2018 NFL Draft: First Round Mock Draft

Welcome to draft day, it’s a beautiful thing and in a matter of hours this entire exercise will be laughably wrong. It’s a mock draft, it’s supposed to be fun digestible content, and a great work of futility. I included a number of trades, they all pretty much come out even on the Jimmy Johnson trade chart. The JJ trade chart is a flawed approximation, but past trades have matched up pretty well with it’s valuation which makes me think it’s still widely in use in NFL draft rooms. Without further ado, here’s your round 1 mock draft.

1)     Cleveland Browns

Sam Darnold, QB, USC

Boring to start here, but he’s been the least linked QB to Cleveland in the rumor mill and we know that John Dorsey like’s keeping the cards close to the vest.

2)     New York Giants

Saquon Barkley, RB, PSU

I liked the reasoning I heard that this will be this being Josh Allen’s landing spots, but I’ll stick with the Giants taking the best player on most boards and the pick that makes limited sense in today’s NFL.

3)     New York Jets from Indianapolis

Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

This is going to be a QB it’s just a matter of which one. Mayfield has been linked here forever and long held conventional wisdom is rarely right on draft night.

4)     Cleveland from Houston

Bradley Chubb, Edge, NC State

If the Giants go QB at 2 this could be a trade down spot or Barkley but snagging Chubb here gives you a chance to build a defense around two very talented bookends on defense.

5)     Denver Broncos

Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA

I think Denver could trade down from here. They could potentially add 12 & 23 from Buffalo and help fill in some holes on a roster that has become depleted much faster than anticipated after the Super Bowl victory. I think Rosen might remind Elway of himself in a lot of positive ways and it’s never a bad option to guess on the side of an NFL personnel decision maker liking an ego stroke.

Trade: Buffalo gets picks 6 & 67, Indianapolis  gets 12 & 23

6)     Buffalo Bills from Indianapolis from New York Jets

Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming

Indy gets two more picks in the first to try and build a team for a supposedly going to be healthy Andrew Luck. Buffalo gets a slightly better Nathan Peterman. Everybody has fooled themselves into happiness. Hooray!!

7)     Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Derwin James, SS, Florida State

This pick makes too much sense in terms of value and fit. It’s also damn near consensus. That doesn’t bode well for accuracy, unless it does. James is one hell of a football player.

8)     Chicago Bears

Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame

This pick comes down to two players Nelson and Denzel Ward. The Bears did a good job giving Trubisky weapons this off-season the question now is to increase his protection or improve a defense that could reduce the amount of pressure he’s under to make a superhuman leap in his sophomore season. I think taking the literal pressure off is more important, but you could convince me otherwise.

Trade: Green Bay gets pick 9, San Francisco gets 14, 76 & 133

9)     Green Bay Packers from San Francisco

Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State

Ward is by far the best corner in the draft and the Packers desperately need to improve the talent at corner. This trade and pick make two things clear… 1) this isn’t your slightly older brothers Green Bay Packers front office 2) This front office will go out and aggressively acquire players who improve the roster.

10)  Oakland Raiders

Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame

Gruden wants to take the Raiders back to the old school, because he’s so cool. The hate your feeling for me is real, the pick is a dart throw. I took some time with this one and couldn’t come up with a great anwer but McGlinchey is a technician and the most consistent tackle in the draft and keeping Carr happy and healthy is priority numero uno in Oakland.

11)  Miami Dolphins

Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA

I thought about mocking a Patriots trade here but didn’t think that a trade within the division would be considered prudent by either team in this position. The Dolphins OL is low-key bad, or maybe not I don’t think about the Dolphins line all that much. Miller tested better than any other lineman in the draft and I liked his tape more than some. This pick isn’t flashy but has boom or bust potential.

12)  Indianapolis Colts from Buffalo from Kansas City

Roquan Smith, OBLB, Georgia

The Colts have said that they have 8 non-QB players that they like at the top of this draft. I can’t imagine Smith isn’t one of them. They should take him because they need good football players on their roster, but also because they need athletic, fast, and smart football players on their roster.

13)  Washington Redskins

Vita Vea, Int, Washington

There’s talent in the nation’s capital but the defensive line drug down what was a pretty stout back 8 last season. Jonathan Allen returns after an injury cut his rookie season short and a pair of athletic linemen to torment OCs has never been a bad option.

Trade: New England gets 14 & 76, San Francisco gets 23, 43 & 95

14)  New England Patriots from San Francisco from Green Bay

Lamar Jackson, QB, LOU

There are two things to remember before you scoff at me for this: 1) I’m not the first one to do this trade, 2) why not? Belichick has never been afraid to trade up for players he likes, and the Patriots are notorious for having 40 or draftable grades on players. Lastly, there isn’t a staff in the NFL that I would trust more to mold and develop Lamar. P.S. Other NFL teams stop letting the Pats have nice things that you could have had. It’s not fun anymore.

15)  Arizona Cardinals

Marcus Davenport, Edge, UTSA

After missing out on all of the QBs, the Cardinals once again try to fix their pass rushing woes. Davenport has all the measurables and some of the game tape to make me believe he will be a good pass rusher at the next level. I have my reservations but he checks all the boxes.

16)  Baltimore Ravens

Tremaine Edmunds, OBLB, VT

I honestly didn’t know what to do with the Ravens. There are no glaring needs on this team outside of a certain Mr. Flacco that immediately come to mind. With second thought RB does come up but the stable of backs still on the board means you should be able to get a good one to challenge what is currently on the roster much cheaper of the next four rounds. I consulted team needs articles and rankings and saw LB and saw Edmunds was by far the best player still left on the consensus board I through together and made the match.

