NFL Mock Draft 2018: Complete first round post-bowl season
By Dana Becker
The college football regular and postseason are in the books, so we can move to the next chapter of the season: the 2018 NFL Draft.
Players will continue to declare their intentions in the coming days, either opting to head towards the big leagues or return to school for another season.
Many names have already made their decisions, including top quarterbacks Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen.
As we progress over the next few weeks, teams will begin breaking down film on these players play-by-play ahead of the NFL Combine and pro days.
Here’s a look at the latest 2018 NFL Mock Draft.
What’s the deal with Sam Darnold? Is he the once-in-a-lifetime quarterback everybody was drooling over last year after he led Southern Cal to a thrilling victory over Penn State in the Rose Bowl?
Or is he the turnover-prone signal-caller that has more Matt Barkley than Carson Palmer in his body?
The Cleveland Browns need a new face for the franchise, so this is an important moment for them.
If Darnold is the player some believe him to be, he’s the right pick at the No. 1 spot.
The redshirt sophomore became the first Trojan quarterback to throw for over 4,000 yards this past season, finishing with 4,143 and 26 touchdowns. That is a list that includes Barkley, Palmer, Mark Sanchez, Matt Leinart and a handful of others.
When you look at Darnold’s stats, though, even more glaring than the 13 interceptions is the fact that his completion percentage dropped from 67 to 63. Now, that might have more to do with the receivers and time he had from his offensive line, but scouts will take a very close look over the next several months to decide.
Of course, maybe the Browns wait for their second pick to see how the rest of the draft unfolds before deciding.