We’re getting very close to the biggest event of the off-season for football fans, the 2018 NFL Draft. Here’s what the latest first round mock draft looks like.
More: 2018 NFL Draft preview, player profiles and latest mock drafts
We are officially less than one month until the biggest off-season event for both the NFL, and recently departed college football players themselves. The 2018 NFL Draft already had a lot of drama leading up to the event itself. Not even the draft order in the first round stayed consistent up until the start of the festivities.
Free agency will also have a huge impact on the anticipated early picks in the first round.
The 2018 NFL Draft officially starts on April 27, concluding the following day on April 28. This year, the NFL Draft has a bit more action leading up to the event than really any in the past decade. A ton of trades, and free agency shake ups drastically changed the needs of nearly every NFL team.
And, the emergence of the importance of the top three quarterbacks in this class, among rumors of who will fall to certain teams early in the first round, makes things even more interesting. Drafting quarterbacks in the top three signals a big commitment to a new possible face of a franchise.
At this point, really only Pro Days can impact the placing of certain players on the board. However, most teams don’t place too much significance on performances through the course of Pro Days. Emerging talents is the more important aspect of Pro Days.
We’ll also see if any other big trades emerge to change the draft order even more than it already was. Trades can continue to happen all the way up until the course of the picks themselves.
Here’s a look at a complete first round 2018 NFL Mock Draft after the conclusion of the Senior Bowl, 2018 NFL Combine, and the more important of Pro Days.
Many expect the Cleveland Browns to select a quarterback with the first overall pick now. Since each of the top three teams in the draft order now are likely to pick up quarterbacks, the Browns need shifts to picking that position here. It’s just a matter of deciding on who.
It seems like the Browns could go with a few different names with the top pick. Wyoming Cowboys product Josh Allen has possibly the highest upside of any player at his position in this class. If the Browns can develop Allen for a few years into the starting role comfortably, he’ll be a very solid selection here.
Allen would not be widely considered the top overall quarterback in this class. However, this pick for the Browns is more about developing a quarterback for the future, than finding an immediate answer. UCLA Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen would more fit that bill of an immediate impact.
Put an athletic Allen behind another quarterback like the recently acquired Virginia Tech product Tyrod Taylor, and the Browns have a very bright outlook for the future behind center. This is something they cannot screw up on yet again.
The attention on the quarterback situation for the Buffalo Bills took to the forefront during the early portion of the NFL off-season. Trading Tyrod Taylor to the Browns surprised a ton of people, but the Bills had expressed some disinterest in moving forward with him in 2017.
Let’s take a step back before diving any deeper into the Bills’ situation by saying that they do not officially own this pick yet. It makes a ton of sense for the Bills to move up and take a quarterback here, in place of who currently holds the pick in the New York Giants.
While the Giants could definitely also use Rosen, there’s a whole long list of other needs for them to address by trading down and nabbing more picks altogether. There’s no guarantee that Rosen would replace veteran Eli Manning with any degree of effectiveness given the turmoil surrounding the Giants’ offensive situation at this moment.
Each of the three teams drafting in the first group of picks here can grab a solid quarterback. The top three quarterbacks each offer their own value, with Rosen appearing to be the most NFL-ready. The Bills could also put together a more complete roster around him right now.
USC Trojans superstar quarterback Sam Darnold is a good middle ground between Allen and Rosen. Since Darnold is not the most NFL-ready of the group, but he seems to have a lower floor than Allen, he’s a good bet for a team in the situation of the New York Jets.
The Jets traded up to get the pick of the Indianapolis Colts, and gave up a ton in the process. Indy got a ton of valuable picks in return, which shows the Jets are committed to one of these quarterbacks, or they really like another top prospect in this class.
Darnold can move in the pocket, hit almost any pass when he’s on, and showed throughout his college career that he can come through in the clutch. His last postseason with the Trojans, losing in a New Year’s Six Bowl matchup with the Ohio State Buckeyes was the biggest blemish on his resume.
However, Darnold is a good fit with the Jets. If he’s still available after the first two picks of the first round, the Jets need to jump on that opportunity and get him. This all comes down to whichever quarterback is available at No. 3 between Allen, Darnold, and Rosen.
