Danchat's 2018 Mock Draft - Final Edition

[Danchat]

It's time for the final edition of my mock draft! Let's see how everything goes this time around:

1.
Browns: Baker Mayfield, Quarterback, Oklahoma
Reports are surfacing that the Browns are taking Mayfield first overall. Mayfield may have some question marks off the field, but he's one of the most accurate QBs to ever come out of college. Switching from Allen to Mayfield is about a swing of 15% by QB accuracy.



2.
Giants: Saquon Barkley, Running Back, Penn State
The Giants have three options in my opinion: Darnold, Barkley, or trade down. Their GM, Dave Gettleman, has never traded down before. It's very hard to say what will happen here, but I am leaning Barkley. The HB monster from Penn St. has Adrian Peterson-esque talent and is a good receiver too. They should probably take a QB, but it sounds like the Giants are going to stick with Manning for a while longer.



3.
Jets: Josh Allen, Quarterback, Wyoming
With the Browns no longer set on Allen, the Jets will be next in line to make a massive mistake. Allen is a physical specimen and he can heave the ball 80 yards down field with his cannon arm, but his accuracy was downright awful at Wyoming. Oh, and now there's some skeletons being dragged out of his Twitter closet, so it's possible he slips down the board.



4.
Bills: Sam Darnold, Quarterback, USC
Trade! The Bills sent a boatload of picks to the Browns for this selection.
The Bills are dying to get their hands on a franchise QB, and they've been fortunate to have Darnold fall right into their hands. It's debatable if he's ready to start NFL games, but he can make all the throws. He needs to work on cutting his turnovers.



5.
Broncos: Bradley Chubb, Defensive End, N.C. State
The Broncos can pair Von Miller up with Chubb and rotate them with Shane Ray and Shaq Barrett to create the league's best pass rush. They may also go Denzel Ward here after trading Talib away.



6.
Cardinals: Josh Rosen, Quarterback, UCLA
Trade! The Cardinals have sent a whole ton of picks to the Colts for this selection.
Rosen seems to be the QB who will drop out of the top 5 picks, but the Cardinals won't let him fall any further. Rosen has good but not great accuracy and is a better steward of the ball compared to Darnold. His injury problems are concerning, though.



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.
Bears: Denzel Ward, Cornerback, Ohio State
The Bears don't have a pressing need for a corner, but I've heard that they are in love with Ward. He projects as a corner who can shadow against the league's best WRs, which is something Amukamara and Fuller can't do.



9.
49ers: Tremaine Edmunds, Outside Linebacker, Virginia Tech
The 49ers run defense was awful last season, and with Rueben Foster more likely to end up behind bars than play football in 2018, they need a dominant inside linebacker. Edmunds could play inside or outside now that Foster is only likely to be suspended.



10.
Raiders: Roquan Smith, Outside Linebacker, Georgia



The Raiders defense stunk it up at all season long and they need help at every level. I've heard Smith is their top target in the draft, so this would be a great outcome for them.



11.
Packers: Derwin James, Safety, Florida State
Trade! The Packers have sent a mid round pick and their 14th overall pick to the Dolphins.
Even with Aaron Rodgers healthy, the Packers won't be winning playoff games without a decent defense. They lost Morgan Burnett, who was by far their best DB, in free agency, and James would be a huge upgrade to a team that has to deal with some pretty good QBs in their division.



12.
Browns: Mike McGlinchey, Offensive Tackle, Notre Dame
(The Browns traded down with the Dolphins.)
The Browns need a left tackle to replace Joe Thomas. McGlinchey looks like the only sure bet at LT in this draft, so they'd be fortunate to nab him here.




13.
Redskins: Minkah Fitzpatrick, Safety, Alabama
The Redskins need to improve their pass defense, as they've lost Bashaud Breeland and Kendall Fuller. Montae Nicholson is slotted to start at safety, but plugging Fitzpatrick in would do them wonders.




