2018 NFL Mock Draft - Final Competition Version

Here is my final competition version 2018 NFL Mock Draft:

1. Cleveland Browns – Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming

2. New York Giants  - Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

3. New York Jets (from the Indianapolis Colts) - Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

4. Cleveland Browns (from the Houston Texans) - Bradley Chubb, DE, North Carolina State

5. Denver Broncos – Sam Darnold, QB, USC

6. Buffalo Bills (Projected trade with the Indianapolis Colts, from the New York Jets) - Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Quenton Nelson, LB, Notre Dame

8. Chicago Bears - Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia

9. San Francisco 49'ers - Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech

10. Oakland Raiders – Mike McGlinchey, T, Notre Dame

11. Miami Dolphins – Derwin James, S, Florida State

12. Indianapolis Colts (projected trade with the Buffalo Bills, from the Cincinnati Bengals) – Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State 

13. Washington Redskins - Vita Vea, DT, Washington

14. Green Bay Packers – Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama

15. Arizona Cardinals - Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville

16. Baltimore Ravens - Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama 

17. San Diego Chargers – Da'Ron Payne, DT, Alabama

18. Seattle Seahawks – Marcus Davenport, OLB, UTSA

19. Dallas Cowboys - D.J. Moore, WR, Maryland

20. Detroit Lions - Harold Landry, OLB, Boston College

21. Cincinnati Bengals (from the Buffalo Bills, via the Kansas City Chiefs) - James Daniels, C, Iowa

22. Indianapolis Colts (projected trade with the Buffalo Bills) - Will Hernandez, G, UTEP

23. New England Patriots (from the Los Angeles Rams) - Kolton Miller, T, UCLA

24. Carolina Panthers - Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville 

25. Tennessee Titans - Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State

26. Atlanta Falcons - Taven Bryan, DT, Florida

27. New Orleans Saints - Connor Williams, T/G, Texas

28. Pittsburgh Steelers - Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama

29. Jacksonville Jaguars - Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU

30. Minnesota Vikings - Isaiah Wynn, T/G, Georgia

31. New England Patriots - Mike Hughes, CB, Central Florida  

32. Philadelphia Eagles - Derrius Guice, RB, LSU 

FINAL 2018 NFL TOP 100 DRAFT BOARD (COMPETITION VERSION)

