2018 Mock Draft Version 2!

I'm going the distance on this one, with two rounds covered in full. Yup, that's 'the distance.' 

I do allow for trades in my draft, and to make things less confusing in the list, those trades are:

Cleveland Browns trade the first overall pick to the Buffalo Bills for picks #12, 22, 53 and 65. 
The New York Giants trade the second overall pick to the Miami Dolphins for picks #11, and 42, plus Miami's first- and third-round picks in 2019

Round 1 

1. Buffalo Bills (via Browns): Sam Darnold, QB, USC

The Bills sell the farm to get their long-awaited franchise quarterback.

2. Miami Dolphins (via Giants): Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

Miami sells out to avoid being stuck with no plan if Ryan Tannehill continues on track. The Dolphins swing for the fences with the bombastic Mayfield, who either carries the team to the playoffs in 2018 or fizzles out of the league by 2021.

3. New York Jets (via Colts): Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
The Jets trade up, then play the waiting game beautifully and land their guy. A generational talent, but can he improve his accuracy and big-game struggles?

4. Cleveland Browns (via Texans): Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
In a draft with four number one possibilities, the Browns trade down and still come out on top.

5. Denver Broncos: Bradley Chubb, DE, NC State
Denver will be tempted to take Saquon Barkley here, but know they can find effective running backs later on. They cannot, however, draft arguably the best talent in this draft any later.

6. Indianapolis Colts (via Jets): Quentin Nelson, G, Notre Dame
If Andrew Luck ever throws a football again, the Colts had better have that offensive line ready to go. Nelson, like Chubb, can be viewed as the pound-for-pound best prospect in this draft.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Derwin James, S, Florida State
The Buccaneers are a total mess and have holes at every level of offense and defense, except tight end. James is the prototype versatile, center fielder type of safety that NFL teams are coveting. 

8. Chicago Bears: Roquan Smith, ILB, Georgia
The Bears could be a trade-down candidate if a quarterback falls. If not, they should avoid the Tremaine Edmunds hype (not saying Edmunds will be a bust), and pick the more NFL-ready Smith.

9. San Francisco 49ers: Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State
San Francisco somehow got Jimmy Garoppolo for pennies from the Patriots, and now they land their franchise cornerback. 

10. Oakland Raiders: Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama
I honestly have no idea what Jon Gruden will do with this pick. He has been unpredictable in the worst way. The Raiders need help in the secondary, and the versatile and experienced Fitzpatrick can play corner or safety.

11. New York Giants (via Dolphins): Marcus Davenport, EDGE, UTSA
The Giants add picks as they try to win one more with Eli calling the shots. This team's bread and butter has always been strong offense and defensive lines. Davenport may be a project... but so was Jason Pierre-Paul.

 12. Cleveland: Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
In this draft scenario, the Browns hit a grand slam in the first round. They trade down and are still able to land their franchise QB and RB.

13. Washington: Josh Jackson, CB, Iowa
Washington needs secondary help opposite Josh Norman. Jackson is raw but with his frame and instincts could easily supplant Norman as Washington's top cover man in two seasons.

14. Green Bay Packers: Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame
Right tackle is a massive problem for the Packers, and if the team wants to keep Aaron Rodgers healthy this season, they need to fix that problem. McGlinchey is one of a trio of offensive tackles that could fit here.

15. Arizona Cardinals: Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State
Here is the biggest surprise of the first round. Of the top QB prospects in this draft, only Rudolph and Mayfield check every box on Bill Parcells' checklist. I would not be surprised if Rudolph climbed into the first round.

16. Baltimore Ravens: Hayden Hurst, TE, South Carolina
Joe Flacco had a few really good years for the Ravens, and those years involved him having Dennis Pitta as a reliable tight end. Flacco is on the back nine of his career, but adding a reliable tight end to make up for the Maxx Williams experiment would certainly make life easier for the Baltimore signal-caller.