14.
Dolphins: Vita Vea, Defensive Tackle, Washington
(The Dolphins traded down with the Packers.)
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.
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15.
Colts: Jaire Alexander, Cornerback, Louisville
(The Colts traded down with the Cardinals).
The Colts have accumulated a bunch of picks by trading down twice. Jaire Alexander has been climbing draft boards and it's possible the Colts will pull the trigger on him here. They have nothing at CB except a half season of passable play from Quincy Wilson.



16.
Cowboys: D.J. Moore, Wide Receiver, Maryland
Trade! The Cowboys have sent a mid-round pick and their 19th overall selection to the Ravens for this pick.
The Cowboys desperately need WR help as their group is probably the worst in the NFL right now. Moore has the potential to be a #1 WR and can instantly be a starter in Dallas.



17.
Chargers: Da'Ron Payne, Defensive Tackle, Alabama
The Chargers plan on having a defensive draft, and that probably involves the NT position. With Corey Liuget suspended, the Chargers will be able to replace him with a better D-lineman.



18.
Saints: Lamar Jackson, Quarterback, Louisville
Trade! The Saints have traded a bunch of picks to the Seahawks their 27th overall selection.
The Saints almost pulled the trigger on moving up for Pat Mahomes last year. They're thinking about it this year too, and Jackson seems like the prime QB who'll be in their range. Jackson can take over in 2020 once Brees' contract is up.



19.
Ravens: Isaiah Wynn, Offensive Tackle, Georgia
(The Ravens traded down with the Cowboys.)
The Ravens have a bunch of suspect players on their offensive line. They only have Ronnie Stanley and Marshal Yanda as competent O-linemen, so Wynn's addition at guard, tackle, or even center will be very welcome.



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 one of the best players available and fills a need for Detroit.



21.
Bengals: Frank Ragnow, Offensive Guard, Arkansas
The Bengals need to make more additions to their O-line, and Ragnow should be able to do the center position justice after Russell Bodine gave the Bengals years of incompetent play. This pick is a toss up between Daniels and Ragnow and Price, but I think Ragnow edges out the competition.



22.
Bills: Leighton Vander Esch, Inside Linebacker, Boise State
The Bills have nothing at linebacker right now. OK, maybe you're a Matt Milano fan, but that still leaves 2 positions wide open. Leighton Vander Esch will be a great new addition to a defense that played well in 2017 but lost several parts in free agency.



23.
Patriots: Courtland Sutton, Wide Receiver, SMU
The Patriots traded away Brandin Cooks with this pick, so why not take a WR with the same selection? The WR crop is hard to read this year, but Sutton should be a consideration in the 1st round.



24.
Panthers: Marcus Davenport, Defensive End, Texas-San Antonio
A pretty darn good corner has fallen right into the lap of the Panthers. With James Bradberry and Ross Cockrell as the top two outside corners, Carolina needs a guy who can shadow #1 WRs. Jackson has the potential to be that guy as nobody was able to pass against him in 2017 at Iowa.



25.
Titans: Harold Landry, Defensive End, Boston College
Landry makes too much sense here as the Titans need a 3rd pass rusher behind Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan. Landry had an all-pro 2016 year at Boston College but didn't do quite as well in 2017. He has some serious star potential if Tennessee can figure him out.



26.
Falcons: Joshua Jackson, Cornerback, Iowa
The Falcons could use another CB to add to the mix. Jackson is a bargain at this point.



27.
Seahawks: Calvin Ridley, Wide Receiver, Alabama
(The Seahawks traded down with the Saints.)
The Seahawks need a receiver to replace Paul Richardson. Ridley has some major question marks in my book, but his potential is too high for him to slip to the 2nd round.



28.
Steelers: Rashaan Evans, Inside Linebacker, Alabama
You're probably sick of hearing about how badly the Steelers need an ILB after Shaizer's injury. But just look at the box scores and see how the injury affected them - the defense wasn't the same. The Steelers might need to trade up to assure they get one of the top 4 LBs.



29.
Colts: Derrius Guice, Running Back, LSU
Trade! The Colts have traded up and sent a mid-rounder and the 4th pick in the 2nd round to the Jaguars.
The Colts have 3 second round picks, so why not trade up and get a 5th year option on a guy? The Colts need a HB as they should have moved on from Frank Gore in 2016. Guice should be able to handle a feature role in Indy.



