Danchat's 2018 Mock Draft

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Danchat
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Re: Danchat's 2018 Mock Draft

Postby Danchat » Mon Apr 02, 2018 12:48 pm

It's time for the updated version of my mock draft! This lated edition is now up-to-date with free agency and other moves/rumors that have been swirling around the NFL for the past few weeks. Trades are now included in this mock draft. Let's get started:

1.
Browns: Sam Darnold, Quarterback, USC
The Browns need to find their franchise QB and I doubt they'll wait for the 4th overall pick to take that guy, especially now that the Jets have moved up. Darnold is a near lock to go first overall and the Browns should simply select him and develop him as a franchise QB... that is, if everything goes according to plan.


2.
Giants: Josh Rosen, Quarterback, UCLA
The Giants have a chance to nab a franchise QB here, and that's something they might not have a chance to do again for a long time. Rosen is in a tight race with Mayfield and Allen for the second best QB prospect, but I think Rosen has the highest floor of the three.


3.
Jets: Josh Allen, Quarterback, Wyoming
I think Allen is going to be a total bust, but NFL teams are buying into him as a premier franchise QB. Allen struggled with accuracy in Wyoming and put up mediocre stats against mediocre teams. He's the prototypical size and has a cannon for an arm, but so did Kyle Boller. I don't see him becoming the next Carson Wentz.


4.
Bills: Baker Mayfield, Quarterback, Oklahoma
Trade! The Bills have traded up using their 2 first round picks.
The Bills need to move ahead of the Broncos if they want in on a QB, and they're taking Mayfield as their franchise QB. Mayfield has limited size and a few questions off the field, but he blew away the competition with pinpoint accuracy and has that "it" factor.


5.
Broncos: Saquon Barkley, Running Back, Penn State
The Broncos don't get a QB 5th overall... but they get the draft's best prospect and the next Adrian Peterson. Barkley will totally supplant Anderson and Booker as the feature back. Barkley dominated opponent after opponent and is in the 98th percentile athletically for a HB. He's a beast and the most likely in this draft to become a Hall of Famer.


6.
Colts: Bradley Chubb, Defensive End, N.C. State
With the ridiculous run on QBs over, the Colts land the draft's best defensive prospect. They have one good pass rusher in Jabaal Sheard; he can bookend Chubb and make this defense much stronger. Chubb should be able to fit in Indy's 3-4 scheme and notch 10 sacks a year.


7.
Buccaneers: Quenton Nelson, Offensive Guard, Notre Dame
The Buccaneers offense has been underwhelming for several years now. Their O-line has been a hindrance to Winston, and adding an All Pro guard in Nelson will do wonders for the run game. He might be able to play left or right tackle, so they could potentially get Donovan Smith off the LT spot, which would be a godsend for the Bucs.


8.
Browns: Mike McGlinchey, Offensive Tackle, Notre Dame
Trade! The Browns have traded some mid-round picks and moved up 4 spots from pick #12 (from the Bills).
The Browns desperately need a LT since Joe Thomas' retirement. McGlinchey looks like the only surefire LT in this draft, and they'd do well to nab him here. The Browns roster is looking loaded and they still have another 1st round pick...


9.
49ers: Joshua Jackson, Cornerback, Iowa
The 49ers secondary was subpar in 2017 and their only quality CB was Ahkello Witherspoon. While they've added Richard Sherman, they could use a 3rd corner. They have plenty of players available here who could get the job done; Denzel Ward and Minkah Fitzpatrick would be great options too.


10.
Raiders: Derwin James, Safety, Florida State
The Raiders desperately need to add more defensive talent as their unit fell apart in 2017. James is a great value pick here and he should be able to take over Reggie Nelson's spot (even though he was re-signed).


11.
Dolphins: Vita Vea, Defensive Tackle, Washington
The Dolphins had to release Suh in order to open some cap room, and now they need a cheaper replacement. Vea would be a great value pick here and would be able to mitigate the loss of Suh. Vea is a massive DT/NT who is athletic despite his size.


