2018 NFL Mock Draft – First Look at the Top 10 Picks: Another NFL regular season is in the books, and while 12 teams are about to begin their quest to win a Super Bowl, the rest of the league can already to the page and start focusing on next season. It starts with the 2018 NFL Draft, and the quickest path back to relevance for most franchises involves adding the right newcomers to the mix.
The Cleveland Browns will be rewarded with the No. 1 pick for the second year in a row thanks to their winless season, and they also have the No. 4 pick thanks to a trade with the Houston Texans last year, although I’d imagine Cleveland would rather have Deshaun Watson as its quarterback right now than another Top 5 pick. On a side note, the Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers will have a coin flip to determine the No. 9 and No. 10 picks. For now, I have San Francisco slotted at No. 9.
The process is just beginning, and scouting combine and pro days will go a long way to ultimately determining the draft order. In the meantime, here is a first look at my projected Top 10 pick for the 2018 NFL Draft.
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2018 NFL Mock Draft: First Look at the Top 10 Picks
- Cleveland Browns: Sam Darnold, QB, USC
Not only does Cleveland need a quarterback, but this franchise needs a leader. Darnold can be reckless at times, but he’s got the physical tools and the ability to make his teammates rally around him. Josh Rosen will also be in play here, but given the smartest-guy-in-the-room, I’m-the-best vibes he puts off whenever he speaks, I don’t think he is the right fit for Cleveland.
- New York Giants: Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
Eli Manning may or may not have a year or two left in New York, but whether he plays right away or sits for a year, Rosen has the physical and mental tools to succeed in the NFL. His personality has thrown up some red flags, but I don’t think it stops the Giants from trying to sure up their future with a potential franchise quarterback.
- Indianapolis Colts: Saquan Barkley, RB, Penn State
Indianapolis has a bad defense and a porous offensive line, but at this point, the best path to contention is probably pairing Andrew Luck with a do-it-all weapon like Barkley. I’m thinking Luck and Barkley become Peyton Manning and Edgerrin James version 2.0.
- Cleveland Browns: Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama
With their second pick, the Browns bolster a weak secondary with the draft’s best defensive back. Whether he plays corner or safety, Fitzpatrick will be an impact playmaker on the backend of the defense.
- Denver Broncos: Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
Denver is wasting talented receivers and a championship-caliber defense because of inept quarterback play, and if Paxton Lynch hasn’t grabbed the job from this current stable of quarterbacks, he isn’t going to. Allen is raw, but he has prototypical size and the huge arm needed to thrive in the NFL.
- New York Jets: Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
He will have his doubters when it comes to his ability to beat defenses from the pocket, but Jackson is the most electric dual-threat prospect at the position since Michael Vick. The Jets need something to jumpstart their offense, and swinging for the fences with Jackson could pay off.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Bradley Chubb, DE, N.C. State
With so many teams in the market for quarterbacks, talented players at other positions are going to fall. Look for the Buccaneers to jump at the chance to bolster their lousy pass rush with arguably the best edge rusher in the class.
- Chicago Bears: Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama
Chicago has zero dependable weapons in the passing game, and if Mitchell Trubisky is going to have any chance of success, that has to change. Ridley doesn’t get featured in Alabama’s offense, but he has all the tools to be a dangerous threat down the field.
- San Francisco 49ers: Quenton Nelson, OG, Notre Dame
It looks like San Francisco has figured out its quarterback situation, which will allow the 49ers to address other needs. Nelson is considered the top offensive line prospect in this class and can only help what should be an emerging offensive attack.
- Oakland Raiders: Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia
The Raiders flat out need playmakers to pair with Khalil Mack, and Smith has the strength, speed and instincts to be an every-down force in the middle of the Oakland defense.
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