30.
Vikings: Will Hernandez, Offensive Guard, UTEP
The Vikings need a guard to replace Joe Berger. Although Hernandez isn't a perfect fit in Minnesota's blocking scheme, they should be able to scheme around this run blocking monster.



31.
Patriots: Kolton Miller, Offensive Tackle, UCLA
The Patriots lost Nate Solder to the Giants. Miller could potentially play LT, so the Patriots would be wise to nab him at the end of the first round.



32.
Browns: Isaiah Oliver, Cornerback, Colorado
Trade! The Eagles have traded down and received a late round pick along with a high second round pick.
The Browns are considering drafting a corner to sit behind a group of veterans they recently signed. Oliver would be a great value pick here.

Any thoughts?

[ycleped]

Frank Ragnow and Kolton Miller are the only two picks we both have as the same. Interesting.

[jose21crisis]

1.
Browns: Baker Mayfield, Quarterback, Oklahoma
Reports are surfacing that the Browns are taking Mayfield first overall. Mayfield may have some question marks off the field, but he's one of the most accurate QBs to ever come out of college. Switching from Allen to Mayfield is about a swing of 15% by QB accuracy.

It's OK Cleveland, cool heads prevailed and the best QB in the draft is coming to town.

3.
Jets: Josh Allen, Quarterback, Wyoming
With the Browns no longer set on Allen, the Jets will be next in line to make a massive mistake. Allen is a physical specimen and he can heave the ball 80 yards down field with his cannon arm, but his accuracy was downright awful at Wyoming. Oh, and now there's some skeletons being dragged out of his Twitter closet, so it's possible he slips down the board.

So ... he's learning from Josh McCown then?

16.
Cowboys: D.J. Moore, Wide Receiver, Maryland
Trade! The Cowboys have sent a mid-round pick and their 19th overall selection to the Ravens for this pick.
The Cowboys desperately need WR help as their group is probably the worst in the NFL right now. Moore has the potential to be a #1 WR and can instantly be a starter in Dallas.

Considering everything they have at receiving corp really comes down to Cole Beasley and Jason Witten, they need help.

18.
Saints: Lamar Jackson, Quarterback, Louisville
Trade! The Saints have traded a bunch of picks to the Seahawks their 27th overall selection.
The Saints almost pulled the trigger on moving up for Pat Mahomes last year. They're thinking about it this year too, and Jackson seems like the prime QB who'll be in their range. Jackson can take over in 2020 once Brees' contract is up.

So, Lamar Jackson learning from future HOFer Drew Brees? Jackson taking over after Drew retires (Assuming he retires in 2020) will be great.

23.
Patriots: Courtland Sutton, Wide Receiver, SMU
The Patriots traded away Brandin Cooks with this pick, so why not take a WR with the same selection? The WR crop is hard to read this year, but Sutton should be a consideration in the 1st round.

I'd say it is impossible to predict what the Pats are going to do, but going with a receiver is not a bad idea.

28.
Steelers: Rashaan Evans, Inside Linebacker, Alabama
You're probably sick of hearing about how badly the Steelers need an ILB after Shaizer's injury. But just look at the box scores and see how the injury affected them - the defense wasn't the same. The Steelers might need to trade up to assure they get one of the top 4 LBs.

Can't disagree with anything said here.

31.
Patriots: Kolton Miller, Offensive Tackle, UCLA
The Patriots lost Nate Solder to the Giants. Miller could potentially play LT, so the Patriots would be wise to nab him at the end of the first round.

Welp, another position of need ... hmmm ... don't they need a cornerback after releasing Malcolm Butler?

[Danchat]

Welp, another position of need ... hmmm ... don't they need a cornerback after releasing Malcolm Butler?

There are a ton of different ways the Patriots could go with needs at LT, WR, CB, LB (only good LB is Hightower), and maybe DE. Some have talked about them taking a QB too. The Patriots have two 2nd round picks, so they can address CB and other needs there.