Highlighting the Top Plug-and-Play Starters of the 2018 NFL Draft Class
Good things might come to those who wait, but most NFL general managers don't have that luxury. Unlike in the NHL or MLB, NFL teams often expect their first-round picks to make an immediate impact.
Some of the highest-rated prospects in the 2018 draft class might not be able to do that. A handful will need more time to develop physically or mechanically, while others may need to adjust to the dynamics of professional football.
But certain prospects should be both ready and able to step into NFL starting shoes in September. The following 10 players, all of whom should be first-round picks in two weeks' time, fit that bill.
Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
1 of 10
Former UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen is smart, poised, accurate and mechanically polished. His footwork is exceptional for a signal-caller who just turned 21, but that isn't surprising considering the experience he gained over the course of his three-year career starting in the Pac-12.
You're welcome to argue Sam Darnold is a better prospect, Josh Allen has a higher ceiling or Lamar Jackson is a better athlete. But Darnold turned it over too often during his final year at USC, Allen is battling accuracy concerns coming out of an obscure program at Wyoming and Jackson will require a ton of grooming. Even experienced college starter Baker Mayfield likely will need time to adjust to a pro-style offense.
Rosen is the most NFL-ready quarterback prospect in this draft class, and it isn't close.
Whichever team drafts him can and should start him right away.
Teams he might start for in 2018: Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals
Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
2 of 10
If you're a running back projected to be a top-five pick, you'd better be ready to start from the get-go.
Penn State product Saquon Barkley certainly is.
The powerful 233-pounder has the size, speed, vision and experience required of a standout rookie back. And while he can become a better blocker, his skills as a receiver—he caught 54 passes for 632 yards last year—should allow him to become an effective every-down back right away.
A rookie led the NFL in rushing in both 2016 (Ezekiel Elliott) and 2017 (Kareem Hunt). If Barkley lands in the right spot—namely, on a team where he'll be the lead dog—he could keep that trend alive in 2018.
Teams he might start for in 2018: Browns, New York Giants, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts
Derrius Guice, RB, LSU
3 of 10
Actually, if you're a running back projected to be drafted anywhere in the first round, you'd better be ready to start from the get-go.
While LSU product Derrius Guice is less of a sure thing than Barkley, he's ready to roll immediately following back-to-back 1,200-yard seasons in the SEC. The well-built 20-year-old's aggressive running style should translate to the pros right away, although he might be limited on third downs. That aggressive style may not be conducive to a long career, either.
So long as the knee issues that limited him in 2017 don't hold him back as a rookie, look for Guice to serve as a workhorse for a team in desperate need of one.
Teams he might start for in 2018: Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions
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Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame
4 of 10
As a three-year college starter coming out of Notre Dame, offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey is far and away the most mechanically refined player at that position in this draft class. McGlinchey was also born in 1994, so he's more physically developed than most first-round prospects.
At 6'8" and 312 pounds, look for the technically sound 2017 consensus All-American to use his size, experience and long arms to earn a starting role at right tackle immediately. Later in his career, he figures to have the chance to move to the left side.
Teams he might start for in 2018: Bills, Baltimore Ravens, Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, Carolina Panthers
Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame
5 of 10
Just like Barkley and Guice, Quenton Nelson wouldn't be a potential high-end draft pick if he wasn't ready to tear up the NFL right away. The Notre Dame product is widely expected to be a top-10 pick, despite the fact he's a guard.
No team has spent a top-five pick on a clear-cut guard since 1985, but there's even buzz that the Giants could take Nelson second overall.
"He's wired the right way to play the position," Giants head coach Pat Shurmur said last month, per Ryan Dunleavy of NJ Advance Media. "We like him a great deal."
"They do a good job at Notre Dame developing their offensive linemen," Shurmur added. The fact that two of the first five players featured here are Notre Dame linemen is a testament to that.
