On Thursday morning, the very first Mel Kiper 2018 NFL Mock Draft was released.
With the quarterbacks being the hot topic in this year’s draft class, it comes as no surprise that three of the first five picks went in the direction of signal-callers. The remaining two picks in the top five were a star running back and stud pass rusher.
The three quarterbacks selected in the top five are UCLA’s Josh Rosen, Wyoming’s Josh Allen and UCLA’s Sam Darnold.
Can you guess who Kiper rolled the dice with in Cleveland? None other than the Wyoming star.
“Cleveland has to take a quarterback. Has to. And a winless season means the Browns can pick whichever one they want. My evaluations on this quarterback class are really close. I’ve gone back and forth a few times on Josh Rosen, Sam Darnold and Allen, but I just moved Allen up to my No. 1 quarterback,” Kiper wrote. “His numbers aren’t impressive, I know. But the NFL is all about projection, and he has a high ceiling. Coaches want to work with the 6-foot-5 Allen because he has all of the tools.”
Allen will have an opportunity to solidify his standing as the top quarterback prospect in this year’s draft next week in Mobile, Alabama in the Senior Bowl.
Who does the ESPN draft guru have your favorite team taking early this spring?
Mel Kiper’s first 2018 NFL Mock Draft can be seen below:
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- Cleveland Browns: Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
- New York Giants: Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
- Indianapolis Colts: Bradley Chubb, DE, NC State
- Cleveland Browns (via Houston Texans): Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
- Denver Broncos: Sam Darnold, QB, USC
Click here for the full results.
