Mike Fanelli and Givanni Damico | November 9th, 2018
The 2018 NFL regular season is just barely halfway over, yet it is never too early for an NFL mock draft. Plenty will change between now and the draft in April and by no means can Gio or myself see into the future. Both of us made 16 selections each and please remember we hate your team.
1) Raiders- Nick Bosa, EDGE, Ohio State
According to Jon Gruden, it’s hard to find a “good pass rusher” in the NFL (I guess Khalil Mack, Bruce Irvin, and even Mario Edwards don’t qualify). Bosa is the pass rusher that Gruden is looking for. – Gio
2) Giants- Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon
The early belief is that Herbert plans to return to Oregon for his season year, in large part to play with his younger brother; a four-star recruit tight end. However, in this mock draft, he declares for the draft and is a top two pick. Clearly, Eli Manning has been finished for years now and the Giants must find their new franchise quarterback. – Mike
3) 49ers- Ed Oliver, DL, Houston
The day after the 2018 NFL draft, Oliver announced he would enter the 2019 draft (shocker I know). If not for the Giants’ huge need at quarterback, Oliver would be a top two pick in this mock draft. However, falling to third isn’t bad. Pairing Oliver next to DeForest Buckner and Solomon Thomas would give the 49ers an excellent young trio along their defensive line that will scare the hell out of NFC West quarterbacks. – Mike
4) Bills- Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama
The Bills are in a tough spot if they are picking early. Their biggest need is a wide receiver so I fully expect them to trade down if possible, but if they don’t, Williams will be a future All-Pro at offensive tackle for them. – Gio
5) Cardinals- Greg Little, OT, Ole Miss
During the first eight games of the season the Cardinals have given up 22 sacks and surprisingly it’s not more, given how bad the offensive line has played. This pick might be a little too high for Little but with Jonah Williams getting sniped the pick beforehand, it was needed. The Cardinals must do everything possible to help Josh Rosen succeed and that starts with keeping him standing upright. – Mike
6) Browns- Greedy Williams, CB, LSU
Like the situation with the Bills, the Browns have a need where they might need to reach down the board with this pick. They need help on the offensive line but I don’t see them reaching for one. Imagine Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams in the same defensive backfield; that would be scary good. The Browns clearly need to upgrade the number two cornerback spot. – Gio
7) Jets- Clelin Ferrell, EDGE, Clemson
Currently, Jordan Jenkins is leading the Jets with 4.5 sacks, tied for 31st in the league. The defense has several good young players on it, led by safety Jamal Adams. However, they lack an elite pass rusher. Ferrell is viewed by some as the clear number two EDGE player in this draft class behind Nick Bosa. If the Jets can add him to a talented defense, this unit might be one of the best in 2019. – Mike
8) Broncos- DeAndre Baker, CB, Georgia
I’ve become a big fan of Baker. The Broncos secondary isn’t what it used to be and Chris Harris is getting old so this would be a great young addition for a rebuilding defense. – Gio
9) Lions- Bryon Murphy, CB, Washington
2017 second round pick, cornerback Jalen “Teez” Tabor has been a major disappointment, to say the least. In fact, he is the only cornerback in the entire league allowing a perfect passer rating in coverage this season. While the Lions secondary is solid in the other three starting secondary spots, the cornerback spot opposite of Darius Slay is in major need of upgrading. When you face Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins and now Mitch Trubisky six times a year, you need reliable corners. – Mike
Teez Tabor is the only CB in the #NFL to allow a perfect passer rating (158.3) in his coverage this season #Lions
— LionsFanReport (@lionsfanreport) November 1, 2018
10) Colts- Kelvin Harmon, WR, N.C. State
Chester Rogers, Ryan Grant, Zach Pascal, and Dontrelle Inman are the wide receivers on the Colts’ roster not named T.Y. Hilton. No offense to those guys but Andrew Luck clearly deserves better. This pick might be too soon for Harmon, but after his 11 catch, 247 yards and two touchdown game against Syracuse two weeks ago, he is clearly rising up draft boards. The Colts lack a big receiver in this offense, and Harmon at 6’3” 215 lbs, is exactly what Luck needs. – Mike
