We are likely to see a run on quarterbacks that we’ve never seen before. There is a good chance (which you will see here) that the top 4 picks are quarterbacks. There have only been 7 times in league history that 4 quarterbacks have been drafted in the first round of a draft (which you can read more about here, 4+ QBs Drafted in the 1st Round) let alone 4 going at the start of the draft. Here’s a look at our 2018 NFL Mock Draft v2.0, a full 7 rounds.
Here is the link to the Google Sheet with the full 7 rounds. Below is a detailed look at the first round.
Round 1
#1 Cleveland Brown
Sam Darnold – QB – USC | This is a easy choice for the Browns in my opinion. Darnold is the clear #1 QB. Some may see Allen as having the higher ceiling, but I don’t think a team that has whiffed so many times at the QB position can take a chance at that.
#2 New York Giants
Josh Rosen – QB – UCLA | There are multiple different directions I could see the Giants going here, especially if Darnold is off the board. Barkley, Chubb, or trading out are all viable options for the Giants. However, I believe they will chose to take their QB of the future.
#3 New York Jets
Baker Mayfield – QB – Oklahoma | The Jets didn’t trade up for a role player, they traded up for a QB. With Mayfield, Allen, and Jackson all on the board, I believe Mayfield is the next highest on the Jets big board.
#4 Denver Broncos (from Cleveland Browns)
Josh Allen – QB – Wyoming | We have our first trade of this mock draft, Denver sends #5, #71, #160, & ’19 3rd to Cleveland for #4. The Broncos make this move to ensure getting one of the top QBs, keeping out others who will try and fail to move up (see Buffalo). The Broncos may be in the best position to take Allen, as they have one of the better stop-gaps in Case Keenum.
#5 Cleveland Browns (from Denver Broncos)
Bradley Chubb – Edge – NC St | The Browns add some picks to their repertoire while still adding the player they would have at #4. Barkley is definitely an option here, but with such a deep RB class, I believe the Browns will pass and choose to bolster their defense by adding the best edge rusher in this class. Adding him opposite last years #1 overall pick, Myles Garrett, could make for a scary combination in Cleveland.
#6 Indianapolis Colts
Quenton Nelson – OG – Notre Dame | The Colts will be disappointed to see Chubb go off the board, so I see this pick coming down to Nelson or Barkley. I believe the Colts will make the rare decision to boost their o-line and try to protect Luck.
#7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Saquon Barkley – RB – Penn St | The Bucs coaching staff will jump for joy when they see their top ranked player fall to them at #7. Tampa Bay is a team that I could see trying to trade up for Barkley, so to have him fall to them without having to give anything up would be a best case scenario.
#8 Chicago Bears
Tremaine Edmunds – LB – Virginia Tech | The Bears get the best linebacker in the draft in Edmunds, who can play off the ball and rush the passer. The Bears would also love to see Nelson drop to this spot, but Edmunds is an elite athlete that fills a primary need for them.
#9 Buffalo Bills (from San Francisco 49ers)
Lamar Jackson – QB – Louisville | Our next trade of this mock draft, Buffalo sends #12, #56 to SF for #9. Buffalo misses out on the opportunity to trade up to #2 or #4 to grab one of the top QBs. Instead they make a move to ensure no other team will take the next best QB on the board before them, by trading up with the 49ers.
#10 Oakland Raiders
Roquan Smith – LB – Georgia | Because of the run on QBs, Oakland is left with a plethora of great defensive talent to choose from. I could easily see Fitzpatrick come off the board here, but I think Gruden and the Raiders will want to address the linebacker position.
#11 Dallas Cowboys (from Miami Dolphins)
Derwin James – S – Florida St | Our next trade, Dallas sends #19, #50, #116, & ’19 2nd to Miami for #11. Dallas needs to address the safety position and I believe Jerry Jones has his eye on James. I also believe Jones will want to make a splash with the Draft being in his house.
#12 San Francisco 49ers (from Buffalo Bills)
Harold Landry – Edge – Boston College | The 49ers move back and grab a 2nd round pick. With the issues with Ruben Foster, I could see them staying put and taking Roquan Smith, but in the end I think if Chubb and Edmonds are off the board, the 49ers look to trade back. They really want to grab an edge rusher, and with trading back, I think they are happy to take Landry at #12.
#13 Washington Redskins
Vita Vea – DT – Washington | This is a tough pick for me. I could easily see the Redskins going BPA and taking Fitzpatrick or Ward, but with how terrible their run defense was, I can very easily see them taking the best nose tackle in this class. The problem is Bruce Allen; who knows what that guy is going to do. We could very easily see Guice or a trade happen at this spot.
#14 Green Bay Packers
Denzel Ward – CB – Ohio St | Packers would be excited to see the best pure CB in the draft fall to them. We could see the Pack go pure BPA and take Fitzpatrick, but I think they will address their biggest need directly and keep Fitzpatrick sliding.
