NFL Mock Draft 2018: Quarterback Sam Darnold To Giants, Josh Rosen To Broncos As Possible Top Five Picks
In the latest NFL mock draft for 2018, there are currently three quarterbacks amongst the potential top 10 picks including UCLA’s Josh Rosen and USC’s Sam Darnold. These two Pac-12 competitors have been on plenty of NFL teams’ radars since the start of the NCAA season and now there are a handful of potential squads that could land them. Two teams that have popped up in some NFL mock drafts with these players’ names next to them are the New York Giants and Denver Broncos.
According to Bleacher Report‘s Chris Roling in his predictions, the New York Giants may be the team that ends up with USC quarterback Sam Darnold, while UCLA’s Josh Rosen will go No. 5 to the Denver Broncos. Many Giants and NFL fans are familiar with the infamous benching of veteran Eli Manning last season as New York was struggling. With Manning having captured two Super Bowl trophies during his 13 seasons, he’s now 37-years-old and the Giants probably are focused on building their team for future contention.
While that seems to be nothing for Tom Brady of the New England Patriots, the Giants aren’t anywhere near the Patriots, and while Manning may be a Patriots slayer, he’s no Tom Brady. Drafting Darnold could be a wise move for the future of the franchise as Manning may end up leaving or getting to request a trade, similar to how Tony Romo’s situation was playing out in Dallas.
The Walter Football‘s mock draft currently shows the Giants taking Josh Rosen, though, and even going so far as to suggest that the New York Giants might trade for the No. 1 pick with the Cleveland Browns. That would ensure that New York can land the quarterback they want at the top spot. It’s also noted that if the Giants are ok with either Darnold or Rosen, they’ll be just fine holding their current spot in the selection order. They may pass by Rosen based on the speculation about how his character might translate into a pro football career.
The main detractor from teams being eager to draft Rosen comes from some suggestions that he is a “partier” and may not relate well to all personalities in an NFL locker room due to a “silver spoon upbringing,” Walter Hill reported from the Senior Bowl. That could mean New York sticks with Darnold and lets Rosen drop to another team wanting a quarterback. Could that be Denver?
There is continuing speculation that the Broncos are the frontrunners to land veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins. If that’s the case, Walter Hill suggests they won’t be looking at quarterbacks with the No. 5 pick. Instead, they may draft Notre Dame’s Quentin Nelson for the guard position. However, if Denver fails in their quest to get Cousins, they may take either Rosen, Darnold, or maybe even Lamar Jackson, depending on how things play out in the spots above them.
Fans will certainly be looking forward to the NFL Draft 2018 to see who their teams choose, as everyone will be looking to find a quarterback that can lead them through most of the season to the Super Bowl, similar to Carson Wentz. Whether Darnold, Rosen, Jackson, or Baker Mayfield can achieve similar success remains to be seen.