Drafting a quarterback and a running back in the top four would give the Browns a complete offensive overhaul entering the 2018 regular season. Possibly the best overall player on the board in the 2018 NFL Draft is Penn State Nittany Lions standout rusher Saquon Barkley.
Getting done what he had to do to prove a point at the NFL Combine, Barkley kept his stock high throughout the off-season events leading up to the draft itself. Whatever team takes Barkley lands a versatile threat that can make an impact in a few different areas.
Penn State will miss the special teams, rushing, and pass-catching effectiveness of Barkley. He led the Heisman race for most of the season, until Stanford Cardinal running back Bryce Love and the eventual winner of the trophy itself (a name we’ll mention later here) unseated him.
The thought of a one-two punch with the newly acquired former Ohio State product Carlos Hyde, and Barkley, is very scary for the rest of the AFC North. With a new look receiving corps, new set of talented quarterbacks, and a loaded backfield, the Browns look completely from the 2017 team.
It was a far fall for the Denver Broncos from consistent Super Bowl contender, and even the winner of the big event a few years back, to a bottom team in the AFC. You can thank the play of the lineman and backfield on offense for that result in Denver of late.
A player that could be considered the top overall player in the 2018 NFL Draft, alongside Barkley, is a tremendously athletic offensive guard product of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Quenton Nelson. And, Nelson is not the only big time offensive lineman prospect coming out of South Bend this year.
It’s hard to envision Nelson falling somewhere in the top four, due to the plethora of picks to the Browns (a team stocked at offensive guard) and the need for quarterbacks at the top. Some team in the pick range of 5-10 will get an absolute steal with Nelson.
He’s got a tremendous motor, and an apparent ability to immediately anchor down an offensive line. Guards like this don’t come along every day now, and the Broncos need to protect newfound franchise asset in former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Case Keenum.
By drafting former Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the first overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Colts never thought they would be back in a similar situation just six years later. Luck was supposed to be the savior of the franchise, and he was able to be that for a while.
However, the Colts failed to protect Luck the last couple seasons, and injuries caught up with him. Without Luck lining up under center, the Colts offense continues to drown. Former Indy general manager Ryan Grigson did little to build the defense on the other side of things too.
Getting rid of Grigson and former head coach Chuck Pagano were important steps to getting the Colts back to a competitive level in a rising AFC South.The rest of the division looks to be leaving the Colts in the dust, especially if they can’t get Luck back healthy.
This is where building up both the offensive line and defensive side of the ball come into play. If the Colts can nab NC State defensive end Bradley Chubb after Nelson is taken off the board, that’s exactly what they need to do. Yet, if Nelson is still available, he’s the best pick for the Colts to take.
When it comes to the seventh pick for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as long as either top safety in this class is there when they need them, they’ll be fine. It’s unlikely that a team like the Colts or Broncos looks the way of Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Alabama took the 2017-18 College Football Playoff National Championship back to Tuscaloosa once again, and Fitzpatrick was a large reason why. Fitzpatrick was the defensive leader for a very good group of defensive players for the Crimson Tide.
The defense could the better side of the ball for the Buccaneers in 2018, but they’ll be competing in an incredibly tough NFC South, featuring three other playoff level squads. If the Bucs can add someone like Fitzpatrick to the mix, that does take their defense to the next level, they’ll find themselves possibly back in contention in the division.
Tampa also needs to look the way of offensive line help. Reaching for an offensive tackle that should fall around picks 15-25 is not the best idea for the Bucs, but they could trade down. Upgrading the offensive line can wait until the following rounds if they can snag a defensive upgrade like Fitzpatrick with this pick.
Adding a true winner and difference maker to the mix seems like the best move here for the Chicago Bears. Picks 8-10 fall right after the top-tier of talent is likely to be taken off the board. While someone is sure to fall out of that group of picks, that does not happen in this mock.
Under former Alabama defensive coordinator and current head coach Kirby Smart, the Georgia Bulldogs made a run that fell inches short of a National Championship last season. Star linebacker Roquan Smith was one of the most important pieces to that run for the Dawgs.
The defense could not have shut down as many opposing offenses as they did without the speed and leadership of Smith anchoring down both the defensive line in front of him and secondary behind him. This gives the Bears quite the dynamic duo at linebacker too.
