Is the following mock draft proof that I did a really good job this year with my mocks?
I think it is, and the reason I say that is because what follows here is my annual what-they-should-do mock, which means how the mock should go, not how I think it will go. Surprisingly, this what-they-should-do mock is eerily similar to some of my prediction mocks.
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So is what I think is going to happen actually synching up with what should happen? Or did I over-think the entire process?
Like in most of my mocks, I have the Cleveland Browns taking Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen with the first pick in this one. He has the highest ceiling of any of the quarterbacks, which is why the Browns should take him.
I have two mock trades in this one. I have the Buffalo Bills going up to the fourth spot – Cleveland's second first-round pick – to land USC quarterback Sam Darnold. They would give up the 12th pick, the 22nd pick and a second and fourth next year to make the deal.
The other trade is the Arizona Cardinals trading up to the 10th spot to take Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield. They would give Oakland the 15th pick in the first round and a second-round pick next year.
The Cardinals have Sam Bradford, but they need a young quarterback to develop and Mayfield would be that guy.
Just remember, this is a mock of what I think teams should do, not what they will do.
Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming. He is the passer with the most upside. I swing for the fences here and take Allen, who I think can be a home run pick.
Bradley Chubb, DE, NC State. The Giants won Super Bowls with their pass rush. Chubb is the best pass rusher in this class. Take him. Eli Manning is fine for a few more years.
Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA. They made the move up to get a quarterback, so they should take the second-best quarterback on my list. Rosen is NFL ready.
Sam Darnold, QB, USC. They should make this move up to land their quarterback. Give up their two first-round picks and a second and fourth next year to land Darnold.
Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State. They pass on Baker Mayfield here to take the draft's best cover corner. They need to replace Aqib Talib.
Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia. They would land the draft's best play-making linebacker in this spot. Smith will be a Ray Lewis-type player. They need a game-changing player on defense. With Chubb gone, they take the three-down linebacker.
Derwin James, S, Florida State. They need a playmaker on the back end. James is a big-play safety who can do a lot of things.
Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame. They need a left guard and Nelson is the cleanest player in this draft. His college line coach is also now with the Bears.
Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech. With all the issues they have regarding Rueben Foster, this makes too much sense. At 19, this kid has a ton of upside.
Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma. The Cardinals make the move up to take Mayfield to get their quarterback of the future. They have to do something after not taking one last year.
Vita Vea, DT, Washington. The middle of their line needs upgrading, so take the power player from Washington. He would take over for Ndamukong Suh.
Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State. They move down and land the best back in the draft. Barkley will help the young quarterback when Allen eventually plays.
Minkah Fitzpatrick, CB, Alabama. They need to take a game-changer on the back end. Fitzpatrick would give them a Malcolm Jenkins-type player.
Marcus Davenport, DE, UTSA. They should take the chance on a pass rusher with a lot of upside. Davenport has rare skills, but needs seasoning.
Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State. They need to get better at linebacker. This kid would give them a player some scouts have compared to Luke Kuechly.
James Daniels, C, Iowa. They have to get better inside and the loss of Ryan Jensen to the Bucs leaves big hole. Daniels could also play guard.
Da'Ron Payne, DT, Alabama. They were second worst in rushing yards against last season and Corey Ligiut is facing a four-game suspension. Payne would be a nice fill-in and then eventual starter.
Josh Jackson, CB, Iowa. They let Richard Sherman go, so they have a big hole on the corner. Jackson has a lot of the same qualities Sherman has.
D.J. Moore, WR, Maryland. They have to get better outside in the passing game. They just don't have enough speed, and Moore would help fix that.
Harold Landry, DE, Boston College. They need to get more help for Ziggy Ansah and their pass rush. Landry had a down year in 2017, but he was really impressive in 2016.
Frank Ragnow, C-G, Arkansas. Center has been a trouble spot for this team for a long time. Ragnow is a tough, physical player who could also play guard.
Kolton Miller, T, UCLA. They would land the replacement for Joe Thomas. He needs some seasoning, but the tools are there.
Mike McGlinchey, T, Notre Dame. He could step in for Nate Solder, who left as a free agent and signed with the Giants. He could be a plug-and-play depending on the health of Antonio Garcia.
Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama. They have to get more outside for Cam Newton. Ridley would be a nice complement to what they already have.
Rashaan Evans, ILB, Alabama. They lost Avery Williamson, their leading tackler last year, in free agency. Landing Evans would give them a nice three-down linebacker.
Taven Bryan, DT, Florida. They have been linked to Bryan for a while, and I think he would be a nice addition next to Grady Jarrett. Bryan will be better in the NFL than he was at Florida.
Hayden Hurst, TE, South Carolina. They need to get a threat in the middle of the field. Hurst would be that guy with Coby Fleener not living up to expectations.
Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville. At some point they have to get a replacement for Ben Roethlisberger, who is always talking about retiring. This might be the time.
Will Hernandez, G, UTEP. They are building a big, tough, physical line. Hernandez would be a nice addition to that group and would push right guard A.J. Cann.
Isaiah Wynn, G, Georgia. He is a mauler who played tackle in college but will likely move inside in the NFL. He could play guard and they could move Mike Remmers back to tackle.
Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville. The Pats have a big hole on the corner and Alexander would step in and push for time right away. They could also move out of this spot to get more picks.
Dallas Goedert, TE, South Dakota State. They lost Trey Burton in free agency, so they need another tight end to pair with Zach Ertz. Goedert is the best pass-catching tight end in the draft.