1.       Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

2.       Bradley Chubb, DE, NC State

3.       Sam Darnold, QB, USC

4.       Quenton Nelson, G, ND

5.       Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA

6.       Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

7.       Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming

8.       Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech

9.       Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia

10.   Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State

11.   Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama

12.   Derwin James, S, Florida State

13.   Vita Vea, DT, Washington

14.   Harold Landry, Edge, Boston College

15.   Marcus Davenport, Edge, UTSA

16.   Mike McGlinchey, T, ND

17.   Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama

18.   Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville

19.   Will Hernandez, G, UTEP

20.   James Daniels, C, Iowa

21.   Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville

22.   Josh Jackson, CB, Iowa

23.   D.J. Moore, WR, Iowa

24.   DaRon Payne, DT, Alabama

25.   Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State

26.   Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama

27.   Taven Bryan, DT, Florida

28.   Kolton Miller, T, UCLA

29.   Derrius Guice, RB, LSU

30.   Mike Hughes, CB, Central Florida

31.   Isaiah Wynn, OL, Georgia

32.   Connor Williams, OL, Texas

33.   Sony Michel, RB, Georgia

34.   Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan

35.   Mike Gesicki, TE, Penn State

36.   Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU

37.   Justin Reid, S, Stanford

38.   Billy Price, C, Ohio State

39.   Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia

40.   Dallas Goedert, TE, South Dakota State

41.   Isaiah Oliver, CB, Colorado

42.   Hayden Hurst, TE, South Carolina

43.   Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M

44.   James Washington, WR, Oklahoma State

45.   Sam Hubbard, Edge, Ohio State

46.   Harrison Phillips, DT, Stanford

47.   Orlando Brown, T, Oklahoma

48.   Donte Jackson, CB, LSU

49.   Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama

50.   Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State

51.   D.J. Chark, WR, LSU

52.   Frank Ragnow, C, Arkansas

53.   Tyrell Crosby, T, Oregon

54.   Rasheem Green, DE, USC

55.   Brian O’Neill, T, Pitt

56.   Justin Sweat, DE, Florida State

57.   Lorenzo Carter, Edge, Georgia

58.   Anthony Miller, WR, Memphis

59.   Mark Andrews, TE, Oklahoma

60.   Ronald Jones, RB, USC

61.   Martinas Rankin, T, Mississippi State

62.   Jessie Bates, S, Wake Forest

63.   Malik Jefferson, LB, Texas

64.   Arden Key, Edge, LSU

65.   Carlton Davis, CB, Auburn

66.   Austin Corbett, G, Nevada

67.   Braden Smith, G. Auburn

68.   Ian Thomas, TE, Indiana

69.   Rashaad Penny, RB, San Diego

70.   Nathan Shepherd, DT, Ft. Hays State

71.   B.J. Hill, DT, N.C. State

72.   Darius Leonard, LB, S.C. State

73.   Chukwuma Okorafor, T, Western Michigan

74.   Dante Pettis, WR, Washington

75.   Michael Gallup, WR Colorado State

76.   Kerryon Johnson, RB, Auburn

77.   Kyle Lauletta, QB, Richmond

78.   Anthony Averett, CB, Alabama

79.   DaShawn Hand, DT, Alabama

80.   Ogbonnia Okoronokwo, Edge, Oklahoma

81.   Deon Cain, WR, Clemson

82.   Rashaan Gaulden, CB, Tennessee

83.   Terrell Edmunds, S, Va Tech

84.   Duke Dawson, CB, Florida

85.   M.J. Steward, CB, North Carolina

86.   Holton Hill, CB, Texas

87.   Tyquan Lewis, DE, Ohio State

88.   Daesean Hamilton, WR, Penn State

89.   Jerome Baker, LB, Ohio State

90.   Geron Christian, T, Louisville

91.   Deadrin Senat, DT, South Florida

92.   Cole Madison, G, Washington State

93.   Uchenna Nwosu, LB, USC

94.   Jaylen Holmes, DE, Ohio State

95.   Kemoko Turay, Edge, Rutgers

96.   Joseph Noteboom, T, TCU

97.   Royce Freeman, RB, Oregon

98.   Equanimeous St. Brown, WR, ND

99.   Tarvarius Moore, DB, So. Miss

100 Nyheim Hines, RB, N.C. State

Is Darius Phillips of Western Michigan the best corner in the 2018 NFL Draft?

I have Darius Phillips of Western Michigan as my top CB prospect in the 2018 NFL Draft. 

While Darius Phillips may not exactly be a household name when it comes to college football and the NFL Draft, he probably should be.

After all, he did help lead his Western Michigan Broncos to the 2017 Cotton Bowl, a remarkable achievement for a MAC school that has not traditionally been a football power even at the mid-major level.

Not only is this converted wide receiver possibly the most versatile player in all of college football, excelling at cornerback, kick returner, punt returner, and even wide receiver, but he very well might be the best cover corner in the 2018 NFL Draft.

While Phillips has been reported to run anywhere from a 4.45 to a 4.6 forty-yard dash, he plays extremely fast no matter what his official time turns out to be.

A quick twitch athlete, Phillips demonstrates the ability to bait receivers by laying off, only recover while the ball is still in the air and make plays due to his late closing speed. His burst is also evident in his return skills, and he has elite ability to not only out run, but also make opposing tacklers miss in the open field.

Phillips' speed and quickness allow him to shadow and lock down wide receivers when needed, but equally as important, he has the football instincts to locate and make a play on the ball when it's in the air when he's challenged, which is a skill that comes natural to the former wide receiver.

While Phillips is overlooked as an NFL prospect given that he typically plays against mid-major conference opponents, he has excelled against top level competition when he has been on the bigger stage.

As a sophomore, Phillips tallied two interceptions against an Ohio State team that was ranked #1 at the time. He also returned a punt for touchdown against a Michigan State team that finished the season ranked #5 overall in 2015.

Phillips earned All-MAC Defensive honors and was named the conference Special Team Player of the Year his junior season. In doing so, he played lock down coverage in an upset victory over Northwestern, as well as in a close defeat against Wisconsin in the Cotton Bowl. Overall, he finished his 2016 season with five total touchdown returns (3 INT's, 1 KO, & 1 PR).

