2018 NFL Mock Draft: Ste Hoare
The 2018 NFL draft is less than two weeks away and the whole football community, including myself, is in draft mode.
So, with that being the case, I thought I’d join my fellow writers in completing a mock draft.
To make it clear too, this is not what I would do if I was running a team , but this is what I think will happen on Draft Day!
1. Cleveland Browns – Sam Darnold (QB, USC)
Ultimately, when all of the scrutinising is done, I think the Browns will come to realise that Sam Darnold is the best quarterback prospect in the draft and as such, I think they’ll select him.
2. New York Giants – Bradley Chubb (EDGE, NC State)
The Giants could look to the future and draft a quarterback but I get the sense that they think they can be competitive right away and with a new coach and GM at the franchise, I think they try to get off to a good start by adding Bradley Chubb to replace the pass rushing ability they lost by trading away Jason Pierre-Paul.
3. New York Jets – Josh Rosen (QB, UCLA)
Josh Rosen may be a polarising figure but he’s a good quarterback and the Jets have needed one of those for a long time. Rosen’s game is suited to the pro game and if the Jets can protect him, they’ll be confident that he can help them straight away.
4. Cleveland Browns – Saquon Barkley (RB, Penn State)
I can imagine that the Browns will be getting phonecalls to trade this pick but they already have a lot of picks and eventually, they need to start taking top players and, for me, Saquon Barkley is the best player in the draft.
TRADE: Denver Broncos trade pick 5 to the Buffalo Bills for Picks 12 and 22.
5. Buffalo Bills (via Denver Broncos) – Josh Allen (QB, Wyoming)
Josh Allen is very boom or bust. His ceiling is very, very high but his accuracy issues in college mean he very much has bust potential. I think the Buffalo regime, who spent a lot of time around Cam Newton, will look at Allen favourably and trade away the assets they accrued this year and last year to get him.
6. Indianapolis Colts – Quenton Nelson (G, Notre Dame)
Quenton Nelson is the best guard prospect I’ve seen come out of college and the Colts, who know all too well what happens if you can’t protect your franchise quarterback, will run the card in to take him here.
TRADE: Tampa Bay Buccaneers trade pick 7 to the Miami Dolphins for Picks 11, 73 and 131.
7. Miami Dolphins – Baker Mayfield (QB, Oklahoma)
Miami have lived the Ryan Tannehill life for long enough to know that they probably want to move on from him, and their interest in Baker Mayfield has been widely reported. Giving up a third-round pick and one of their fourth-rounders isn’t a huge price to pay to move up four places to get him
8. Chicago Bears – Denzel Ward (CB, Ohio State)
Chicago loaded up on offence in free agency but I see them adding the best cornerback in the draft to join Kyle Fuller and Eddie Jackson in their secondary.
9. San Francisco 49ers – Roquan Smith (LB, Georgia)
Reuben Foster’s alleged discretions, which for the record are shocking and terrifying, mean that the 49ers need linebacker help even more so than they did going into the off-season. Roquan Smith is a special player and if he’s there at nine, San Francisco will be delighted to take him.
10. Oakland Raiders – Tremaine Edmunds (LB, Virginia Tech)
I’m guessing the Raiders would have had their eye on Smith too but as their Bay Area neighbours took him, they will be happy with the ridiculously athletic Tremaine Edmunds, who will bring some much-needed energy to a linebacker group that was pretty terrible last year.
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Derwin James (S, Florida State)
Having traded down, I think the Bucs will be happy to get Derwin James here.
12. Denver Broncos – Minkah Fitzpatrick (DB, Alabama)
Denver might not need Fitzpatrick per se, but his value at 12 is too good to turn down.
13. Washington Redskins – Vita Vea (DT, Washington)
I’m not a huge fan of first-round picks who don’t impact the passing game, but Washington’s run defence was so bad last year that I think they’ll go for the extremely athletic Vita Vea.
