2018 NFL Mock Draft: Sam Darnold chosen by Browns
By Brad Weiss
The NFL Draft will kick off in a few weeks, and with team jockeying for position, we take a look at what the first round would look like if the draft was tomorrow.
The 2018 NFL Draft is the next big event on the league’s calendar, and it is already gaining incredible steam. There has already been movement in the first round, though the Cleveland Browns still retain the first overall selection.
While the Browns will pick first overall, the No. 3 pick has already changed hands, as the New York Jets traded up with the Indianapolis Colts go grab it. Their New York counterpart, the New York Giants, will pick right before them at No. 2.
With only a few short weeks left until Roger Goodell steps to the podium to announce pick No. 1, let us take a look at our latest 2018 NFL Mock Draft.
USC. Sam Darnold. 1. player. 53. . Quarterback
The No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft is always going to get the most attention heading into round one, as it has been a pick that can make or break an organization. While the Cleveland Browns do hold that coveted first pick, they have not had the best of luck capitalizing on it in recent years. Last year, they spent the top pick on Myles Garrett, and while he will likely be a stud defensive player, when they select a quarterback in the first round, it never works out.
Well, the Browns have to shoot their shot once again with the first overall pick, and that selection should be Sam Darnold from USC. All the talk coming out of his pro day is that he should be the first overall selection, and the Browns definitely need a long-term solution at the position. New general manager John Dorsey is a great evaluator of talent, and he has to see something he likes in Darnold.
Aside from Darnold, there are a handful of other quarterbacks who the team could target at No. 1. However, he is the most polished of the bunch, and has the demeanor you look for in a franchise quarterback. The Browns cannot afford to swing and miss with this pick, and in a player like Darnold, you are getting the best guy at his position group in this draft class.