Last update:
Sunday, May 6, 2018.
This is a combo mock draft of all the 2017 and 2018 prospects. Leading up the 2018 NFL Draft, the consensus was that this class wasn't a very good one, so how would it stack up to the prospects in 2017? How would the draft have gone if all the players were available? Here's the mock, and before you read it, keep two things in mind: 1) The 2017 prospects don't have their rookie campaigns taken into account; otherwise, someone like Alvin Kamara would be a top-10 pick. 2) The 2017 players were removed from each team's roster for needs purposes.
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Cleveland Browns: Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
We know the Browns would've taken Baker Mayfield over the quarterbacks in the 2017 class because that's what they effectively did. They had an opportunity to draft any of Mitchell Trubisky, Deshaun Watson or Patrick Mahomes, and yet they passed on all of them, opting instead to go with Mayfield atop the 2018 NFL Draft.
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New York Giants: Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
I gave Myles Garrett strong consideration at No. 2 overall. However, the Giants passed on Bradley Chubb for Barkley, and while Garrett is unquestionably the superior prospect compared to his N.C. State counterpart, he's not exactly built for a 3-4 defense. He could play in that scheme with some amount of success, but he's more of a 4-3 defensive end. Thus, I think the Giants would still choose Barkley if the two classes were combined.
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New York Jets: Sam Darnold, QB, USC
Would the Jets pick Sam Darnold or Mitchell Trubisky? That's the question, and I believe the answer would be Darnold because New York had an opportunity to trade up for Trubisky last spring and opted not to do so. Thus, the top three picks in this combo mock draft remain the same as the 2018 NFL Draft.
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Houston Texans: Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
Remember, I reset the 2017 NFL Draft, so the Texans never had a chance to trade their 2018 first-rounder away to the Browns for Deshaun Watson.
Considering the Texans did this, however, it's only logical to slot Watson to them again. Some teams were more pessimistic of Watson's abilities - one high-ranking NFC personnel man told me he wouldn't take Watson until the third round - but the Texans absolutely loved him all the way, as he won them over in the pre-draft visit.
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Denver Broncos: Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
I still think the Broncos would take Bradley Chubb if Myles Garrett weren't available. They wanted Sam Darnold or Saquon Barkley, primarily, but Chubb was their tertiary option. Garrett, however, was definitely a superior prospect compared to Chubb, so he's the easy choice at No. 5.
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Chicago Bears: Mitchell Trubisky, QB, North Carolina
Trade! Sensing that a team could move into the No. 7 spot to steal Mitchell Trubisky, the Bears traded up a tiny bit, just like they did in the 2017 NFL Draft to take their beloved quarterback.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame
The Buccaneers finally get their man. They wanted either Saquon Barkley or Quenton Nelson to fall to them at No. 7. Neither did, so they traded down five spots. Here, they are finally able to obtain the elite guard they desperately need.
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Indianapolis Colts: Bradley Chubb, DE, N.C.State
The scuttlebutt exiting the 2018 NFL Draft was that the Colts were considering trading back up for Bradley Chubb, which made sense, given the amount of draft capital they possessed. Here, they're able to secure Chubb after moving down.
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Buffalo Bills: Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
Remember that more teams need quarterbacks now, thanks to the 2017 signal-callers being erased off team rosters. The Bills can't count on Josh Allen slipping to them at No. 12. They would take Allen over Patrick Mahomes, whom they didn't like very much for some reason.
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Oakland Raiders: Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU
The Raiders do not trade down in this scenario. They wouldn't have moved down if Mike McGlinchey were available. McGlinchey is still here, but Leonard Fournette would be way too difficult to pass on, especially considering that Marshawn Lynch probably won't be a Raider beyond 2018.
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Kansas City Chiefs: Pat Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech
The Chiefs traded up to No. 10 in the 2017 NFL Draft for Patrick Mahomes, so they'd certainly be willing to move to the 11th spot in this exercise for their franchise quarterback.
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San Francisco 49ers: Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford
The 49ers spent the third-overall pick on Solomon Thomas last spring. Here, they were able to trade down to No. 12 to get him. Seems like a pretty sweet deal to me.
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Arizona Cardinals: Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
Trade! The Cardinals grab the final first-round quarterback prospect not named Lamar Jackson by moving up a couple of spots. Arizona surrendered third- and fifth-rounders to trade up five spots in the 2018 NFL Draft. Here, all they have to surrender is their compensatory third-round choice.
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Green Bay Packers: Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State
The Packers were planning to trade up for Denzel Ward, had he fallen past the top five. Here, they can obtain the top cornerback in both classes at No. 14 overall, which seems like a huge steal.
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Washington Redskins: Vita Vea, NT, Washington
The Redskins preferred Vita Vea over Da'Ron Payne, but had both nose tackles rated very highly. Vea is naturally available at No. 15 overall in this combo mock draft, so he would be the likely choice.
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Baltimore Ravens: Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame
The Ravens decided to trade down once both of the first-round tackles were off the board. They liked Kolton Miller quite a bit, but Mike McGlinchey was their true love.
Go to 2017-2018 NFL Combo Mock Draft: Picks 17-32
Sorry for cutting this into two halves; I've received complaints about load times and putting the mock draft on two pages saves bandwidth.
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