NFL Mock Draft 2018: Projections for Most Underrated 1st-Round Prospects
The path to the 2018 NFL draft now enters its quiet stretch.
Written another way, the process now enters its most excruciating part for fans. Prospects continue to make the rounds on top-30 visits, but for the most part, even fans know the boards for each team aren't going to change much after years of scouting by front offices for this class have led to this.
The good news? Fans can get lost in other distractions like the drama surrounding New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. or the endless wave of mock drafts.
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Speaking of mock drafts, let's take an updated look at one possible scenario before breaking down some of the first round's most underrated prospects fans will want to take a close look at while they wait.
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
4. Cleveland Browns (via Houston Texans): Bradley Chubb, DE, NC State
5. Denver Broncos: Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
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: Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia
10. Oakland Raiders: Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU
11. Miami Dolphins: Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama
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: Isaiah Wynn, OT, Georgia
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. New England Patriots (via Los Angeles Rams): Billy Price, C/G, Ohio State
24. Carolina Panthers: James Daniels, OL, Iowa
25. Tennessee Titans: Da'Ron Payne, DT, Alabama
26. Atlanta Falcons: Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan
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: Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma St.
32. Philadelphia Eagles: Mark Andrews, TE, Oklahoma
27. New Orleans Saints: Will Hernandez, OG, UTEP
Given their status in the overall scheme of things, it isn't hard to understand why a guard like UTEP's Will Hernandez is one of the more underrated names in the first round.
The status is changing, of course.
We've seen guards like Kevin Zeitler and others hit the open market in free agency now and reset the market each time because the role of the guard in offenses continues to soar in importance as more athletic interior rushers like Aaron Donald emerge and defensive coaches get more exotic with their pressures.
That means a guy like Hernandez being available in the first round is quite valuable. He's 6'2" and 348 pounds of nasty football whose low-to-ground posture helps him win leverage before the sheer strength takes over.
There's a reason Hernandez checks in at No. 25 on the top-50 rankings from NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah: "He piles up some gnarly knockdowns when he's uncovered. He's always looking for extra work. Overall, Hernandez is a tempo setter in the run game and more than adequate in the passing game. He had a great Senior Bowl and combine."
Slotting Hernandez 27th makes some sense all things considered—especially with the New Orleans Saints sitting on the pick. The front office there won't mind a sheer upgrade in the trenches in front of Drew Brees after he inked an extension, signifying one last push as his career winds down.
30. Minnesota Vikings: Isaiah Oliver, CB, Colorado
Few things are more important in the NFL today than quality defensive backs to counteract the pass, making it a premium position NFL teams won't hesitate to start runs on during the draft.
This 2018 class has been interesting, though, because Colorado cornerback Isaiah Oliver has had a hard time creating some elbow room in the form of national attention. It's odd, as he's a high-upside bump-and-run corner who came up big as a tackler during his time in college.
In fact, the NFL values key athletic traits in cornerbacks, making the lack of hype for Oliver almost feel like a sort of smokescreen by omission because teams don't want to show their hand via interest.
He's 6'1" and 190 pounds with a 40-yard dash of 4.5 seconds at the combine and has one other critical measurement going for him, according to Bleacher Report's Marcus Mosher:
In the mock above, a defensive mind like Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer won't pass on such a moldable player at a premium position.
Yes, the Vikings have already invested notable assets in the position and have guys like Trae Waynes and Xavier Rhodes, but as hinted, teams won't shy away from adding more and more. Keep in mind Zimmer also helped draft in Cincinnati before coming to Minnesota, where the team didn't hesitate to take a first-round cornerback often.
31. New England Patriots: Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma St.
It's hard to find a possible first-round quarterback flying under the radar, yet here we are with Mason Rudolph out of Oklahoma State.
Granted, most know Rudolph's name simply because he's a quarterback. But in terms of hype and understanding of his ability, he falls way behind guys like Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen.
Clearly, it's a saturated market—although that's not a bad thing. Rudolph is an interesting value pick if he falls down the board because he checks in at 6'5" and 235 pounds with quality deep-passing abilities as he plays off the running game.
He's more like Andy Dalton in that he won't create offense by strong-arming it into tight windows, but the right fit won't have a problem.
Hence documented interest from the New England Patriots, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport:
For a prospect like Rudolph, falling down the board thanks to a lack of attention in a deep class certainly has its perks. In the above scenario, he gets to land and serve as the primary backup behind Tom Brady.
Not only is the coaching staff good enough to work around his potential limitations if he eventually becomes the starter, we've seen how profitable it is to sit in that position and let the hype land a backup a major payday and a chance to start elsewhere.
It's a win-win scenario for both sides, and it's only possible because Rudolph took a dive into the underrated realm.
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