Updated mock drafts

[Adipost]

Some updated mock drafts...

CBS

1. Cleveland Browns
Sam Darnold, QB, USC. All the speculation surrounding the Browns not picking Darnold at No. 1 overall is just noise.
2. New York Giants
Bradley Chubb, DE, NC State. Barkley will be considered here, but GM Dave Gettleman has a serious history investing in the defensive line with early selections.
3. New York Jets (from Indianapolis)
Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming. There's a good chance the Jets view Josh Allen as the quarterback they thought they were picking when they grabbed Christian Hackenberg in the second round of the 2016 draft.

4. Buffalo Bills (via mock trade)
Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA. The Bills get the most natural passer in the draft who can consistently win from the pocket. They move pick No. 12 overall, No. 22 overall and No. 96 overall for this selection and get Cleveland's lone fourth-rounder, No. 114.
5. Denver Broncos
Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma. Let the Case Keenum and Mayfield quarterback battle begin. With this selection, John Elway buys himself some time and gets two similar signal-callers in his quarterback room.
6. Indianapolis Colts
Marcus Davenport, DE, UTSA. With Chubb gone, Indy wouldn't mind moving back, but the top four quarterbacks are gone too. Instead, to bolster their weak pass-rush, the Colts take Davenport, a high-upside edge-rusher with tremendous athletic talent.
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State. Barkley to the Bucs? Sure, why not? Tampa Bay's backfield currently consists of -- no disrespect here -- Jacquizz Rodgers, Peyton Barber, and Dalton Crossan.

8. Chicago Bears
Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame. Prospect-position coach connection here. Nelson's offensive line coach at Notre Dame, Harry Hiestand, was hired to the same job with the Bears this offseason.
9. San Francisco 49ers
Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU. GM John Lynch continues to build around Jimmy G with a huge, athletic, power forward wideout in Sutton.
10. Oakland Raiders
Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia. Smith is a throwback player, which is exactly the type the new regime in Oakland -- namely Jon Gruden -- seems to like, and he'd fill a major need.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/2018-nfl-mock-draft-bills-trade-up-for-josh-rosen-saquon-barkley-falls-to-buccaneers/

Charley Casserly

PICK 1 Sam Darnold - QB, USC
Darnold is the best quarterback in this year's draft, and he fills the biggest need for Cleveland.

PICK 2 Saquon Barkley - RB, Penn State
The Giants believe Eli Manning can still play well. They give him a chance to do that with the signing of LT Nate Solder and selection of Barkley.

PICK 3 Josh Rosen - QB, UCLA
Rosen will be the most scrutinized pick from this draft for years to come. He's the most pro-ready QB in this class.

PICK 4 Bradley Chubb - DE, N.C. State
The Browns bypass bigger needs (LT, WR) to land a bookend to Myles Garrett up front on defense.

PICK 5 Josh Allen - QB, Wyoming
PROJECTED TRADE WITH BRONCOS. The Bills move up the board again and they find their QB. Allen is built to throw in the bad weather he'll encounter in Buffalo.

PICK 6 Quenton Nelson - OG, Notre Dame
Nelson is the best offensive lineman to enter the draft since 2000.

PICK 7 Minkah Fitzpatrick - DB, Alabama
Fitzpatrick's versatility will allow him to play cornerback or safety in the back end for the Bucs.

PICK 8 Denzel Ward - CB, Ohio State
This pick gives the Bears two talented young cornerbacks with Ward joining Kyle Fuller in the secondary.

PICK 9 Marcus Davenport - DE, UTSA
The Niners are in desperate need of a pass rusher and Davenport helps them get after the quarterback. ... Chicago and San Francisco could be looking at the same players at this juncture in the draft.

PICK 10 Tremaine Edmunds - LB, Virginia Tech
The Raiders bolster their defense by adding the best linebacker in the draft

www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000924464/article/charley-casserly-mock-draft-20-bills-trade-up-for-josh-allen

[Adipost]

Sun times

1. Browns: Sam Darnold, USC QB

The Browns are going to get their franchise quarterback with the first pick. Who will it be? Darnold is the pick here, despite a stellar workout showing from strong-armed Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen. Perhaps the unproven, but enticing Allen would have been the pick of previous Browns regimes, but we think John Dorsey will take the safest pick here. Darnold’s done nothing to justify falling in the draft.

2. Giants: Josh Allen, Wyoming QB

The Giants will be tempted to take Penn State running back Saquon Barkley or perhaps even Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson here, but they’ll settle on a quarterback who they can develop for the next year or two behind Eli Manning. Allen is the least plug-and-play of the four top passers, but Big Blue doesn’t need him to be a star right anyway. The Jets, by contrast, would.

3. Jets (via Colts): Josh Rosen, UCLA QB

On NFL Network, Rosen’s former UCLA coach, Jim Mora, actually lobbied for his former pupil to not be picked No. 1 overall. He thinks Darnold should go No. 1 because he has a “blue-collar, gritty attitude” that “kinda represents what Cleveland is.” He said Rosen would be happy on one of the New York teams. Was Mora taking a dig at Rosen — or merely trying to will him to a better situation than the moribund Browns?