17. Los Angeles Chargers: Harold Landry, EDGE, Boston College
I would not be shocked if the Chargers traded up for Rudolph, or simply drafted him if he fell here. In this scenario, that isn't possible. Instead, the Chargers draft the other bookend opposite Joey Bosa, giving Los Angeles a potentially devastating pass rush.

18. Seattle Seahawks: Isaiah Wynn, G, Georgia
It's been said for years that the Seahawks need to upgrade their offensive line. They traded for Duane Brown last year, but that is far from enough. The league should investigate the team if they don't start using major draft capital to protect Russell Wilson.

19. Dallas Cowboys: Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama
Dallas officially parted ways with Dez Bryant, who would like to play for the Giants next season. There's a glaring weakness in Big D at receiver. In a quiet WR class, Ridley falls far enough for the Cowboys to scoop him here.

20. Detroit Lions: Derrius Guice, RB, LSU
The Ameer Abdullah era should be over in Detroit. The Lions have seemingly been trying since Barry Sanders left to find the next great running back, and it should be Guice. Leonard Fournette's former backup at LSU has drawn comparisons to Marshawn Lynch for his physical running style.

21. Cincinnati Bengals (via Bills): Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech

Edmunds, the sensational teenage linebacker from Virginia Tech, will face toughness and age questions, but his overall athleticism, instincts, and tackling make him a hard prospect to pass up.

22. Cleveland (via Bills from Chiefs): Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama
With yet another first round pick in this scenario, the Browns try to make up for the botched Jabrill Peppers pick by choosing a bona fide NFL-caliber safety.

23. New England Patriots (via Rams): Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA
The Pats could trade up from this spot. Or they could trade down. Or they could stand pat (no pun intended) and draft the tackle that reminds them most of Nate Solder and Sebastian Vollmer.

24. Carolina Panthers: Vita Vea, DL, Washington
Star Lotulelei is now a Buffalo Bill, leaving a large human-sized gap in the middle of the Carolina defensive line. Dontari Poe takes Lotulelei's place, but that won't be enough against those NFC South offenses. Vea seems to be somehow underrated in this draft class considering how athletic and versatile he can be. He'll play up and down the line for the Panthers.

25. Tennessee Titans: Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU
The Titans surprise people and take Sutton here, another big receiver. Tennessee is on the verge of being a legitimate contender in the AFC, and in order to do that, they'll need to surround Marcus Mariota with as many weapons as possible.

26. Atlanta Falcons: Taven Bryan, DT, Florida
Losing Dontari Poe to a division rival hurt. Adding Bryan, a totally disruptive defensive lineman (when engaged) would ease the pain. Bryan has been compared favorably to Texans' superstar J.J. Watt.

27. New Orleans Saints: Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M
Michael Thomas is a stud, but the team has not filled the void left by the Brandin Cooks trade. Though not as fast as Cooks (few players are), Kirk will excel working the underneath and find plenty of running room after the catch.

28. Pittsburgh Steelers: Leighton Vander Esch, ILB, Boise State
Unfortunately, it doesn't look like Ryan Shazier is coming back any time soon, but at least there has been progress in his rehabilitation. The Steelers will have to look to fill the huge void left by his absence. Vander Esch is a terrific athlete, a playmaker, and a player who rises to the occasion in big games.

29. Jacksonville Jaguars: DJ Moore, WR, Maryland
Although the team made it to the AFC title game last season, we should not discount what Allen Robinson meant to this offense. Robinson is now in Chicago, and for Blake Bortles to have any hope of someday becoming a real NFL QB, he needs playmakers around him.

30. Minnesota Vikings: Will Hernandez, G, UTEP

Minnesota just paid Kirk Cousins a ton of money to lead the team to a Super Bowl. They must fix their offensive line. This helps both the passing game and the returning Dalvin Cook.

31. New England Patriots: Sam Hubbard, DE, Ohio State
The second un-sexy pick of the first round by the reigning AFC champs is yet another solid one that fills a need. Bill Belichick loves him some Urban Meyer players. Hubbard is the guy the team was missing after Rob Ninkovich retired. 

