NFL Mock Draft 2018: Complete first round post-bowl season

Dana Becker

(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

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.

What New York does with Eli Manning could alter this pick, as the Giants would need a new quarterback if they let the “other” Manning brother leave.

If they stick with the former Super Bowl winner, giving him an instant playmaker in Saquon Barkley would have to be the perfect present.

Barkley showed his NFL-ready skills on several instances this past season, finishing with his third consecutive 1,000-yard season. The junior had 18 touchdowns, giving him 43 for his Penn State career.

Another huge part of Barkley’s game his is ability to catch passes, as he hauled in 54 receptions for 632 yards. Add in his incredible talent returning kicks, and Barkley easily could be the NFL Rookie of the Year next season.

(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

The biggest addition for the Indianapolis Colts will not come from the draft. What they need is a healthy Andrew Luck returning.

On the other side of the ball, Indianapolis can make a big splash by grabbing LSU junior defensive end/outside linebacker Arden Key.

A bit of an enigma with the Tigers, Key played in just eight games this past year, recording 33 tackles and four sacks. The 6-foot-6, 265-pounder shined as a sophomore in Baton Rouge, racking up 11 sacks and 12.5 tackles in 11 games with 55 stops.

For Key to be successful, he’ll need to remain healthy. When he was on the field over the past three seasons, he was a difference maker for LSU.

A new quarterback on offense with the No. 1 pick and a new quarterback on defense with this one for the Browns, as they grab All-American Minkah Fitzpatrick.

At 6-1 and over 200 pounds, Fitzpatrick looks the part of an NFL safety. However, he has shown over the past three years that he can also man the corner, giving Cleveland flexibility.

Fitzpatrick made 66 tackles and picked off six passes last year, showing his athleticism by racking up 186 return yards and scoring two touchdowns.

He’s continued to record big plays this season with Alabama, setting a new career-high n tackles for loss.

Right now, it would be hard to make a case for Sam Darnold over Josh Rosen, and that is something NFL teams will have to do before we get draft night.

For now, Darnold’s big play potential appears to give him an edge.

Rosen, though, could be the more polished of the two – and the most polished college quarterback in the entire draft.

While battling injuries and concussions, he finished his three-year career at UCLA with 9,301 yards and 59-to-26 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Rosen completed at least 59 percent of his passes all three seasons, including a career-best 62.5 this past year.

The Broncos would be owning up to Paxton Lynch being a mistake by taking Rosen at the No. 5 spot.

While the draft isn’t in New York anymore, this would be a great time for it to return there, with the Jets holding a high pick.

Baker Mayfield would definitely provide an interesting reaction.

On one hand, drafting the third quarterback in the first six picks could make the Jets look like they are reaching. Many view Mayfield as a late-first, second round selection, but seeing Darnold and Rosen come off the board, New York might freak.

There is definitely no denying his skills, but the reigning Heisman winner is just 6-1 and played in a spread-offense each of his four college seasons between Texas Tech and Oklahoma.

If the Jets do grab Mayfield, a re-tooling of the offense might be in order. The gunslinger finished his career with 14,607 yards and 131 touchdowns, throwing just 30 interceptions among his 1,497 attempts.

Tampa Bay’s struggles this past season surprised many, but it was quite evident where the Bucs need to improve.

Defense.

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North Carolina State sensation Bradley Chubb is a first day starter at the next level.

Chubb, who stands 6-4 and weighs over 275 pounds, posted back-to-back seasons with 20-plus tackles for loss and 10 sacks. He ended his four-year career with 25 sacks and 54.5 tackles for loss among his 198 stops, skipping the bowl game this past year.

As a sophomore, Chubb had 10.5 tackles for loss and five sacks after playing in just two games his first year with NC State.

Providing Tampa Bay with a rush-end that was the 2017 ACC Defensive Player of the Year would definitely give them a piece to work around.

Remember when the Bears decided Mitch Trubisky was the right choice over Deshaun Watson? Maybe Chicago does the same this year with another skill position.

Most view Calvin Ridley from Alabama as the top receiver prospect in the draft. But SMU’s Courtland Sutton has big-play potential, too.

Sutton caught 68 passes this past season for 1,085 yards and 12 touchdowns. As a sophomore, he hauled in 76 balls for 1,246 yards and 10 scores after a freshman season that saw him catch 49 passes for 862 yards and nine touchdowns.

While Ridley comes from more of an NFL-style offense than Sutton, the two are closer than you might think.

The addition of Sutton would give Trubisky a No. 1 receiver to target week in and week out.