The 6'5", 329-pound Nelson is as strong and dominant as an offensive line prospect can be, and his superb technique should allow him to start Week 1 of his rookie season.
Teams he might start for in 2018: Giants, Broncos, Colts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders
Isaiah Wynn, OL, Georgia
6 of 10
South Bend wasn't the only place to produce plug-and-play starting offensive line prospects this year. The top non-Notre Dame product who comes to mind is versatile former Georgia offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn.
The first-team All-SEC offensive tackle is a dominant run-blocker and capable pass-blocker who is likely to be drafted as a guard or center, but he can play virtually anywhere along the offensive line. Wynn is undersized for the edge at 6'3", but he has the technique, experience, attitude and blocking chops to make a big difference as a rookie interior offensive lineman.
Who he might start for in 2018: Washington Redskins, Ravens, Seahawks, Lions, Cincinnati Bengals, Panthers, Minnesota Vikings
Billy Price, C, Ohio State
7 of 10
Rarely do you hear the term "four-year starter" these days, but that's what offensive lineman Billy Price was at Ohio State. The 6'4", 312-pound guard/center started a record 55 games for the Buckeyes, earning three All-Big Ten nods (two first teams and one third team) as well as the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year award as a senior in 2017.
He excelled at center this past fall, but he has plenty of experience at guard as well. Teams will highly value that combination of experience and versatility.
Beyond that, Price is a violent blocker who excels in pass protection and run blocking. He has the size, athleticism and intelligence to stand out on Sundays ASAP.
So long as the pectoral injury he suffered at the combine doesn't hold him back this summer, he's likely to do exactly that.
Teams he might start for in 2018: Redskins, Cardinals, Ravens, Lions, Bengals
Bradley Chubb, EDGE, NC State
8 of 10
After steadily improving for three straight seasons as a starter at North Carolina State, Bradley Chubb is clearly the top pass-rushing prospect in this year's draft class.
Chubb is an incredible athlete to begin with. But by returning to school and becoming a unanimous first-team All-American in 2017, he proved that he's ready to make a huge impact right away.
At 6'4" and 269 pounds, Chubb has the build to go up against NFL offensive tackles right away this fall. It'd be shocking if whichever team drafts him doesn't pencil him in at least as a situational starter immediately.
Teams he might start for in 2018: Giants, Colts, Bears
Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State
9 of 10
The jury remains out on whether undersized former Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward can hang with elite NFL outside receivers. But while Ward's ceiling remains a mystery, it does appear as though his floor has been established.
Considering what Ward did as a starter during the last two years in the Big Ten, he'd provide an upgrade for a huge number of NFL teams as a nickel corner.
"His blazing speed and ridiculous athleticism saw Ward allow three or less receptions in all but two games last season and in total, he allowed a passer rating of just 54.0 over his career for Ohio State," Cam Mellor of Pro Football Focus wrote. The 20-year-old surrendered completions on just 35 of the 100 passes thrown his way throughout his time at Ohio State, according to Mellor.
Coming from the same program that produced Marshon Lattimore and Malik Hooker a year ago, look for Ward to play a big role inside for whichever team drafts him in Round 1.
Teams he might start for in 2018: Buccaneers, Bears, 49ers, Raiders, Redskins, Packers, Cardinals
Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama
10 of 10
When someone shines as a starter in the Alabama secondary for three years, he's ready. That's especially the case with Minkah Fitzpatrick, who can at least serve as a slot cornerback but also potentially as a starting safety right off the bat.
Fitzpatrick has Tyrann Mathieu-esque versatility, but he's 6'1" and 201 pounds.
While some teams could convince themselves that he's a jack of all trades, master of none, Fitzpatrick actually might be a master of several trades. Somebody will fall in love with the Chuck Bednarik and Jim Thorpe Award winner and draft him early with designs try him as a starter in one or multiple spots.
Teams he might start for in 2018: Buccaneers, Bears, 49ers, Raiders, Redskins, Packers, Cardinals
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