32. Philadelphia Eagles: Ronald Jones II, RB, USC
The Eagles have a ton of running backs that all do one or two things well, but unlike Ronald Jones, no Eagles running back does everything well. The guy is a threat to score on any touch.


Round 2

33. Browns: Mike Hughes, CB, UCF
34. Giants: Connor Williams, OT, Texas
35. Browns (from Houston): Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama
36. Colts: Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville
37. Colts (from NY Jets): Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan
38. Buccaneers: Isaiah Oliver, CB, Colorado
39. Bears: Arden Key, EDGE, LSU
40. Broncos: Brian O'Neill, OT, Pittsburgh
41. Raiders: Sony Michel, RB, Georgia
42. Giants (from Miami): Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
43. Patriots (from San Francisco): James Washington, WR, Oklahoma State
44. Washington: Lorenzo Carter, EDGE, Georgia
45. Green Bay Packers: Braden Smith, G, Auburn
46. Bengals: Da'Ron Payne, DL, Alabama
47. Cardinals: DJ Clark, WR, LSU
48. Chargers: Justin Reid, S, Stanford
49. Colts: Mike Gesicki, TE, Penn State
50. Cowboys: Dallas Goedert, TE, South Dakota State
51. Lions: Josh Sweat, EDGE, Florida State
52. Ravens: Uchenna Nwosu, OLB, USC
53. Browns: Deon Cain, WR, Clemson
54. Chiefs: Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, EDGE, Oklahoma
55. Panthers: Kyzir White, S, West Virginia
56. Bills: Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma
57. Titans: Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia
58. Falcons: Mark Andrews, TE, Oklahoma
59. 49ers: Da'Shawn Hand, DT, Alabama
60. Steelers: Jessie Bates III, S, Wake Forest
61. Jaguars: Dante Pettis, WR, Washington
62. Vikings: Billy Price, G, Ohio State
63. Patriots: Kyle Lauletta, QB, Richmond
64. Eagles: Chukwuma Okorafor, OT, Western Michigan

2018 NFL Mock Draft

Shiny new mock draft here, guys! It's all going to be wrong, but it's so fun to hem and haw on the future of things. Except America. Because that is a dark, sad future. #hungergames

Also, it's only one round. Get off my back!

Round 1

1.   Cleveland Browns: Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
There will be a quarterback taken at the top of this draft. The question is, who will it be? Pound-for-pound, Rosen is the better physical prospect, and he's shown the awareness that you like in a leader. He might not have the big game resume, as say, Sam Darnold, but Darnold didn't exactly light the world on fire this year.

2.   Indianapolis Colts: Quentin Nelson, G, Notre Dame
Is Andrew Luck coming back? If so, this team needs to protect him. If Luck doesn't come back, this team needs to protect Jacoby Brissett.

3.   NY Giants: Sam Darnold, QB, USC
The Giants are one of the cornerstone franchises of the NFL, so it's hard to see them screwing up such a layup.

4.   Cleveland Browns (via Texans): Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
The hapless Browns landed their franchise quarterback, now they go out and get a home run hitter at the running back position. Barkley is the best player in this draft, according to many experts.

5.   San Francisco 49ers: Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU
So, it appears Jimmy Garoppolo can play a little bit. The next step for this team is to get him some weapons.

6.   Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Bradley Chubb, DE, NC State
Tampa Bay is a mess everywhere. They are truly one of the league's biggest surprises in 2017, and not in a good way. They need to beef up the defensive line, especially with the insane offenses in the NFC South.

7.   Chicago Bears: James Washington, WR, Oklahoma State
The Bears can't be scared off by Kevin White. Mitch Trubisky, much like Jimmy G., needs playmakers in order to continue to grow.

8.   Cincinnati Bengals: Connor Williams, OT, Texas
Oh, Cincinnati, fare-thee-well. You had a good run. The best place to start a rebuild is usually on either line. 

9.   Denver Broncos: Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
If John Elway somehow lands Eli Manning, he will be back in this same spot next year. Josh Allen plays college football 90 minutes away. He likely has the highest ceiling of any QB in this class. If the Broncos can keep Trevor Siemian and let Allen learn what it takes to be an NFL QB, this could be the steal of the draft. 

