2018 NFL mock draft: Browns get their QB
One week away, it remains unclear who the Cleveland Browns will take first overall in the 2018 NFL Draft, but the race appears to be between USC's Sam Darnold and Wyoming's Josh Allen.
Both offer immense upside but could use time to develop, something the Browns prepared for when they traded the 65th overall pick to the Buffalo Bills for Tyrod Taylor in March.
Cleveland's choice could have major ramifications, as every team seems to have a unique view on the draft's consensus top four signal-callers (Darnold, Allen, Josh Rosen and Baker Mayfield). The New York Jets will almost certainly take one of the four, but whom do they like most? Is there a QB who would tempt the Denver Broncos at No. 5? Teams like the Bills, Dolphins, Cardinals or Patriots could each be eyeing a different target in a trade-up.
Add in the unknown of where Lamar Jackson will go, and you can be sure quarterbacks will dominate the first-round spotlight in Dallas.
1. Cleveland Browns: QB Sam Darnold, USC
John Dorsey likes to swing for the fences (see Patrick Mahomes in 2017), but Josh Allen might be too risky for a team with such an ugly quarterback history. Darnold is safer and still boasts a very high ceiling.
2. New York Giants: RB Saquon Barkley, NC State
A QB or a trade are possibilities, but Dave Gettleman is willing to take a running back high (see Christian McCaffrey in 2017), and Barkley is as talented and versatile as they come.
3. New York Jets (from Indianapolis): QB Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
If the Browns take Allen first, this could be Darnold, but otherwise, it looks like we'll see "Broadway Baker." A relentless competitor, Mayfield should push Josh McCown and Teddy Bridgewater for the starting job early.
4. Cleveland Browns (from Houston): DE Bradley Chubb
No team has ever complained about having too many pass rushers. The Browns could kick Myles Garrett, Emmanuel Ogbah or Chubb inside on third downs.
5. Buffalo Bills (from Denver): QB Josh Allen, Wyoming
The Bills are desperate for a quarterback and could move as high as No. 2, likely targeting Allen. The Broncos would be passing on a QB to build around Case Keenum while holding out hope for Paxton Lynch.
6. Miami Dolphins (from New York Jets via Indianapolis): QB Josh Rosen, UCLA
The Colts pick up more draft capital, and Adam Gase -- despite his support for Ryan Tannehill -- gets the kind of intellectual precision passer he loves. This could also block the rival Patriots from trading up for Rosen.
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: S Derwin James, Florida State
Fortifying the secondary should be priority No. 1 in Tampa, and James has one of the highest ceilings in the entire draft. Denzel Ward and Minkah Fitzpatrick could be options here too.
8. Chicago Bears: OG Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame
Nelson's college coach, Harry Hiestand, recently joined the Bears, who have a hole at left guard after releasing Josh Sitton. A perfect fit for one of the best guard prospects in years.
9. San Francisco 49ers: CB Denzel Ward, Ohio State
The 49ers added Richard Sherman, but cornerback remains a weak spot. While a bit smaller than former teammate Marshon Lattimore, Ward is just as sticky in coverage.
10. Oakland Raiders: LB Roquan Smith, Georgia
Jon Gruden likes tall linebackers, so Tremaine Edmunds could be tempting, but Smith is a far more refined player right now. He's a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate.
11. Indianapolis Colts (from Miami): DB Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama
After adding yet another second-round pick (giving them a whopping five picks in the top 49) in another trade-down, the Colts nab a player who some once expected to go top-5.
12. Denver Broncos (from Cincinnati via Buffalo): LB Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech
Ward and Smith are potential targets here, but with both off the board, Denver opts for a 19-year-old athletic freak. Edmunds needs polish and coaching, but his gifts are exceedingly rare.
13. Washington Redskins: ILB Leighton Vander Esch, Boise State
Vita Vea would make sense here too, but Vander Esch fits perfectly next to Zach Brown, giving Washington a pair of three-down, off-ball linebackers.
14. Green Bay Packers: OLB/DE Marcus Davenport, UTSA
Clay Matthews is no longer explosive, and Nick Perry remains inconsistent. Davenport is a bit raw, but he routinely rag-dolled Conference USA opponents. Harold Landry could also go here as perhaps a better fit in a 3-4 defense.