Fellow UGA product Leonard Floyd could combine with Smith to form a truly daunting group of linebackers in the NFC North. Moreover, with Chicago’s division in flux, they can gain some ground on their rivals with some support for former top five pick in North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback product Mitchell Trubisky, on the other side of the ball.
The linebacker situation for the San Francisco 49ers fell apart very quickly. They released former All-Pro linebacker NaVorro Bowman during the course of the 2017 season, only to see him put together some solid production with another team in the NFL.
Moreover, former Crimson Tide linebacker Reuben Foster has his entire NFL future in jeopardy amid an off-season full of arrests. San Francisco knew that Foster was an off the field risk for them when he was drafted last year, but those question marks proved costly.
This is all where a very talented and raw linebacker like Virginia Tech Hokies standout Tremaine Edmunds could fall directly into the laps of the 49ers. Edmunds was not anticipated to be a top 10 pick at the end of the 2017 college football season, but he’s caught the eye of NFL scouts since.
The range and flat-out athletic ability of Edmunds makes him an attractive prospect for almost any team with a need at linebacker. He does need some work before really maximizing his ability, but the 49ers are an up and coming team behind quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, in the NFC West, and this is a fantastic landing spot for Edmunds.
The Oakland Raiders are in desperate need of a solid prospect haul in the 2018 NFL Draft to revive their chances in the AFC West. A major drop off for the Broncos allows the Raiders to potentially stay in the playoff race for the bulk of the 2018 season no matter what.
However, Oakland’s playoff hopes likely fall on the health of franchise quarterback Derek Carr, and the overall fortunes of the defense. This defense is led by former AP Defensive Player of the Year, and Buffalo Bulls product, linebacker Khalil Mack.
However, the rest of the linebacking corps could use some work. This is where we could also have the first real reach, and the second string of three consecutive players selected from the same position group. Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans certainly has the skill to be a top 10 selection, but a smaller body of proven work in college keeps his draft position pushed down a bit.
Some teams are even rumored to have Evans falling as far as the second round. On the other hand, this would not be the first time that we saw the Raiders reach far for the defensive answer they need. Oakland recently snagged former West Virginia Mountaineers safety Karl Joseph in the top 15.
Almost a guarantee could be in place for the Miami Dolphins front office and coaching staff to go with the reigning Heisman Trophy winner with their first round pick, if he’s still available. Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield is also a good fit in Miami.
The elusive legs on Mayfield, along with the quick decision making, puts Mayfield in excellent position to be selected in the top 15. He’s commonly regarded as the fourth best quarterback in this class, behind Allen, Darnold, and Rosen.
Moreover, the fact that former Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Ryan Tannehill might never make it through a full season injury free again, it’s time for the Dolphins to go in a different direction. Mayfield has a more honed in skill set than most other quarterbacks fresh out of college too.
The overall motivation, competitiveness, and fighting spirit to win games, separates Mayfield among the rest of the quarterbacks that’ll be on the board at this point. And, the Dolphins do really seem to buy into what Mayfield has to offer.
Here’s another reach for you. The incredibly large amount of fluctuating production coming from tremendously skilled LSU Tigers edge rusher Arden Key puts his draft stock in an uncertain realm. Key could fall in the middle of the first round, or all the way back in the third or fourth.
The Reuben Foster situation is likely to make some other teams around the league skeptical as to the level of risk associated with picking an SEC linebacker that had some off the field troubles. Yet, no one should really doubt the raw amount of talent at the disposal of Key.
At times during his college career, Key looked like he could even be a top five pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. However, the stat line did not match what people were searching for in a player selected that high. Chubb is just too good and void of risk compared to Key’s situation.
All in all, if the New York Giants do decide to swap picks with the Bills, they could really use a talented linebacker opposite Jason Pierre-Paul. If all works out with Key too, the Giants then have a much better defense, that could possibly put them in playoff position in 2018.
The first player at this position that needs to go off the board is Washington Huskies defensive tackle Vita Vea. The overpowering nature of Vea makes him a can’t miss prospect for the first team with a primary need at defenisve tackle.
Landing Alex Smith earlier int he off-season and already ditching Kirk Cousins to the Vikings, the Redskins are ready to move forward and continue to contend in the ever busy NFC East. It seems right for Vea to go from one Washington to another to further his promising football career too.
