Five-round mock draft: Buffalo Bills trade up for Baker Mayfield

Published: Mar 20, 2018 at 02:25 AM

Draft Analyst

After a flurry of free-agent activity and聽, here's my mock for the first five rounds of the 2018 .

NOTE: Michigan DT was during his medical evaluation earlier this month at the NFL . I projected him as a first-round pick , but given the setback, I now project him to go in Round 2. However, if news emerges that alleviates the concern about his health prior to the draft, I would once again put him in the mix for the first round.

Cleveland's picked up all kinds of pieces in the free agent market, even a veteran quarterback in Tyrod Taylor to teach Darnold the ropes during the 2018 season. It will be Darnold's team after that, however.

Eli Manning is the Giants' quarterback in 2018. My guess is the team will move on after next season so their young star can lead the franchise for the next 12-15 years.

The Giants got their man, and now the Jets land a QB, which is the reason they made the pre-draft deal with the Colts in the first place. The question is whether the team will prefer Allen's potential or Baker Mayfield's physical skills and leadership style.

GM John Dorsey gets his quarterback, as well as the top player in the draft in Barkley. Browns fans should be thrilled by this turn of events.

The Broncos defense was at its best when Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware were terrorizing quarterbacks. Now Chubb will help Miller strike fear into passers in the AFC.

PROJECTED TRADE WITH COLTS. If Bradley Chubb isn't there for the Colts, GM Chris Ballard will be happy to move back again to gain a package of picks that would include, at minimum, a third-round pick in the 2018 draft (reflected below) and a 2019 first-rounder. Bills head coach Sean McDermott is hungry for a playmaker at the quarterback position, so a move up the board is definitely possible.

The back end of the Buccaneers' defense needs revamping; grabbing James is a good start.

Nelson deserves to go higher than this, and it wouldn't surprise me if Indianapolis or Tampa Bay make that call. But former Notre Dame OL coach Harry Hiestand would love to work with his star pupil again now that he's with the Bears.

Edmunds would not last this long in a typical draft, but when quarterbacks go early, even rangy, dynamic linebackers have to wait for a while.

If the Raiders want speed at the second level, they'll go for Smith.

The Dolphins released Ndamukong Suh, so they have a gaping hole in the middle of the defense. Vea fills the void.

PROJECTED TRADE WITH BILLS. The Colts need bodies at the corner spot alongside Quincy Wilson, and get the best cover man in the draft despite moving down twice.

is coming to town, so finding him a reliable, quick, and strong-handed target like Moore makes all kinds of sense.

Malcolm Jenkins went 14th overall in the 2009 draft when teams weren't sure which position he would play in the secondary. The Packers could be the beneficiaries of similar thinking this year.

Head coach Steve Wilks needs a leader and playmaker. The Sam Bradford signing takes pressure off Jackson to be great in 2018, but don't be surprised if Jackson flashes as a rookie.

Davenport has the potential to become an excellent pass rusher for the Ravens, who will need help when Terrell Suggs retires or moves on to another team.

With the top safeties off the board, the Chargers improve another part of their defense with the athletic and instinctive Vander Esch.

Seattle decided to clean house on defense, including releasing Richard Sherman. Jackson has some big shoes to fill, but he has the skills and confidence to pull it off.

It's easy to believe Ridley would be a welcomed addition to Dallas' passing game.

Finding a quality pivot is important for Matthew Stafford and the run game to operate efficiently.

The Bengals continue to improve their offensive line by adding Williams to kick inside next to new left tackle Cordy Glenn.

If the team is going to get a quarterback, he'll need receivers with whom he can connect in 2018 and beyond. Kelvin Benjamin is due to become a free agent after the 2018 season, so Sutton provides another big body in the receiving corps.

Trading away Robert Quinn creates an opportunity for Landry to make an immediate impact, even if Connor Barwin is re-signed.

Julius Peppers is returning to Carolina, and Sweat will have a chance to soak up wisdom from him. Sweat hasn't yet reached his potential, but the sky's the limit.

Carter is a fantastic athlete and a strong player. He'll learn from the veterans for a year and then take over a starting role in 2019.

Payne will wreak havoc in the middle on Sundays.

Drew Brees didn't get Jimmy Graham back, but he'll like what he sees from Goedert.

Reid is a hard-hitting defender for the back end and will fill in quite well in Pittsburgh's defense.

Paul Posluszny retired after a distinguished career, so finding another starter in the middle makes sense.

New quarterback Kirk Cousins loves throwing to tight ends. Pairing Gesicki with Kyle Rudolph at TE should work well.

Replacing Nate Solder with another large, tall tackle seems a likely path for the Patriots.

The Eagles are looking to improve their offensive line, and McGlinchey will help.

Round 2

Browns: , DT, Stanford
1. Giants: , WR, Texas A&M
2. Browns: , CB, Louisville
3. Colts: , RB, LSU
4. Colts: , OT, Pittsburgh
5. Bucs: , RB, Georgia
  39: Bears: , DE, Florida
6. Broncos: , CB, UCF
7. Raiders: , CB, LSU
8. Dolphins: , QB, Oklahoma State
9. Patriots: , WR, Oklahoma State
10. Redskins: , CB, Auburn
11. Packers: , OG, UTEP
12. Bengals: , TE, South Carolina
13. Cardinals: , S, Alabama
14. Chargers: , S, Wake Forest
15. Colts: , EDGE, LSU
16. Cowboys: , OG, Georgia
17. Lions: , CB, Colorado
18. Ravens: , RB, Georgia
19. Bills: , CB, Florida State
20. Chiefs: , EDGE, Ohio State
21. Panthers: , RB, USC
22. Bills: , OT, Oregon
23. Titans: , DT, Michigan
24. Falcons: , EDGE, Kansas
25. 49ers: , WR, LSU
26. Steelers: , LB, Texas
27. Jaguars: , CB, Maryland
28. Vikings: , C, Ohio State
29. Patriots: , DE, Ohio State
30. Browns: , LB, Memphis

