Bozo-Brando’s 2018 Mock Draft

SportsBozos welcomes it’s newest and brightest star Brando– who provides his expertise on the 2018 NFL Draft!

 

1: Cleveland Browns: Sam Darnold, QB – USC
                Jackson has shown an affinity for USC QBs, previously telling the fans they need to “trust me on this one” after drafting Darnold’s predecessor at USC, and future hall of famer, Cody Kessler. Darnold has a body type that NFL teams dream of, 6’4 – 220 and in his two seasons under the helm he had good stats, but his team consistently underperformed in the win column. Browns fans will hope and pray that their coaching staff will turn that potential into stardom, but I don’t see much in the Browns history to support that hope.

2: New York Giants: Saquon Barkley, RB – Penn State

                Barkley may be the best talent in the draft and the G-Men will run to the podium to finally give Eli a weapon at RB. The Giants are thankful that the Browns are always on a never-ending search for a QB and get to take an every-down premier back to solidify their offense. A 3-year starter at Penn State, Barkley put up astonishing numbers that have teams eager to take him this high in the draft, despite the noticeable shift to a passing league.

3: New York Jets: Baker Mayfield, QB – Oklahoma

                The Jets commit to the Heisman winner and select their first QB since Mark Sanchez in 2009. They re-signed McCown for one year, and he’ll be #1 on the depth chart heading into training camp, but Mayfield will be a day 1 starter for Todd Bowles – a coach on the hot seat who needs a young QB to attach his name to. Mayfield went from a walk on at two different schools to a Heisman trophy winner and his last two seasons at Oklahoma are undeniably great. He finished his career with 131 TDs and 30 INTs. The Jets can’t possibly pass up on a Heisman winner with those stats unless they’re as dumb as the….Jets.

4: Cleveland Browns: Bradley Chubb, DE – NC State

                The Brownies go best player available here and pair their first round pick last year, Myles Garrett, with the best defensive player in the draft. Chubb and Garrett could be a pass rushing nightmare for years to come. 3-year starter at NC State with 54 tackles for loss and 25 sacks – Chubb is a beast and could’ve potentially been a number 1 overall pick if this weren’t such a QB heavy draft.

5: Buffalo Bills (Trade with Denver Broncos): Josh Allen, QB – Wyoming

                The Bills will need to be active in this draft as they are desperately looking for a QB to replace Tyrod Taylor and leapfrog “5-INTs-in-one-half” Nathan Peterman on the depth chart. The Broncos take advantage and receive a windfall of picks, while Buffalo drafts the prototypical QB out of Wyoming. Josh Allen’s rise has been inexplicable. Yes, he has the prototypical QB measurables that a team wants, 6’5, 233 pounds, but he put up average numbers at a school with lesser competition than the other QBs in this top tier. The Bills want the total opposite of what Tyrod Taylor is and Josh Allen fits that description.

6: Indianapolis Colts: Quenton Nelson, OG – Notre Dame

                I’m not sure if Andrew Luck is even going to play this year, but the Colts should be criminally prosecuted for the lack of protection they’ve given him. They draft the best O-Lineman in the draft to help keep their generational QB alive.

7: Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Derwin James, S – Florida State

                Tampa loves drafting in-state, with two of their last three first-rounders coming from the state of Florida. The Bucs desperately need defensive help; they finished dead last in the NFL in total yards and passing yards allowed. Derwin can immediately step in and fill a need – great value at 7.

8: Chicago Bears: Roquan Smith, ILB – Georgia

                The Bears pick up a day 1 starter to pair with Danny Trevathan at linebacker. Roquan is your classic instinctual linebacker who always seems to be around the ball. The only knock on him is he may be a little undersized compared to his peers at the next level, but the Bears get a great football player nonetheless.

9: San Francisco 49ers: Minkah Fitzpatrick, S – Alabama

The Niners lost safety Eric Reid in free agency and are able to replace him with one of Alabama’s stud defensive players. They finished 22^nd in the league in pass defense and are able to fill a need and potentially the best player available in one pick. 3-year starter with 9 INTs, 5 sacks, and 16.5 tackles for loss – Hall of fame safety and Niner’s GM John Lynch will see this talent and won’t let Minkah get past him.

10: Oakland Raiders: Denzel Ward, CB – Ohio State

                The Raiders finally parted ways with Sean Smith and need to add a cover corner to pair with their already strong pass rush. They finished 26^th in pass defense in 2017 and Gruden will help solidify his defense with the top overall cornerback in this draft.

