Todd McShay 2018 NFL Mock Draft: Sam Darnold Goes No. 1 in Guru's Final Mock

In his final mock draft before the start of the 2018 NFL draft on Thursday night, ESPN's Todd McShay predicted the Cleveland Browns would select USC quarterback Sam Darnold with the No. 1 overall pick.

McShay wrote that he had Darnold going to Cleveland in every mock leading up to Thursday and had no reason to change it.

On Monday, McShay reported that he heard the Browns were deciding between either Darnold or Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen with the top pick.

McShay stuck with Darnold at No. 1 despite Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot reporting Wednesday that the Browns were deciding between Allen and Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield.

The Browns are a safe bet to take a signal-caller with the first pick since they need a franchise quarterback and may not get the one they want at No. 4 due to the fact that the New York Giants at No. 2 and New York Jets at No. 3 both need a quarterback as well.

Aside from Darnold, Allen and Mayfield, UCLA's Josh Rosen could also be in the mix for Cleveland.

Darnold burst onto the scene as a redshirt freshman in 2016, throwing for 3,086 yards, 31 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

However, it can be argued that he regressed a bit last season, totaling 4,143 yards, 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

Darnold performed well in adverse conditions at his pro day, though, and he has a strong all-around skill set that could translate well to the next level, including his underrated mobility.

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller agreed with McShay in his latest mock draft, as he also predicted that the Browns will take Darnold first.