12.
Bears: Tremaine Edmunds, Outside Linebacker, Virginia Tech
(originally the Bills, then Browns pick)
The Bears need an impact pass rusher and run stopping linebacker, and they were able to move down and select Edmunds. Tremaine just had a monster season at Viriginia Tech and the sky is the limit for him.


13.
Redskins: Da'Ron Payne, Defensive Tackle, Alabama
The Redskins couldn't stop the run and they could use a legit nose tackle. Payne fills that role perfectly as it's debatale whether he or Vea is the better player. Either would be great for the Skins.


14.
Packers: Denzel Ward, Cornerback, Ohio State
The Packers have invested a bunch of draft picks into DBs lately, but their pass defense has been a tire fire for approximately two seasons. The Packers need to get Ward or Fitzpatrick on board at this juncture. Their pass defense needs to be able to fight off the division's tatented QBs if they want to stand a chance.


15.
Cardinals: Courtland Sutton, Wide Receiver, SMU
The Cardinals have about one year of Larry Fitzgerald left and the injury prone deep threat John Brown at WR. They need to give their new QB a weapon, and Sutton is fast and 6'5".


16.
Cowboys: Minkah Fitzpatrick, Safety, Alabama
Trade! The Cowboys and Ravens have swapped first round picks for a mid-round pick.
The Cowboys need to improve their defense, and it just so happens a talented safety is in free-fall. With Byron Jones likely moving to corner, the Boys need a safety who can play 100% of the snaps. Fitzpatrick is a great pick at this juncture.


17.
Chargers: Kolton Miller, Offensive Tackle, UCLA
The Chargers need a RT and Miller cemented himself in the first round with a great combine. Miller should be able to handle RT and possibly move on to LT depending on how Russell Okung plays.


18.
Seahawks: Isaiah Wynn, Offensive Tackle, Georgia
The Seahawks need to add an offensive lineman in the first round as for the second straight year they've totally failed to add a good offensive lineman in free agency. Luke Jockel and D. J. Fluker? What are they thinking? Wynn should start at a guard spot and possibly push the RT position.


19.
Ravens: Mason Rudolph, Quarterback, Oklahoma State
(The Ravens moved down and acquired this Cowboys pick.)
Time for a total curveball! Rudolph has been a love/hate prospect in the draft community, and some sources say Rudolph should be a first round pick. The Ravens are only locked into staying with Flacco for one more season - time to prepare for the future without him!


20.
Lions: Taven Bryan, Defensive Tackle, Florida
The Lions need help on the D-line interior after losing Haloti Ngata. Bryan is a supremely-talented interior pass rusher whose skills should translate well into the NFL. He's the best player available and fills a need for Detroit.


21.
Panthers: Jaire Alexander, Cornerback, Louisville
Trade! The Panthers have moved up from pick #24 and have traded a mid-round pick to the Bengals for this selection.
The Panthers CBs fell apart half way through the season and the secondary was their prime weakness in the playoffs. Alexander had a great combine and should be able to crack the lineup as a starter.


22.
Browns: Maurice Hurst, Defensive Tackle, Michigan
Hurst is a boom-bust prospect - his heart problem doesn't seem like it will affect his draft stock too much (similar to Star Loutelei), but teams are more worried about his size. If teams can look past that, he's Aaron Donald-lite and can rip through interior blockers and crush QBs.


23.
Rams: Marcus Davenport, Defensive End, Texas-San Antonio
After trading Robert Quinn to the Dolphins, the Rams need some pass rushers. Davenport comes from a small school and is a toolsy player but he has the ability to become a supreme pass rusher.


24.
Bengals: Will Hernandez, Offensive Guard, UTEP
The Bengals need to get all hands on deck to improve their O-line. They didn't do it during free agency, so they had better add at least one starter in the first round. Starting Trey Hopkins and T. J. Johnson will guarantee a pitiful running game.


