The 2018 NFL Draft is less than two weeks away, and teams are honing in on their targeted draft picks.
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HERO Sports' Jim Oxley and Zach Prosba went back and forth mocking the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft — here's what they came up with, including a few trades that shake up the draft order:
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1. Cleveland Browns
Sam Darnold, QB — USC
Jim's Take: Sam Darnold remains the likely option for the Browns at No. 1. The former Trojan is one of two or three quarterbacks the Browns have to make a decision between.
COMPARE: Sam Darnold to any player
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2. Denver Broncos (From NY Giants)
Josh Rosen, QB — UCLA
Zach's Take: Rosen is a big gamble for a team that already has Case Keenum, but the future should be bright for the Broncos after picking who some believe to be the best fit for any offensive system in the league.
COMPARE: Josh Rosen to any player
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3. New York Jets
Baker Mayfield, QB — Oklahoma
Jim's Take: Analysts are connecting Mayfield to the Jets more and more, and it looks like a legitimate possibility that Baker could be headed to New York
COMPARE: Baker Mayfield to any player
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4. Cleveland Browns
Bradley Chubb, DE — NC State
Zach's Take: Chubb is the best defensive player in this class and should not be a shocker if the Browns decide to pair him with Myles Garrett instead of drafting Saquon Barkley.
OXLEY: Cleveland Browns Post-Trade 7-Round 2018 NFL Mock Draft
COMPARE: Bradley Chubb to any player
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5. New York Giants (From Denver)
Saquon Barkley, RB — Penn State
Jim's Take: The Giants traded down and picked up some extra capital. Now, they have a decision to make between Saquon Barkley and Quenton Nelson, two pieces who could play a role long term for a team that's going to be in transition mode soon.
COMPARE: Saquon Barkley to any player
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6. Indianapolis Colts
Quenton Nelson, G — Notre Dame
Zach's Take: The Colts would have ran to the podium if either Chubb or Barkley were still available, but Nelson is not just a consolation prize. The top lineman in the draft, Nelson should be an immediate decade-long star for Indy.
COMPARE: Quenton Nelson to any player
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7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Derwin James, S — Florida State
Jim's Take: The Buccaneers could trade down if the QB talk heats up even more, but they grab the talented and versatile Florida State defensive back at No. 7.
COMPARE: Derwin James to any player
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8. Buffalo Bills (From Chicago)
Josh Allen, QB — Wyoming
Zach's Take: Buffalo makes the biggest trade of the top 10, moving up four spots and surrendering their later first round pick to grab Allen, a QB who could thrive in the less-than-stellar conditions in Buffalo.
COMPARE: Josh Allen to any player
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9. San Francisco 49ers
Denzel Ward, CB — Ohio State
Jim's Take: San Francisco takes advantage of the early run on quarterbacks by landing a defensive back with a ton of upside.
COMPARE: Denzel Ward to any player
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10. Oakland Raiders
Roquan Smith, LB — Georgia
Zach's Take: There has been no more common combination in the entire draft process than Smith and Oakland. Though some medical flags have been rumored to pop up, he just seems to fit the Oakland defense so well.
COMPARE: Roquan Smith to any player
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11. Miami Dolphins
Vita Vea, DT — Washington
Jim's Take: Miami could be looking quarterback here, but they add the centerpiece to their defensive line for years to come.
COMPARE: Vita Vea to any player
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12. Chicago Bears (From Buffalo via Cincinnati)
Tremaine Edmunds, LB — Virginia Tech
Zach's Take: The Bears move back and still get the guy they probably would have picked at 8. Edmunds will captain a defense with some decent talent and give them a superstar for the first time since Brian Urlacher.
COMPARE: Tremaine Edmunds to any player
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13. Baltimore Ravens (From Washington)
Lamar Jackson, QB — Louisville
Jim's Take: Baltimore sees an opportunity and trades up for Lamar Jackson. They have to start thinking about the future at the position, and Joe Flacco could be out after the 2019 season.
COMPARE: Lamar Jackson to any player
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14. Green Bay Packers
Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB — Alabama
Zach's Take: For Fitzpatrick to last this long clearly means the quarterback run began early and the Packers received a gift from the football gods. He is better than every player on the GB defense and should be a perennial All-Pro soon.
COMPARE: Minkah FitzPatrick to any player
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15. Arizona Cardinals
Mason Rudolph, QB — Oklahoma State
Jim's Take: The Cardinals reach here, but they need to think about the future of the position. Sam Bradford hasn't played 16 games since 2012.
