NFL mock draft 2018: S&BP Community vs Damien dueling mock draft

By Levi Damien@LeviDamien Apr 26, 2018, 4:12pm PDT

NCAA Football: Fiesta Bowl-Penn State vs Washington

With the draft beginning shortly, we take a look at each pick made in our community mock draft compared to the picks in my final mock draft earlier this week. We seem to have some pretty outstanding symmetry in this especially from picks 18-24.

1. Cleveland Browns

Community: Sam Darnold, QB, USC

Damien: Sam Darnold, QB USC

Notes: He just has all the look and feel of the top QB in the draft. Even if Baker Mayfield has the numbers.

2. New York Giants

Community: Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

Damien: Saquon Barkley, RB Penn State

Notes: All agreement so far. The best player in this draft goes just below the top QB.

3. New York Jets

Community: Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA

Damien: Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

Notes: Rosen and Mayfield are a tough call in some regards. But two things have me leading Mayfield here. 1) The Jets traded above the Broncos because the Broncos seem to like Mayfield 2) Mayfield just has that New York swagger about him.

4. Cleveland Browns

Community: Bradley Chubb, DE, NC State

Damien: (Trade with Bills) Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA

Notes: So, Rosen goes within one pick of the community pick. Rosen is a polished QB with the clutch factor to his game they would love in Buffalo.

5. Denver Broncos

Community: Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming

Damien: Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming

Notes: Back to the same thinking with the midwesterner with the horse on his helmet going to the midwest team with a horse on its helmet. He’s a big armed passer just like John Elway was and just as he likes.

6. Indianapolis Colts

Community: Quenton Nelson, OG, Notre Dame

Damien: Quenton Nelson, OG, Notre Dame

Notes: The consensus second best player in this draft. He’s a monster guard and too talented to pass up.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Community: Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama

Damien: Derwin James, S, Florida State

Notes: We all agree with one of the two outstanding safety talents going to Tampa. Can’t go wrong with either one if you’re the Bucs.

8. Chicago Bears

Community: Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech

Damien: Bradley Chubb, DE, NC State

Notes: The community has Chubb gone in their mock, but I don’t. With the draft’s best pass rusher out there, the Bears take him. If you all are right about Chubb being off the board, you may also be right about Edmunds as the pick.

9. San Francisco 49ers

Community: Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State

Damien: Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia

Notes: The best corner vs the best linebacker. I went linebacker because of the serious charges on Reuben Foster. Just one year after drafting him, they may have to replace him.

10. Oakland Raiders

Community: Vita Vea, DT, Washington

Damien: (Trade with Packers) Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama

Notes: Without the option of trading down in the community mock, Vea makes some sense here and I love the pick. But I also think the Raiders are open for business to trade down and there will be some great players on the board teams will be eager to jump up and get. In this case the Packers grab outstanding safety Fitzpatrick who is already off the board in the community mock.

11. Miami Dolphins

Community: Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

Damien: Vita Vea, DT, Washington

Notes: I like your thinking here. And if Mayfield were on the board, the Dolphins may be silly to pass him up as the QB talent Ryan Tannehill has never quite cracked up to be. I put Vea here as a presence in the middle lost with the release of Ndamukong Suh.

12. Buffalo Bills

Community: Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville

Damien: (Trade with Browns) Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State

Notes: Again, I would bet most think the Bills would trade up to get a QB. But since that wasn’t an option in the community mock, they get their QB here. Makes a lot of sense. I have Denzel teaming up with TJ Carrie is a step up for the Browns cornerbacks.

13. Washington

Community: Derwin James, S, Florida State

Damien: Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech

Notes: In this case you and I were both thinking simply that there is one player left on the board who is clearly the best player. Different players, but the result is the last of the elite draft prospects comes off the board.

14. Green Bay Packers

Community: Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama

Damien: (Trade with Raiders) Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame

Notes: You guys send the draft’s best receiver to Green Bay to replace Jordy Nelson who was cut and signed on in Oakland. In my scenario the Raiders pick up at least a third round pick in the deal and get the best tackle in the draft who can start at right tackle this year and move to left tackle next year. And, yes, I made this pick before Mike Mayock, Mel Kiper, and Todd McShay all mocked McGlinchey to the Raiders.

15. Arizona Cardinals

Community: Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame

Damien: Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville

Notes: You guys probably see Jared Veldheer now in Denver and put McGlinchey there. Makes sense if he’s on the board and none of the top QB’s are there. In my mock, Lamar Jackson is still there and they desperately need a QB. So much so, I wouldn’t surprised if they trade up to get one if the opportunity presented itself.

16. Baltimore Ravens

Community: Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M

Damien: Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama

Notes: We are in agreement on a receiver going to Baltimore. I guess none of us think Michael Crabtree will solve all their receiver issues. You have Ridley already gone. I don’t.