So, if Chicago and Mitch Trubisky don’t want Calvin Ridley, you can be San Francisco and Jimmy Garoppolo would jump at the chance.

Ridley’s best season came his first at Alabama, as the 6-1 receiver hauled in 89 passes for 1,045 yards and seven touchdowns as a true freshman. He followed that up with a 72-catch, 769-yard season last year.

There is no doubting, though, that he is the top guy for the Crimson Tide. Ridley, a junior, posted almost 16 yards per catch this season, up five-plus yards from a year ago.

Garoppolo made quite the impact on the Niners this past year, and giving him a talent like Ridley should help him settle in nicely in the Bay Area.

Talk about making the most of your opportunity.

Joshua Jackson played in eight games last year for Iowa, recording 10 tackles. As a freshman, he was a wide receiver for the Hawkeyes.

But this past season, Jackson shined bright as the main corner in Iowa City after replacing current Los Angeles Charger Desmond King.

He made 48 tackles and picked off eight passes to lead the nation, returning two of them for touchdowns.

Jackson also had 18 passes defended and averaged 21 yards per interception return.

At 6-1, 192 pounds, Jackson has perfect size for the NFL.

For Quenton Nelson, the year wasn’t quite as memorable as his junior season in which he earned several All-American honors.

But the 6-5, 330-pounder from New Jersey still had NFL scouts licking their chops to land him.

Nelson is a prototypical NFL guard, bringing toughness and smarts with him. He was a captain for the Irish this past season, starting over 30 consecutive games.

Notre Dame averaged almost 270 yards rushing this past season and scored 445 points. Nelson and his mates up front were big reasons for that success.

Cincinnati head coach Marvin Lewis has promised a complete overhaul fo the Bengals. Might that mean a new quarterback to replace Andy Dalton?

If Cincinnati does, they could be looking at the player many believed was the No. 1 pick before the college football season started.

Wyoming’s Josh Allen saw his numbers dip this past year, but you have to remember the Cowboys lost plenty to graduation and he also battled injuries.

Allen, who threw for 3,203 yards and 28 touchdowns as a sophomore, finished with 1,812 yards and 16 touchdowns. He did throw just six interceptions among his 270 attempts.

One big question on Allen is experience. He saw just six attempts his first year at Wyoming and played in 25 games the past two seasons. He also completed just 56 percent of his passes for his career, averaging under eight yards per attempt.

Despite struggles by Florida State, especially on the defensive side of the ball this past year, Derwin James still produced.

The 6-3, 200-pounder can play either spot in the defensive backfield, though his future appears to be a safety.

James recorded 84 tackles, including 5.5 for loss, with two picks this past year. He played in just two games in 2016 due to injury, but shined as a freshman when he earned top honors after a 91-tackle season that included 9.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.

Landing a defensive superstar should help the Redskins contend with the likes of Carson Wentz and Dak Prescott moving forward in the NFC.

The biggest issue for Green Bay this past year – outside of the injury to Aaron Rodgers – was a defense that couldn’t get off the field.

The NFC North is starting to put together some strong offenses, so improving the back-end of the defense is a priority for the Packers.

Ohio State corner Denzel Ward is a tad on the small side, but he has made up for it with his athleticism.

Ward made 37 tackles this past year and picked off two passes. He has grown into a starter with the Buckeyes after playing five games as a freshman and 10 as a sophomore.

Being a former Ohio State player, Ward understands the defensive concepts needed to compete in the NFL and should be ready to play in the opening week.

Call this a big-time hunch pick.

Most of the top quarterbacks are off the board.

Carson Palmer has retired, Larry Fitzgerald is unsure of his future and David Johnson will be returning from a season-ending injury.

Why not go in the complete opposite direction of a Palmer and bring the former Heisman winner in to play quarterback in Lamar Jackson?

Jackson and Johnson in the same backfield would be a very interesting situation for opposing defenses, as the two are big-play guys with speed to burn.

For all his quirks, Jackson showed incredible improvement this past season. His completion percentage went up three points and he still tossed 27 touchdowns.

Jackson even threw for more yards (3,660 to 3,543) this year compared to his Heisman season.

Do you know who Bryce Love reminds me of? Former Baltimore standout running back Ray Rice.

Love could easily become a key player in the NFL next year with Joe Flacco and the Ravens.

The Stanford Heisman finalist ran for 2,118 yards and scored 19 touchdowns after stepping into the No. 1 role. He didn’t show much in terms of catching passes out of the backfield, but as a freshman, Love had 15 receptions for 250 yards, so that skill is there.

