2018 NFL Mock Draft

Last update: Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017. Major changes.
Next update: Occasionally. Follow me @walterfootball for updates.

The order of this 2018 NFL Mock Draft is based on my NFL Power Rankings.

NFL Draft Recent Links:
2024 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 3/26): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5
Other 2024 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (3/25)
Other 2025 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (3/23)
(More links to previous NFL mock drafts at the bottom of this page)


    *** 2018 NFL MOCK DRAFT (2 rounds) updated Sept. 21. This mock draft will be updated occasionally. Check out old versions of this 2018 NFL Mock Draft in the archived mock section. Follow @walterfootball for NFL Draft updates. ***
  1. New York Jets: Sam Darnold, QB, USC
    The Jets appear to be tanking for the 2018 NFL Draft, as I think we can surmise based on the Josh McCown signing. This is a smart move, as there are projected to be anywhere between two and four top-10 signal-callers in this class.

    Sam Darnold has taken the Pac-12 by storm, as he’s been incredible ever since taking over as the starter, which was capped off by his amazing Rose Bowl performance. A big quarterback with a nice arm, terrific accuracy and decent mobility, Darnold could end up being the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

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  2. Indianapolis Colts: Arden Key, DE/OLB, LSU
    The Colts are in a great position to trade this pick, as there will be quarterback-needy teams desperate to move up. If Indianapolis stays put, it’ll have a ton of options, including Trey Adams and Saquon Barkley.

    However, I think Arden Key would be the choice. The Colts surrendered 46 points to the Rams in Week 1, so even Andrew Luck’s presence wouldn’t have even helped much. Indianapolis has no pass rush to speak of, and Key would definitely help in that regard.

  3. San Francisco 49ers: Trey Adams, OT, Washington
    A quarterback would make sense for the 49ers if they didn’t stand a good chance of obtaining Kirk Cousins. There’s a decent shot it happens next offseason, so I’m going to avoid giving them a signal-caller for now.

    If San Francisco lands Cousins, it’ll need to protect him. Upgrading the woeful right tackle spot will be important, and Trey Adams could eventually slot into the blind side once Joe Staley retires. Adams, who, according to Charlie Campbell in the NFL Draft Hot Press, has been receiving high first-round marks, makes sense at No. 3 overall.



  4. Cincinnati Bengals: Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame
    Don’t completely blame Andy Dalton for his five-turnover performance against the Ravens. This is the first time in his career that he’s playing behind an offensive line that doesn’t happen to be packed with talent. In fact, Cincinnati’s blocking is probably worse than Seattle’s. Both tackles stink, so the Bengals need to address this position early in the 2018 NFL Draft.

    Mike McGlinchey would probably have been the top tackle chosen in the 2017 NFL Draft if he had declared (No. 7 overall to the Chargers?), but he announced that he would be returning to school.

  5. Cleveland Browns: Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
    The Browns have Isaiah Crowell, a talented running back, but he’ll be hitting free agency this offseason. With two first-round picks, both of which could be in the top 10, they could opt to use one of them on a replacement (and an upgrade) for Crowell.

    Saquon Barkley ran a 4.33 at the Penn State pro day in March and appears to be a potential top-five prospect for the 2018 NFL Draft.



  6. Cleveland Browns: Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama
    The Browns are definitely on the rise, and they might even have two top-10 picks if the Texans can’t recover. This will really help them solidify their roster, and I think they should attack their offense. DeShone Kizer has shown promise, but he has just one legitimate downfield threat to work with in Corey Coleman. Why not add a second, displacing the lethargic Kenny Britt in the process?

    Pick change; previously Christian Kirk, WR

  7. Chicago Bears: Derwin James, S, Florida State
    As we saw in the losses to the Falcons and Buccaneers, the Bears have some pretty severe safety problems. I like Austin Hooper, but there’s no way he should ever be scoring 88-yard touchdowns against anyone.