As a senior, Phillips opened the season with a kickoff return touchdown against #4 ranked USC, and then followed that up by returning both a fumble (that he created) and a kickoff for scores a week later against a Michigan State team that finished the season ranked #16 in the Coaches Poll and #15 by the AP.

If there's a knock on Phillips, it's his size. At 5'10 and 188 pounds, Phillips is built more like a nickle than an outside NFL corner. However, he plays much bigger than his height, as his wide receiver skills allow him to highpoint the ball against taller opponents better than they do.

Even though he's only 5'10, Darius Phillips was able to use his football skills and take the ball away from 6'4 Michigan State receiver Felton Davis, who's known for his ability to win jump balls. 

Phillips' forty yard dash time will still be a factor in determining where he gets drafted, but if he clocks in anywhere under a 4.5 he should be in the mix for being a day two pick in the 2018 NFL draft. Again, Phillips is being overlooked by the talking head draft experts, and will likely outperform his draft slot.

While I am confident in Phillips' straight line speed after watching his tape, his quickness and change of direction are as good as any player in the country, and I expect him to perform extremely well in the cone drills at the NFL Combine.

NFL Comparisons: Phillips has 2017 third round pick Jourdan Lewis' cover skills (Lewis fell in the draft due to a domestic violence allegation, but played like a first round pick in Dallas), with the return skills of Detroit Lion rookie All-Pro punt returner, Jamal Agnew.

Draft Projection: Third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. I don't think Phillips will end up being the first corner drafted in 2018 since he's coming from a mid-major program, but I still see him as ultimately ending up the most productive corner in his class.

2017 Mock Draft - 2nd Round

Here is my 2nd Round 2017 Mock Draft.

My mock drafts are linked by DC Pro Sports Report, Walter Football, The Huddle Report, and EDS Football, in their Mock Draft Databases, so click their links to check out all of their draft related content!

2nd Round

33. Green Bay Packers (from the Cleveland Browns) - Kevin King, CB, Washington:  

The Packers will be in prime position to trade down with the first pick in the second round. If they stay put, Kevin King would be the big and quick corner who would immediately solidify their secondary. 

34. Seattle Seahawks (from the San Francisco 49'ers) - Cam Robinson, T, Alabama: 

The Seahawks moved back for extra picks and still land the offensive lineman they wanted in Cam Robinson.  

35. Jacksonville Jaguars - Forrest Lamp, G, Western Kentucky:

A road grading offensive lineman to pave the way for Leonard Fournette would be an ideal way to start the draft. 

36. Chicago Bears - Obi Melifonwu, S, UConn:

Obi Melifonwu projects at both corner and safety at the NFL level, both of which are needs for the Bears. 

37. Los Angeles Rams - JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, USC:

After losing Kenny Britt to free agency, the Rams now have no viable wide out options. JuJu Smith-Schuster of USC is the type of possession receiver who could help take some attention away from their best play-maker, slot receiver Tayvon Austin, who has struggled when asked to carry a heavier load in the receiving game.

38. Los Angeles Chargers - Tyus Bowser, DE/OLB, Houston: 

The Chargers could use a 3-4 OLB to play opposite of Melvin Ingram, and Tyus Bowser of Houston might be the most underrated defensive player/pass rusher in the draft. 

39. New York Jets - DeShone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame:

Christian Hackenberg was a wasted second round pick in 2016. The Jets get a do over with the strong armed DeShone Kizer. 

40. Carolina Panthers - Cooper Kupp, WR, Eastern Washington:

The Panthers need to find a wide receiver with speed to compliment their bigger, but slower targets. Cooper Kupp didn't run the best 40-yard-dash at the Combine, but he used his quickness to consistently get open against bigger school corners at the Senior Bowl. In fact, the thought of adding Kupp along with Christian McCaffrey is down right scary.

41. Cincinnati Bengals - Joe Mixon, RB, Oklahoma: 

Jeremy Hill appears to be on the outs in Cincinnati, and the Bengals are rumored to be the floor for the troubled, yet talented Oklahoma running back, Joe Mixon. While Dalvin Cook is also available in this scenario, Cinci takes the more talented of the two troubled running backs. 

