Move over, McShay. Time for my annual three-round mock draft in which I play the general manager for each team at each pick for the 2018 draft. That's all 100 picks from Rounds 1-3. You can check out Todd's here.
To be clear: I'm not projecting picks based on what I'm hearing around the league. This is me making three full rounds of picks based on what's best for each team at that slot, so that each team gets an "A" grade. And it's not easy to get an "A." I'll be discussing some of my picks on SportsCenter All-Access on ESPN and WatchESPN on Tuesday night.
The ground rules:
At each slot, I make a pick in the best interest of only the team with the pick
No trades. I try to address team needs, but as with the actual draft, value can supersede need.
I'm not projecting picks. This is more of a look at where I see value up and down the board, based on my rankings.
I have explanations for every team's picks below, in order of when they first pick in the draft. That means the Browns are at the top, and the Rams -- who don't pick until No. 87 -- are at the end.
There is also a pick-by-pick version at the bottom, which will help give you an idea of who was off the board when I made my picks. And click on the links below to go to each team:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND | JAC | KC | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN | NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | OAK | PHI | PIT | SF | SEA | TB | TEN | WAS
Cleveland Browns
Round 1 (1): Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
Round 1 (4): Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
Round 2 (33): Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan
Round 2 (35): Geron Christian, OT, Louisville
Round 2 (64): Sam Hubbard, DE, Ohio State
This is my top-ranked quarterback, running back and 3-technique defensive tackle with the Browns' first three picks. General manager John Dorsey is in a great spot with two picks in the top five, and it would be tough to pass on NC State's Bradley Chubb at No. 4. Could you imagine him getting after quarterbacks on the other side of Myles Garrett? I went with Barkley, though, who will help make better the quarterback that Cleveland takes at No. 1.
Christian would be in the mix to replace longtime left tackle Joe Thomas, and Hubbard is one of the top true 4-3 defensive ends in this class. This class is going to hinge on the quarterback. The Browns have added some weapons in the offseason, and Allen wouldn't have to start right away with Tyrod Taylor on the roster.
New York Giants
Round 1 (2): Sam Darnold, QB, USC
Round 2 (34): Isaiah Wynn, OG, Georgia
Round 3 (66): Nyheim Hines, RB, NC State
Round 3 (69): Da'Shawn Hand, DL, Alabama
I still think the Giants should grab a quarterback with their pick (unless they get blown away by a trade offer). Eli Manning is 37 and on the down side of his career, and New York has a talented roster that shouldn't be picking this high in the future. Is GM Dave Gettleman really going to pass on a signal-caller who could be Manning's ready-made replacement?
Wynn could be an immediate starter, as the Giants lost interior linemen Weston Richburg, D.J. Fluker and Justin Pugh in free agency. Hines is an undersized speedster (he ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at the combine) who will help in the receiving and return games. Hand, a former five-star prospect, underwhelmed at Alabama, but he has the physical tools that teams look for at the end of Day 2. He would play defensive end in a 3-4 scheme.