Last season, the Redskins had a ton of trouble stopping the run. Drafting Vea fixes that issue to the best degree that it can be in this draft class. The NFC East has a ton of solid rushers between Ezekiel Elliott, Jay Ajayi, Corey Clement, etc.
A few of the picks in this mock are just the common sense move, and that’s what the Redskins would have optioned to them here. They’d get the most physically overpowering run stopper that you can add to the defensive line to anchor things down that comes as a rookie in 2018.
The three main areas of need for the Green Bay Packers includes upgrading the secondary, receiving corps, and pass rushing. This is a draft deep with pass rushers, that the Packers could likely find tin the second round. Reaching for an edge rusher or defensive end doesn’t make sense here.
Grabbing Florida State Seminoles star safety Derwin James at this point of the first round is a bigger steal of the draft. James has the profile that matches a sure-fire top 10 pick, but this is a strong class at safety, and among the defensive backs altogether.
Teams like the Bucs and Bears could really use the services of a player like James in the defensive backfield. The availability of Fitzpatrick plays a huge role in determining the final landing point of James in the draft order. He’s a prized get, but defensive backs are getting easier and easier to come by.
Meanwhile, the Packers don’t have the option of pulling a top-tier receiver out of this class either. The departure of cornerback Damarious Randall put the Packers in an even tougher position in the secondary. Drafting a pure corner is also a good move for Green Bay here.
The Arizona Cardinals should go one of two ways with the No. 15 pick in the first round. Either select a quarterback to bridge the gap between former Sooners product Sam Bradford and the team’s future, or bolster the offensive line right now, and for the future success of the offense.
It’s so unlikely that any of these four quarterbacks including Allen, Darnold, Rosen, and/or Mayfield falls to this spot in the first round that the Cardinals would be looking another tier down. They have Bradford, and a top-tier running back in David Johnson, in place for the offense to run for the next few years.
However, the offensive line presents an immediate need, and one that Texas Longhorns offensive tackle Connor Williams can fill. The storylines surrounding Williams’ rise to prominence against a ton of odds, and turn himself into a bonafide first round prospect with the Horns only helps his case.
The drop off for lineman after Nelson is taken off the board causes the gap in picks for that position between the Broncos and Cardinals. A spell of offensive tackles could be taken off the board after this pick here, though.
Making it through the bulk of the 2017 regular season at an odd point of contention in the AFC North, the Baltimore Ravens have an interesting and unique opportunity to make a rapid rise into a new tier for them. Baltimore fans became accustomed to making the playoffs from 2007-2014.
However, recent years came upon tougher times for the Ravens. Part of that is due to the decline of franchise quarterback, and former Delaware Fighting Blue Hens product, Joe Flacco. The other part includes the decline of the defense, and a lack of supporting cast around Flacco.
Baltimore can help turn around Flacco’s supporting cast by giving him a potential primary wide receiver to throw to. SMU Mustangs pass-catcher Courtland Sutton took a hit to his draft stock with some shaky performances throughout 2017.
Yet, you cannot doubt the physical tools that Sutton brings to the table, and that should be enough to attract the Ravens to him. No matter how you look at it, the Ravens need to add a skill position player here. Sutton is a good fit that can develop well in the upcoming years.
Most pundents would put the Los Angeles Chargers taking a defensive tackle with their first round pick. Unless they really believe in picking the next man up, after the top defensive tackle in the class in Vea, they should look toward picking up a quarterback.
Former NC State product Philip Rivers is not getting any younger, and it would be good if the Chargers had their next quarterback in line ready to go when it’s time. Rivers still has some very good years left, which is why the time is now to find a quarterback to learn under him.
No player fits the bill better for this situation with the Chargers than the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson. With some work still left to be done for Jackson’s pocket presence and decision making, Rivers could help him along throughout that process.
The thought of the potential of Jackson with some skill around him, that the Chargers do have now, in combination with time to properly develop is very scary. It should be for other NFL teams too. The second franchise to move to LA might not give consideration to this idea, but they really should to help the future of the organization.
Here lies the dream scenario for fans of the Seattle Seahawks, as well as the front office. Upgrading the offensive line is the top priority for the Seahawks this off-season, and it should have been for a while now. However, it’s too late to reminisce to what could have been, and find the right solution for 2018.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish rolled out two offensive lineman that should be first round picks come the end of April. Standout offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey competes with Connor Williams to claim the right of top at this position in 2018.