42. New Orleans Saints - Jordan Willis, DE, Kansas State:

If the Saints need to find an edge rusher to play opposite Cameron Jordan. Jordan Willis is a speed rusher with a high motor. 

43. Philadelphia Eagles - Marcus Sanders-Williams, S, Utah:

The Eagles are looking for a safety, and Marcus Sanders-Williams of Utah is a late riser in this year’s draft process. 

44. Buffalo Bills - Davis Webb, QB, Cal:

Buffalo needs to find their future quarterback. Despite a lack of experience, Davis Webb may be a better prospect in terms of size and arm than former teammate Jared Goff, who went #1 overall in last year's draft. 

45. Arizona Cardinals - Chidobe Awuzie, CB, Colorado:

If the Cardinals elect to go elsewhere in the first round, they probably need to go with a corner in the second round. Chidobe Awuzie of Washington is a big player could be paired opposite of Pro Bowler Patrick Peterson to help make Arizona’s secondary elite again after recent injury issues and losses to free agency.

46. Minnesota Vikings - Zach Cunningham, LB, Vandy:

The Vikings need to replace both Chad Greenway at linebacker and Sylvester Floyd at defensive tackle. Zach Cunningham of Vandy should be able to step in and fill Greenway's shoes relatively quickly at weakside linebacker. 

47. Baltimore Ravens - Tim Williams, OLB/DE, Alabama:

The Ravens' defense runs on 3-4 OLB's who can get to the passer. Tim Williams of Alabama is one of the top pass rushers, but could slide due to off the field issues. Fellow Alabama alum Ozzie Newsome will have a plan in place to keep him in line. 

48. Indianapolis Colts - Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State: 

The Colts need to upgrade their running game to take some pressure off of Andrew Luck. Alvin Kamara of Tennessee is a three down back who can add a new dimension to their offense.

49. Washington Pigskins - Alvin Kamara, RB, Tennessee: 

The Pigskins land their three-down back in Alvin Kamara of Tennessee. 

50. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Ryan Anderson, LB, Alabama: 

The Bucs have a lot of solid talent at defensive end who can play the boundary, but no true speed rushers who can put up big sack numbers. Ryan Anderson of Alabama is a bit of a 'tweener, is a speed rusher who can get to the passer.

51. Denver Broncos - Adam Shaheen, TE, Ashland:

The Broncos need a legit tight end in their play action based offense. Adam Shaheen of Ashland is an old school tight end who will block first at the NFL level, but has freakish athleticism and hands for a player of his size. 

52. Cleveland Browns (from the Tennessee Titans) - Quincy Wilson, CB, Florida: 

The Browns need to keep accumulating talent.  Cornerback Quincy Wilson of Florida would be the best value at a postion of need. 

53. Detroit Lions - DeMarcus Walker, DE, Florida State:  

The Lions need a base end to play opposite of Ziggy Ansah who can still get to the passer. At 280 pounds DeMarcus Walker of Florida State has the size to set the edge, but still put up an amazing sack total against fairly decent competition in the ACC. 

54. Miami Dolphins - Dan Feeney, G, Indiana: 

Anthony Steen is a decent back-up at both interior line positions, but is too injury prone to rely upon as a starter. Dan Feeney might be the best overall draft prospect at guard in this year's draft, but actually has the skill-set to play every position on the offensive line. 

55. New York Giants - Taylor Moton, T, Western Michigan:

The Giants used their first round pick on a luxury item and need to get back to the meat of their offensive line. 

56. Oakland Raiders - Malik McDowell, DE/DT, Michigan State:

Oakland is getting better quickly, but they still need to add some run stoppers to their defensive line. Malik McDowell could be a run stopping defensive end in the NFL, or a disruptive defensive tackle, and would provide value to a 4-3 system team looking for a base end who can kick inside on passing downs. 

57. Houston Texans - Roderick Johnson, T, Florida State:

The Texans desperately need a right tackle. At 6'7, Roderick Johnson of Florida State played left tackle in college, but probably protects to the right side in the NFL as a better run blocker than he is in pass protection. 

58. Seattle Seahawks - Ahkello Witherspoon, CB, Colorado:

Even if Seattle doesn't trade Richard Sherman, they are still in the market for another corner. At 6'3 and 200 pounds, Ahkello Witherspoon of Colorado is just what Pete Carrol and the Seahawks look for in a big cornerback to play in their system. 

