Now that we’re in that strange post-Super Bowl period, it’s time to keep a close eye on the NFL teams and witness team changes. With players becoming injured, retiring and simply being axed, teams within the NFL season are going to be transforming massively, but who can we expect to see in the 2018 NFL draft?
All 32 First-Round Picks Set
Luckily for you, we have the full 2018 NFL draft order list here, with all 32 first-round picks. With every week of the NFL being filled with DFS action, every tweak is essential to your fantasy football strategy, so you’ll want to watch these drafts closely. Now that the NFL is currently off-season, several tweaks are being made to the team in order to accommodate for retirements and axes, so all of the picks and tweaks can be found below.
Team Player
Cleveland Browns Saquon Barkely, RB, Penn State
New York Giants Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
Indianapolis Colts Bradley Chubb, DE, N.C. State
Cleveland Browns Sam Darnold, QB, USC
Denver Broncos Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame
New York Jets Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Minkah Fitzpatrick, S/CB, Alabama
Chicago Bears Joshua Jackson, CB, Iowa
San Francisco 49ers Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech
Oakland Raiders Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia
Miami Dolphins Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State
Cincinnati Bengals Derwin James, S, Florida State
Washington Redskins Da’Ron Payne, DT, Alabama
Green Bay Packers Marcus Davenport, DE, Texas-San Antonio
Arizona Cardinals Mike McGlinchery, OT, Notre Dame
Baltimore Ravens Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma
Los Angeles Chargers Da’Ron Payne, DT, Alabama
Seattle Seahawks Derrius Guice, RB, LSU
Dallas Cowboys Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan
Detroit Lions Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech
Buffalo Bills James Washington, WR, Oklahoma State
Buffalo Bills (via Kansas City) Vita Vea, DT, Washington
Los Angeles Rams Orlando Brown, T, Oklahoma
Carolina Panthers Marcus Davenport, DE, UTSA
Tennessee Titans Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State
Atlanta Falcons Isaiah Wynn, G, Georgia
New Orleans Saints Harold Landry, DE/OLB, Boston College
Pittsburgh Steelers Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama
Jacksonville Jaguars Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State
Minnesota Vikings Billy Price, G/C, Ohio State
New England Patriots Sam Hubbard, DE/OLB, Ohio State
Philadelphia Eagles Braden Smith, G, Auburn
Familiar Faces
What you may notice from the above table is that several faces are popping up more than once. The upcoming NFL season is proving to be extremely quarterback heavy, and thus talented players are required to fill in these gaps in order to lead teams to victory. With the NFL season being home to some very talented players, such as Brady and Fitzgerald continuously performing remarkably, there is a lot of competition and pressure on all NFL teams to perform to the best of their ability, but who are the players that are most in demand?
Orlando Brown
Orlando has been drafted to both the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Rams, both for reasonably similar reasons. Baltimore Ravens are in desperate need of a strong offensive player, and with Brown’s tackling skills and general build, he could become a very valuable asset to the team. There has been speculation that Calvin Ridley could be up for the same position as Brown, and while Brown would make an excellent offensive player, it might be too early for him on the Ravens.
Alternatively, while Los Angeles Rams experienced huge success with Andrew Whitworth this season, he is now 36-years-old, and while he has continued to defy the odds, the team could do with an upgrade – enter Brown. He’s raw, but he has great potential as Ram’s left tackle, and Isaiah Wynn could benefit from his support.
Marcus Davenport
Another familiar face on the 2018 draft list is Davenport, being listed for both the Panthers and Packers. In 2017, the Packers experienced quite the failure with signing on Vince Biegel to the team, as he simply didn’t impact the team at all, making a tweak in this position wise for the team for the next NFL season, with Davenport being an ideal candidate. Highly athletic and energetic, Davenport could be the perfect outside linebacker for the team, with a strong pre-draft process to his name.
Tremaine Edmunds
Since the scandal of the 49er’s former linebacker, Reuben Foster, came out, with stories about him allegedly dragging his injured girlfriend, the team are likely to replace him altogether. Moreover to this scandal, Foster has also been arrested twice, and is suspended for 6 games at the very least, making a cut highly likely. As a result, the 49ers will be looking for a new linebacker, making Tremaine an excellent choice thanks to his undeniable instinct and initiative. When it comes to the Detroit Lions, Tremaine could also fit well here, as he’s expected to rise high in the upcoming NFL season.
Da’Ron Payne
After Thanksgiving last year, the Redskins really struggled in their all-important game, with a lot of this being down to the inability to stop Alfred Morris on the opposing team. As a result, they need to seriously revise their defensive front, making some cuts and signings necessary in order to build a stronger side. Luckily for them, Payne is on the market, and happens to be an exceptional defensive player. Similar to the Redskins, the Chargers had a difficult time with their defence last season, so with Payne on their side, they should be able to dramatically improve their defensive stance.
Every single team is eager to win the Super Bowl, especially with the likes of the Eagle’s not yet winning a season. As a result, this off-season period is really crucial for all NFL teams, with new players completely transforming the team’s overall performance. Only time will tell how accurate these drafts are.