Draft Day Drama:

With Day 1 of the 2018 NFL Draft just two weeks away, many draft boards are starting to take shape.  This year’s draft is starting to create drama on many mock draft boards because there is rampant speculation regarding which of their needs teams will address first.

The draft board has the potential to be very combustible because there are so many valuable players available that could cause certain teams to pivot from there original plan if they can draft the best player available and still get a quality player at a position of need later on in the draft.

Another reason why this draft is so combustible is that there is the potential to see six quarterbacks selected in the first rounds.  We know the price that teams will pay to move up even a few spots in the draft, imagine what could happen if a player like, let’s say, Josh Allen slid out of the top 5?

I think that the 2018 NFL Draft will live up to the lofty expectations that pundits around the country are predictions. Expect the unexpected, players sliding, teams reaching for a player they like, and of course, jaw-dropping trades that change the NFL landscape for seasons to come.

Who will hear their name called first? Where will teams turn to for their first-round selection? Which teams will find their middle of the draft diamond in the rough? Find out on April 26-28 in Dallas

2018 NFL Mock Draft Round 1 Version 1.0

Trades:

1. Buffalo trades picks 12 and 22 to Tampa for picks 7 and 38.
2. Green Bay trades picks 14 and 76 to Oakland for pick number 10.
3. The New York Giants Trade Odell Beckham Jr to New England for picks 23 and 31.

Round 1: The 2018 NFL Draft is officially open and the Cleveland Browns are now on the clock.

1. Cleveland: Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn St.
2. New York Giants: Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame
3. New York Jets: Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
4. Cleveland: Sam Darnold, QB, USC
5. Denver: Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
6. Indianapolis:  Bradley Chubb, DE, NCST
7. Buffalo (via Tampa Bay): Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
8. Chicago: Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech
9. San Francisco: Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama
10. Green Bay (via Oakland): Derwin James, S, FSU
11. Miami: Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia
12. Tampa Bay (via Buffalo): Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio St.
13. Washington: Vita Vea, DT, Washington
14. Oakland (via Green Bay): Marcus Davenport, Edge, UTSA
15. Arizona: Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
16. Baltimore: Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama
17. LA Chargers: Joshua Jackson, CB, Iowa
18. Seattle: Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame
19. Dallas: James Washington, WR, Oklahoma St.
20. Detroit: Harold Landry, DE, Boston College
21. Cincinnati: Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma St.
22. Tampa Bay (via Buffalo): Leighton Vander- Esch, ILB, Boise St
23. New York Giants (via New England): Justin Reid, FS, Stanford
24. Carolina: Mike Hughes, CB, USF
25. Tennessee: Rashaan Evans, ILB, Alabama
26. Atlanta: Josh Sweat, DE, FSU
27. New Orleans: Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU
28. Pittsburgh: Da’Ron Payne, DT, Alabama
29. Jacksonville: Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M
30. Minnesota: Will Hernandez, G, UTEP
31. New York Giants (via New England): Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA
32. Philadelphia: Connor Williams, OT, Texas

If you are looking for even more in-depth draft analysis, I urge you to check out the CheeseHead TV draft guide.  It is the most in-depth draft guide on the market and it is written from a Green and Gold perspective providing top-level analysis and rankings of all of the draft prospects by position groups.  cheeseheadtv.com/items

——————

David Michalski is a recent college graduate from Princeton New Jersey who has been a life long Green Bay Packers fan. Like the great Vince Lombardi, he values God, family, and the Green Bay Packers in that order. You can follow him on twitter at @kilbas27dave

——————