10. New York Jets: Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
Someone is going to reach for Mayfield, and once the Jets miss out on Allen, they have no choice but to take a big swing at the polarizing Sooners QB.

11. Arizona Cardinals: Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama
Arizona just misses their chance for a quarterback, and has to "settle" on the best defensive player in this draft. Fitzpatrick's versatility is similar to Tyrann Mathieu, but in a bigger package.

12. Oakland Raiders: Derwin James, S, Florida State
The Raiders stink and need help on defense and the offensive line. They would prefer cornerback but James is too good of a talent to pass on.

13. Miami Dolphins: Roquan Smith, ILB, Georgia
Smith hits like a missile and would bring a toughness that's missing on the Miami defense.

14. Washington Redskins: Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama
Has anyone heard from Terrelle Pryor?

15. Green Bay Packers: Joshua Jackson, CB, Iowa
Kevin King and Joshua Jackson could be one of the NFL's top CB duos in the near future. 

16. LA Chargers: Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame
Another team missing out on the QB sweepstakes, the Chargers will do their best to keep Philip Rivers, and the team's hopes, alive in 2018.

17. Buffalo Bills: Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan
Replacing Marcel Darius begins here.

18. Detroit Lions: Vita Vea, DT, Washington
The Lions defense needs that big man in the middle that was lost when Ndamukong Suh left for Miami.

19. Dallas Cowboys: Denzel Ward, CB Ohio State
The Cowboys are especially weak at cornerback. 

20. Seattle Seahawks: Chukwuma Okorafor, OT, Western Michigan
If Seattle doesn't aggressively address their offensive line this offseason, the NFL should step in and investigate hate crimes against Russell Wilson.

21. Tennessee Titans: Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, DE, Oklahoma
The Titans have a pretty decent team; some pass rush playmaking would certainly help. 

22. Baltimore Ravens: Anthony Miller, WR, Memphis
Like Chicago, the Ravens shouldn't be turned off by a former first-round bust at WR (we're looking at you, Breshard Perriman.)

23. Buffalo Bills (via Chiefs): Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
Someone is going to take Jackson in the first round, because the potential at quarterback (or wide receiver) is too high to miss out on. Plus, Jackson is sort of like Tyrod Taylor, but leveled up several times.

24. Atlanta Falcons: Arden Key, DE, LSU
After seeing the Saints assemble perhaps the greatest backfield in NFL history, the Falcons will need to address their defensive line.

25. Carolina Panthers: Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma
The Panthers' offensive line is so up and down; they need to do all they can to preserve Cam Newton's prime. 

26. New Orleans Saints: T.J. Edwards, ILB, Wisconsin
The Saints have done a heck of a job rebuilding the defense. Their LB corps is definitely lacking, though.

27. LA Rams: Isaiah Oliver, CB, Colorado
The Rams defense is loaded with playmakers... except at corner. 

28. Jacksonville Jaguars: Mark Andrews, TE, Oklahoma
if Blake Bortles is actually, legitimately a good NFL quarterback, then he needs a safety blanket that isn't Marcedes Lewis.

29. Philadelphia Eagles: Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA
Jason Peter is a Hall of Fame tackle; he's also going to be coming off a major knee injury at an advanced age.

30. Pittsburgh Steelers: Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State
The Steelers surprise everyone with this pick, securing the future of the franchise and ensuring Joshua Dobbs and the other guy don't have to play when Big Ben suffers his annual injury.

31. Minnesota Vikings: Taven Bryan, DT, Florida
The Vikings have quietly assembled one of the best, deepest defenses in the NFL. Adding defensive line depth would only make this team stronger late in games.

32. New England Patriots: Sam Hubbard, DE/OLB, Ohio State
First of all, Hubbard was coached by Greg Schiano. Bill Belichick loves him some Greg Schiano players. Second, Hubbard seems like the most natural fit to take over jersey #50, the old Mike Vrabel/Rob Ninkovich spot.