If the Seahawks can add some help to the line protecting their face of the franchise in former NC State quarterback Russell Wilson, they’ll be in good shape to make a run at the NFC West again. But first, they need a solid foundation along the offensive line.
The way that the Seahawks front office completely blew up the depth chart on the defensive side of the ball signals a change in the way this Seattle franchise will be built now. Hopefully, that’s a sign that building up the quality of lineman is a main focus too.
Taking the huge need the Dallas Cowboys have at linebacker into consideration, this particular pick in the first round gives things a bleak outlook. Dallas needs a player more similar to that of Roquan Smith, Rashaan Evans, or Tremaine Edmunds, and they’re all gone by this point.
Knowing this information, the Cowboys jump on the opportunity to improve their offense around former Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott. Since star wide receiver Dez Bryant is really starting to slow down on his routes, the Cowboys could use an upgrade there.
Bryan, himself, played under head coach Mike Gundy with the Oklahoma State Cowboys, and there’s another receiver in line from the same school. Record breaking wide receiver, and the reigning Biletnikoff Award winner James Washington, is just waiting for the Cowboys to give him his chance to be an absolute star at the NFL level.
Oklahoma State has the knack of producing solid wide receivers, because of the spread offense used in Stillwater. Washington could take the torch from Dez, in the Dallas offense, and take the next steps to become the primary target of Prescott.
The Detroit Lions finally get that boost in the secondary they’d been searching for all off-season, by adding possibly the top cornerback in this class. Former All-American Louisville cornerback Jaire Alexander immediately bolsters the corner position for the Lions, if healthy.
Among all the positive that scouts can take from Alexander’s game, there’s still one huge red flag. He was often injured throughout his time with Louisville, and that’s never a good thing for a possible suitor.
Few people doubt the actual ability of Alexander to make a difference on the field. He’s a ball hawking shutdown corner that makes plays on a consistent basis. Barring any road blocks along the way for the Lions or Alexander, this is a very good match for both parties.
Missing out on the opportunity to land former Super Bowl Champion cornerback Malcolm Butler hurt the plans for the Lions during the off-season. They did not take part in free agency the way they had anticipated. That can be made up for with the right draft pick here.
At pick No. 21, it’s hard to imagine the Cincinnati Bengals looking outside of an offensive lineman. They need to add to a struggling group of lineman that have a hard time opening up any holes for the running backs, or protecting former TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Andy Dalton.
Former Sooners running back Joe Mixon could have a very bright future in the NFL, if the Bengals can really build around him on offense. Mixon had a less than stellar rookie campaign, but definitely showed some impressive sparks of what he can really do.
The smart move here for the Bengals is to search in the direction of an offensive lineman that can start for them immediately, but also has a high ceiling. At this point of the first round, those type of lineman do come at a premium.
Landing Pittsburgh Panthers offensive guard Brian O’Neill puts the Bengals in a position to get more athletic along the line. O’Neill does have some question marks in his game, but his athleticism and motor are not part of that list.
The second best running back in the draft has a while to go before he matches the status of Barkley. That’s not to say that LSU superstar rusher Derrius Guice falls short of deserving of a first round selection. Guice is still a stud that can make almost any tackler miss.
For the better part of two years, Guice was the engine that made the LSU offense go. A lingering ankle injury held Guice out for a decent portion of the 2017 campaign, and held him back even when he was back on the field.
As long as Guice can move in the right direction after recovering from that ankle injury, and a rough end to the season for LSU altogether, he’s a very solid choice for the Giants at pick No. 22. The Giants seemingly always have a weak point on offense on the ground.
Guice does have the potential to fix many of the woes that the Giants are experiencing on offense. And, in this mock, the Giants have a similar first round haul to that of the Browns in getting a top three quarterback and top two running back in the same class.
Since the Los Angeles Rams essentially swapped with the Dolphins with former Tar Heels defensive Robert Quinn and former Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh already, adding to the defensive line altogether may come across as overkill.
However, Suh will fit in along the middle of the defensive line, leaving a gap where Quinn used to lineup. Since All-Pro, and former Pitt defensive end Aaron Donald, is still a member of the Los Angeles Rams, whoever joins the party finds himself in a fantastic role.