    Derwin James has missed some time in 2016 with a knee injury, but he’s a monstrous safety (6-3, 211) who happens to be a terrific athlete. He’s still projected to be a top-10 pick.

  8. Jacksonville Jaguars: Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
    Blake Bortles has been an utter failure thus far, and there was speculation that they’d draft a quarterback to replace him. That didn’t happen, but it could next April.

    Lamar Jackson has some issues – ball placement is a big one – but scouts are ranking him favorably, and they believe he’ll be a top-10 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. For more, check out the new NFL Draft Rumor Mill for scouts’ thoughts on Jackson and the other quarterbacks.



  9. New Orleans Saints: Da’Ron Payne, DT, Alabama
    I considered a quarterback (Josh Rosen) here, as the Saints could move on from Drew Brees this offseason. Brees is a free agent, and New Orleans could choose to start over from scratch. In this scenario, however, they keep Brees and once again attempt to improve their defense. The Saints need help all over, including someone to play next to Sheldon Rankins with Nick Fairley likely finished.

    Teams are extremely high on Da’Ron Payne, who does some freakish things for a player at his position.

  10. Buffalo Bills: Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
    Tyrod Taylor had a solid opening-week performance against the Jets, but it appears as though the Bills are going to move on from him after this season. Nathan Peterman showed some promise, but not nearly enough yet to prevent Buffalo from selecting a quarterback in the opening round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

    Josh Rosen was once the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, but he’s been passed by Sam Darnold, and maybe even Lamar Jackson. NFL coaches and owners are wary of the sort of things Rosen has discussed to the media, and his open views could hurt him. Scouts have told us that his teammates don’t like him either, so that’s a major strike against him. And for the cherry on top, even if his high school coach criticized him. However, Rosen’s epic comeback against Texas A&M almost certainly has helped repair his draft stock a bit.

    Pick change; previously Lamar Jackson, QB



  11. Los Angeles Rams: Iman Marshall, CB, USC
    The Rams dealt E.J. Gaines in the trade for Sammy Watkins, which has opened up a big need at cornerback across from Trumaine Johnson. Johnson, by the way, is an impending free agent, so two cornerbacks could be required next offseason.

    Pick change; previously Minkah Fitzpatrick, S/CB

  12. Los Angeles Chargers: Minkah Fitzpatrick, S/CB, Alabama
    The Chargers had a chance to select Malik Hooker at No. 7 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. They may end up regretting that decision, as their safety play isn’t very good right now. Perhaps they’ll make amends for it this upcoming April.

    Pick change; previously Kevin Toliver, CB

  13. New York Giants: Connor Williams, OT, Texas
    Will this finally be the year that the Giants address their pedestrian offensive line? They have to do it eventually, especially after being embarrassed by the Lions on Monday night.

    Connor Williams needs to improve his strength, but his length and athleticism could have him chosen in the top half of the opening round.

  14. Arizona Cardinals: Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
    I mentioned earlier that the Colts were in great position because plenty of teams could move up for a quarterback. The Cardinals are one such candidate, as they’ve missed out on an opportunity to replace Carson Palmer in this mock draft. That said, Josh Allen could fall to them after struggling against legitimate competition early in the season. I’m not sure I’m ready to drop him out of the first round just yet, but he could be available for Arizona in the teens.

    Pick change; previously Calvin Ridley, WR

  15. Baltimore Ravens: Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M
    The Ravens aren’t getting an Alabama product this time, but at least they’re staying in the same conference. Christian Kirk makes sense for the Ravens in this spot, as they don’t have anything outside of Jeremy Maclin at receiver. Mike Wallace is a terribly inconsistent deep threat, while Breshad Perriman has yet to accomplish anything in the pros.

    Pick change; previously Ronnie Harrison, S

  16. Washington Redskins: Equanimeous St. Brown, WR, Notre Dame
    There are no quarterbacks available for the Redskins to replace Kirk Cousins, unless you want to count Mason Rudolph. His evaluation is all over the place, I think he ultimately is chosen in the second round.

