With less than a month to go until teams are officially on the clock, here's my second mock of the 2018 NFL Draft. There's one trade -- the Bills move up to No. 6 to land their QB.
Darnold's rain-soaked pro-day workout will go down in the history of pre-draft moments the media ate up. Guess what? Teams loved it, too. Darnold's the leader in the clubhouse for the first overall pick. Team owners don't typically attend pro days. Jimmy Haslam made sure to be at this one.
Lost in the hype around Darnold's workout was the show Allen put on at Wyoming's pro day last week. Scouts drool over his arm. Giants fans might want Saquon Barkley here, but with Eli Manning turning 38 in January, drafting his successor when you're the owners of the No. 2 pick seems like a wise move.
The Jets didn't trade up to No. 3 to draft a pass rusher. They swung big for Kirk Cousins in free agency and didn't land him. Rosen makes all the throws. The last time the Jets picked a QB the top five, he took them to two AFC Championship Games in his first two years. Rosen won't even have to start Week 1 in 2018 with veteran QBs in place.
Viewed as the "cleanest" prospect in this draft by many league executives, the Browns scoop up the do-everything running back with their second pick. Sam Darnoldand Barkley? I'd like that haul for Cleveland. Browns fans would, too.
Widely viewed as the top defensive player in this draft, Chubb and Von Miller could be a nasty duo to deal with for the next several seasons out in Denver. Purely a "best player available" deal for John Elway here.
PROJECTED TRADE WITH COLTS. What would it take for the Bills to move into this spot? I think picks 12 and 22 for the sixth overall choice would be a fair swap. Buffalo gets a QB, Indianapolis gets yet another pick in the first two rounds, and both teams can build, build, build.
Seen as the best offensive lineman in this draft and potentially the top offensive guard to enter the league since Zack Martin, Nelson would add even more toughness to a Buccaneers offensive line that's already added Ryan Jensen this off-season.
Chicago continues its outstanding off-season with another young piece for the defense. Ward was a stud in a defensive backfield that included 2017 first-round picks Malik Hooker, Marshon Lattimore, and Gareon Conley. He's a top-10 pick, and going to Chicago at No. 8 seems right.
He's 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, and had arguably the best NFL Scouting Combine performance of any defensive back in this draft. The 49ers love the Richard Sherman and Ahkello Witherspoon combination at corner. Safeties Jimmie Ward and Jaquiski Tartt are entering the final year of their contracts. John Lynch -- one of the greatest safeties to ever play the game -- could pick one here.
Total playmaker against the run and pass. He was often the best player -- lack of size, be damned -- on the field in SEC games loaded with talent. The Raiders need defensive talent, and they need it in all areas.
Fitzpatrick can play any position in the secondary. He can hit, and he's a ballhawk. More than a few evaluators have compared him to Tyrann Mathieu. He'll be a steal at No. 11, like Marshon Lattimore was a year ago. Good pickup for a Dolphins defense that has some holes to fill in the back end.
PROJECTED TRADE WITH BILLS. Landry battled injury and had a down year in 2017, but would he not be a dazzling fit in Matt Eberflus' scheme? Landry set the BC single-season sack record with 16.5 in 2016 and is rapidly rising up draft boards.
The Redskins can go a variety of ways here, but I love the idea of Edmunds joining an already fierce pass rush in Washington. Defense will be a high priority for the Redskins throughout draft weekend, and Edmunds is an uber-athlete who can do it all from either the DE or LB spot. He's 19 years old, which would make him the youngest player in the NFL.
Hughes can flat-out ball. He spent only one season at UCF, and he has some questions to answer about his UNC days. However, he would be a nice fit in what could be a young and talented Green Bay secondary.
Vea's viewed as the draft's most dominant interior defensive lineman, a true man-child who can both stuff the run and rush the quarterback. At 6-foot-4, 347 pounds, he'd be an awfully nice piece to add to Steve Wilks' defensive front seven.
If this is in fact Ozzie Newsome's last year running the Ravens' draft, the best Alabama receiver since Amari Cooper is a strong bet to come off the board at No. 16. I know the Ravens added Michael Crabtree. I don't think they're done with improving the strength of the position.
Sitting at No. 17, the Chargers can be patient with their selection and go with the best available player. Many see Jackson -- a tough, smart player who excelled in the Big Ten -- as a top-15 prospect. Good fit in Los Angeles, where Gus Bradley will get the most out of him.
There's not a long history of NFL talent coming from UTSA, but Davenport is a first-round guy. Mike Mayock compared his Senior Bowl rise to that of DeMarcus Ware. The Seahawks are undergoing a bit of a face-lift this off-season. This could be a steal at No. 18.
The Cowboys could use a few more young, big bodies on that defensive line, and Payne is one of the best in this year's college crop. Great against the run; will improve as a pass rusher.
Coming off Notre Dame's pro day last week, I had more people texting me about McGlinchey than his former teammate/all-world guard Quenton Nelson. Love this fit for Detroit, a team that shuffled its offensive line a bunch due to injuries in 2017.
Versatile offensive lineman who started 15 games for a Georgia Bulldogs team that played for a national title. Sound blocker who played tackle and guard in college, and could do so at the next level from Day 1.
PROJECTED TRADE WITH BILLS. Guice started just six games in 2016, filling in for an injured Leonard Fournette, and still led the SEC in rushing yards with 1,387. An incredible athlete, Guice could be the perfect addition to the Indy offense.
A Kirk Ferentz-coached center who can also play guard, Daniels is the smart, versatile lineman Sean McVay covets. Offense, offense, offense in this draft for the Rams.
Another big interior offensive lineman comes off the board. Hernandez had an outstanding Combine and has an incredible back story. He also was dominant last season in the trenches. With guard Andrew Norwell leaving in free agency, this pick could make sense.
Would 25th be too early for Hubbard, a guy I haven't seen projected to go in Round 1 in many mock drafts? Not if you look at the Titans' needs and the pedigree of new head coach Mike Vrabel. An Ohio State linebacker could make a whole lot of sense.
Dontari Poe and Adrian Clayborn are gone, and Ahtyba Rubin remains unsigned. Hurst is an elite interior pass rusher who has the smarts to get on the field for the Falcons right away.
I still love this fit. Jackson could serve as one of Drew Brees' understudies, learn the position from one of the best, be groomed by one of the greatest offensive minds in the game in Sean Payton, and potentially still contribute as he develops.
I would not be shocked if the Steelers continued to add talent on the defensive side of the ball on the first two days of the draft. Evans is a freak athlete who had 13 tackles for loss in 2017.
Vander Esch was the Mountain West Conference's Defensive Player of the Year, and in the nationally televised Las Vegas Bowl, he recorded 12 tackles (3 for loss; one sack) and a forced fumble. The Vikings might have the best front seven in football, but with contracts for three key players ( Danielle Hunter, Anthony Barr, Eric Kendricks) due to expire after the 2018 season, adding some depth at the linebacker position wouldn't be the worst move at 30th overall.
Pass rusher or O-line seems to be the safe bet here with the Patriots, but who knows? If they like a quarterback in this draft, they could be in play for that, too.
The world champs add a talented cornerback to an already strong defensive backfield.