2018 NFL Draft: Round 1 Order, Odds and Sleeper Prospects to Monitor
There's a reason the word sleeper bounces around NFL draft coverage like a power running back bulldozing one defender after another.
Every installment of the annual talent grab sees studs slip through the cracks. Last season's Offensive Rookie of the Year, New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara, wasn't taken until the 67th pick. Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt went 19 selections later, then lead the freshman class with 1,327 rushing yards.
As much as scouts, analysts and fans like to think they know about the draft, it's still a glorified guessing game. Below, we'll highlight three prospects with sleeper potential who could become the guessed-right picks of this class, plus we'll lay out the first-round order and odds attached to the No. 1 pick candidates.
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2018 NFL Draft: Round 1 Order
1. Cleveland Browns
2. New York Giants
3. New York Jets (via Indianapolis Colts)
4. Cleveland Browns (via Houston Texans)
5. Denver Broncos
6. Indianapolis Colts (via New York Jets)
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
8. Chicago Bears
9. San Francisco 49ers
10. Oakland Raiders
11. Miami Dolphins
12. Buffalo Bills (via Cincinnati Bengals)
13. Washington Redskins
14. Green Bay Packers
15. Arizona Cardinals
16. Baltimore Ravens
17. Los Angeles Chargers
18. Seattle Seahawks
19. Dallas Cowboys
20. Detroit Lions
21. Cincinnati Bengals (via Buffalo Bills)
22. Buffalo Bills (via Kansas City Chiefs)
23. New England Patriots (via Los Angeles Rams)
24. Carolina Panthers
25. Tennessee Titans
26. Atlanta Falcons
27. New Orleans Saints
28. Pittsburgh Steelers
29. Jacksonville Jaguars
30. Minnesota Vikings
31. New England Patriots
32. Philadelphia Eagles
Odds for 2018 NFL Draft's No. 1 Pick (via OddsShark)
Sam Darnold, QB, USC: -300
Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming: +175
Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State: +400
Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA: +1,000
Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma: +3,330
Bradley Chubb, DE, NC State: +3,300
Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama: +6,600
Field (Any Other Player): +3,300
Sleeper Prospects
Will Hernandez, G, UTEP
Depending on your mock draft of choice, Will Hernandez might not fit your definition of a sleeper. Three of NFL.com's four experts have the 6'3", 330-pounder going in the first round (interestingly enough, all to the Bengals at No. 21).
But Matt Miller of Bleacher Report doesn't have Hernandez going in his most recent first-round mock. Cleveland.com's Dan Labbe pegged Hernandez 34th overall.
Hernandez doesn't have the ideal height or length for his position, but his mean streak on the field more than makes up for it. He's a fluid mover for his size, and his agility makes him one of the better run-blockers in this class.
"Hernandez possesses a rare combination of power, balance and athletic ability," Lance Zierlein wrote for NFL.com. " ... Hernandez did nothing but help his cause at the Combine, and he has a great shot of going in the first round and becoming a Pro-Bowl-caliber guard."
If Hernandez has a Pro-Bowl upside, shouldn't he be a lock for the first round? Regardless when he goes, he has the skills to outperform his draft position.
Dante Pettis, WR, Washington
Dante Pettis didn't appear on the two-round mocks by ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay. Considering the site puts Pettis 107th overall and 12th among receivers, that isn't a big surprise.
But his production is hard to overlook. He hauled in 22 touchdown receptions over his final two seasons with the Huskies, 10 more than Calvin Ridley and eight more than D.J. Moore—two likely first-rounders. Pettis also set an NCAA record with nine career punt return touchdowns.
Pettis is an explosive athlete with the size to play outside and the quickness to line up in the slot. While not the fastest runner, he has a knack for making plays. In two of his four collegiate seasons, he averaged better than 15 yards per catch.
He has the full route tree in his arsenal, plus some of the surest hands in this crop. He also comes from an athletic family as the son of a former major leaguer (Gary Pettis, third base coach for the Houston Astros) and cousin of a former NFL wideout (Austin Pettis, who played for the Rams and Chargers from 2011 to 2014).
Consistency and strength will be key to Pettis' development, and he might never become a team's primary pass-catcher. But he can make an instant impact in the return game and be a productive complementary receiver.
Kerryon Johnson, RB, Auburn
Kerryon Johnson also didn't make the cut for Kiper or McShay, while Miller's last seven-rounder had Johnson falling to 51st. That doesn't seem early enough for a player Kiper recently dubbed "one of the best backs in college football in 2017."
Johnson provided the Tigers with 20 touchdowns from scrimmage as a junior while rushing for 1,391 yards on 285 carries (4.9 yards per attempt). He found the end zone in 11 of 12 games last season, including an 18-carry, five-score effort against Missouri in September.
Johnson has drawn comparisons to Pittsburgh Steelers standout Le'Veon Bell on more than one occasion. That didn't happen by accident, as Johnson said he modeled his patient approach after Bell's.
"He's the guy—everybody knows when you watch him, he'll literally stop running," Johnson said, per AL.com's Tom Green. "He'll just be standing there and let his guys do the work. I said, 'Well if it works for him, surely it can work for me here."
Johnson can play all three downs and emerged as a workhorse for Auburn. He has the burst to explode through holes when they open, but he can also beat defenders with elusiveness and physicality.
He seems likely to be drafted on the second day, but don't be surprised if everyone is trying to figure out how he lasted beyond the first this fall.
Statistics used courtesy of Sports-Reference.com.
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