11: Miami Dolphins: Tremaine Edmunds, ILB – Virginia Tech

                Dolphins fans will be itching to take a QB with Rosen and Jackson still on the board, but the Dolphins aren’t ready to move on from perennial-middle-of-the-pack QB Ryan Tannehill. 2^nd rounder Raekwon McMillan missed his entire rookie season and the Dolphins linebackers were a disaster last year. Enter Tremaine Edmunds – 6’5 linebacker who finished his career with 33 tackles for loss and 10 sacks – game changing plays the Dolphins have been missing for years.

12: Denver Broncos (Trade with Buffalo Bills): Josh Rosen, QB – UCLA

                John Elway lucks out and gets his quarterback, in addition to a boatload of picks, after trading down 7 spots with the Bills. Rosen had a standout season as rookie, but followed it up with two average years that were plagued with injuries. Elway has swung and missed frequently on his recent QB selections, but this is a fan-friendly pick that provides some hope for the position.

13: Washington Redskins: Vita Vea, DT – Washington

                The Redskins take a run-stuffing Samoan out of Washington to help a defense that is in dire need of a run-stuffing Samoan. The Skins finished dead last in rushing defense and Vita Vea is an absolute monster who can step in on day 1 and be an asset. He’s not going to shine on the stat sheet, but his 6’5, 340-pound frame with quickly plug up any running lanes for opposing teams.

14: Green Bay Packers: Joshua Jackson, CB – Iowa

                The fact that Mike McCarthy still has a job is one of the great mysteries of our generation. He has debatably the greatest QB of all time and hasn’t done much of anything with him, other than that Super Bowl that has kept him employed. Jackson really shined in his junior year – with 8 picks, two touchdown returns, and 18 pass deflections – he’s your prototypical ball hawk. Some concerns about being a potential one-year wonder, but his ability to good to pass up for a team that needs pass defense.

15: Arizona Cardinals: Lamar Jackson, QB – Louisville

                The Cardinals again give Larry Fitzgerald another new QB, but this may be the steal of the draft. They signed Sam Bradford in the offseason, giving Jackson an opportunity to learn from a vet and not get immediately thrown to the wolves. Jackson is a dynamic playmaker and if Deshaun Watson’s short-but-thrilling rookie season indicates anything, it’s that speedy, accurate QBs are still a nightmare for defensive coordinators.

16: Baltimore Ravens: Mike McGlinchey, OT – Notre Dame

                Many in Baltimore have grown weary of Joe Flacco, and they’d like if one of the upper-tier QBs fell to them, but no dice. They could reach for a Mason Rudolph here, but instead they go with the best player available who can potentially help their QB get some more time to make terrible passes. McGlinchey is paired with former teammate Ronnie Stanley and the Ravens solidify their offensive line.

17: Los Angeles Chargers: Da’Ron Payne, DT – Alabama

                The Chargers finished 31^st against the run in 2017 despite having pro-bowl caliber defensive lineman on the edge. They add Payne to stuff runs up the middle and allow Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram to continue to terrorize opposing QBs. Payne was a two-year starter at Alabama who looks to continue to tradition of Alabama DTs who make an impact in the NFL.

18: Seattle Seahawks: Will Hernandez, OG – UTEP

                The first small school selection in the 2018 draft is made via the Seattle Seahawks. Russell Wilson is a dynamic playmaker who can avoid pass rushers better than most, but it’s not the best strategy to have your QB scrambling as soon as he gets the snap. Hernandez is a 6’3, 330-pound mauler who can also pass protect. The Seahawks fill a need and hope to bounce back from a lackluster season.

19: Dallas Cowboys: Calvin Ridley, WR – Alabama

                After letting go of Dez Bryant, the Cowboys need to draft his replacement and give Dak Prescott some more help. Courtland Sutton would be a good pick here, since he’s got that prototypical, Dez Bryant-esque type size, but I think the Cowboys brass know that Dak isn’t a prolific thrower, so they provide him with a sure handed short-intermediate receiver in Ridley.

20: Detroit Lions: Marcus Davenport, DE – UTSA

                The second small school player is off the board. The Lions could be finding a diamond in the rough in Marcus Davenport. At 6’7, 255 pounds, Davenport is a physical specimen with stats to match. You have to take his 21.5 sacks and 37.5 tackles for loss with a grain of salt due to the level of his competition at UTSA, but his measurable are hard to overlook. Pairing him with Ezekiel Ansah could give Detroit the pass rush they’ve been looking for since the days of Kyle Vanden Bosch and Ndamukong Suh.

