College Football

Thursday, April 26, 2018

Joe Smeltzer's 2018 NFL Mock Draft

By Joe Smeltzer

1. Cleveland- Sam Darnold, QB USC
Although the number one pick is arguably less certain than it has been in a long time, I think a consensus is growing that Darnold is going to be the guy. The Trojan's QB is probably the safest one to take, as unlike Josh Rosen or Josh Allen, Darnold has big-game experience. He's a winner, and Cleveland needs winners.

2. New York Giants- Saquon Barkley, RB Penn State
Some have Barkley going as high as No. 1, while others see him falling toward the bottom half of the Top 10. While I can't see the Browns going anywhere other than QB, the Giants have an established one in Eli Manning. Knowing that they don't necessarily need a quarterback, it's hard to see the G-Men passing on the most gifted athlete in the draft.

3. New York Jets- Josh Rosen, QB UCLA
In my opinion, Rosen is the most pro-ready quarterback in this class. He's more physically gifted than Darnold, and unlike Allen, has proved himself at a high level in college. At 6'4 and 218 pounds, Rosen looks like a quarterback, and the Jets will see first hand if he has what it takes to atone for not picking DeShaun Watson last year.

4. Cleveland- Bradley Chubb, DE Cleveland 
Imagine Cleveland landing the best defensive player in the draft for the second straight year. Now picture both of those players playing opposite each other at defensive end. Chubb pared with Myles Garrett would be terrifying, and barring a surprise, there's nothing stopping Cleveland from making that happen with their second first-round pick.

5. Denver- Quenton Nelson, RG Notre Dame
Denver needs help up front. Last season, the Broncos allowed 32 sacks, good for second-most in the NFL. They have a chance to bolster that line by picking unquestionably the best offensive lineman in the class. At 6'5 and 325 pounds, Nelson does his job both in pass blocking and run blocking. It's rare for an offensive guard to be taken so high in the first round, but Nelson is the type of player who would be worthy of such a high selection.

6. Indianapolis- Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB Alabama 
The Colts need everything, and when you're a team that needs everything, it's logical to go with the best player available. If Fitzpatrick drops to six, he will be far and away the best one left on the board. The safety can do it all, from pass coverage to practically playing the linebacker position. He's a beast, and him being paired with Malik Hooker could make for a solid secondary.

7. Tampa Bay- Derwin James, DB Florida State
Tampa had a respectable defensive backfield in 2017. But Brent Grimes isn't getting any younger, and Vernon Hargraves still has some work to do. The prospect of James and Hargraves being in the same defensive backfield could turn Tampa's secondary from average to one of the better ones in the league. James is a beast who can defend, and return kicks. Add that to him being local, and this seems like a perfect fit.

8. Chicago- Tremaine Edmunds, LB Virginia Tech 
Edmunds is not your typical inside linebacker. He's 6'5, yet plays in the middle His combination of height, speed and quickness makes him the best linebacker in the draft, and in my opinion, Chicago would be foolish to not draft either him or Roquan Smith. While Edmunds' instincts might not be as strong as Smith's, those can come with time, and I think his upside will be too much for the Bears to pass up.

9. San Francisco- Denzel Ward, CB Ohio State 
Yes, Ward is a little undersized at 5'11. But that didn't stop him from dominating in the Big 10. His 4.32 40 time at the combined speaks for itself, and while his ability to match up with tall wide receivers is worth questioning, there's little doubt that Ward is the best cornerback in the draft. Oh, and he can learn a little from Richard Sherman.

10. Oakland- Roquan Smith, LB Georgia 
Edmunds and Smith are 1a and 1b as far as linebackers go, and whatever team is lucky enough to nab one of them can consider its first round a success. Anybody who at least somewhat followed Georgia's magical run to the national championship game knows that Smith is sharp as a knife and can run from sideline to sideline with the best of them. The guy is a winner, and in my opinion, has what it takes to quarterback a defense at the next level.

11. Miami - Vita Vea, DT Washington
He's 6'4 and 347, and he can run a 5.1 40. Miami could use a defensive tackle after the departure of Ndamukong Suh, and Vea is the best option of the bunch beach.

12. Buffalo - Josh Allen, QB Wyoming
Is he a bust? Maybe. But hey, teams love tall guys that wow at the combine, and Allen is that guy. The Bills need a QB, and Allen might just be what they're looking for.

13. Washington - D'Ron Payne, DT Alabama
The 'Skins number one priority is a defensive lineman. Next to Vea, Payne is the best one.  He's slightly quicker than Vea, but is more than 30 pounds lighter. He established himself as one of the best players in the SEC, and there's no reason he can't fill Washington's void up front.

14. Greene Bay - Josh Jackson, CB Iowa
When Jackson finally got a chance to play regularly for Iowa this season, he was awesome. He had seven interceptions, and also has upside as a kick returner. The two best corners in this years draft are in the Big 10, and Jackson can help a secondary in a lot of ways.

15. Arizona- Baker Mayfield, QB Oklahoma 
I don't see him going to Cleveland, but Baker is first round material. He's short, but he's a winner.

