2018 NFL Mock Draft – WalterFootball

Last update: Wednesday, April 18, 2018. Major changes.
Next update: Occasionally. Follow me @walterfootball for updates.

The order of this 2018 NFL Mock Draft is based on the real 2018 NFL Draft Order.

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2025 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 11/13): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2
Other 2025 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (11/15)
2026 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 7/24): Round 1 /Picks 17-32
Other 2026 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (10/26)
(More links to previous NFL mock drafts at the bottom of this page)

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Cleveland Browns: Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
Saquon Barkley may have been a legitimate option for the top pick at one point, but recent trades will apparently force the Browns into taking a quarterback first overall. I don’t necessarily agree with this, however. Given the recent reports that the Giants will select Barkley, it would be logical of Cleveland to take Barkley here, then get one of Josh Allen, Sam Darnold or Baker Mayfield at No. 4 overall. The Browns will be doing themselves a huge disservice by gift-wrapping the best player in the class to the Giants when they can easily take him without any sort of repercussions.

The Browns have been linked to every quarterback not named Josh Rosen. Josh Allen has the biggest arm in this class, and he makes sense for Todd Haley’s offense. Darnold is also a strong option. I think it comes down to one of them, and I think I’d give Allen a slight edge right now, per recent reports.

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New York Giants: Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
I don’t mind the Giants not selecting a quarterback. Why do so if they really don’t like any of them, which is what the scuttlebutt happens to be? Not trading down, however, seems like it would be a big mistake, as New York would be able to secure an impressive haul for this pick. I have a Broncos-Giants potential NFL Draft trade posted via the link, for example.

The other part of the rumors regarding this selection is that the Giants will take Saquon Barkley. Perhaps this is a ruse by the front office to get the Browns to trade up from No. 4 to 2, and if so, general manager David Gettleman deserves a ton of credit. However, Gettleman’s picks have been telegraphed through the media in the past; everyone knew the Panthers were going to take Christian McCaffrey last year.

If Gettleman was willing to take a runner who can’t shoulder a complete workload like McCaffrey at No. 8 overall, he’ll certainly be open to take Barkley with the second-overall choice.

Pick change; previously Sam Darnold, QB
New York Jets: Sam Darnold, QB, USC
The Jets will be looking for a new quarterback, and that is obvious in the wake of their trade to No. 3 overall (go here for my NFL Trade Grades.) Their preference could be Josh Allen, as Charlie Campbell pointed out in his Senior Bowl Rumor Mill. Allen, however, is off the board, but Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield are available.

Recent reports have linked the Jets to Mayfield, but that was assuming Darnold was going to be off the board. Darnold is available in this scenario, so I wonder if the Jets would select him over Mayfield, whom they love.

Pick change; previously Baker Mayfield, QB

Cleveland Browns: Bradley Chubb, DE, N.C.State
This is exactly why the Browns should select Saquon Barkley first overall. It’s absolutely mind-boggling as to why they’d risk losing out on the best player in the class when they won’t be losing out on one of the top three quarterbacks. I could understand it if they had the first and eighth picks, for example, but Nos. 1 and 4 allow them to do the logical thing and go with Barkley and then whichever quarterback is left over (Cleveland likes all three.)

The Browns will be doing Brownsian things, apparently, so they’ll be stuck in an awkward situation in which they’d have to double up on top-five defensive end picks. This will seem great for a while, but it’ll be a financial nightmare in four years when Cleveland will have to extend both Bradley Chubb and Myles Garrett. Teams typically don’t like dedicating that much money to one non-quarterback position, so I wonder if the Browns will be desperate to trade down in this situation.

Pick change; previously Saquon Barkley, RB
Denver Broncos: Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame
Case Keenum signing with the Broncos does not take them out of the quarterback sweepstakes. Take a look at the Bears. They brought in Mike Glennon with a big contract last offseason, yet they moved up for Mitchell Trubisky anyway. However, it does make it more likely that Denver could wait until 2019 or 2020 for their franchise signal-caller because it may have to move up to No. 2 to get whichever quarterback it wants.

This may seem a bit too early for a guard, but Quenton Nelson is the best player in this class behind Saquon Barkley. Besides, the Redskins used the fifth-overall selection on Brandon Scherff several years ago, and that panned out. Denver desperately needs to improve its blocking, and Nelson is the only prospect worth taking at No. 5.

Indianapolis Colts: Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia
Thanks to the Browns’ foolishness, the poor Colts miss out on Bradley Chubb. If Chubb and Quenton Nelson are off the board, the Colts almost certainly have to move down. I’m sure the Bills and Cardinals would love to trade up into this spot for either Josh Rosen or Baker Mayfield.

If the Colts stay put, they’ll probably choose between Roquan Smith, Tremaine Edmunds and Denzel Ward. Indianapolis has been linked to Smith, and it seems as though both he and Edmunds will go in the top 10.

Pick change; previously Bradley Chubb, DE
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Derwin James, S, Florida State
There’s a ton of pressure on the Buccaneers to win this season, and for them to do so, they’ll need Jameis Winston to finally play up to his potential. He’ll be able to do that if properly protected, and Quenton Nelson is the top offensive lineman in this class by a mile. I believe he’ll be the pick if he’s available unless Saquon Barkley or Bradley Chubb slip by some miracle.