    The Redskins need a receiver as well. Terrelle Pryor has struggled thus far, and he was signed to a 1-year deal anyway.

    Pick change; previously Josh Rosen, QB




  17. Go to 2018 NFL Mock Draft: Picks 17-32

    Sorry for cutting this into two halves; I’ve received complaints about load times and putting the mock draft on two pages saves bandwidth.



Go to 2018 NFL Mock Draft: Round 2 | Go to 2018 NFL Mock Draft: Charlie Campbell







2024 NFL Mock Draft - March 26


NFL Power Rankings - Feb. 22


Fantasy Football Rankings - Feb. 19


NFL Picks - Feb. 12






NFL Draft Links:

My 2003 Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/24): Round 1 / Round 2/ Round 3
2003 NFL Draft Grades (Re-graded 6/8/08)
My 2004 Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/24): Round 1 / Round 2/ Round 3
2004 NFL Draft Prospects/ 2004 NFL Draft Grades (Re-graded 6/6/08)
My 2005 Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/23): Round 1 / Round 2/ Round 3
2005 NFL Draft Prospects
2005 NFL Draft Grades (Re-graded 6/4/08)
My 2006 Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/28): Round 1 / Round 2/ Round 3
2006 NFL Draft Prospects (UPDATED 4/28)
2006 NFL Draft Grades (Re-graded on 7/3)
My 2007 Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/28): Round 1 / Round 2/ Round 3/ Round 4/ Round 5/ Round 6/ Round 7
Other 2007 Mock Drafts:April Fools
2007 NFL Draft Prospects (UPDATED 4/24)/Kenny Ortiz's Top 40 Prospects
2007 NFL Combine and Pro Day Results
2007 NFL Draft Grades
2008 Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/26): Round 1 / Round 2/ Round 3/Round 4/Round 5/Round 6/Round 7
Alternative 2008 Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/7): Round 1 /Round 2
2008 NFL Re-Draft - Round 3 (UPDATED 4/27)
2008 NFL Draft Prospects (UPDATED 8/5)
Other 2008 Mock Drafts: Matt McGuire (4/25)/ Craig Smith (4/22)/ Emmitt Smith (4/21)/ Matt McGuire Shocker (4/21)/ Matt McGuire Backwards (4/19)/ Forum Mock (4/15)/ April Fools (4/1)
2009 Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/25): Round 1 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
Other 2009 Mock Drafts: Re-Draft (4/26) /Matt McGuire (4/25) /Reader Mock (4/25) /Hunter Ansley (4/24) /Backward Mock (4/19) /Emmitt Smith (4/16) /Celebrity Mock (4/9) /April Fools (4/1) /Experts (3/30) /KFFL (3/14)
2010 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/22): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2010 NFL Mock Re-Draft Day 3 (4/24): Round 4 (Walt's) / Round 4 (Matt's)
2010 NFL Mock Re-Draft Day 2 (4/23): Round 2 (Walt's) / Round 3 (Walt's) / Round 2 (Matt's) / Round 3 (Matt's)
Other 2010 Mock Drafts: Matt McGuire (4/22) /Backward Mock (4/20) /Emmitt Mock (4/17) /Celebrity Mock (4/8) /Experts (3/17) /Reader (4/13) /Consensus (2/25)
2011 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/28): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2011 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/30): Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 2 /Round 3
Other 2011 Mock Drafts: Free Agency (5/9) /Greg Cox (4/28) /Backward Mock (4/22) /Emmitt Mock (4/21) /Team Big Boards (4/21) /Celebrity Mock (4/13) /Experts (4/7) /Not Mock (4/6) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Greg Cox's 2012 Mock (2/22) /Matt McGuire (1/8)
2012 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/26): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2012 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/28): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2012 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/26) /Pick History (4/23) /Emmitt Mock (4/19) /Not Mock (4/19) /Backward Mock (4/17) /Celebrity (4/15) /Goals (4/10) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Reader Mock (4/1) /Free Agent Mock (3/6) /Greg Cox (9/9)
2013 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/25): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2013 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/27): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2013 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/25) /GM Mock (4/21) /Charlie's Trade Mock (4/20) /Goals (4/19) /Rapid Reader Mock (4/18) /Emmitt Mock (4/14) /Not Mock (4/13) /Pick History (4/5) /Backward Mock (4/4) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Reader Mock /Free Agent Mock (3/7) /Archived 2013 NFL Mock Drafts
2014 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATE 5/8): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2014 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 5/10): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2014 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (5/8) /Goals (5/3) /Not Mock (4/27) /Emmitt Mock (4/20) /Trades Mock (4/13) /Celebrity Mock (4/11) /Backward Mock (4/4) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Reader Mock /Free Agent Mock (3/6) /Overreaction Mock (12/30)
2015 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/30): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2015 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 5/2): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2015 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/30) /Goals (4/25) /Not Mock (4/19) /Emmitt Mock (4/17) /Trades Mock (4/12) /Celebrity Mock (4/10) /Backward Mock (4/3) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Free Agent Mock (3/5) /Overreaction Mock (12/29)