11) Raiders (from Cowboys)- Devin White, LB, LSU
White shouldn’t really be on the board at this point, but if he is, there is no way the Raiders could “Gruden” this up. Bosa and White? Slam dunk draft class already! – Gio
12) Jaguars- Yodney Cajuste, OT, WVU
Cajuste is a monster. The Jaguars need a guy like him with his pass blocking ability to protect Blake Bortles or whoever is playing quarterback next year. The Jaguars should not draft a quarterback in the first round. – Gio
13) Buccaneers- Deionte Thompson, SAF, Alabama
Thompson is a great athlete at free safety which the Buccaneers are in a huge need of. I’m sure when Buccaneer fans heard that Chris Conte was returning, they immediately looked ahead at the draft to see who would replace him. That guy should be Thompson. – Gio
14) Packers- Josh Allen, EDGE, Kentucky
Starting outside linebackers, Clay Matthews and Nick Perry have been a disappointment. The duo has just four sacks combined and neither has played well this season. Matthews will turn 33 years old in May, is a free agent after the season, and likely won’t be offered a new contract from the Packers. Meanwhile, the Packers are stuck with Perry’s contract for at least the 2019 season but need to bring in at least competition, if not his replacement. Allen might be a polarizing pick, but he is leading all of college football with five forced fumbles this season. – Mike
15) Ravens- N’Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State
Harry is a PERFECT fit for the Ravens. They have speedy wide receivers like John Brown (who may or may not resign) and veterans like Michael Crabtree, who is 31 years old. They need a young guy who is a big target for Lamar Jackson, not Joe Flacco, to throw to next season. – Gio
16) Eagles- Julian Love, CB, Notre Dame
Jalen Mills needs to go. Do I need any more analysis? Love is the best cornerback on the board. – Gio
17) Seahawks- Noah Fant, TE, Iowa
The short-lived Will Dissly stint was nice, but the Seahawks still need to find Jimmy Graham‘s replacement. The duo of Nick Vannett and Ed Dickson isn’t the answer and Russell Wilson clearly needs a more dependable playmaker at tight end. Fant is viewed as the consensus TE1 this year and his athletic ability is exactly what the Seahawks need at tight end. – Mike
18) Titans- Quinnen Williams, DL, Alabama
How Williams fell this far is mind-boggling, but the Titans won’t complain. A defense that already has a good front seven adds one of the most dominant, if not the most dominant player, in all of college football. Pairing Williams with Jurrell Casey and those boys up front will make life hell for the offensive lineman in the AFC South. – Mike
19) Falcons- Michael Deiter, OL, Wisconsin
Despite their 4-4 record, this Falcons team doesn’t have any real holes on paper. However, they have been killed by the injury bug this season. Both starting guards are on injured reserve and their seasons are over. Furthermore, both are over the age of 30 and Andy Levitre is a free agent in March. The Falcons’ offensive line has been good for the last few seasons and adding Deiter will ensure that stays the same into the future. – Mike
20) Dolphins- Dre’Mont Jones, DL, Ohio State
The Dolphins defensive line is aging at a defensive end spot and are they are lackluster in the middle. Jones is a very athletic defensive tackle who could potentially bump over to defensive end, but I love him inside. I could see him outplaying many offensive linemen and being an absolute monster. – Gio
21) Vikings- David Edwards, OT, Wisconsin
The Vikings’ offensive line has been a mess this season and Kirk Cousins has taken a beating. The Vikings are tied for 10th in the league with 24 sacks given up and tied for sixth in quarterback hits. Last year, the Vikings spent a second-round pick on Brian O’Neill but he has struggled so far and Riley Reiff has been inconsistent. If the Vikings can’t protect Cousins, giving him the first fully guaranteed contract was a waste. – Mike
22) Raiders (from Bears)- Marquise Brown, WR, Oklahoma