21: Cincinnati Bengals: James Daniels, C – Iowa

                The Bengals go with a boring pick that will likely draw them boos, but it’s a need for a team that allowed Dalton to be sacked 40 times last year. Bengals fans may be on the same boat as Ravens fans – tired of giving an average QB the opportunity to waste AJ Green’s career, but for now they’ll ride the Red Rocket and Daniels will give him some more time to make the wrong decision.

22: Buffalo Bills: Courtland Sutton, WR – SMU

                The Bills pair their top pick, Josh Allen, with an explosive, playmaking received from SMU. With 31 TDs and averaging over 1,000 yards a season for the past 3 years, Sutton has both the stats and the body type – 6’3, 4.5 40-yard dash – to be paired with a big arm like Allen’s.

23: New England Patriots: Kolton Miller, OT – UCLA

                The Patriots seem to finally be in some sort of disarray and they’ll look to get back on track with a pick that satisfies both Brady and Belichick. Miller is a monster at 6’8 and 310 pound. The Pats need him to replace Nate Solder and protect 40 year-old Brady for another 5-10 years, or maybe forever if he wants to.

24: Carolina Panthers: Jaire Alexander, CB – Louisville

                The Panthers finished in the middle of the pack as far as pass defense goes, but they’re still looking for a replacement for Josh Norman. They’d love to finally give Cam Newton a weapon at wide receiver, but they’ll have to wait. Jaire was a 3-year starter at Louisville, but an injury-shortened junior season lets the Panthers get value at pick 24 with a plug and play starter at CB.

25: Tennessee Titans: Harold Landry, OLB – Boston College

                Landry was a 3-year starter at Boston College and was as productive as they come. With 48 tackles for loss and 25 sacks, the Titans can’t believe they were able to get their guy without trading up. New Titans coach and former LB, Mike Vrabel, will jump at the opportunity to draft a LB to help a defense than can use as many play-making starters as they can get.

26: Atlanta Falcons: Taven Bryan, DT – Florida

                Bryan has the size, 6’5, 293 pounds, that NFL teams love and the Falcons are searching for someone to pair with Dontari Poe and shore up that defensive line. Bryan isn’t stat stuffer, but he’s a big body that’s tough to move. With Adrian Clayborn having a comeback season for the Falcons, the addition of Bryan may bring them back to having a dominant line for years to come.

27: New Orleans Saints: Dallas Goedert, TE – South Dakota State

                The Saints flirted with a Jimmy Graham reunion, but the Packers and Aaron Rodgers swooped in at the end. It feels like it’s been decades since the Saints have had a defense they can trust, but with that side of the ball seemingly in good hand, the saints give Brees, 39, another weapon to go along with Michael Thomas and their strong running game. Goedert is the undisputed top tight end in a weak tight end draft, but he’s a sure handed check down option for Brees.

28: Pittsburgh Steelers: Rashaan Evans, OLB – Alabama

                Mike Tomlin loves his linebackers and Rashaan Evans fits the Steelers LB mold perfectly. He was a staple on the Alabama defense, racking up 23.5 tackles for loss and 15 sacks in his 4-year college career. At 6’3, 220 pounds, he has the size to play with the big boys at the next level. TJ Watt had a solid rookie year for the Steelers, so they’ll look to add another young LB to their core.

29: Jacksonville Jaguars: DJ Moore, WR – Maryland

                The Jaguars inexplicably committed to Blake Bortles despite winning completely and totally in spite of him. The Jags lost Allen Robinson in free agency and need to give Bortles every weapon possible to make him somewhat decent. Their defense is absolutely stacked, so any addition to the offense is the play at this spot. Moore had a 1000-yard final season and 17 TDs in his career – but his 4.42 speed is what will have NFL teams excited.

30: Minnesota Vikings: Isaiah Wynn, OG – Georgia

                The Vikings have a stacked defense and weapons all around on offense. After signing a new franchise QB with a fully guaranteed contract and Dalvin Cook coming off ACL surgery, the Vikings need to protect their assets with a top-tier guard.

31: Cleveland Browns (Trade with New England): Derrius Guice, RB – LSU

                Cleveland jumps back into the first round to take the second best running back in the draft. They passed on Barkley to take their QB of the future and now look to add a skilled RB to help Darnold along. Guice had over 3,000 yards in his college career to go along with 32 touchdowns. Cleveland has revamped their offense this offseason and Guice will only add to it.

32: Philadelphia Eagles: Isaiah Oliver, CB – Colorado

                The Champions go with an underrated corner out of the Pac-12. He had 12 pass deflections in his final season, but his lack of INTs is a bit of a concern. Oliver has good size at 6’1, 195 pounds and can learn from the Eagles top corners – Jalen Mills and Ronald Darby. Potentially a trade spot for a team in the 2^nd round to jump in and pick their guy.