14. Green Bay Packers – Marcus Davenport (EDGE, UTSA)
Green Bay will go defence heavy in this draft and I think they’ll want a pass rusher and all reports suggest that they like Davenport, whose athleticism could finally provide the Packers with somebody to consistently get to opposing quarterbacks.
15. Arizona Cardinals – Lamar Jackson (QB, Louisville)
Lamar Jackson slipping to 15 is a dream come true for an Arizona side who need to look to the future as Sam Bradford is anything but a sure thing as he’s always injured.
16. Baltimore Ravens – Calvin Ridley (WR, Alabama)
The Ravens need wide receiver help and Ridley is from Alabama and Ozzie Newsome loves drafting players from the Crimson Tide.
17. Los Angeles Chargers – Mike McGlinchey (OT, Notre Dame)
The Chargers need help at right tackle and McGlinchey could slot in there immediately.
18. Seattle Seahawks – Josh Jackson (CB, Iowa)
A long, rangy cover corner with very, very good ball skills. Sounds like the perfect Richard Sherman replacement.
19. Dallas Cowboys – D.J. Moore (WR, Maryland)
After releasing Dez Bryant, Dallas are in major need of a new receiver and whilst I think this is a bit high for Moore, I can see him being the type of player who Dallas love as they always seem to value athleticism.
20. Detroit Lions – Harold Landry (EDGE, Boston College)
Even though they extended Ziggy Ansah’s contract, Detroit need another pass rusher in a division where they will face Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins and Mitch Trubisky.
21. Cincinatti Bengals – Will Hernandez (G, UTEP)
The Bengals guards last season were absolutely awful and made up one of the worst position groups in the NFL. They need to build an offence around Joe Mixon, so giving him somebody who can get some kind of push is a necessity.
22. Denver Broncos – Connor Williams (OT/OG, Texas)
Denver’s offensive line needs to be better and by taking Connor Williams, they can decide whether he’s a fit at tackle or guard and plug him in.
23. New England Patriots – Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA.
Having lost Nate Solder, New England needs a left tackle and as it happens, Kolton Miller is about a carbon copy of Solder.
24. Carolina Panthers – James Daniels – (C/OG, Iowa)
The Panthers need a guard too so I’m predicting that four offensive linemen go in a row. James Daniels can play guard or centre but I see him going in as a guard to replace Andrew Norwell.
25. Tennessee Titans – Rashaan Evans (LB, Alabama)
The Titans need linebacker help and Rashaan Evans’ athletic ability seems to suit the profile of what they are trying to build.
26. Atlanta Falcons – Taven Bryan (DT, Florida)
Taven Bryan is the type of tackle who fits what Dan Quinn is building. He’d provide some much-needed push up the middle.
27. New Orleans Saints – Dallas Goedert (TE, South Dakota State)
The Saints are a really, really good team and have few needs. Tight End is one place they can upgrade and Dallas Goedert would provide Drew Brees with another middle-of-the-field option.
28. Pittsburgh Steelers – Leighton Vander Esch (LB, Boise State)
Linebacker is a huge need for Pittsburgh, especially now that Ryan Shazier is no longer around. Leighton Vander Esch is hugely athletic and gives the Steelers a versatile, rangy option in the middle of the field.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars – Jaire Alexander (CB, Louisville)
After losing Aaron Colvin, the Jags need a new nickel/slot corner and for me, Jaire Alexander is the best nickel corner in the draft.
30. Minnesota Vikings – Isaiah Wynn (G, Georgia)
Isaiah Wynn is too short to play tackle but he can be an excellent guard and having made Kirk Cousins the highest paid player ever, the Vikings would be wise to protect him
31. New England Patriots – Mike Hughes (CB, UCF)
Having lost Malcolm Butler, the Patriots could do with a cornerback. Mike Hughes is undersized but he plays tough and is highly disciplined.
32. Philadelphia Eagles – Tyrell Crosby (OT, Oregon)
The Eagles clearly value depth along both lines and Crosby provides that from day one, and he can be the next in line when Jason Peters eventually hangs them up.