Nelson is off the board, however, so the Buccaneers can look to address their woeful secondary. Derwin James is the play-making safety the Buccaneers are missing, and he could take their defense to a new level. As Charlie Campbell reported, some teams have Derwin James rated ahead of Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Chicago Bears: Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech
I could see the Bears trading down with the Dolphins, Bills or Cardinals. Here’s a potential Bears-Patriots NFL Draft Trade. With the top three non-quarterback prospects off the board, there’s not an obvious choice at No. 8 overall. Several players make sense, but there’s not one prospect who sticks out as a potential great pick for Chicago.

In this scenario, I believe Tremaine Edmunds would be the choice. Edmunds fits the athletic profile of Ryan Pace’s early-round selections during his tenure with Chicago. Edmunds also fills a need in the wake of Jerrell Freeman’s release.
San Francisco 49ers: Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU
The 49ers wanted to obtain a No. 1 receiver this offseason. They pursued Allen Robinson, but failed to sign him. This is their chance to give Jimmy Garoppolo a top target.

This may seem a bit early for Courtland Sutton, but it sounds like he’ll be the first receiver chosen in this class. Plus, recall that the top three wideouts from the 2017 NFL Draft class went earlier than expected. Given how much money receivers have been making in free agency this spring, I think it’s very likely that players at that position are chosen before most anticipate once again.

Pick change; previously Denzel Ward, CB

Oakland Raiders: Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame
Donald Penn, 35 by the end of the month, is coming off a Lisfranc injury and reportedly won’t be ready to return for a couple of months. This is obviously a big concern. Meanwhile, Oakland has a huge hole at right tackle. Offensive tackle is a position absolutely must be addressed early in the draft.

Mike McGlinchey is the top tackle in this class, and there’s speculation that he’ll be a top-10 pick. This is the most logical destination for him in that range.

Pick change; previously Vita Vea, NT
Miami Dolphins: Minkah Fitzpatrick, S/CB, Alabama
I’ve had the Dolphins trading up for Baker Mayfield in the previous several updates, but it doesn’t seem as though they’re going to do that. Instead, they’ll have to focus on their atrocious defense, which has lots of issues.

One big problem for the Dolphins is that they can’t cover tight ends or pass-catching running backs. Better linebacker play will fix that, but both Roquan Smith and Tremaine Edmunds are off the board. That makes Minkah Fitzpatrick the top option. Fitzpatrick will be able to match up against those tight ends and receiving backs to fix at least one fatal flaw of Miami’s defense.
Buffalo Bills: Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
I don’t think it’ll happen, but it wouldn’t be the most surprising thing to see Josh Rosen fall to No. 12. 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. Rosen was prolific in some big games last year, so that could push him into the top five, but as Charlie Campbell reported, two NFL general managers have expressed major concern about Rosen.

Still, Rosen’s talent will ensure that he’ll be a likely top-10 pick. In this scenario, I believe the Bills will trade up for him. I don’t know where they’ll move up to, but Buffalo almost has to make a deal to obtain a potential franchise quarterback.
Washington Redskins: Da’Ron Payne, DT, Alabama
The Redskins looked completely helpless trying to stop Alfred Morris in a must-win game the week after Thanksgiving. They need to bolster their defensive front, and Da’Ron Payne happens to be one of the best players available.
Green Bay Packers: Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State
It must be nice to be the Packers, as the top cornerback in the 2018 NFL Draft class happens to fall into their laps. Ward could definitely be chosen earlier, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect him to fall to Green Bay. Remember, Marlon Humphrey and Marshon Lattimore were both chosen later than expected last April. Meanwhile, save for a couple of exceptions, cornerbacks haven’t gotten huge deals this offseason, and it took guys like E.J. Gaines and Rashaan Melvin a while to find new homes.

Pick change; previously Joshua Jackson, CB
Arizona Cardinals: Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
I absolutely do not think Baker Mayfield will fall to No. 15. In fact, I think it’s very likely that he’ll be the third-overall pick. However, if the Jets opt for Sam Darnold over Mayfield, he could slip a bit. This might give the Cardinals an opportunity to trade with the Colts, Bears or Raiders, as they’ll have to move ahead of the Dolphins to obtain the Oklahoma product.

It goes without saying that Arizona needs to find a franchise quarterback. Sam Darnold has a very dubious injury history, so it’ll be surprising if he lasts even half a season.

Pick change; previously Mike McGlinchey, OT

Baltimore Ravens: Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama
Ozzie Newsome loves his Alabama players, and there happens to be a first-round prospect from that school who fills a huge need available at this juncture. Baltimore has major problems at receiver, so Calvin Ridley could potentially solve those issues.

Ridley, once projected to go in the top 10, has been projected as late as No. 29 in this mock draft. He tested extremely poorly at the combine. However, not all front offices are obsessed with metrics, and I recall many speculating that Clemson’s Mike Williams would fall as well last year because he tested poorly. If Williams and his 107 SPARQ score can be chosen No. 7 overall, Ridley and his 98.6 metric can be taken 16th.

Go to 2018 NFL Mock Draft: Picks 17-32

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