“Hollywood” Brown is a big play wide receiver. He kind of reminds me of Amari Cooper, mixed with Antonio Brown (just a little bit). Some people say he is overhyped but I believe in the hype. This draft is about the Raiders getting back the pieces they lost (for the most part), which seems counterproductive if you ask me, but they’re getting younger. – Gio
23) Redskins- J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, WR, Stanford
To quote my colleague Mike, “Give me a receiver with some size, please”. Arcega-Whiteside is that guy. The Redskins are having another season with an underachieving offense and poor wide receiver play. To make things worst, they have recently been bitten by the injury bug. Arcega-Whiteside the perfect spark plug for a Redskins’ offense that lacks it. – Gio
24) Bengals- Mack Wilson, LB, Alabama
Given how much trouble Vontaze Burfict has been in, the Bengals may want to consider moving on from him in the offseason. The team can release him and save about $6.8 million dollars against the cap. Furthermore, starting inside linebacker Preston Brown is a free agent after the season. The Bengals need to find a replacement for two of their starting linebackers and Wilson would be a perfect addition to a talented defense. – Mike
25) Texans- Dalton Risner, OT, Kansas State
It is very clear that the Texans biggest need is at offensive tackle, not the secondary. Risner is a very underrated Big12 offensive tackle prospect in large part because he plays for Kansas State, who don’t get much national media attention. I’d love to see him go in the first round and I believe he should. – Gio
26) Steelers- Khalil Hodge, LB, Buffalo
Hodge plays for a very good and overlooked Buffalo team. The Steelers need one more linebacker to solidify their young group and Hodge is a player that I enjoy watching. I haven’t fully scouted him yet so I don’t have a full analysis but from what I see, he’s a definite first-round talent. – Gio
27) Panthers- Montez Sweat, EDGE, Mississippi State
If Sweat is still on the board at this point, the Panthers would be utterly stupid to not take him. Their best defensive ends are both over the age of 30 and it’s time to get younger. If Sweat isn’t around at this pick, the Panthers should also consider Zach Allen from Boston College and Oshane Ximines from Old Dominion, as both are also first-round talents. – Gio
28) Chargers- Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State
Is there a more underrated team than the Chargers? Their only two losses this season are to the Rams and Chiefs. This team doesn’t have any clear holes on paper aside from maybe right tackle. However, Philip Rivers will turn 37 years old in December and won’t be around forever. Haskins is more than likely to return to Ohio State next year but if he declares, he needs to go to a team that will let him sit behind a proven veteran for a year or two. – Mike
29) Patriots- Kris Boyd, CB, Texas
As well as Jason McCourty has played at times this year, he will turn 32 years old before next season and is a pending free agent. The Patriots need to upgrade the number two cornerback spot opposite of Stephon Gilmore, while last year’s second-round pick Duke Dawson is better served as the nickel back. Boyd has played really well this season and would be an ideal number two cornerback. – Mike
30) Packers (from Saints)- David Montgomery, RB, Iowa State
Despite all the Aaron Jones love by Packer and fantasy fans, he isn’t the three-down back Aaron Rodgers deserves and need. Now, Montgomery isn’t what the crazy graphic on ESPN says he is, but currently he is the only running back with a shot at landing in the first round. After focusing on defense with their earlier pick, the Packers give Rodgers a new weapon. – Mike
https://twitter.com/swcroundup/status/1056256785177137152
31) Rams- Jerry Tillery, DL, Notre Dame
More than likely, Ndamukong Suh won’t return for the 2019 season unless he takes a massive pay cut from his $14 million dollar salary this season. If Suh leaves, the Rams will need to add a new starter to pair with Michael Brockers and Aaron Ronald. Surprisingly Tillery fell this far in our mock draft and the Rams would run the card up to the podium if this happens in April. – Mike
32) Chiefs- Jachai Polite, EDGE, Florida
Polite should go well before this point, but if he is still available he would be the perfect complement to Chris Jones. Polite is one of my favorite players in this draft class. – Gio
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