New 2018 NFL Mock Draft focuses on trades in top 20

Mocking the Draft’s Dan Kadar has his Monday mock up. This week, he’s focusing on some potential trades at the top of the first round. A summary of the moves:

• The New York Jets move from #6 to #3 swapping with the Indianapolis Colts to make sure they get a new franchise QB.
• The Cleveland Browns move down from #4 to #7 after having already nabbed their new QB allowing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to get aggressive.
• The Buffalo Bills pair #21 and #22 to take over at #14 from the Green Bay Packers for their QB.
• At #18, the Seattle Seahawks add some draft capital with the Atlanta Falcons moving up. As Kadar notes, the Seahawks only have this one pick in this first three rounds.
• The Jacksonville Jaguars opt to push back to the second round from #29.

Four of those five picks take place ahead of the Los Angeles Rams’ selection at #23.

Gonna be a dramatic night in Big D...

Storylines.

The top...7?

This one’s a bit conventional with the picks, though that trade at #3 is what this group really hinges on. USC QB Sam Darnold, UCLA QB Josh Rosen and Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield make up the opening trio followed by North Carolina St. DE Bradley Chubb, Notre Dame G Quenton Nelson , Penn St. RB Saquon Barkley and Alabama DB Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Despite the trades, this feels very safe...which means there’s no way it’s happening.

The QBs

Darnold, Rosen and Mayfield are all off before the Browns are even back on the clock again, though Kadar has them bowing out because of that early run. Sensible on all fronts, really. With the Arizona Cardinals likely to seek a QB at #15 (though they’d obviously be a prime candidate to move up depending on how things shake out), that motivates the Bills to jump them. So we’ve got a pair of QBs at 14-15 in Wyoming QB Josh Allen and Louisville QB Lamar Jackson.

Cornering the cornerbacks

Kadar doesn’t have a cornerback coming off until the Packers at #21 after the trade with the Bills. They grab Iowa CB Josh Jackson leaving much of the field for the Rams at 23.

23. Los Angeles Rams: Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio St.

Ward is considered by many as the top cornerback in the draft, and to some (like me) one of the 10 best players overall. He doesn’t have the height that some love in a cornerback, but he otherwise has few flaws.

Hard not to love a situation where the Rams can hit a need and arguably on BPA merits.

We’re ramping up the offseason quickly now. The 2018 NFL Scouting Combine begins a week from tomorrow. The day prior marks the two month mark ahead of the 2018 NFL Draft. And free agency is officially less than a month away...

Hold on tight, fam.