NFL Draft 2018: 1st-Round Mock Draft and Projections for Top Prospects

The 2018 NFL draft will likely be defined by the success of its highly touted group of quarterbacks, and as many as six signal-callers could come off the board in Round 1. But it's important not to overlook the talent available at other positions.

Penn State running back Saquon Barkley and NC State defensive lineman Bradley Chubb headline the group of prospects capable of making an instant impact at the next level. That likely won't be the case for all of the QBs, as some will begin their NFL careers in backup roles.

Let's present a complete mock draft for the opening round. That's followed by an early look at some Rookie of the Year predictions based on the landing spots in the projection.

Round 1 Mock Draft

1. Cleveland Browns: Sam Darnold, QB, USC

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

3. Indianapolis Colts: Bradley Chubb, DE, NC State

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

5. Denver Broncos: Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming

6. New York Jets: Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Arden Key, DE, LSU

8. Chicago Bears: Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma

*9. Oakland Raiders: Josh Jackson, CB, Iowa

*10. San Francisco 49ers: Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama

11. Miami Dolphins: Quenton Nelson, OG, Notre Dame

12. Cincinnati Bengals: Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia

13. Washington Redskins: Derwin James, SS, Florida State

14. Green Bay Packers: Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State

15. Arizona Cardinals: Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State

16. Baltimore Ravens: Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU

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

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

19. Dallas Cowboys: Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan

20. Detroit Lions: Minkah Fitzpatrick, FS, Alabama

21. Buffalo Bills: Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville

22. Buffalo Bills (from KC): Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA

23. Los Angeles Rams: Malik Jefferson, LB, Texas

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

25. Tennessee Titans: Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, DE, Oklahoma

26. Atlanta Falcons: Dorian O'Daniel, LB, Clemson

27. New Orleans Saints: Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M

28. Pittsburgh Steelers: Ronnie Harrison, SS, Alabama

29. Jacksonville Jaguars: Mark Andrews, TE, Oklahoma

30. Minnesota Vikings: Will Hernandez, OG, UTEP

31. Philadelphia Eagles: Connor Williams, OT, Texas

32. New England Patriots: Derrius Guice, RB, LSU

The order of pick Nos. 9 and 10 will be determined by a coin flip. Pick Nos. 31 and 32 will be determined by the outcome of Super Bowl LII.

Rookie of the Year Projections

Offensive: Saquon Barkley (Browns)

While the consensus is the Cleveland Browns will select a quarterback with the first overall pick, that may depend on how much the front office likes Saquon Barkley. If it views him as an essential element in the rebuild, the team could select him at No. 1 and pick from the remaining quarterbacks at No. 4.

Don't be surprised if that approach starts to gather more steam as the draft draws closer. Unless the Browns are exceedingly confident in any of the QBs following the draft process, the better value might be guaranteeing themselves Barkley and hoping their preferred option under center slides a few spots.

NFL Draft Diamonds has also discussed the idea:

The New York Giants' need for a quarterback of the future and the Indianapolis Colts' longstanding defensive struggles suggest Barkley will be available when it's time to make the fourth pick. But if that feeling changes before draft day, the Browns may need to alter their approach.

Not only is the Penn State standout a game-changing player, but he would go a long way toward taking pressure off the team's rookie quarterback. He tallied 5,038 yards from scrimmage and 51 offensive touchdowns across three years with the Nittany Lions.

The draft value of running backs is on the rise after years of decline thanks to the recent success of high picks like the Jacksonville Jaguars' Leonard Fournette (No. 4 in 2017) and the Dallas Cowboys' Ezekiel Elliott (No. 4 in 2016).

In an offense guided by another rookie, USC's Sam Darnold in this scenario, Barkley would be in line for a workload similar to his final two years in college. That would make him a clear favorite for Rookie of the Year honors on offense despite all the QB competition.

Defensive: Josh Jackson (Raiders)

The Oakland Raiders were one of the league's most disappointing teams in 2017. The Derek Carr-led offense and the Khalil Mack-led defense both fell well short of expectations—the team ranked 17th in total offense and 23rd in total defense—en route to a 6-10 campaign.

Oakland's roster is more talented than that record would suggest, though. The Raiders are just one year removed from a 12-4 season that resulted in their first playoff berth since 2002.

A coaching change, with Jon Gruden taking over for Jack Del Rio, combined with some offseason upgrades could lead to a major bounce back next season.

Adding Josh Jackson to the secondary would be a major step in the right direction. After two years playing a limited role for the Hawkeyes, he enjoyed a breakout year in 2017 to the tune of 48 total tackles and the first eight interceptions of his college career, including two he returned for touchdowns.

The cornerback talked about his high number of game-changing plays following Iowa's victory over Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl.

"It means a lot," Jackson told reporters. "It was one of my goals coming into this year: trying to get as many picks as I can, just to help the offense set up scores. I really worked hard this offseason and coming into the season. I'm just really happy with the way it turned out."

Oakland ranked 12th in run defense and 26th in pass defense this past season. That type of split means opponents are going to open next season looking to beat the Raiders through the air. In turn, Jackson is going to have plenty of chances to make highlight-reel plays.

The learning curve for young corners is often quite steep, so the rookie out of Iowa will probably make his fair share of mistakes. But award voting is heavily based on stats, and Jackson should put up great numbers, especially if the offense bounces back and creates a shootout atmosphere in games.