Getty Baker Mayfield's name continues to be linked to the Browns.
After filling out my first 2018 NFL mock draft nearly a year ago, draft day has finally arrived. Before we get to my final mock draft with two rounds of predictions, let’s explore some of the latest rumors and buzz around the draft.
Look for the Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals or Miami Dolphins to trade up to draft a quarterback. Since I don’t project trades in my mock draft, I have Josh Allen falling to the Dolphins at No. 11. It would be shocking if he lasted this long, but it’s how things play out given Miami is the first quarterback needy team after pick No. 5. Given the value of quarterbacks, the Colts are in a prime position to trade down from No. 6. Indianapolis has already traded down once, and I think their pick could end up being traded to a team looking to grab the final quarterback standing of the top four signal callers.
Lamar Jackson is one of the most difficult players to project. He could go as high as No. 15 to the Cardinals or No. 16 to the Ravens. After months of generating draft buzz, there appears to be medical concerns around Boise State linebacker Leighton Vander Esch. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller reported he has spoken to five teams who have him completely off their draft boards, but has also heard from other teams that cleared him. He sits outside the first round in my mock draft based on this concern.
Here’s my final mock draft featuring the first two rounds.
NFL Mock Draft 2018: 1st Round
| PICK | PLAYER |
| No. 1 Cleveland Browns | QB Sam Darnold, USC |
| No. 2 New York Giants | RB Saquon Barkley, Penn State |
| No. 3 New York Jets (via Colts) | QB Josh Rosen, UCLA |
| No. 4 Cleveland Browns (via Texans) | DE Bradley Chubb, NC State |
| No. 5 Denver Broncos | QB Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma |
| No. 6 Indianapolis Colts (via Jets) | G Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame |
| No. 7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers | S Derwin James, Florida State |
| No. 8 Chicago Bears | S Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama |
| No. 9 San Francisco 49ers | LB Roquan Smith, Georgia |
| No. 10 Oakland Raiders | LB Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech |
| No. 11 Miami Dolphins | QB Josh Allen, Wyoming |
| No. 12 Buffalo Bills (via Bengals) | T Mike McGlinchey, Notre Dame |
| No. 13 Washington Redskins | DT Vita Vea, Washington |
| No. 14 Green Bay Packers | CB Denzel Ward, Ohio State |
| No. 15 Arizona Cardinals | G Will Hernandez, UTEP |
| No. 16 Baltimore Ravens | LB Rashaan Evans, Alabama |
| No. 17 Los Angeles Chargers | T Connor Williams, Texas |
| No. 18 Seattle Seahawks | EDGE Marcus Davenport, UTSA |
| No. 19 Dallas Cowboys | EDGE Harold Landry, Boston College |
| No. 20 Detroit Lions | C/G James Daniels, Iowa |
| No. 21 Cincinnati Bengals (via Bills) | CB Josh Jackson, Iowa |
| No. 22 Buffalo Bills (via Chiefs) | WR Calvin Ridley, Alabama |
| No. 23 New England Patriots (via Rams) | CB Mike Hughes, UCF |
| No. 24 Carolina Panthers | WR Courtland Sutton, SMU |
| No. 25 Tennessee Titans | EDGE Sam Hubbard, Ohio State |
| No. 26 Atlanta Falcons | DL Da’Ron Payne, Alabama |
| No. 27 New Orleans Saints | QB Lamar Jackson, Louisville |
| No. 28 Pittsburgh Steelers | CB Jaire Alexander, Louisville |
| No. 29 Jacksonville Jaguars | G Isaiah Wynn, Georgia |
| No. 30 Minnesota Vikings | TE Dallas Goedert, South Dakota St. |
| No. 31 New England Patriots | C Frank Ragnow, Arkansas |
| No. 32 Philadelphia Eagles | T Kolton Miller, UCLA |
NFL Mock Draft 2018: 2nd Round
| PICK | PLAYER |
| No. 33 Cleveland Browns | WR D.J. Moore, Maryland |
| No. 34 New York Giants | C Billy Price, Ohio State |
| No. 35 Cleveland Browns (via Texans) | CB Isaiah Oliver, Colorado |
| No. 36 Indianapolis Colts | LB Leighton Vander Esch, Boise State |
| No. 37 Indianapolis Colts (via Jets) | WR D.J. Chark, LSU |
| No. 38 Tampa Bay Buccaneers | DL Taven Bryan, Florida |
| No. 39 Chicago Bears | EDGE Lorenzo Carter, Georgia |
| No. 40 Denver Broncos | CB Donte Jackson, LSU |
| No. 41 Oakland Raiders | S Ronnie Harrison, Alabama |
| No. 42 Miami Dolphins | DL Maurice Hurst, Michigan |
| No. 43 New England Patriots (via 49ers) | TE Hayden Hurst, South Carolina |
| No. 44 Washington Redskins | LB Malik Jefferson, Texas |
| No. 45 Green Bay Packers | WR James Washington, Oklahoma State |
| No. 46 Cincinnati Bengals | DL Harrison Phillips, Stanford |
| No. 47 Arizona Cardinals | QB Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State |
| No. 48 Los Angeles Chargers | DL Derrick Nnadi, Florida State |
| No. 49 Indianapolis Colts (via Jets) | EDGE Josh Sweat, Florida State |
| No. 50 Dallas Cowboys | WR Christian Kirk, Texas A&M |
| No. 51 Detroit Lions | RB Sony Michel, Georgia |
| No. 52 Baltimore Ravens | TE Mike Gesicki, Penn State |
| No. 53 Buffalo Bills | QB Kyle Lauletta, Richmond |
| No. 54 Kansas City Chiefs | CB Carlton Davis, Auburn |
| No. 55 Carolina Panthers | S Justin Reid, Stanford |
| No. 56 Buffalo Bills (via Rams) | G Braden Smith, Auburn |
| No. 57 Tennessee Titans | LB Jerome Baker, Ohio State |
| No. 58 Atlanta Falcons | WR Anthony Miller, Memphis |
| No. 59 San Francisco 49ers (via Saints) | WR Dante Pettis, Washington |
| No. 60 Pittsburgh Steelers | RB Derrius Guice, LSU |
| No. 61 Jacksonville Jaguars | WR DaeSean Hamilton, Penn State |
| No. 62 Minnesota Vikings | T Geron Christian, Louisville |
| No. 63 New England Patriots | LB Darius Leonard, South Carolina St. |
| No. 64 Cleveland Browns (via Eagles) | T Tyrell Crosby, Oregon |