Flacco isn’t getting any younger, and despite missing the playoffs, Baltimore appears to be on the right track. Pairing Flacco and Love together could be the right move to get them over the hump and past Pittsburgh in the division.

Pretty much everything said about Mike McGlinchey’s Notre Dame teammate, Quenton Nelson, could be copied here.

McGlinchey is a multi-year starter who helped pave the way the past two seasons for Josh Adams to shine with the Irish.

He stands 6-8 and weighs over 300 pounds, but has good speed for someone of his stature.

McGlinchey would make a great protector for Philip Rivers, as the veteran quarterback is starting to show signs of his age.

One of the biggest issues with Seattle has been protecting Russell Wilson.

When given time, Wilson is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. However, he has been sacked 40 times each of the past five seasons, including 43 this past year.

Orlando Brown would have no issues with the style of Wilson, as the Oklahoma behemoth played the past three years with Baker Mayfield.

Coming in at 6-foot-8 and 345-pounds, Brown is one of the biggest players in the draft. He is exceptional at pass-blocking and showed marked improvements as a run-blocker this year clearing paths for Rodney Anderson.

The biggest play of the Sugar Bowl for Alabama came from Da’Ron Payne, as the defensive tackle picked off a Kelly Bryant pass and set the Crimson Tide up in great field position, putting Clemson away and leading them to the national championship.

Payne is definitely in the NFL-mold after his run with the Tide and head coach Nick Saban.

The 6-2, 300-pounder racked up 45-plus tackles this year after making 36 as a first-time starter last season.

He might not scream “wow” each and every play, but with the Cowboys having some depth along the defensive line, they could afford to get the most out of Payne by rotating him in and out in certain situations.

You want a defensive end that produced in college? Look no further than Clemson redshirt sophomore Clelin Ferrell.

Over his past 28 games, Ferrell made 110 tackles, 30.5 of them being for loss, with 15.5 sacks.

After a 44-tackle, six-sack season as a freshman last year, Ferrell led the Tigers back to the College Football Playoff by making 66 tackles, 18 of those being for loss, with 9.5 sacks.

He’s also defended three passes in his career, showing incredible athleticism for a 6-5, 265-pounder.

Want a defensive lineman that forces offenses to change what they do? Vita Vea just might be the answer.

Vea, a junior for Washington, had the kind of season most expected after a breakout 2016, earning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year honors.

The 6-5, 340-pounder recorded 43 stops, with 5.5 being for loss and 3.5 sacks. That followed up a sophomore campaign that included five sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss and 39 tackles.

Vea makes up for his short name with long skills, as he can take on multiple offensive linemen, clearing the way for others to make plays.

The Buffalo Bills surprised many when they advanced to the playoffs this past year. Now, with two first round draft picks, they can even better the roster.

Adding a linebacker with excellent cover skills and a nose for the ball in Georgia sensation Roquan Smith would be a great decision with this pick.

Smith racked up over 120 tackles, including 11-plus for loss and over five sacks this past year, leading the Bulldogs to the national championship game.

He was just as strong as a sophomore in the tough SEC, making 95 tackles with five of them being for loss.

After selecting Washington defensive tackle Vita Vea a pick before this one, pairing him with Smith gives the Bills even more ammunition to fire off at New England and others in the AFC.

Despite falling to Alabama in the semifinals, the Clemson defense held up against the Crimson Tide.

One of the reasons they had success all year was from a deep defensive line that included junior Christian Wilkins.

After making 13 tackles for loss in helping Clemson win the national title last year, Wilkins recorded a career-high 60 tackles, with nine being for loss, to go along with five sacks.

His numbers might not be the same as some of the other defensive line prospects in the draft, but you have to remember the focus put on him by the opposing offenses allowed other players to rack up tackles.

The ACC was loaded this past year with top talent along the defensive line, and that included Boston College’s Harold Landry.

Injuries, though, limited the 6-3, 250-pound Landry to just eight games, as he recorded 38 tackles, 8.5 for loss and five sacks.

If you are questioning this pick at this spot, though, go back to the 2016 season when Landry shined bright for Boston College. He made 50 tackles, including 22 for loss, with 16.5 sacks and even picked off a pass.

Landry finished out his career at BC with 25 sacks, 48 tackles for loss and 158 stops in all.

A former highly-prized recruit at Texas, Desmond Harrison was forced to go the long way to becoming an NFL prospect.

Harrison made his way to West Georgia after multiple failed drug tests forced then-head coach Charlie Strong to boot him as a Longhorn.

