2018 NFL Mock Draft: 1st-Round Picks, Projections for Most Impactful Prospects
Desperation would be a good word to describe the 2018 NFL draft right now.
The trade between the New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts personifies this to an almost extreme point. A trade usually reserved for draft day itself got done in March, with the Jets giving up a big cost to move up three spots.
It speaks to the strength of the draft class, as the 2018 offering has four or five quarterbacks who could come off the board in the first round. It's also rare compared to recent classes in its depth at positions along the offensive line.
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Below, let's take a look at how things shake out in a new mock after the blockbuster trade.
2018 NFL Mock Draft
1. Cleveland Browns: Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
2. New York Giants: Sam Darnold, QB, USC
3. New York Jets: Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
5. Denver Broncos: Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
6. Indianapolis Colts: Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Derwin James, S, Florida State
8. Chicago Bears: Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame
9. San Francisco 49ers: Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU
10. Oakland Raiders: Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia
11. Miami Dolphins: Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama
12. Buffalo Bills: Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
13. Washington Redskins: Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama
14. Green Bay Packers: Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State
15. Arizona Cardinals: Vita Vea, DT, Washington
16. Baltimore Ravens: Harold Landry, DE/OLB, Boston College
17. Los Angeles Chargers: Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech
18. Seattle Seahawks: Connor Williams, OT, Texas
19. Dallas Cowboys: Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame
20. Detroit Lions: Derrius Guice, RB, LSU
21. Cincinnati Bengals: Mike Gesicki, TE, Penn State
22. Buffalo Bills (via Kansas City Chiefs): Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State
23. Los Angeles Rams: Billy Price, C/G, Ohio State
24. Carolina Panthers: Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA
25. Tennessee Titans: Da'Ron Payne, DT, Alabama
26. Atlanta Falcons: Taven Bryan, DT, Florida
27. New Orleans Saints: Will Hernandez, OG, UTEP
28. Pittsburgh Steelers: Marcus Davenport, DE/OLB, UTSA
29. Jacksonville Jaguars: Joshua Jackson, CB, Iowa
30. Minnesota Vikings: Isaiah Oliver, CB, Colorado
31. New England Patriots: Isaiah Wynn, OT, Georgia
32. Philadelphia Eagles: Mark Andrews, TE, Oklahoma
1. Cleveland Browns: Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
Let's be real—any talk about which quarterback comes off the board first is pure speculation until an official report comes in and changes the conversation.
It's easy to play it safe and write in Sam Darnold here. But when have these Browns played it safe?
This is the team that pulled off the NBA-esque Brock Osweiler trade and tried to trade for AJ McCarron. Rolling the dice on Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield wouldn't exactly be out of character.
And why not? Mayfield has rare traits and upside, hence the 4,627 passing yards and 43 touchdowns a year ago with another 311 yards and five touchdowns as a rusher. He's only 6'1" and 215 pounds, but when an era featuring Nick Foles as a Super Bowl winner just started, an offense can build around it.
There will be some silly Johnny Manziel comparisons here simply because Mayfield can do similar things in the pocket and with his feet.
Mayfield, for one, isn't buying it, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com): "I wasn't given the natural talent that Johnny had. Because he's a talent. And there's a reason he got taken in the first round, amazing player. We're just not the same mentally. Just wired differently."
Mayfield is his own player and might have the most upside of any quarterback in this class. With the Browns, he'd get to develop while Tyrod Taylor starts. Those Browns also get another major impact player a few spots later.
3. New York Jets: Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
Maybe the Jets had an eye for Mayfield when trading up with the Colts.
Settling for Josh Rosen out of UCLA isn't bad, though.
Rosen isn't going to wow anyone away with his stats from last year, where he threw for 3,756 yards with 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Luckily for him, the NFL drafts on upside, not production against inferior talent.
Rosen has an elite arm talent and good mechanics, two traits that aren't always solidified by a prospect who is hardly 20 years old.
His abilities have NFL.com's Bucky Brooks making some lofty comparisons: "Rosen is the most polished quarterback prospect I've scouted since Andrew Luck entered the league in 2012. In fact, Rosen is so polished as a passer that I would dub him 'The Natural' based on his beautiful delivery and flawless footwork in the pocket."
Readers can see for themselves via Rosen's pro day:
It's a win for the Jets, to say the least. And the plan seems to center on a rookie sitting and developing anyway considering the return of Josh McCown and the arrival of Teddy Bridgewater.
Solid arm and mechanics or not, throwing Rosen to the wolves in the Big Apple wouldn't be the best idea anyway. The roster has some serious issues when it comes to viable weapons, so building it up while he develops is the best approach.
6. Indianapolis Colts: Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
The Colts already look like the biggest winners of the 2018 draft.
Stuck in the league's most significant rebuild, it was a brilliant move by the front office to pick up a fistful of second-round picks by moving down three spots in the first round. If the team is confident Andrew Luck will fully recover from his injuries, knowing a run on quarterbacks will push an elite talent at a different position down the board to them is huge for the future.
Said elite talent is Penn State running back Saquon Barkley.
Barkley is one of the best running back prospects to enter the NFL in years. While production doesn't mean everything, the fact he went for 1,200-plus yard seasons with 18 rushing scores apiece in each over the past two years says quite a bit.
Standing at 6'0" and 233 pounds, Barkley is the ideal every-down back in the NFL today thanks to his ability to act as a threat in the passing game.
When thinking about pro comparisons, it's best to keep it short and sweet, like Pro Football Focus' Sam Monson did:
Barkley keeps falling down the board simply because he runs with the football instead of throwing it.
Call it a coup for the Colts—transforming into a run-first offense to help along Luck is nothing short of a great development. The roster will only get younger over the next few years as rookies come in and lead the charge across the board, so tasking Barkley with evening things out is a great approach for a team that desperately needed a direction.
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