Round 3

Bills: , S, Virginia Tech
1. Giants: , LB, USC
2. Colts: , WR, Memphis
3. Texans: , DE, Alabama
4. Bucs: , DE, Ohio State
5. 49ers: , RB, Arizona State
6. Broncos: , OT, Mississippi State
7. Jets: , K, Auburn
8. Dolphins: , RB, San Diego State
9. 49ers: , DE, USC
10. Raiders: , OT, Oklahoma
11. Packers: , WR, Notre Dame
12. Bengals: , QB, Richmond
13. Chiefs: , DT, Fort Hays State
14. Cardinals: , WR, Missouri
15. Texans: , OT, TCU
16. Cowboys: , TE, Oklahoma
17. Lions: , TE, Indiana
18. Ravens: , C, Arkansas
19. Chargers: , DT, Florida State
20. Panthers: , OG, Humboldt State
21. Chiefs: , S, Texas
22. Rams: , LB, Iowa
23. Panthers: , WR, UCF
24. Titans: , LB, Vanderbilt
25. Falcons: , CB, Stanford
26. Saints: , OG, Appalachian State
27. Steelers: , CB, Illinois State
28. Jaguars: , LB, UCF
29. Vikings: , LB, South Carolina State
30. Patriots: , RB, Fordham
31. Colts: , S, Penn State (pick acquired in projected trade with Bills)
32. Cardinals: , CB, North Carolina
33. Texans: , WR, Colorado State
34. Broncos: , WR, Clemson
35. Bengals: , DE, Miami

Round 4

Packers: , LB, BYU
1. Giants: , P, Texas
2. Texans: , TE, Wisconsin
3. Colts: , CB, Tennessee
4. Bears: , EDGE, Rutgers
  106: Broncos: , QB, Washington State
5. Jets: , DT, Georgia
6. Bucs: , OG, Auburn
7. Broncos: , LB, Virginia
8. Raiders: , DE, Washington State
9. Rams: , OG, Nevada
10. Bengals: , LB, Oklahoma
11. Redskins: , EDGE, Auburn
12. Browns: , CB, Texas
13. Bears: , OT, Ohio State
14. Cowboys: , RB, N.C. State
15. Lions: , DT, Delaware
16. Ravens: , WR, Indiana
17. Chargers: , OT, North Carolina A&T
18. Seahawks: , WR, Texas Tech
19. Bills: , LB, Wisconsin
20. Chiefs: , OG, Virginia Tech
21. Dolphins: , OT, Western Michigan
22. Chiefs: , WR, Oklahoma State
23. Titans: , TE, N.C. State
24. Falcons: , WR, Penn State
25. Saints: , LB, Clemson
26. 49ers: , S, Virginia
  129: Jaguars: , RB, Oregon
27. Eagles: , RB, Auburn
28. Dolphins: , CB, Wisconsin
29. Eagles: , LB, Ohio State
30. Packers: , WR, Washington
31. Cardinals: , DT, Virginia
32. Rams: , DT, North Carolina State
33. Patriots: , QB, Toledo
34. Cowboys: , LB, Michigan

Round 5

Packers: Kylie Fitts, EDGE, Utah
1. Giants: Anthony Averett, CB, Alabama
2. Colts: Antonio Callaway, WR, Florida
  141: Seahawks: Kentavius Street, DE, N.C. State
  142: Broncos: Sam Jones, OG, Arizona State
3. 49ers: Andre Chachere, CB, San Jose State
4. Bucs: Duke Dawson, CB, Florida
5. Bears: Darius Phillips, CB, Western Michigan
6. Seahawks: Desmond Harrison, OT, West Georgia
7. Saints: Chase Litton, QB, Marshall
8. Steelers: Skyler Phillips, OG, Idaho State
9. Redskins: Josh Adams, RB, Notre Dame
10. Browns: Geron Christian, OT, Louisville
11. Bengals: Folorunso Fatukasi, DT, Connecticut
12. Cardinals: Byron Pringle, WR, Kansas State
13. Lions: Auden Tate, WR, Florida State
14. Ravens: Tyler Conklin, TE, Central Michigan
15. Chargers: Bo Scarbrough, RB, Alabama
16. Seahawks: John Kelly, RB, Tennessee
17. Jets: Scott Quessenberry, C, UCLA
18. Bengals: Mason Cole, C, Michigan
19. Raiders: Dane Cruikshank, CB, Arizona
20. Broncos: Will Dissly, TE, Washington
21. Panthers: Parry Nickerson, CB, Tulane
22. Titans: Cedrick Wilson, WR, Boise State
23. Broncos: Tim Settle, DT, Virginia Tech
24. Saints: Ade Aruna, DE, Tulane
25. Steelers: Poona Ford, DT, Texas
26. Bills: Dimitri Flowers, FB, Oklahoma
27. Vikings: Trey Quinn, WR, SMU
28. Seahawks: Kyzir White, S, West Virginia
29. Eagles: Durham Smythe, TE, Notre Dame
30. Bengals: Siran Neal, CB, Jacksonville State
31. Cowboys: Deadrin Senat, DT, South Florida
32. Packers: Chandon Sullivan, CB, Georgia State
33. Cowboys: Armani Watts, S, Texas A&M
34. Packers: Troy Apke, S, Penn State

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