The college football season is coming to an end and the draft will soon be taking center stage. Who goes where in our 2018 NFL Mock Draft after Week 13?
Can you believe the 2017 college football season is coming to a close? It seems like just yesterday we were talking about Week 1, but the season has progressed and we are now heading into conference championship week.
Before we look at the conference title games, we will take a quick glance at where each of the nation’s top draft prospect could, and should, land in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Here’s what we think the NFL draft selection process should look like after Week 13.
A year ago the Browns went defense, selecting Myles Garrett and Jabrill Peppers with their first two picks of the first round. The need for a quarterback is still obvious, but no passer has emerged from the pack yet. Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen have each had their moments, but neither seem to elicit the same fervor they did before the season began.
With an additional pick later in the first round, Cleveland will opt to select “the best player available”. This year that honor falls to Penn State running back Saquon Barkley. In a route of Nebraska in Week 12, Barkley became the all-time leader in rushing touchdowns in Penn State history. He just makes plays.
Barkley with the ball in space is the perfect remedy for an offense that struggles to move the ball. He’s a capable pass catcher and a monster on special teams to boot. There’s nothing that this versatile play maker can’t do.
Drafting a running back this high will be criticized by some, but Ezekiel Elliot and Leonard Fournette are both evidence that some running backs are worth it when the talent outweighs the risk. That’s certainly true of Barkley.
Barkley finished the regular season with 1,134 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns with an additional 594 yards receiving and three touchdown receptions. He added a 16-yard touchdown pass for good measure.