2018 NFL Mock Draft: Quarterbacks making 19-year old history
11. Miami Dolphins: Vita Vea, DL, Washington
The Miami Dolphins had to make some tough personnel decisions this offseason, opting to stick with their coaching staff but fire a lot of the players.
One of those players, you may have heard of. His name is Ndamukong Suh.
The Dolphins cutting Suh was a statement to the rest of the team, and many of their corresponding moves indicated the same sentiment — it’s time for a culture change in Miami.
I think with their top pick, the Dolphins could look to the quarterback position but their sights seem primarily set on one of the top four guys, or potential day two values.
With that said, I’ve given the Dolphins a Haloti Ngata clone in Vita Vea, a player who has great athleticism, strength, and versatility for his size.
12. Buffalo Bills (from Bengals): Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State
The Buffalo Bills are really in a pickle.
They were not aggressive on the quarterback market at all in free agency, and have been priming themselves to make a move into the top end of the draft for a quarterback.
But what if that doesn’t work out? What if the Giants, Browns, or Broncos, or whoever don’t want to trade out of those top picks?
The Bills are going to be in a pretty unfortunate situation.
Thankfully, they’ve been planning contingencies, and one player they brought in for a private visit is Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph.
Rudolph is not getting as much hype as some of the top quarterbacks in this class, but I really like him as a player and he showed consistent improvement in his game each of the past three seasons at Oklahoma State.
13. Washington Redskins: Derrius Guice, RB, LSU
The Washington Redskins re-tooled their roster pretty quietly this offseason, at least after the initial move to trade for Alex Smith of the Kansas City Chiefs.
After trading for Smith, the Redskins got to work re-building the rest of their team by signing speedy receiver Paul Richardson from Seattle, giving them a vertical threat they have lacked since the departure of DeSean Jackson.
Jay Gruden has stated that the team plans on drafting a running back high, and Derrius Guice is a safe bet with this selection. Though Guice wasn’t flashy this past season at LSU, when you watch his 2016 tape, it’s clear to see he has electric talent and looks like a stud lead back at the NFL level.
14. Green Bay Packers: Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech
Tremaine Edmunds would be a steal for the Packers at pick number 14 overall.
Though Roquan Smith was selected sixth overall, Edmunds gets pushed down the board a little bit because he plays off-ball linebacker, and that position is not often prioritized as highly as it ought be.
Edmunds is a rare type of player with a freakish 6-foot-5, nearly 260 pound frame, and incredible speed, range, and instincts.
He’s only scratching the surface of his potential.
One of the youngest players in this year’s draft, he would be an exciting addition to the Green Bay Packers’ defense, which now has to deal with some very high powered offensive attacks.
15. Arizona Cardinals: Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama
The Arizona Cardinals are in a similar pickle as the Buffalo Bills, but they don’t have a ton of draft picks to dangle to teams in a potential trade to move up for a quarterback of their choosing.
As such, the Cardinals are likely going to be stuck reaching for a quarterback with this pick, or they will be taking a quarterback on day two (or later).
After signing Sam Bradford this offseason, the Cardinals’ offense would be actually quite improved if he were able to stay healthy (a longshot, I know…).
The return of David Johnson and the addition of Bradford look great on paper, and adding the draft’s top receiver in Calvin Ridley could look even better.
I think the Cardinals have a competent enough defense to compete in the NFC West, but their offense needs new blood.
Ridley is a great start.