#15 Carolina Panthers (from Arizona Cardinals)
Minkah Fitzpatrick – DB – Alabama | Our next trade has the Carolina Panthers sending #24, #85, #197, and ’19 2nd to Arizona for #15. Carolina needs to address the safety position and with a guy like Fitzpatrick falling into a space they can trade up to, they’ll jump on the opportunity. On Arizona’s end, with 5 QBs already off they board, they will look to trade back and add picks.
#16 Baltimore Ravens
Calvin Ridley – WR – Alabama | This is another pick that just makes sense, even with the recent FA acquisitions. The Ravens have a primary need at wide receiver, but also have a tendency to take the pure best player available. Calvin Ridley fills both those roles. Ridley would pair up nicely with the newly acquired Michael Crabtree. Mike McGlinchey, James Daniels, and Hayden Hurst are some other potential picks here.
#17 Los Angeles Chargers
Da’Ron Payne – DT – Alabama | Chargers are looking to fill a need here and Alabama’s Da’Ron Payne gives them a nose tackle they can plug right into their defense and be a difference maker.
#18 Seattle Seahawks
Mike McGlinchey – OT – Notre Dame | Seattle doesn’t trade back for once and adds a bookend to pair with veteran Duane Brown to finally have some protection for QB Russell Wilson.
#19 Miami Dolphins (from Dallas Cowboys)
Rashaan Evans – LB – Alabama | After trading back with Dallas, Miami will look to address one of their 2 big needs, linebacker and tight end. Going BPA from those needs has the Fins going with the LB from Alabama.
#20 Detroit Lions
Marcus Davenport – Edge – UTSA | Detroit and new Head Coach Matt Patricia are in desperate need of help on the defensive front. The Lions get an excellent edge rush in UTSA’s Marcus Davenport. The more mocks I do, the more this pick just feels like it will happen. Will Hernandez, Taven Bryan, and Derrius Guice are all possibilities here as well.
#21 Cincinnati Bengals
Will Hernandez – OG – UTEP | The Bengals, after moving back from #12 to #21 in their trade with the Bills for OT Cordy Glenn, snag the next best offensive lineman on my big board. Hernandez will fit in perfectly with the Bengals run scheme. I feel Hernandez could be a perennial Pro Bowler.
#22 Buffalo Bills
Leighton Vander Esch – LB – Boise St | The Bills manage to keep their other 1st round pick even with trading up early to get a QB. The Bills grab the next BPA at their biggest position of need, LB. Bonus that they steal him away from the team that likely would have selected him next, the Patriots.
#23 New England Patriots
Conor Williams – OT – Texas | The Patriots miss out on the linebacker they wanted, so they switch gears to address the LT position; enter Texas’ Conor Williams. Some are down on Williams because of his reach, but I think his tape shows he will be capable at the next level.
#24 Arizona Cardinals (from Carolina Panthers)
Mason Rudolph – QB – Oklahoma St | After moving back, the Cardinals pull the trigger on a quarterback. Its definitely a stretch to take Rudolph in the first, but the Cardinals did stockpile some picks in the trade and still got a very talented QB.
#25 Tennessee Titans
Isaiah Wynn – OG – Georgia | The Titans would ultimately like to go with either an edge rusher or linebacker at this spot, but with the best options off the board at this spot, the Titans choose to address a secondary need. Wynn could step in immediately and start at guard, improving an already very good offensive line.
#26 Atlanta Falcons
Taven Bryan – DT – Florida | The Faclons have a big hole to fill (pun intended) on the defensive front with Dontari Poe leaving for the Panthers. Bryan could step in and start at the 3-tech right away.
#27 New Orleans Saints
Dallas Goedert – TE – South Dakota St | The Saints realize that Coby Fleener and Josh Hill aren’t going to cut it and go out and get the best TE in the draft. Goedert is the best all-around tight end in this class and can be a threat in the passing game; giving an aging Drew Brees another go-to option.
#28 Pittsburgh Steelers
Josh Jackson – CB – Iowa | The Steelers go pure BPA and snag the next best corner off the board; one that some have going in the top 15.
#29 Cleveland Browns (from Jacksonville Jaguars)
Maurice Hurst – DT – Michigan | Our first trade back into the first round. Cleveland sends #33 and #114 to Jacksonville for #29. The Browns continue to bolster their defensive front by adding Hurst, who could step in right away and contribute at the 3-tech.
#30 Minnesota Vikings
Billy Price – OG – Ohio St | The Vikings number 1 priority at the top of this draft is to add protection for their newest investment, Kirk Cousins. Price will step in and start immediately next to his former Ohio St teammate, Pat Elfein.
#31 New England Patriots
Jaire Alexander – CB – Louisville | With Gilmore and McCourty on the outsides, the Patriots look to find a solid candidate to hold down the nickel corner position. Alexander fits that to a T.
#32 Cleveland Browns (from Philadelphia Eagles)
Isaiah Oliver – CB – Colorado | The Browns trade up again to snag a guy who could step in immediately and contribute for one of their biggest positions of need, outside corner. The Browns end up with 4 picks in the first round and still hold pick #64, the final pick in the second round.