59. Kansas City Chiefs - Raekwon McMillan, LB, Ohio State:

Kansas City could be looking for an upgrade over Wilson Ramick, or a successor for Derrick Johnson, and Raekwon McMillan of Ohio State would be a fit. 

60. Dallas Cowboys - Sidney Jones, CB, Washington:

Dallas is not afraid to invest a second round pick on a talented, but injured, player. Sidney Jones was a first round talent before tearing his Achilles, but may be ready to play early in this season if his recovery goes well. 

61. Green Bay Packers - Jourdan Lewis, CB, Michigan: 

Small in stature or not, Jourdan Lewis is probably the best cover CB in this year's draft. In a worst case scenario where Lewis' size doesn't translate to the NFL, he still locks down a team's nickel spot for years to come. The other concern about Lewis is a recent domestic violence charge. 

62.  Pittsburgh Steelers - Josh Jones, S, N.C. State:

Pittsburgh needs to address their secondary. Josh Jones of N.C. State is both fast and a hitter at safety. 

63. Atlanta Falcons - Budda Baker, S, Washington:

Atlanta simply needs to add more playmakers on defense. Budda Baker may be small size wise, but he's a good football player who could step in at safety or nickle.  

64. Carolina Panthers (from the New England Patriots) - Fabian Moreau, CB, UCLA:

As the Panthers learned last season, you can never have enough good corners.

2017 NFL Mock Draft - Final Competition Version

Here is my final competition version 2017 NFL Mock Draft.

This is not a mock draft where I substitute my judgment for that of the teams. I try to research the opinions of those who most closely follow NFL teams like scouts, insiders and beat writers from all of the NFL cities. I then try to make the most educated prediction as to which way each team will go in the draft based upon that information.

I start out by targeting each team's most obvious need, and then try to home in on the most logical pick based upon value and need as roster cuts and free agency transpires.

My mock draft has been linked by DC Pro Sports Report, Walter Football, The Huddle Report, and EDS Football, in their Mock Draft Databases, so click their links to check out all of their draft related content!

1st Round

1. Cleveland Browns – Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M:

2. San Francisco 49'ers– Solomon Thomas, DE/DT, Stanford: 

3. Chicago Bears - Jamal Adams, S, LSU: 

4. Jacksonville Jaguars - Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU: 

5. Cleveland Browns (projected trade with the Tennessee Titans, from the Los Angeles Rams) – Mitchell Trubisky, QB, North Carolina: 

6. New York Jets - Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State: 

7. Los Angeles Chargers – Malik Hooker, S, Ohio State: 

8. Carolina Panthers - Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford: 

9. Cincinnati Bengals - Jonathan Allen, DT/DE, Alabama:  

10. Buffalo Bills – Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson:

11. New Orleans Saints – Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee: 

12. Tennessee Titans (projected trade with the Cleveland Browns, from the Philadelphia Eagles) – Reuben Foster, ILB, Alabama: 

13. Arizona Cardinals - O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama: 

14. Philadelphia Eagles (from the Minnesota Vikings) – Mike Williams: 

15. Indianapolis Colts – Charles Harris, OLB, Missouri:

16. Baltimore Ravens - Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan:

17. Washington Pigskins – Haason Reddick, LB, Temple:

18. Tennessee Titans – John Ross, WR, Washington: 

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State: 

20. Denver Broncos– Ryan Ramczyk, T, Wisconsin:  

21. Detroit Lions - Jarrad Davis, LB, Florida:

22. Miami Dolphins - David Njoku, TE, Miami:

23. New York Giants - Cam Robinson, T, Alabama:

24. Oakland Raiders - Adoree' Jackson, CB, USC:

25. Houston Texans - Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech: 

26. Seattle Seahawks - Garett Bolles, T, Utah:

27. Kansas City Chiefs - Takkarist McKinnley, DE, UCLA:

28. Dallas Cowboys - Obi Melifonwu, S, UConn:

29.  Green Bay Packers - T.J. Watt, LB/DE, Wisconsin: 

30. Pittsburgh Steelers - Jourdan Willis, DE, Kansas State:

31. Atlanta Falcons - Taco Charlton, DE, Michigan:

32. New Orleans Saints (from the New England Patriots) - Kevin King, CB, Washington: