The RB1 Podcast’s 2018 NFL mock draft

On last week’s RB1 Podcast, Pete, Clark and Jordan mocked the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft with 100% accuracy (or at least that’s what they’d like you to think). Get ready for a LOT of trades.

Listen to the full podcast here. This transcript has been edited and condensed.

1. Cleveland Browns - Sam Darnold, QB

Pete: Sam Darnold is the number one pick in this draft. Don’t overthink this Browns.

2. New York Giants - Josh Rosen, QB

Jordan: I can’t hype up Darnold and Rosen and think that the Giants aren’t going to take him. Might as well start that rebuild on the fly. Get Rosen to sit back there for a year to learn under Eli and just hit the ground running with your new franchise QB.

Clark: Ugh, you are killing me New York Giants...

3. New York Jets - Baker Mayfield, QB

Clark: He put a lot of good tape out there. Absolutely crushed that Rosen was gone, but we traded everything we had to get to the third pick so gotta go quarterback. I’m ok with Baker Mayfield here.

4. **TRADE** Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Browns) - Saquon Barkley, RB

Pete: The Browns move back to pick 1.07 and now have another top round pick in the second, they now have 2.01, 2.03 and 2.06 to start the 2nd. The Bucs are trading up to complete their offense with Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson on the outside, with O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate at tight end, Jameis Winston at quarterback and now you’re adding Barkley, you are building an offense that could go toe-to-toe with the Saints and Falcons in NFC South.

Jordan: That is a home run swing for the Bucs.

5. Denver Broncos - Quenton Nelson, OL

Jordan: He’s the best offensive lineman in the draft; he’ll provide the Broncos with a little more stability along that offensive line which they haven’t necessarily had and that translates to them not getting 1,000 yard rushing seasons out of their running backs. Start in the trenches, I don’t think Elway can have another whiff in the first round.

Clark: I like it, Denver has a lot of trouble with their offensive line and pieces around that.

6. Indianapolis Colts - Bradley Chubb, DL

Clark: Does anyone want this [pick]? We got Chubb on the board.

Jordan: I actually think that’s a really good pick for the Colts.

Clark: The only reason I’m hesitating to take Chubb here is that I think that he’s good, but he hasn’t been that absolute lights out guy like we’ve seen with Von Miller. That’s the only reason I’m hesitant on him since we won’t be pairing him with anything in Indy. But I guess you gotta start somewhere.

7. Cleveland Browns (from Buccaneers) - Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB

Pete: Fitzpatrick has been billed as a do it all guy, but I think the best way he can be used for the Browns is as a bawlhawking free safety role. That allows them to move Jabrill Peppers down to play in the box, slot corner, linebacker role.

8. Chicago Bears - Mike McGlinchey, OL

Jordan: They need some line help. He’s an offensive tackle but he can help on tackle and guard spot. Fortifying that line, giving [Mitch Trubisky] another guy to protect him, I think it’s a good move for them.

9. **TRADE** New England Patriots (from 49ers) - Tremaine Edmunds, LB

Pete: Belichick trades up for defense. The Patriots need to add speed to their defense, [Edmunds] has all the speed. He can line up all over the field, he can do everything. It’ll take some time for him to fully reach his potential, I just think his ceiling is Hall of Fame. He could be the best player coming out of this draft.

10. **TRADE** Buffalo Bills (from Raiders) - Lamar Jackson, QB

Clark: Had to get in front of Jordan and the Dolphins.

Jordan: You are so lucky to get in front of me.

11. Miami Dolphins - Vita Vea, DL

Jordan: I’ma draft who I wanted all along. They need defensive line help; a guy who can get to the quarterback. Cameron Wake is like 34 years old already. Suh is gone. They’ve got a hole to fill.

12. Oakland Raiders (from Bills) - Denzel Ward, CB

Pete: This is an easy pick. Pair him with fellow first rounder last year, Gareon Conley, we’re really going to start building up [Raiders] secondary with youth and talent.

Clark: I like the Raiders going defense, I still trust Oakland’s offense to get back on track.

13. Washington - Derwin James, DB

Pete: Hopefully gonna f**k over Jordan here. [Washington] just got rid of Su’a Cravens, James is a better all around safety. Adds a playmaker to that defense.

14. Green Bay Packers - Roquan Smith, LB

Pete: That’s a good pick!

Jordan: I don’t think any of the edge rushers are ready to go quite like Smith is. Having a rover who I compared one time to Wolverine—just being able to run people down—is really good for the Packers. I think he’s the best interior linebacker in the draft.

15. Arizona Cardinals - Josh Allen, QB

Clark: At 15, you’ve taken so much of the risk out of this pick that you’re just ecstatic to get this guy with this kind of Jay Cutler-eque arm. The Cardinals could not be happier that the draft fell like this.

16. Baltimore Ravens - Calvin Ridley, WR

Pete: You can’t pass on a guy that comes in with NFL talent in route running. He is a plug and play guy from day one and is someone the Ravens have been searching for and need desperately.

Jordan: I think I’m still one of the only people with real estate on Ridley island at this point, but he’s just already an NFL caliber route runner and that’s just fantastic.

17. Los Angeles Chargers - Maurice Hurst, DL

Jordan: I want to give you two names before I make this pick: one Joseph Bosa and one Melvin Ingram, two pass rushers who can get you double digit sacks. I’m going to help them out, I’m gonna go back in the trenches. He’s a big guy that’ll swallow up a lot of blocks.

18. Seattle Seahawks - Nick Chubb, RB

Clark: I fall in love with running backs and I stay in love with them forever. He was hands down going to be Barkley but a little bigger but he got injured. He tore up the combine which means to me that he’s finally recovered from that injury. We’ve seen him be just absolutely unbelievable, I think he’s going to be the second best running back this season.

19. Dallas Cowboys - D.J. Moore, WR

Pete: He reminds me a lot of Golden Tate. He’s a weapon with the ball in his hands and can score anywhere on the field. Dak likes to get the ball out quick, make the smart, easy throw and let his receivers do the work. Moore is the perfect piece for that offense.

20. Detroit Lions - Marcus Davenport, DE

Jordan: The dude is a little raw but has all the physical attributes to become a pass rusher. Go ahead and watch the tape, he doesn’t have a whole lot of pass rush moves but his long arm move will put people on the ground.

21. Cincinnati Bengals - Will Hernandez, OL

Clark: What killed [the Bengals] last year was their offensive line. Take the boring offensive lineman pick but it’s a huge need for the Bengals.

22. Buffalo Bills - Christian Kirk, WR

Clark: I want to get someone to pair with Kelvin Benjamin.

Jordan: I love Kirk, he’s the guy who reminds me of Golden Tate, just a crafty slot guy.

23. San Francisco 49ers (from Patriots) - Derrius Guice, RB

Clark: We can’t let him slip anymore. Kyle Shanahan enjoys using two different types of backs and I think Guice can do enough in the passing game to keep people honest. [49ers] lock up their one-two punch here.

24. Carolina Panthers - Courtland Sutton, WR

Clark: I have got to get someone for Cam to throw the ball to.

Pete: I don’t trust Devin Funchess, and I think Sutton is a more explosive receiver for his size.

25. Tennessee Titans - Harold Landry, EDGE

Pete: Coming off an absurd season in Boston College, is dealing with an injury right now, but he’ll have an immediate impact as a pass rusher.

26. Atlanta Falcons - Leighton Vander Esch, LB

Jordan: He’s an athletic freak, put him on the Falcons and you’ve got linebackers that can run all over the field.

27. New Orleans Saints - Da’ron Payne, DL

Clark: Let’s just stop the run. We’ll build upon our draft last year taking defensive players.

Pete: With Cameron Jordan and Sheldon Rankins, you could have a formidable trio down in the trenches.

28. Pittsburgh Steelers - Rashaan Evans, LB

Pete: Evans can play inside and out. He’s perfectly tailored to a blitz happy 3-4 defense because he can get pressure up the middle. I think he’ll plug in nicely. He won’t be able to replace Ryan Shazier but he can play sideline to sideline.

29. Jacksonville Jaguars - Isaiah Wynn, OL

Clark: Who’s going to be one of the worst picks in this draft, Jordan tell us!

Jordan: He’s one of the better lineman prospects and of course I just love drafting players out of the trenches.

30. Minnesota Vikings - Sony Michel, RB

Clark: It’s always good to have two solid NFL running backs. We don’t know how Dalvin Cook come back from his injury.

Pete: You’ve got to kinda replace Jerick McKinnon in a way.

31. San Francisco 49ers (from Patriots) - Mike Hughes, CB

Clark: The 49ers need help everywhere. Gripping analysis.

32. Philadelphia Eagles - Josh Jackson, CB

Jordan: He’s a good sized cornerback who just has a nose for taking the ball away and with that rotation on the defensive line, if Jackson can get some of those errant footballs, then he’s going to feast like Marcus Peters.