COMPARE: Mason Rudolph to any player
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16. Washington Redskins (From Baltimore)
Da’Ron Payne, DL — Alabama
Zach's Take: Washington beefed up the d-line last year with Jonathan Allen and go back to the Tide pool — pun intended — to select a dominant DT after moving back with the Ravens.
COMPARE: Da'Ron Payne to any player
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17. Los Angeles Chargers
Leighton Vander Esch, LB — Boise State
Jim's Take: The Chargers don't have a ton of glaring needs, but linebacker is a spot they could use a boost. Vander Esch is an intriguing prospect.
COMPARE: Leighton Vander Esch to any player
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18. Tennessee Titans (from Seattle)
Marcus Davenport, DE — UTSA
Zach's Take: Davenport is the best pass-rusher in the class from a OLB standpoint and Tennessee can't risk him lasting to 25. With Brian Orakpo aging, Davenport should be the future for Mike Vrabel as a pass-rush specialist.
COMPARE: Marcus Davenport to any player
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19. Dallas Cowboys
Calvin Ridley, WR — Alabama
Jim's Take: The Cowboys moved on from Dez Bryant and brought in Allen Hurns. Could they add another young receiver in the first round?
COMPARE: Calvin Ridley to any player
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20. Detroit Lions
Derrius Guice, RB — LSU
Zach's Take: Guice is seen as the top running back on some boards per reports floating around, but he lasts until the perfect spot for him. Lacking any star back, the Lions just found their starter for the next four-five years.
COMPARE: Derrius Guice to any player
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21. Cincinnati Bengals
Mike McGlinchey, OT — Notre Dame
Jim's Take: Cincinnati struggled at o-line last season, and needs to make some changes.
COMPARE: Mike McGlinchey to any player
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22. Chicago Bears (from Buffalo)
Isaiah Wynn, G — Georgia
Zach's Take: Wynn has been a name that hasn't gotten a lot of love, but is clearly the second-best guard in the class. After moving back to get Edmunds and missing on Nelson when he was picked sixth, this is turning into a home run round.
COMPARE: Isaiah Wynn to any player
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23. New England Patriots
Kolton Miller — OT, UCLA
Jim's Take: The Patriots added this pick in the Brandin Cooks trade, and they get an offensive lineman who can contribute for years to come.
COMPARE: Kolton Miller to any player
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24. Carolina Panthers
DJ Moore, WR — Maryland
Zach's Take: Carolina needs more outside weapons to help Cam Newton and Moore has been moving up boards in recent weeks. He could be the first Big Ten receiver drafted in the first round since 2007.
COMPARE: D.J. Moore to any player
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25. Seattle Seahawks (From Tennessee)
Josh Jackson — CB, Iowa
Jim's Take: Seattle traded back in true Seattle fashion, and adds a big, physical cornerback with the 25th pick.
COMPARE: Josh Jackson to any player
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26. Atlanta Falcons
Taven Bryan, DT — Florida
Zach's Take: Bryan is a big, beefy interior lineman who could pair with Grady Jarrett and help solve the run defense issues.
COMPARE: Taven Bryan to Any Player
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27. New Orleans Saints
Hayden Hurst, TE, South Carolina
Jim's Take: There's not much consensus on who the top tight end is in this draft, but Hayden Hurst has been trending upwards lately. He's a little older than other tight ends in the draft, but is game-ready now.
COMPARE: Hayden Hurst to any player
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28. Pittsburgh Steelers
Rashaan Evans, LB — Alabama
Zach's Take: With Leighton Vander Esch off the board, the Steelers settle for Evans. The Alabama star has yet to run an official 40 time though, and that could drop him out of the first round. But Pittsburgh did the same with Heath Miller back in 2005.
COMPARE: Rashaan Evans to any player
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29. Jacksonville Jaguars
Christian Kirk, WR — Texas A&M
Jim's Take: Jacksonville needs receiver help at both tight end and wideout. They grab a speedster with this pick.
COMPARE: Christian Kirk to any player
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30. Minnesota Vikings
James Daniels, G/C — Iowa
Zach's Take: Daniels is one of the most efficient technical lineman in the class thanks to his Iowa background. The Vikings lost Joe Berger to retirement and need to add depth in the middle.
COMPARE: James Daniels to any player
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31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (From New England)
Sony Michel, RB — Georgia
Jim's Take: Tampa Bay trades back into the first to grab an impact running back in the former Georgia standout.
COMPARE: Sony Michel to any player
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32. Philadelphia Eagles
Jaire Alexander, CB — Louisville
Zach's Take: If Michel were still alive this would be a prime spot for either the Eagles to pick him or trade back and get more picks. They decide instead to beef up the secondary with a corner who has been moving up since his impressive Combine performance.
COMPARE: Jaire Alexander to any player
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