25.
Titans: Leighton Vander Esch, Inside Linebacker, Boise State
The Titans lost underrated LB Avery Williamson to the Jets, so they need to find a replacement. Vander Esch is a great value at #25, and he should be able to replicate Williamson's play and even top it if he reaches his potential.


26.
Steelers: Roquan Smith, Outside Linebacker, Georgia
Trade! The Steelers have moved up 2 picks for a late-rounder sent to the Falcons.
Roquan Smith is a top 10 talent but he has been red-flagged by some teams due to injury - it's possible he falls like Rueben Foster did in last year's draft. The Steelers desperately need a LB to fill in Shazier's shoes, and Smith has the talent to do just that.


27.
Saints: D. J. Moore, Wide Receiver, Maryland
The Saints could use a #2 receiver next to Michael Thomas, as Ginn is getting old and they clearly don't like Willie Snead anymore. Moore had a great combine and his stock has been rapidly rising. I think he's passed up Calvin Ridley for most teams at this point.


28.
Falcons: Harrison Phillips, Defensive Tackle, Stanford
The Falcons let Dontari Poe go in free agency after giving him a one year deal. They need a run stuffer to fill in his spot. Atlanta has moved down and still been able to find that guy: Harrison Phillips. I have him ranked as a 2nd round prospect but he reminds me of when Vernon Butler was drafted in this area by the Panthers.


29.
Giants: Derrius Guice, Running Back, LSU
Trade! The Jaguars have traded out of the first round and the Giants have moved up.
The Giants have Rosen at QB and could use a HB to pair with him. New York nets Guice and five years of control of him. Guice is much better than the other options on the roster and they've made a trade similar to this one once before (remember David Wilson?)


30.
Vikings: Braden Smith, Offensive Guard, Auburn
The Vikings need to bolster their O-line after losing its best member, RG Joe Berger, to retirement. Smith is the best O-line prospect available and while many project him as a second round pick, he has the athletisicm (SPARQ 83% percentile) and good tape (88.2 PFF rating in 2017 at Auburn) to be a first round pick.


31.
Patriots: Rashaan Evans, Inside Linebacker, Alabama
The Patriots basically waived the white flag on the LB position once Dont'a Hightower went down, starting Kyle Van Noy and Marquis Flowers at LB. That was cute, but the Eagles demonstrated why they need to improve that spot. Evans should be able to start alongside Hightower and jump-start the Pats' run defense.


32.
Eagles: Dallas Goedert, Tight End, South Dakota State
The Eagles are so stacked they can do whatever the heck they want with this pick. They've lost Trey Burton and Brent Celek at TE - why not add a talented receiving TE to partner up with Zach Ertz?
Franchise Journal - Atticus Jenkins: Head Coach of the San Francisco 49ers
http://www.footballidiot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2387&start=400

Re: Danchat's 2018 Mock Draft

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jose21crisis
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Re: Danchat's 2018 Mock Draft

Postby jose21crisis » Mon Apr 02, 2018 1:00 pm

I'll make my comments on this. I'm liking this Mock you got here Danchat. Let's see.
Danchat wrote:Jets: Josh Allen, Quarterback, Wyoming
I think Allen is going to be a total bust, but NFL teams are buying into him as a premier franchise QB. Allen struggled with accuracy in Wyoming and put up mediocre stats against mediocre teams. He's the prototypical size and has a cannon for an arm, but so did Kyle Boller. I don't see him becoming the next Carson Wentz.

I don't think he's going to pull a Ryan Leaf and completely suck. But I don't think he'll pull a Ben Roethlisberger and go rookie of the year either. You might thank Mel Kiper for the overhype. He's just going to be a so-so QB that has a cannon arm, like Joe Flacco.

Danchat wrote:Broncos: Saquon Barkley, Running Back, Penn State
The Broncos don't get a QB 5th overall... but they get the draft's best prospect and the next Adrian Peterson. Barkley will totally supplant Anderson and Booker as the feature back. Barkley dominated opponent after opponent and is in the 98th percentile athletically for a HB. He's a beast and the most likely in this draft to become a Hall of Famer.


