Predicting The Draft Boards For Teams At The Top Of The 2018 NFL Draft

The 2018 NFL Draft begins in exactly two weeks, and most teams are likely in the process of finalizing their boards ahead of the three-day event. We will never get full draft rankings from an NFL team, and it’s impossible to get inside a top decision-maker’s head to know what they are thinking, but you can still use the information available to make somewhat informed predictions for who will go where and how a particularly team might view a particular player. So, I’ve assembled a mock draft board for the top-12 picks (11 teams) to rank how I think these teams might have prospects on their real boards. [Note: these are big boards, not overall prospect rankings, which could be different; for example, the Colts might have the top overall grade for the class on Sam Darnold, but they probably wouldn’t draft him if he was available because Andrew Luck is on the roster]

 

Pick #1 and Pick #4: Cleveland Browns

1. Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming

2. Sam Darnold, QB, USC

3. Bradley Chubb, EDGE, NC State

4. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

5. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

6. Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame

7. Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia

8. Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama

9. Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State

10. Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA

 

Pick #2: New York Giants

1. Sam Darnold, QB, USC

2. Bradley Chubb, EDGE, NC State

3. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

4. Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame

5. Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming

6. Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia

7. Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech

8. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

9. Isaiah Wynn, G, Georgia

10. Derrius Guice, RB, LSU

 

Pick #3: New York Jets

1. Sam Darnold, QB, USC

2. Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming

3. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

4. Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia

5. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

6. Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame

7. Bradley Chubb, EDGE, NC State

8. Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA

9. Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville

10. Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville

 

Pick #5: Denver Broncos

1. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

2. Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming

3. Sam Darnold, QB, USC

4. Bradley Chubb, EDGE, NC State

5. Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame

6. Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama

7. Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State

8. Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia

9. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

10. Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame

 

Pick #6: Indianapolis Colts

1. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

2. Bradley Chubb, EDGE, NC State

3. Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame

4. Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia

5. Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama

6. Derwin James, S, Florida State

7. Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State

8. Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame

9. Vita Vea, DL, Washington

10. Kerryon Johnson, RB, Auburn

 

Pick #7: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

1. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

2. Bradley Chubb, EDGE, NC State

3. Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama

4. Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame

5. Derwin James, S, Florida State

6. Vita Vea, DL, Washington

7. Da’Ron Payne, DL, Alabama

8. Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State

9. Derrius Guice, RB, LSU

10. Isaiah Wynn, G, Georgia

 

Pick #8: Chicago Bears

1. Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame

2. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

3. Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia

4. Bradley Chubb, EDGE, NC State

5. Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech

6. Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame

7. Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State

8. Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama

9. Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama

10. Lorenzo Carter, EDGE, Georgia

 

Pick #9: San Francisco 49ers

1. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

2. Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame

3. Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia

4. Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech

5. Bradley Chubb, EDGE, NC State

6. Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama

7. Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State

8. Derwin James, S, Florida State

9. Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame

10. Josh Jackson, CB, Iowa

 

Pick #10: Oakland Raiders

1. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

2. Bradley Chubb, EDGE, NC State

3. Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame

4. Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia

5. Vita Vea, DL, Washington

6. Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State

7. Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame

8. Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech

9. Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville

10. Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama

 

Pick #11: Miami Dolphins

1. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

2. Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA

3. Sam Darnold, QB, USC

4. Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia

5. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

6. Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech

7. Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming

8. Vita Vea, DL, Washington

9. Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame

10. Derrius Guice, RB, LSU

 

Pick #12: Buffalo Bills

1. Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming

2. Sam Darnold, QB, USC

3. Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame

4. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

5. Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia

6. Bradley Chubb, EDGE, NC State

7. Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech

8. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

9. Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA

10. Josh Jackson, CB, Iowa