This is all where the Senior Bowl surprise, and UTSA Roadrunners defensive end Marcus Davenport, can help out. The Rams have a very complete team, and have a legit chance to contending for the Super Bowl this upcoming season. They need to make sure that every base is covered along the defensive side of the ball.
The Rams could hit an absolute home run here with the pickup of Davenport. Some rumors have him falling easily into the top 15, which makes picking him up at No. 23 so awesome. He’s definitely a hit or more miss type project, with a limited body of work throughout his college career. It’s a risk worth taking for the Rams.
It’s time for the Carolina Panthers to finally give franchise quarterback Cam Newton the help he’s needed in the receiving corps. The departure of Kelvin Benjamin, in combination with an injury riddled Devin Funchess, puts little to no effectiveness in the Panthers’ current group of wide receivers.
They need to add at least one or two solid receivers out of the 2018 NFL Draft. If the Panthers are so lucky as to have Alabama wide receiver Calvin Ridley fall their way, they should pull the trigger on snagging him up.
Newton is a good quarterback, and he can lead the Panthers far if he’s given the right weapons to work with. Carolina did add former Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey to the mix in the 2017 NFL Draft, a move that paid dividends. Adding Ridley to the mix would likely have the same sort of impact.
As we’ve already mentioned here, the NFC South is going to be tough again in 2018. If the Panthers and Bucs aren’t careful, they could find themselves looking up at the rest of the division by season’s end. A good haul could keep that scenario from becoming reality.
The linebacker selection drought ends at pick No. 25, as the Tennessee Titans look to continue to advance their profile in the AFC South. Tennessee already enters the 2018 campaign favored to make the playoffs over division foes such as the Colts and Houston Texans.
Since the Titans were able to actually land Malcolm Butler to provide a huge jolt to their secondary, the rest of the defense should be the focus now. Specifically, the Titans can use help at the middle level of the defense, with the linebackers.
Boise State Broncos tackling machine Leighton Vander Esch falls to the Titans here, with a huge opportunity to kick off his career in a big way. Vander Esch showed what he can do in the right situation, by absolutely handing it to the Oregon Ducks offense in an impressive 2017 Las Vegas Bowl victory to cap off his college career.
Just by looking at draft boards alone, it seems like a large drop off after Smith and Edmunds are taken. Even Evans fits in ahead of Vander Esch in most big boards. However, Vander Esch is still well worth a first round pick, something the Titans could discover come the start of the regular season.
While Vea is going to be an absolute monster along whichever defensive line he is taken to play for in 2018, Alabama defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne should be the next best in this class. Payne has the size aspect going for him, that should help him translate his game to the next level.
Moreover, Payne has a consistent motor that will allow him to become a key part of some NFL defensive line rotation this year. He’s also got the physical tools to matchup with that motor. All these skills are things that the Atlanta Falcons were desperately needed.
Atlanta is just one year removed from a very disappointing and heartbreaking Super Bowl loss, that came back in the 2016-17 campaign. Since then, the Falcons have seen partial success at best along the defensive side of the ball.
Payne had himself a quality outing at the NFL Combine, just adding to his draft stock. Finding him later in the first round is certainly possible, but it’s hard to tell if he’ll end up falling that far since he’s trending up at this moment.
However small the likelihood is that Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward actually falls this far in the first round, this pick does still highlight the need for the New Orleans Saints. The secondary is almost always lagging behind the rest of the squad for the Saints.
Ward is likely the best corner in this class, but he does not have the experience to match the resume of someone like Jaire Alexander. Both Ward and Alexander could end up going in the top 15, but we don’t have that playing out that way here.
In this situation, Ward joins a Saints organization that is fresh off a decent run throughout the 2017 regular season, and the playoffs, until they fell short at the hands of the Vikings. New Orleans can further their Super Bowl ambitions by keeping to the status quo on offense, and progressing the defense some.
The Saints are pretty much already set on the offensive side of the ball between players like quarterback Drew Brees, running backs Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara, and wide receiver Michael Thomas. Ward joins the Ohio State crew here with Thomas and makes his way to a team that is already a Super Bowl contender.
Oklahoma State has two players that should fall in the first two rounds of the 2018 NFL Draft. If the Cowboys are the squad that selects the favorite target of Oklahoma State legendary quarterback Mason Rudolph, then both him and Washington are off the board in the first 28 picks of the affair.