4. Browns (via Texans): Saquon Barkley, Penn State RB

Barkley is probably the best player in the draft. He and Darnold could make the Browns relevant for the next decade. Unless the Browns are overwhelmed by a trade, there’s no way they pass on taking the Penn State star.

5. Broncos: Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma QB

The Broncos could look to trade the pick to a desperate team — what’s the area code for Buffalo, N.Y.? — but settle here for the last of the four top quarterbacks. Case Keenum is only on a two-year deal, so Mayfield, who is almost two years older than Darnold, won’t be sitting for too long. Let him learn the offense this year and compete for the starting gig in the 2019 training camp.

Picks 6-10: Already Set Under Center

When four quarterbacks go in the top five picks, no teams will be happier than the three drafting next. Three of the top five non-passers will go here — a great value for teams that already have their quarterback of the future:

6. Colts (via Jets): Bradley Chubb, N.C. State edge rusher

Chubb to the Colts is probably the most natural fit in the draft. Chubb can play defensive end for a franchise that finished second-to-last in the league in sacks last year.

7. Buccaneers: Denzel Ward, Ohio State CB

The Bucs gave up the most passing yards in the NFL last year, and could team him with Vernon Hargreaves with hopes the duo spends the next five years growing into one of the league’s top tandems.

8. Bears: Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame G

There might be no wrong answer if general manager Ryan Pace is left to choose from among Nelson, Virginia Tech edge rusher Tremaine Edmunds and Alabama safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. The first two fill areas of glaring need, while the team could deploy Fitzpatrick in a hybrid role where he could coexist alongside Adrian Amos, Eddie Jackson and their two returning cornerbacks. The Bears know all they need to know about Nelson — they hired his mentor, Harry Hiestand. That familiarity — and the opportunity to protect Mitch Trubisky until the day he retires — pushes Nelson to the front of the line.

9. 49ers: Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech LB

Edmunds could play all three linebacker spots for the 49ers, or even their “Leo” weakside defensive end position. They’ll be tempted to team Fitzpatrick with Richard Sherman, but will be more intrigued by the 20-year-old physical specimen.

10. Raiders: Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama S

New head coach Jon Gruden hired Alabama defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley to teach the same position inside the Black Hole. Much like Nelson and Hiestand, he has the best idea of anyone in the country about just how special Fitzpatrick can be. If the safety — with cornerback ball skills — is still around, this one’s easy.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/nfl-mock-draft-6-0-bears-quenton-nelson/

[wab]

I like Ward, but that CB room is awfully crowded as it is. Nelson makes the most sense if he's there.

[thunderspirit]

I like Ward, but that CB room is awfully crowded as it is. Nelson makes the most sense if he's there.

Fuller and Amukamara aren't going anywhere for two years based on the contracts they signed. Neither is like the Glennon contract last year, where the Bears could be free and clear after a single season.

I suppose you could replace Marcus Cooper with Ward (or Josh Jackson, for that matter, who the Bears have reportedly brought in for a pre-draft visit). i mean, that wouldn't be a non-Pace thing to do.

Right now it certainly looks like the starting secondary is in place, though. How much is a non-starter at #8 worth? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Adipost]

The Giants did it with Eli Apple, but DRC was a bit older than Amukamara.

[G08]

The Giants did it with Eli Apple, but DRC was a bit older than Amukamara.

I think that's because Ryan Pace ass-fucked them when he traded one spot ahead of them and took Leonard Floyd.

[Rusty Trombagent]

I think though, if one of those top secondary guys is Pace's guy he takes him without hesitation. Everything Pace does is longterm, I dont think he looks at our present situation and passes on a guy.

[wab]

I think though, if one of those top secondary guys is Pace's guy he takes him without hesitation. Everything Pace does is longterm, I dont think he looks at our present situation and passes on a guy.

Yeah, I mean he did take Floyd after extending Young. And while McPhee and Houston were already on the roster.

Corner isn't like LB though, you don't really rotate them.

[G08]

Technically we have a hole at nickel, and I really do think Minkah Fitzpatrick would be a stud there. I think Ward would be damned good in there as well.

BUT... I'm a big proponent on addressing pass rush before corner.

[DaSuperfan]

The only DB at 8 that would be worthy of that selection to take ahead of a pass rusher would be Minkah Fitpatrick IMO. For me right now, it's:

Chubb
Nelson
Fitzpatrick
Barkley
<Trade Down>

[crueltyabc]

I think Ward would be a good CB3 but I also like Callahan and LeBlanc and whoever is Vic's fav could be had for cheap. Both are young.

I still think Edmunds (who is available in that mock where Nelson is gone) would be a great ILB right away, and I'd risk crowding Kwiakowski out if it meant that we had two excellent starters at the position. He might also become an EDGE rusher in camp? Or sub packages? I would also entertain a trade so we could draft edge late in the 1st, WR early in the 2nd, and OL with our new pick(s).