NFL Mock Draft 2018: 1st-Round Projections for Most Coveted Prospects

After the Philadelphia Eagles' Super Bowl LII win over the New England Patriots, preparations for the 2018 NFL draft are set to kick into high gear.

That will begin on Tuesday when prospects report to Indianapolis for the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine, which represents one of their final opportunities to impress NFL scouts and general managers, and improve their draft positioning.

Prior to the combine, here is a full, first-round mock draft, along with further analysis regarding some of the most highly touted prospects in the class and where they may land.

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: Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming

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: Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia

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: Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville

16. Baltimore Ravens: Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama

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

18. Seattle Seahawks: Derrius Guice, RB, LSU

19. Dallas Cowboys: Vita Vea, DT, Washington

20. Detroit Lions: Arden Key, DE, LSU

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

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

23. Los Angeles Rams: Josh Jackson, CB, Iowa

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

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

26. Atlanta Falcons: Taven Bryan, DT, Florida

27. New Orleans Saints: Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech

28. Pittsburgh Steelers: Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama

29. Jacksonville Jaguars: Mark Andrews, TE, Oklahoma

30. Minnesota Vikings: Isaiah Wynn, OL, Georgia

31. New England Patriots: Harold Landry, DE, Boston College

32. Philadelphia Eagles: Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA

*Oakland and San Francisco will flip a coin to determine pick Nos. 9 and 10.

Projections for Most Coveted Prospects

Saquon Barkley

Much of the focus entering the 2018 NFL draft is on the deep crop of quarterbacks, but it is difficult to argue against the notion that Penn State running back Saquon Barkley is the most talented all-around prospect in the class.

Barkley did it all for the Nittany Lions during his three seasons at PSU, and he is arguably coming off his best season in terms of contributing across the board.

In 2017, Barkley registered 1,271 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground, 54 receptions for 632 yards and three touchdowns through the air and two kick return touchdowns.

For as good as Barkley is, there is inherent risk involved with taking a running back early in the draft, which is something Jeff Cavanaugh of 105.3 The Fan alluded to in the following tweet:

Teams have enjoyed success taking running backs early in recent years, however, as the Dallas Cowboys selected Ezekiel Elliott No. 4 overall in 2016 and the Jacksonville Jaguars took Leonard Fournette with the fourth pick in the 2017 draft.

Both the Cowboys and Jags made the playoffs in the season following those picks, and there is no question that Elliott and Fournette were huge parts of their emergence.

Barkley would seemingly be an ideal target for the Cleveland Browns since they own both the No. 1 and No. 4 overall picks.

Since quarterback is Cleveland's biggest need, it can take the signal-caller it covets most first before crossing its fingers and hoping Barkley lasts until No. 4.

The Browns still have a long way to go before being contenders after going 0-16 in 2017, but Barkley is the type of player who can lead a quick turnaround, much like Elliott and Fournette over the past two seasons.

Josh Allen

On the surface, there is little separation between the top four or five quarterbacks in the 2018 NFL draft class.

That bodes well for the teams picking early in the first round that are in need of a franchise signal-caller.

One of the quarterbacks in the mix to potentially go No. 1 overall to the Browns is Wyoming's Josh Allen. In order to earn that distinction, however, he will have to stand out above the likes of Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson in the coming weeks and months.

After raising some eyebrows in 2016, Allen had a difficult 2017 campaign that saw his numbers dip significantly.

He completed just 56.3 percent of his passes for 1,812 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Allen didn't have many playmakers at his disposal, though, and he may have repaired his value with a strong performance in the Senior Bowl.

Should the Browns, New York Giants and Denver Broncos all pass on Allen inside the top five, the New York Jets appear to be a logical landing spot at No. 6.

Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus is among those who can envision the Jets taking a chance on the big, strong-armed passer:

New York had some good moments with veteran journeyman Josh McCown under center in 2017, but neither Bryce Petty nor Christian Hackenberg look to be the Jets' quarterback of the future.

If Gang Green is unable to sign Kirk Cousins in free agency, it will be hard-pressed to pass up on a supreme talent of Allen's caliber.

Taking him could set the franchise back several more years if his skill set doesn't translate to production, but as a prototypical NFL quarterback, Allen will undoubtedly get some looks early in the first round.

Quenton Nelson

Linemen also get lost in the shuffle during the build toward the NFL draft, but Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson may be the safest selection of anyone in the entire 2018 class.

Nelson was a two-year starter at Notre Dame, and he saw extensive action at both left guard and left tackle, giving him the type versatility NFL teams covet.

He projects as a cornerstone guard at the next level, and while that isn't always the most highly sought-after position, every indication is that Nelson should come off the board at some point in the first half of the first round.

The Cincinnati Bengals need to improve at several positions in order to break their recent playoff drought, and guard was one of their weakest spots in 2017.

Trey Hopkins struggled all year long, and an upgrade at that spot could be a significant help for the Bengals in terms of getting back on track.

As seen in this video courtesy of ESPN's Todd McShay, Nelson has remarkable instincts, and his presence would likely help any NFL offensive line immediately:

Issues along the offensive line adversely impacted quarterback Andy Dalton, running back Joe Mixon and the entire offense in Cincinnati last season.

The Bengals have a lot of ground to make up if they are going to be competitive with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North in 2018, but selecting Nelson would allow them to plug, play and forget about any problems that plagued them at guard.