mock, the only reason Smith almost falls out of the top 10 is because of a rush on quarterbacks and the prioritization of premium spots. Linebacker doesn't classify as the latter anymore unless the prospect is a pass-rusher, but it only holds a talent like Smith back until No. 10.

The Raiders clearly want a culture shakeup, especially with the division likely only getting stronger in the coming years. Smith is a two birds, one stone sort of prospect, even if his position isn't the most immediate need on the roster.

13. Washington Redskins: Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama

Butch Dill/Associated Press

Alabama isn't necessarily known for its passing game, yet anyone who watched a second of Nick Saban's program this past season couldn't help but notice wideout Calvin Ridley.

Ridley, 6'1" and 188 pounds, is a candidate to be a much better pro player than he was in college—which is saying something coming from a powerhouse like Alabama. But most of the junior's touches were manufactured at the line of scrimmage because of iffy quarterback play, yet he still posted 63 catches for 967 yards and five touchdowns before scoring a touchdown in each College Football Playoff game.

Even on limited, predictable usage, Ridley flashed the fact he's a reliable weapon with mismatch capabilities. MMQB's Albert Breer noted that, while Ridley isn't an athletic phenomenon like a Julio Jones, he's ready to help right away: "But he has produced ever since he arrived on campus, and improved his average per catch by about five yards this year. Ridley’s a good candidate to go somewhere in the first round because of his polish and readiness to play early in the NFL."

By now, fans should know early-round wideouts are far from a sure thing, so there's a bonus here with the fact it looks like Ridley should have an easier transition than most. It's a detail a team like the Washington Redskins won't overlook after they whiffed on Terrelle Pryor and the passing game suffered.

Unless the Redskins surprise and don't do what it takes to keep Kirk Cousins in town, the immediate focus will be on finding a solution like Ridley who can come in and balance out the offense again.

20. Detroit Lions: Derrius Guice, RB, LSU

John Raoux/Associated Press

It isn't easy for a running back to stand out in a class led by Penn State's Saquon Barkley, yet Derrius Guice out of LSU hasn't had a hard time convincing most he's a first-round prospect.

And why not? Guice is 5'11" and 212 pounds of sheer production, a bully of a back following in the footsteps of Leonard Fournette on his way to 1,251 yards and 11 touchdowns on a 5.3 per-carry average as a junior.

That's impressive, though his sophomore campaign was even better as he piled on 1,387 yards and 15 touchdowns on a 7.6 per-carry average.

The NFL drafts on upside, not production, though—Guice passes the test there as well.

Based on a tweet from Bleacher Report's Matt Miller, Guice only keeps improving his draft resume as the process continues:

Guice is the type of back who can come in and balance out an offense by doing the dirty work between the tackles, much like Fournette did for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Above, the Detroit Lions prioritize bringing the LSU product aboard after another odd season from Ameer Abdullah, who ran for 552 yards and four scores on a 3.3 per-carry average over 14 games.

While the Lions have other needs and the blocking up front isn't necessarily pristine, Guice is the type of back who can produce regardless. His doing so reduces strain on the passing attack and even the defense via quality of field position and time of possession for the opponent.

Put another way, Guice is the type of back who better prepares the Lions for years of clashes with the physical, elite Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com.