Account
NFL Draft 2018: Latest Expert Mock Results from Around the Internet
April 24, 2018
The 2018 NFL draft is nearly upon us, as the event is set to begin Thursday. And as usual, no one is certain how things will play out.
Despite an entire season of film study, analysis and mock drafts, some of the draft's so-called experts still have no idea how the draft will play out.
While some players appear to be can't-miss prospects, such as Penn State running back Saquon Barkley, other draft pundits are split on how other players, particularly the quarterbacks, will perform at the next level.
Before we get into more of how some of the draft's leading experts see the first five picks of this weekend's draft going down, here's a look at my final updated mock draft:
2018 NFL Mock Draft
1. Cleveland Browns: Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
2. New York Giants: Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
3. New York Jets (via Indianapolis Colts): Sam Darnold, QB, USC
4. Cleveland Browns (via Houston Texans): Bradley Chubb, DE, NC State
5. Denver Broncos: Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
6. Indianapolis Colts (via New York Jets): Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama
8. Chicago Bears: Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State
9. San Francisco 49ers: Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech
10. Oakland Raiders: Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia
11. Miami Dolphins: Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama
12. Buffalo Bills (via Cincinnati Bengals): Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
13. Washington Redskins: Josh Sweat, DE, Florida State
14. Green Bay Packers: Vita Vea, DT, Washington
15. Arizona Cardinals: Derwin James, S, Florida State
16. Baltimore Ravens: Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
17. Los Angeles Chargers: Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan
18. Seattle Seahawks: Isaiah Wynn, G, Georgia
19. Dallas Cowboys: Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State
20. Detroit Lions: Harold Landry, EDGE, Boston College
21. Cincinnati Bengals (via Buffalo Bills): Will Hernandez, G, UTEP
22. Buffalo Bills (via Kansas City Chiefs): Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU
23. New England Patriots (via Los Angeles Rams): Marcus Davenport, DE, UTSA
24. Carolina Panthers: Taven Bryan, DT, Florida
25. Tennessee Titans: Da'Ron Payne, DT, Alabama
26. Atlanta Falcons: Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M
27. New Orleans Saints: Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, LB, Oklahoma
28. Pittsburgh Steelers: Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama
29. Jacksonville Jaguars: D.J. Moore, WR, Maryland
30. Minnesota Vikings: Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame
31. New England Patriots: Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State
32. Philadelphia Eagles: Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville
NFL Draft Experts' Mock Drafts
Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay, ESPN.com
1. Cleveland Browns: Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
2. New York Giants: Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
3. New York Jets: Sam Darnold, QB, USC
4. Cleveland Browns: Bradley Chubb, DE, NC State
5. Denver Broncos: Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
Peter King, Sports Illustrated
1. Cleveland Browns: Sam Darnold, QB, USC
2. New York Giants: Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
3. New York Jets: Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
4. Cleveland Browns: Bradley Chubb, DE, NC State
5. Denver Broncos: Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
Tom Fornelli, CBSSports.com
1. Cleveland Browns: Sam Darnold, QB, USC
2. New York Giants: Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
3. New York Jets: Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
4. Buffalo Bills (Cleveland Browns trade): Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
5. Denver Broncos: Bradley Chubb, DE, NC State
Mock Draft Breakdown
Cleary, there isn't a consensus No. 1 overall pick among some of the draft's leading experts, as anyone from Josh Allen to Sam Darnold could be called. One thing is for certain, however, and that is the Cleveland Browns will be taking a quarterback with the first pick.
The Browns can't afford to miss a franchise quarterback in this year's draft, and even though that sounds like a broken record at this point, it's still true. In the above mock drafts, it's clear that the run on quarterbacks will come early and fast, as each mock has three signal-callers going in the top five.
It seems that Rosen, Allen and Darnold are the consensus top three quarterbacks among the experts, except for Peter King.
While ESPN.com's Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay have Allen going No. 1, King doesn't even have Allen in his top five. Instead, he sees Rosen as a stronger pick at No. 3 to the New York Jets.
Also disagreeing with ESPN's draft pundits, Tom Fornelli of CBSSports.com has Allen going to the Browns but not at No. 1. Instead, Fornelli boldly features a mock draft that sees the Buffalo Bills trading up to No. 4 to draft Allen.
If you're that desperate for a quarterback, why not roll the dice on a guy with a good arm?
It might seem unlikely that the Browns go that route and trade the No. 4 pick when there's still plenty of talent left on the board, but we've seen stranger things happen on draft day and in the draft boardrooms.