15. Arizona Cardinals: CB Jaire Alexander, Louisville
The Cardinals need a QB, but Lamar Jackson seems like an odd fit. Instead, they take the extremely agile and feisty Alexander to play opposite Patrick Peterson.
16. Baltimore Ravens: OT Mike McGlinchey, Notre Dame
McGlinchey would play right tackle as a bookend to former college teammate Ronnie Stanley. Calvin Ridley or a tight end could also be in play here.
17. Los Angeles Chargers: DT Vita Vea, Washington
Sporting a roster with surprisingly few holes, L.A. must get better against the run. The freakishly strong Vea would do that in a hurry, and he can push the pocket as a rusher, too.
18. Seattle Seahawks: CB Josh Jackson, Iowa
The Seahawks will look to trade down and add more picks, but Jackson makes sense if they stay put. With size, length and ball skills, he's exactly the type of cornerback they typically covet.
19. Dallas Cowboys: WR Calvin Ridley, Alabama
With Dez Bryant's recent release, the draft's top receiver seems almost too obvious for the Cowboys. With Seattle's pick potentially available via trade, a team could target Ridley at 18 to leap Dallas.
20. Detroit Lions: DT DaRon Payne, Alabama
The Lions need more pass rush, especially with Ezekiel Ansah's long-term future unclear. Payne didn't have many sacks in college, but he routinely affected quarterbacks and should be a plus run defender from Day 1.
21. Cincinnati Bengals (from Buffalo): C James Daniels, Iowa
The Bengals' line was a sieve in protection in 2017, and even worse in the run game. Daniels will replace departed free agent Russell Bodine and clear lanes for Joe Mixon immediately.
22. Denver Broncos (from Kansas City, via Buffalo): G Will Hernandez, UTEP
With the second of two first-round picks acquired from the Bills, the Broncos find a plug-and-play mauler to fill a hole at right guard.
23. New England Patriots: QB Lamar Jackson, Louisville
It's unclear if the Patriots could move up high enough for Rosen, while Jackson might not even make it to No. 23. Either way, they should prioritize finding a long-term option at quarterback.
24. Carolina Panthers: TE Dallas Goedert, South Dakota State
Greg Olsen is 33 and coming off an injury-plagued season, with little behind him on the depth chart. Goedert dominated lower-level competition and could become an excellent two-way tight end.
25. Tennessee Titans: OLB Harold Landry, Boston College
Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan are each entering contract years, and Kevin Dodd has disappointed so far. Landry could prove a bargain after his stock cooled during an injury-riddled senior season.
26. Atlanta Falcons: DT Taven Bryan, Florida
Dan Quinn loves opportunities to mold explosive athletes, and Bryan is downright twitchy despite standing 6-foot-4 at nearly 300 pounds. He'll help reinforce a depleted defensive line.
27. New Orleans Saints: TE Hayden Hurst, South Carolina
The Saints missed out on a reunion with Jimmy Graham but could get the draft's most polished tight end. If they opt for youth (Hurst is 24 after stint in minor league baseball) or a pure pass-catcher instead, Mike Gesicki might be the pick.
28. Pittsburgh Steelers: ILB Rashaan Evans, Alabama
With Ryan Shazier's future uncertain at best, the Steelers must shore up inside linebacker. Luckily for them, this year's class is a great one, as Evans would go higher in a typical draft.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars: WR D.J. Moore, Maryland
A tight end would make sense, but the two most well-rounded options are off the board. Moore would provide an explosive weapon to help replace Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns.
30. Minnesota Vikings: OT/OG Isaiah Wynn, Georgia
Wynn could slot in at guard or at right tackle, depending on whether the Vikings move Mike Remmers inside permanently. Connor Williams would also be an option.
31. New England Patriots: CB Mike Hughes, Central Florida
The Patriots' recent history drafting cornerbacks is ugly, but they could use one. Hughes isn't big, but he's physical and could also help replace Danny Amendola and Dion Lewis as a returner.
32. Philadelphia Eagles: RB Derrius Guice, LSU
The Eagles don't have many holes to fill, so they opt for a dynamic weapon. Powerful, agile and quietly effective as a pass-catcher, Guice would serve as insurance for Jay Ajayi, who is entering a contract year.
--David DeChant, Field Level Media