2016 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/28): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2016 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/30): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2016 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/28) /Combo (5/8) /Goals (4/23) /Not Mock (4/22) /Emmitt Mock (4/17) /Trades Mock (4/16) /Celebrity Mock (4/10) /Backward Mock (4/7) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Reader Mock /Free Agent Mock (3/6) /Overreaction Mock (1/4)
2017 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/27): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2017 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/29): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2017 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/27) /Combo (5/7) /Goals (4/22) /Not Mock (4/21) /Emmitt Mock (4/16) /Backward Mock (4/9) /Celebrity Mock (4/7) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Reader Mock /Free Agent Mock (3/7) /Overreaction Mock (1/2)
2018 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/26): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2018 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/28): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2018 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/26) /Combo (5/6) /Goals (4/21) /Not Mock (4/20) /Emmitt Mock (4/15) /Trades Mock (4/13) /Backward Mock (4/8) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Reader Mock /Free Agent Mock (3/11) /Senior Bowl (1/27)
2019 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/25): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2019 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/27): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2019 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/25) /Combo (5/5) /Goals (4/20) /Not Mock (4/18) /Witten Mock (4/14) /Trades Mock (4/12) /Emmitt Mock (4/7) /Backward Mock (4/5) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Free Agent Mock (3/10) /Senior Bowl Mock (1/26) /Video Mock (1/8) /Overreaction Mock (12/31)
2020 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/23): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2020 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/25): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2020 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/23) /Combo (5/3) /Goals (4/18) /Emmitt Mock (4/12) /Trades Mock (4/8) /Backward Mock (4/5) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Free Agent Mock (3/16) /Corey Long (3/13) /Senior Bowl Mock (1/27) /Overreaction Mock (12/30)
2021 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/29): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2021 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 5/1): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2021 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (5/17) /Goals (4/23) /Backward Mock (4/18) /Emmitt Mock (4/11) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Senior Bowl Mock (1/30) /Overreaction Mock (1/4)
2022 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/28): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2022 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/30): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2022 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/28) /Goals (4/22) /Backward Mock (4/20) /Emmitt Mock (4/15) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Senior Bowl Mock (2/5) /Overreaction Mock (1/10)
2023 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/27): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2023 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/29): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2023 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/27) /Backward Mock (4/19) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Senior Bowl Mock (2/4) /Overreaction Mock (1/9)
2024 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 3/26): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5
Other 2024 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (3/25)
Other 2025 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (3/23)
2018 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2017 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2016 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2015 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2014 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2013 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2012 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2011 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2010 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2009 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2008 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2007 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2006 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2005 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2004 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2003 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2002 NFL Draft Re-Mock