16. Baltimore- Calvin Ridley, WR Alabama 
This draft class is low on receivers, so the Ravens should have a good chance of filling their biggest need by drafting the highest rated one in the class. Ridley has speed,and knows how to run a perfect route which is part of what made him to go-to-guy on this year's national champions. While it wouldn't be the most shocking thing in the world for Baltimore to go with Christian Kirk or Courtland Sutton, if the Ravens want a receiver, Ridley should be their guy.
17. Los Angelous: Maurice Hurst, DT Michigan 
The Chargers are set on the edges with Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram, but getting a tackle wouldn't hurt. Hurst was a hoss in the Big 10, and could well be the same in the NFL. If he pans out, LA could have one of footballs best defensive fronts pretty soon.

18. Seattle- Mike McGlinchey, OT Notre Dame 
Some might be surprised if McGlinchey drops this low. But I'm afraid he has bust potential. Yes, the man is a giant at 6'8, 309, but he leans into blocks, and might not be able to cut it against NFL defensive ends. There's no doubt McGlinchey is going in the first round, but whoever takes him could be in for a disappointment.

19. Dallas- Christian Kirk, WR Texas A&M
With Dez Bryant gone, the Cowboys could use a receiver, and Kirk is thought to be the second best one in this class. Kirk is not only a deep-ball threat with speed, but he can also help out in special teams. "America's Team," is starting life without Dez, and taking Kirk would signal that.

20. Detroit: Ronald Jones III, RB USC
The Lions have no running game, and common wisdom tells me that Darius Guice would be their guy in the first round. But my gut tells me that Detroit will take Jones instead. So that's what I'm going with. We'll see how it turns out.


21. Cincinnati- Will Hernandez, OT UTEP
Cincy's line has been a mess ever since it foolishly let Andrew Whitworth walk. Drafting Hernandez would be a step in the healing process. Yes, he's from a small school, but Hernandez is a big guy who knows how to sustain a block. He has quick feet and a strong upper body, so don't be surprised to hear his name called by the end of the night.

22. Buffalo- Leighton Vander Esch, LB Boise State
The Bills focused on their offense with their first pick, and now its time to further improve the defense. At 6'4 256 pounds, Vander Esch has an excellent physical build, and if he can stay healthy, he'll have an excellent pro career.

23. New England- Jaire Alexander, CB Louisville 
After the Malcolm Butler debacle, don't be surprised if New England focuses on a corner. Like Ward, Alexander is undersized. But he's fast, and a beast in press coverage. Anybody who is drafted into the Patriots organization has a great chance for success, so Alexander should be licking his chops

24.  Carolina- Justin Reed, S Stanford
His brother Eric has made a name for himself with the 49ers, and Justin will soon have his chance to follow. The younger Reid is versatile, well built, and got better and better as time went on at Stanford. Having watched a few Pac-12 games, I know what Reid can do. This guy is a gamer.

25. Tennessee- Marcus Davenport, DE UTSA
Davenport is polarizing. This is a guy who could either go in the top 10 or could drop all the way out of the first round. To me, Davenport's upside (i.e., his size and athleticism) is too great for him not to go on the first day. Don't be surprised to see him so higher than 25, either.

26. Atlanta Falcons- Courtland Sutton, WR SMU
The Falcons offense struggled last season, so they may want to give Matty Ice another capable option. Sutton is, in my eyes, the second best receiver in the draft, and the lack of interest in the position this season could benefit Atlanta. With Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu in the fold, Sutton won't have to worry about being a superstar right away. So this pick could be the best thing for both sides.

27. New Orleans Saints- Mason Rudolph, QB Oklahoma State
Drew Brees is still the man. He's also old. So it might be time for the Saints to start thinking about his successor. I don't like Air-Raid Quarterbacks (See Smith, Geno, Weeden, Brandon, Ware, Andre), but Rudolph is still intriguing, and he won't be thrown into the fire right away, so he'd have time to figure himself out before possibly succeeding one of the greatest to ever do it.

28. Pittsburgh- Rashaan Evans, LB Alabama 
The Steelers taking a linebacker? What a rarity!

29. Jacksonville- Lamar Jackson, QB Louisville
Hey, why not? The Jags are hardly sitting pretty at quarterback (yes, I know how much Blake Bortles is making,) and Jackson might be the most intriguing one in the whole class because of how athletic he is. Unlike Darnold, Allen, Rosen or Rudolph, Jackson can have a successful NFL career even if he flops at quarterback. So Jackson's versatility might lead to him sneaking into the first round.

30. Minnesota- Mike Gesiscki, TE Penn State 
We are...

31. New England - Orlando Brown, OT Oklahoma 
The Patriots need help up front, and Brown is so big (6'8, 345) that he can seal off blocks practically just by standing there. The Pats could get a steal late in the first round, which would be fitting for the team that always knows who can cut it and who can't.

32. Philadelphia-  DJ Moore, WR Maryland
Depth at running back/receiver was a big reason why the Eagles won the super bowl, and I would expect them to further bolster one of those positions. Either Moore or Georgia running back Sony Michel could well be the first rounds last pick.

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