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2018 NFL Mock Draft: Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen top first round

By Brad Weiss

PASADENA, CA - NOVEMBER 19: USC (14) Sam Darnold (QB) passes the ball during an NCAA football game between the USC Trojans and the UCLA Bruins on November 19, 2016, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. USC defeated UCLA 36-14. (Photo by Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA - NOVEMBER 19: USC (14) Sam Darnold (QB) passes the ball during an NCAA football game between the USC Trojans and the UCLA Bruins on November 19, 2016, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. USC defeated UCLA 36-14. (Photo by Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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STATE COLLEGE, PA – OCTOBER 22: Denzel Ward #12 of the Ohio State Buckeyes in action against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania on October 22, 2016. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA – OCTOBER 22: Denzel Ward #12 of the Ohio State Buckeyes in action against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania on October 22, 2016. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /
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Denzel Ward

Cornerback, Ohio State

The New England Patriots should be the class of the NFL again in 2017, as Tom Brady appears poised to take another run at the Lombardi Trophy. Last season, the Patriots pulled off one of the more stunning comebacks in football history, coming back from a 28-3 deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl. The team is loaded with talent once again, which is bad news for the rest of the league.

This offseason, the Patriots made a bunch of moves to improve their roster, including bringing in Stephon Gilmore at cornerback. The team lost Logan Ryan to free agency, so the addition of Gimore to team with Malcolm Butler made sense. In the first round in 2018, they should look to add more depth to the unit, and Ohio State corner Denzel Ward could be available.

You can never have too much depth at the cornerback position, especially for a team that is continuously challenging for a Super Bowl title. The Patriots have and incredible defensive mind as their head coach, so any young player they bring in is going to benefit from that. If the Patriots are drafting this late in the first round, which is an almost certainty, than Ward would be a nice addition.

Next: Most underrated NFL player on each team

If the season goes the way it is expected to, the New England Patriots will be the final team picking in the first round. However, head coach Bill Belichick is a master at swinging trades prior to the draft, and the 2018 NFL Draft could be no different. The Patriots did not pick until the third round in 2017, so don’t rule out that this pick could be gone well before the team picking No. 1 is on the clock.

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