Trade: San Francisco gets 17 & 155, Los Angeles Chargers get 13 & 74

17)  San Francisco 49ers from Los Angeles (A)

Minkah Fitzpatrick, FS, Alabama

There is no reason Fitzpatrick should be here at this pick but weird things happen draft night and even weirder things happen in my brain. This would be one hell of a pick and a great value to trade away some of the acquired assets from the previous two trade downs.

18)  Seattle Seahawks

Will Hernandez, G, UTEP

Tom Cable has failed on to a new position somehow, but the Seahawks line woes still exist. Will Hernandez is a very large, very athletic, and very good offensive lineman that they should employ to help them with their problem.

19)  Dallas Cowboys

Harold Landry, Edge, Boston College

I’m not sure that one should have favorite picks in a mock draft that created while thinking like at least 32 other individuals but here we are. Landry is one of my favorites in this class and much like Fitzpatrick should not be around this long into the first round.

20)  Detroit Lions

Isaiah Wynn, G, Georgia

Wynn played left tackle at Georgia and that may come in handy down the line but right now Wynn is a massive upgrade to the interior of a line that needs to be more consistent in the pass and run games in 2018.

21)  Cincinnati Bengals from Buffalo

Frank Ragnow, C, Arkansas

Turnover on the offensive line has left a once stout and proud unit depleted and much less good at football. Frank Ragnow is much more good at football that what is currently in the middle of that line and whether he plays guard or center at the next level I’m willing to bet he will continue to be good at it.

22)  Indianapolis Colts from Buffalo from Cincinnati

Da’Ron Payne, Int, Alabama

Da’Ron Payne made an absolute fool of the interior of Georgia’s offensive line frequently during the national title game and as long as the Colts can utilize him right he will more than pay dividends for the price they had to pay at this pick.

23)  Los Angeles Chargers from San Francisco from New England from Los Angeles (N)

Taven Bryan, Int, Florida

Bryan is an explosive defensive tackle who will pair well with a pair of edge players that can rush the pass for the Chargers. We’ve seen that defenses ability to coach up and improve players and a somewhat raw talent like Bryan should be able to further his development faster their than most defensive rooms in the country.

24)  Carolina Panthers

Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama

The Panthers need more than just somewhat stiff bigger receivers to help Cam Newton. Ridley provides advanced route running ability and the ability to play in both the slot and outside receiver roles.

25)  Tennessee Titans

Leighton Vander Esch, OBLB, Boise State

This was another team that I waffled on for a while. I couldn’t find an edge player that was suitable and put DJ Moore’s name in this slot more than once but finally settled on the athletically gifted and still growing into his game Vander Esch. If nothing else it’s somewhat poetic that Vrabel’s first pick as a head coach would end up being a linebacker.

26)  Atlanta Falcons

DJ Moore, WR, Maryland

Matt Ryan gets another weapon and the Falcons get Julio Jones insurance. That horribly unfair burden to bare for Moore is his gift for dragging around a Maryland passing game that has started roughly 6 dozen quarterbacks in the last three seasons.

27)  New Orleans Saints

Sam Hubbard, Edge, Ohio State

The Saints need all sorts of things but none of those position provided sufficient value to the spot they were picking. I thought about putting Mason Rudolph here because a year to learn some of the idiosyncracies of the game behind Drew Brees seemed perfect but I think Hubbard provides a more tangible and immediate return as the Saints make one more run with Brees at the helm.

28)  Pittsburgh Steelers

Mike Hughes, CB, UCF

William Jackson and Mike Hughes on the outside at corner is a really nice place to build a young defense from.

29)  Jacksonville Jaguars

Rashaan Evans, OBLB, Alabama

What do you get the team that seems destine to start Blake Bortles at QB again. The answer is make that defense as bad as mother fucking possible. Bad in this instance is a good thing. Evans gives them another versatile backer who can play in multiple places in the front seven.

30)  Minnesota Vikings

Josh Jackson, CB, Iowa

The Vikings got torched by Philly in the NFC Championship game and this pick really came down to Jackson or Jaire Alexander. I went with Jackson because I think Zimmer will absolutely love his ball skills.

31)  New England Patriots

Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State Kemoko Turay, Edge, Rutgers

I didn’t realize until I got all the way here that I had mocked Lamar Jackson to New England in the trade earlier and then given them Mason Rudolph. So I took a big swing and went to with the Rutgers connection and gave them Turay. Turay would be the surprise of round one but he flashes rare body control skills to bend the edge and change direction in space. This is my long shot and shooters shoot.

32)  Philadelphia Eagles

Dallas Goedert, TE, South Dakota State

I didn’t know what to do here so I asked the only Eagles fan I know (Sorry Tyler I didn’t think of you ‘til I was writing this, and I was pretty sure you wouldn’t have appreciated an almost midnight text confirming your approval of the last pick in my round 1 mock). He told me that he believed it would be Dallas Goedert and that the most glaring need on the team is the 2^nd/3^rd tight end and that Philly ran the most three TE sets in the NFL. That works because I did not have a better answer.

So, there we are. I predict that all of this will be completely wrong by approximately pick five tomorrow but it’s always a fun exercise and can point out interesting pivot points in the draft.