The Pittsburgh Steelers already have a large bodied quarterback in veteran two-time Super Bowl Champion Ben Roethlisberger. However, the time is running out on Roethlisberger’s career in Pittsburgh, and they need to start think about grooming someone new.
Rudolph fits the bill as to what makes the Steelers’ offense schematically successful now. If Rudolph does get the reigns of the offense in Pittsburgh anytime soon, he’ll still have superstar weapons like wide receiver Antonio Brown and running back Le’Veon Bell to work with.
As about the fifth or sixth ranked quarterback in this class, both Rudolph and Jackson should be selected around the same group of picks. The big arm and deep throwing ability of Rudolph will keep him in the talks of taking over a quality offense and legendary franchise like the Steelers.
One player that had a rapid rise to the top of wide receiver draft boards is a product of the Maryland Terrapins, D.J. Moore. The speed, agility, and pure elusiveness of Moore makes him appealing to pretty much every team in need of a versatile skill position weapon.
That need falls pretty heavily in the case of the AFC Champion runner-up Jacksonville Jaguars. Few, if anyone, expected the Jags to pull off a run to the AFC Championship Game in 2017 behind a quarterback like former UCF Knights product Blake Bortles. But, that’s exactly what they were able to accomplish.
While the Jags signed Bortles to a contract extension during the off-season, they didn’t commit to him for too long of a time. Now, the Jags do need to continue to give Bortles a ton of talent around him, including in the receiving corps that they’re currently thin at.
Since letting go of both Allen Hurns and Allen Robinson, the Jags desperately need wide receiver help before the start of the 2018 season. Moore can help out to cover a few of the holes in Jacksonville’s offense, and add a speed factor to the team too.
A big task falls on the shoulders of the front office of the Vikings now that they have officially decided on their quarterback of the future, and that’s to bolster the offensive line in front of him. Minnesota has the receiving corps and ground game mostly set.
As long as former Florida State running back Dalvin Cook actually stays healthy this season, the Vikings have a solid answer in the backfield. And, wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen give newly acquired Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins reliable targets to look to.
The next best offensive lineman on the board at this point in the first round is UGA’s versatile offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn. As a lineman that can also fill in at center, Wynn brings the utility aspect to the table that’s hard to find among other prospects at his position in 2018.
If the Vikings do decide to add on at another position, they need to make sure it’s a really good fit and likely a good steal of a top-notch player. Wynn could be considered the fourth best lineman in this class, and that’s something that’s hard to pass up at the end of the first round.
Since the New England Patriots lost out on both Malcolm Butler, to the Titans, and offensive lineman Nate Solder, to the Giants, they do actually have some holes to fill. It’s a rare situation for the Patriots to have to address needs of this level on both sides of the ball, while also having to recover from a heartbreaking Super Bowl loss.
Iowa Hawkeyes lockdown cornerback Joshua Jackson has the talent level of a sure-fire first round pick, and deserves to be selected as such. The Patriots should go for best prospect available in regards to offensive lineman and defensive backs.
The results from the NFL Combine likely furthered some questions from potential suitors of Jackson. He ran a rather slow 40-time at 4.56 seconds. Considering the team that drafts him more than likely wants him to become the primary corner, that’s a rough site to see.
However, Jackson still has the ball skills and physical tools, outside of straightaway speed, to make an impact early in his NFL career. The Patriots need to put their best foot forward to develop this guy, but this pick has a lot of potential when it’s all said and done.
The reigning Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles go with the depth pick here, despite acquiring former Seahawks defensive tackle Michael Bennett recently. Bennett might not be able to play all season, and he ran into numerous off the field issues in Seattle.
Adding to the defensive line rotation could only help the Eagles, as they’re set pretty much on the other side of the ball. The offense is fine, with former North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz set to take back his starting role from Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles.
The move for the Eagles with the last pick of the first round is to scoop up Florida Gators defensive tackle Taven Bryan. A potential high impact player boosted his draft stock even more with a very solid performance at the NFL Combine, impressive in a ton of different aspects.
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Bryan is a strong and explosive athlete that can move off the line in the blink of an eye. Among all the defensive tackles that could be selected in the first few rounds of the 2018 NFL Draft, watch out for Bryan to emerge as possibly the most underrated.