NFL Draft 2018: Latest Odds, Expert Mocks and Predictions for Round 1

Thanks to uncertainty at the top, the 2018 NFL draft keeps throwing experts and oddsmakers out in Las Vegas for a loop. 

Most drafts tend to leak the top overall pick, which makes it easier to outline how the following picks will unfold. But not this year, not with it possible three or four quarterbacks come off the board in the top five and the Cleveland Browns (at Nos. 1 and 4) have yet to make a solid decision. 

Below, let's see how oddsmakers and experts have been handling the uncertainty so close to the start of the draft. 

First Overall Odds

• Sam Darnold (QB) -180
• Josh Allen (QB) +175
• Baker Mayfield (QB) +450
• Saquon Barkley (RB) +600
• Josh Rosen (QB) +1800
• Bradley Chubb (DE) +4500

These odds from OddsShark show how close things are at the top. 

USC's Sam Darnold has typically been the pick for most. The Browns wouldn't mind a pocket passer with high upside by any means, though Wyoming's Josh Allen has entered the conversation at points. He's a big signal-caller with a matching arm, yet he struggled with accuracy. Then there's Baker Mayfield, the Oklahoma superstar who piled up mind-boggling stats. 

Yet even Penn State running back Saquon Barkley doesn't seem so ridiculous. He's one of the best running backs to enter in a long time, and the Browns could still get a quarterback at No. 4.

UCLA's Josh Rosen seems like a longshot now, but he's another pocket player with high upside, and the first pick is going to come down to what flavor the Browns want.

As for Bradley Chubb, he's more of a candidate for Cleveland's second pick in the round, though most years he'd have a better chance of coming off the board first. 

Notable Picks from Expert Mocks and Predictions 

Expert: NFL.com's Peter Schrager

Notable Pick: 5. Buffalo Bills: Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming

It's always interesting when an expert isn't afraid to roll off some projected trades in a mock draft. 

Such is the case here from NFL.com's Peter Schrager, who has the Buffalo Bills once again moving around: "The Bills trade picks 12, 22 and the 65 for the fifth overall pick. They decide to make the big move when Allen slips out of the top four. Big-armed, built for the elements, and an alpha in the locker room—Allen comes to Buffalo as the latest quarterback savior for long-suffering Bills fans."

The Bills worked hard to put themselves in a position to do this, even trading away a quality asset in left tackle Cordy Glenn to initially jump to No. 12. In this mock, they package even more and jump up to No. 5, making sure to get over quarterback-needy teams like the Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins. 

Allen could end up being worth it, too. He's got everything a team could want from a physical standpoint, looking like a Ben Roethlisberger clone at 6'5" and 237 pounds with a huge arm. Critics like to point out Allen struggled with completion percentage at Wyoming of all places (56.3 percent in 2017), but it's the rest of the package that has NFL teams intrigued. 

Buffalo will need to mold the offense around Allen, and he might not beat out AJ McCarron for the starting job, but the long-term goal accomplished here is an important one—even if it took another huge move to happen. 

Expert: ESPN.com's Jeff Legwold

Notable Pick: 5. Denver Broncos: Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State

The Denver Broncos seem like a team poised to take a quarterback. 

While adding Case Keenum in free agency got plenty of coverage, the veteran only had one breakout year and there isn't any guarantee the Broncos can run a similar offensive system that squeezes out the same production. 

For Jeff Legwold in an ESPN.com mock draft looping in all the team beat writers, though, the Broncos would rather take the best player on the board, which is Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward: "With the best edge rusher also gone in Chubb, Elway will go with the 'best available player' who also happens to play the position he values as much on defense."

This one is interesting for a few reasons. For one, some might argue Ward isn't even the best player available with guys like Quenton Nelson and Roquan Smith still available. Second, it has the Broncos passing on Allen, Rosen and Lamar Jackson for the sake of getting a cornerback. 

Which isn't to say Ward is a bad prospect. Ward is a 5'11", 183-pound athlete who looks quite a bit like new teammate Chris Harris in this scenario. He not only ran a 4.32 40-yard dash, he boasts desirable fluidity in coverage capable of helping him have an impact right away. 

This could be one of those cases where the NFL is quite higher on a prospect than the media, so this mock might turn out to be ahead of the curve. 

Expert: Bleacher Report's Mike Tanier

Notable Pick: 12. New England Patriots: Derwin James, S, Florida State

Gregory Payan/Associated Press

How's this for a bold trade prediction? 

It's easy to forget Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots now hold a pair of first-round picks in the order and boast plenty of needs that aren't under center—though them moving up for a falling quarterback wouldn't be the most surprising thing in the world. 

But in this scenario, Bleacher Report's Mike Tanier has the Patriots moving up to grab Derwin James out of Florida State: "The Patriots secondary is full of 30-year-olds and guys who got exposed as a step too slow in Super Bowl 52. James is an athletic marvel who could eventually replace Devin McCourty as a traditional deep safety. In the meantime, he can supplant Patrick Chung and Co. in the versatile slot safety role."

Only a strong quarterback class could push a prospect like James down the board in the first place. He's a rare talent at a crucial premium position, and it would be quite the Belichick thing to do if the Patriots moved up and stole him. 

Standing at 6'2" and 215 pounds, James is bound to have an impact near the line of scrimmage as a rookie before he rounds out the rest of his game. He might have more upside than Jamal Adams, the sixth pick in 2017. 

Either way, leave it to the Patriots to throw a wrench in what everyone thinks they know about the draft now that Belichick and the front office in Foxborough have a pair of first-round picks.