I was expecting them to get a QB, or the Browns getting him, but this does make sense. Barkley is a beast.

Just now I noticed that Lamar Jackson isn't on this one.

Danchat wrote:Patriots: Rashaan Evans, Inside Linebacker, Alabama
The Patriots basically waived the white flag on the LB position once Dont'a Hightower went down, starting Kyle Van Noy and Marquis Flowers at LB. That was cute, but the Eagles demonstrated why they need to improve that spot. Evans should be able to start alongside Hightower and jump-start the Pats' run defense.


I really don't believe he'll drop that far. But, is the NFL Draft, weird stuff happens everytime.

Danchat wrote:Steelers: Roquan Smith, Outside Linebacker, Georgia
Trade! The Steelers have moved up 2 picks for a late-rounder sent to the Falcons.
Roquan Smith is a top 10 talent but he has been red-flagged by some teams due to injury - it's possible he falls like Rueben Foster did in last year's draft. The Steelers desperately need a LB to fill in Shazier's shoes, and Smith has the talent to do just that.


I like that they traded up. Was Smith a 4-3 OLB? Because if he was, then there is no problem with him being a 3-4 ILB. I don't think the Steelers need a lot of help at Edge rusher (Assuming they trust Bud Dupree).
Semper fi
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Always have a plan. And a backup plan. And backups to the backup.
And be able to improvise.

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Danchat
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Re: Danchat's 2018 Mock Draft

Postby Danchat » Mon Apr 02, 2018 1:04 pm

I was expecting them to get a QB, or the Browns getting him, but this does make sense. Barkley is a beast.

Just now I noticed that Lamar Jackson isn't on this one.


Yeah, this is going with the assumption that Jackson is going to drop out of the 1st round.

I like that they traded up. Was Smith a 4-3 OLB? Because if he was, then there is no problem with him being a 3-4 ILB. I don't think the Steelers need a lot of help at Edge rusher (Assuming they trust Bud Dupree).


I'm confident Smith would be able to be an ILB in the 3-4 scheme, thus replacing Shazier's role. I don't think he will be a pass rushing LB.
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jose21crisis
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Re: Danchat's 2018 Mock Draft

Postby jose21crisis » Mon Apr 02, 2018 8:00 pm

Danchat wrote:Yeah, this is going with the assumption that Jackson is going to drop out of the 1st round.


I think Lamar Jackson has been underrated through this whole ordeal, with the whole "He should switch to Wide Receiver" thing as well. My only guess to that is that they are comparing him, a Heisman Trophy winner, to another QB that won Heisman Trophy and ... well, he wasn't a bust, but he wasn't that great either. Hi, there Tim Tebow.

Danchat wrote:I'm confident Smith would be able to be an ILB in the 3-4 scheme, thus replacing Shazier's role. I don't think he will be a pass rushing LB.


Just did a little research on him. He played as an Off-the-ball Linebacker, so he should do fine as a 3-4 ILB or 4-3 MLB.
Semper fi
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Always have a plan. And a backup plan. And backups to the backup.
And be able to improvise.

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Re: Danchat's 2018 Mock Draft

Postby Kriegsmarine » Tue Apr 03, 2018 6:33 pm

You're gonna have to update your list, because New England just acquired another first round pick. ;)

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Re: Danchat's 2018 Mock Draft

Postby jose21crisis » Tue Apr 03, 2018 7:21 pm

Kriegsmarine wrote:You're gonna have to update your list, because New England just acquired another first round pick. ;)


Good bye Brandin Cooks. Guess they need another Randy Moss-like receiver now.
Semper fi
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Always have a plan. And a backup plan. And backups to the backup.
And be able to improvise.

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Danchat
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Re: Danchat's 2018 Mock Draft

Postby Danchat » Tue Apr 03, 2018 7:58 pm

Kriegsmarine wrote:You're gonna have to update your list, because New England just acquired another first round pick. ;)


Yup, I'll have to get on that. I already know a few changes I'm going to make...
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http://www.footballidiot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2387&start=400


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