2018 NFL Mock Draft: Mike Mayock final draft
By Joe Schiller
Mike Mayock delivers his final NFL mock draft of the 2018 year before the first round begins. How do you think it will pan out?
We’re less than 24 hours away from the first round of the 2018 NFL draft. A hectic pre-draft process has come down to seven rounds and college football’s best players will hear their names called on the podium in Dallas, Texas this weekend.
Pundits alike have tinkered and reworked their mock drafts with each passing week as players have risen and dropped throughout the past months. NFL Network’s Mike Mayock is one of the most respected draft figures in the media business. While predicting players to teams can be like predicting the weather, Mayock tends to hit his picks more than others.
It’s come that time where Mayock has released his first and final mock draft of the 2018 season. Here’s a look:
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. Cleveland Browns: Bradley Chubb DE, NC State
5. Denver Broncos: Quenton Nelson OG, Notre Dame
6. Buffalo Bills (Trade with Indianapolis Colts): Josh Allen QB, Wyoming
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Derwin James S, Florida State
8. Chicago Bears: Roquan Smith LB, Georgia
9. San Francisco 49ers: Denzel Ward CB, Ohio State
10. Oakland Raiders: Mike McGlinchey OT, Notre Dame
11. Miami Dolphins: Tremaine Edmunds LB, Virginia Tech
12. Indianapolis Colts (Trade with Buffalo Bills): Minkah Fitzpatrick S, Alabama
13. Washington Redskins: Vita Vea DT, Washington
14. Green Bay Packers: Jaire Alexander CB, Louisville
15. Arizona Cardinals: Josh Rosen QB, UCLA
16. Baltimore Ravens: Lamar Jackson QB, Louisville
17. Los Angeles Chargers: Da’Ron Payne DL, Alabama
18. Seattle Seahawks: Marcus Davenport DE, UTSA
19. Dallas Cowboys: Courtland Sutton WR, SMU
20. Detroit Lions: Harold Landry DE, Boston College
21. Cincinnati Bengals: Frank Ragnow C, Arkansas
22. Indianapolis Colts (Trade with Buffalo Bills): Isaiah Wynn OT, Georgia
23. New England Patriots: Kolton Miller OT, UCLA
24. Carolina Panthers: Calvin Ridley WR, Alabama
25. Tennessee Titans: Rashaan Evans LB, Alabama
26. Atlanta Falcons: Taven Bryan DT, Florida
27. New Orleans Saints: D.J. Moore WR, Maryland
28. Pittsburgh Steelers: Sony Michel RB, Georgia
29. Jacksonville Jaguars: Hayden Hurst TE, South Carolina
30. Minnesota Vikings: Will Hernandez OG, UTEP
31. New England Patriots: James Daniels C, Iowa
32. Philadelphia Eagles: Derrius Guice RB, LSU
The Browns haven’t definitively revealed their first pick but the consensus seems to be Sam Darnold, even amid plenty of quarterback controversy.
One team outside the top 10 is bound to trade up for a quarterback and the Bills seem to be the perfect candidates. With two first-round picks, it’s a move that wouldn’t shock many and Josh Allen would be the likely selection.
An intriguing selection certainly occurs with Lamar Jackson to the Ravens. If Ozzie Newsome has the guts to pull the trigger on the former Heisman Trophy winner, that would make five quarterbacks off the board within the first 16 picks. No matter the order, the early run on quarterbacks will drop top talent into the teens and it’s going to make the first round that more interesting.
After all of the speculation of mock drafts, we’ll finally know each team’s fate when Roger Goodell takes the podium Thursday night.