But Harrison didn’t give up on his dream, showing NFL size, quickness and athleticism to go along with his 6-7, 300-pound frame.

Had he remained at Texas, it would be likely Harrison would go even higher in the draft. He’ll have a chance to improve his stock when he faces NFL coaches and scouts in interviews and one-on-one drills.

If Harrison can show he has matured from this issues at Texas, he might not make it this far in the draft.

Taking a center in the first round looks very bizarre, but like fantasy sports, if there is a great talent at an odd position, maybe you make the call.

Walter Football views Price as the top center prospect in the draft, calling him a better prospect than either Josh Garnett or Laken Tomlinson.

Price will definitely be ready for something of a spread attack after playing for Urban Meyer and Ohio State. He’s 6-4 and weighs 300-plus pounds.

As the season progressed, Price continued to improve, overcoming past penalty issues that hurt him.

With a run on quarterbacks earlier in the draft, this isn’t the time for the Saints to reach for a possible replacement for Drew Brees. Instead, let Brees bring Price along for his heir apparent.

Texas A&M Football — (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

It’s tough to replace a quarterback that leads you to the playoffs, so giving him a talented wide receiver should be the approach Jacksonville takes.

Blake Bortles might not be the answer to lead the team, but he should improve with someone like Texas A&M standout Christian Kirk to work with.

Kirk, who is just under 6-feet, posted back-to-back seasons of at least 80 catches before settling for 71 this year. He racked up at least 900 yards all three years in College Station, scoring 26 career touchdowns.

The Aggies used him in a variety of ways, as he carried the ball 23 times during his career and also returned kicks. Expect the Jags to also utilize his versatility on an offense that needs more playmakers.

You can never really have too many good corners, and the Atlanta Falcons know that very well.

Auburn’s Carlton Davis has size, standing 6-1 and weighing over 200 pounds, to compete with the big NFL receivers.

Davis, a three-year starter for the Tigers, recorded four career interceptions and made 136 tackles. That included a 56-tackle season as a freshman when he picked off three passes.

In all, Davis defended 28 passes, including 10 each his sophomore and junior years.

Adding a player like Davis at this point in the draft gives the Falcons a flexible option in the secondary at either a corner spot or as a nickelback.

The “other” Josh Allen had himself a great junior year for Kentucky, recording 66 tackles with 10.5 of them being for loss and seven sacks.

Allen has great size for someone who can move in coverage and hang with running backs, standing 6-5 and weighing 230 pounds.

He’s a two-year starter in the SEC and helped the Wildcats become bowl eligible.

For his career, Allen made 132 tackles, including 20.5 for loss, with 14.5 sacks and picked off a pass.

The Steelers just seem to love finding athletic freaks to use on the defensive side of the ball, and Allen fits that mold.

Minnesota is loaded on the offense, but the Vikings could still use more pieces on defense.

Dorance Armstrong Jr. was a playmaker for Kansas – yes, that sounds crazy to say. As a sophomore, he made 20 tackles for loss with 10 sacks, recording 56 stops in all.

Armstrong, who can play either defensive end or outside linebacker, followed that up with 63 tackles, including 9.5 for loss with a pair of sacks.

After such a strong year in 2016, it was obvious defenses knew who he was and shied away from him on the field.

Armstrong can only help his case with personal workouts and the combine, offering himself a chance to shine.

As nice as it would be to land an offensive tackle to help protect Carson Wentz moving forward, there doesn’t appear to be another one worthy of going in the first round.

Instead, the Eagles can secure an NFL-ready cornerback in LSU junior Donte Jackson.

A three-year regular for the Tigers, Jackson made 110 career tackles and picked off four passes.

This past season was his best yet, as he had 45 tackles, with 3.5 being for loss, and even recorded a sack.

LSU has churned out some impressive talents to the NFL on the defensive side of the ball, and most view Jackson as another in the long line.

As a freshman, Ken Webster played in just eight games, recording 22 tackles.

In 2015, he made 12 appearances and had 41 stops with three being for loss and an interception.

An injury again hit Webster last year, as he missed the entire 2016 season.

Webster returned for Ole Miss, but again was hit by the injury bug, appearing in eight games and making 29 tackles. He showed what NFL scouts desire in a lock-down corner, possessing man-to-man skills and going up against NFL-caliber wide receivers on a weekly basis.

Dana Becker

Life-long college football fan living the dream in Iowa with my wife and two boys. I work as a sports writer for a daily newspaper covering high school and college athletics.