2018 NFL Mock Draft: Projections for Event's Fastest-Rising Prospects

We are officially less than one month away from the first round of the 2018 NFL draft, which is set to kick off on Thursday, April 26 at 8 p.m. ET in Arlington, Texas.

There isn't too much left for players to do in the predraft process, as the NFL Scouting Combine is long over and the majority of pro days are complete. Teams can bring as many as 30 players in for visits at their respective facilities, but other than that, all prospects are working out and playing the waiting game until late April.

It should be an interesting first round, but until then, here's a look at a new mock draft, as well as three players who are making climbs up pundits' big boards this month.

2018 NFL Mock Draft

1. Cleveland Browns: USC QB Sam Darnold

2. Buffalo Bills (proposed trade with New York Giants): Wyoming QB Josh Allen 

3. New York Jets: UCLA QB Josh Rosen

4. Cleveland Browns: Penn State RB Saquon Barkley

5. Denver Broncos: Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield

6. Indianapolis Colts: North Carolina State DE Bradley Chubb

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Alabama DB Minkah Fitzpatrick

8. Chicago Bears: Notre Dame OG Quenton Nelson

9. San Francisco 49ers: Virginia Tech LB Tremaine Edmunds

10. Oakland Raiders: Georgia LB Roquan Smith

11. Miami Dolphins: Florida State S Derwin James

12. New York Giants (proposed trade with Buffalo Bills): Notre Dame OT Mike McGlinchey

13. Washington Redskins: Washington DT Vita Vea

14. Green Bay Packers: Ohio State CB Denzel Ward

15. Arizona Cardinals: Louisville QB Lamar Jackson

16. Baltimore Ravens: Alabama WR Calvin Ridley

17. Los Angeles Chargers: Alabama DT Da'Ron Payne

18. Seattle Seahawks: Texas OT Connor Williams

19. Dallas Cowboys: SMU WR Courtland Sutton

20. Detroit Lions: UTSA EDGE Marcus Davenport

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Alabama LB Rashaan Evans

22. New York Giants (proposed trade with Buffalo Bills): Ohio State OG/C Billy Price

23. Los Angeles Rams: Boston College EDGE Harold Landry

24. Carolina Panthers: Alabama S Ronnie Harrison

25. Tennessee Titans: Michigan DT Maurice Hurst

26. Atlanta Falcons: Florida DT Taven Bryan

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

28. Pittsburgh Steelers: Boise State LB Leighton Vander Esch

29. Jacksonville Jaguars: Penn State TE Mike Gesicki

30. Minnesota Vikings: UTEP OG Will Hernandez

31. New England Patriots: Louisville CB Jaire Alexander

32. Philadelphia Eagles: LSU RB Derrius Guice

UTEP OG Will Hernandez

Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network posted his second big board on March 7, and there was a notable inclusion that didn't appear in the original.

Specifically, UTEP offensive guard Will Hernandez jumped from out of Jeremiah's top 50 into a slot at No. 25. Jeremiah noted that Hernandez had a great Senior Bowl and NFL Scouting Combine, which undoubtedly helped his draft standing.

Hernandez also happens to be the second-highest rated offensive lineman on Lance Zierlein of NFL Network's board, ahead of potential first-round picks such as Mike McGlinchey of Notre Dame, Connor Williams of Texas and Billy Price of Ohio State.

He posted an incredible 37 reps in the 225-pound bench press at the combine, showcasing his incredible strength. The main downsides, as Jeremiah noted, seem to be his shorter-than-ideal height for a guard (6'2") and shorter arms, which an NFC scout said could be an issue.

Still, Hernandez seems like the type of player who could make his home in the NFL for a decade or more as a stalwart on a team's offensive line.

That team may be the Minnesota Vikings at No. 30. Beat reporter Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune noted that depth on the offensive and defensive line are the team's biggest needs at this point, and Hernandez should help alleviate that concern at least for one side.

Louisville CB Jaire Alexander

One of the biggest risers on Matt Miller of Bleacher Report's big board is Louisville cornerback Jaire Alexander. Prior to the NFL Scouting Combine, Alexander was ranked 38th. However, Alexander made a big leap following the combine, slotting in at 27th. Miller also ranks Alexander as the best slot cornerback in this year's draft.

Alexander shined in Indianapolis, posting a 40-yard dash time of 4.38 seconds (the sixth-fastest among cornerbacks) and a 10'7" broad jump (fourth-best at his position).

Justin Melo of USA Today also interviewed Alexander, who also described his game: 

"First and foremost, I'm a physical corner. I don't think there's another corner in this class who can match my physicality. I play the game fast. I have excellent speed. I have excellent ball skills, I once played wide receiver. My ball skills are top-notch. I bring that swagger and attitude to the field. I play with a bunch of aggression. I'm just a flat out competitor."

The New England Patriots could use someone like Alexander in their defensive backfield. They struggled against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII, allowing 41 points. Most notably, Eagles quarterback Nick Foles threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns (he also caught one). For reasons still unclear, former Pats starting cornerback Malcolm Butler was benched on the defensive side, a move that eventually backfired.

Now Butler is a Tennessee Titan after leaving New England in free agency, and the Pats need more secondary depth.

Alexander could slide right into the starting slot cornerback role. If the Pats don't go the corner route, the bet is that New England goes defense early in the draft, as the Pats ranked 31st out of 32 NFL teams in defensive efficiency in 2017, per Football Outsiders.

LSU RB Derrius Guice

Much of the attention on the running back side leading into the 2018 NFL draft has been on Penn State's Saquon Barkley, but this year's entire position class is fantastic and features a lot of depth. Namely, LSU's Derrius Guice and Georgia's Sony Michel are first-round talents who could go in the top 32.

As far as Guice goes, he's been a riser on big boards in the predraft process. Per Walter Football, Guice has averaged a big board spot of No. 41 on its big boards this year, but the latest version has the former Tiger at No. 29.

While production in college doesn't directly correlate to success in the pros, it's hard to ignore what Guice did in his final two years in Baton Rouge. He ran for 1,387 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2016 before adding another 1,251 yards and 11 scores on the ground in 2017. That's no easy task when playing the majority of games against SEC teams.

Guice also landed 10th in Josh Norris of NBC Sports and Rotoworld's initial big board. Norris called Guice a "no-nonsense runner" who "wants to maximize the blocking in front of him and will win on contact, either a few yards on final contact or break into free space."

If he falls to the end of the first round, look for the Philadelphia Eagles to take Guice before the second round. By the end of last season, Philadelphia used three running backs (Jay Ajayi, LeGarrette Blount and Corey Clement).

However, Blount is now a Detroit Lion, and Ajayi an unrestricted free agent after the 2018 season. Therefore, the Eagles could add Guice to the backfield to replace Blount, and perhaps he and Clement could lead the way in 2019 if Ajayi chooses to go elsewhere.