2018 NFL Draft Day Rumors

The time for the NFL Draft is finally here, and after the mocks and analysis, teams will begin to execute their strategies at 8pm est. Who is going where? Which teams are eyeing a trade? Here are all the team and player rumors heading into the night:

Team Rumors: 

Arizona Cardinals

• Even after signing Sam Bradford to a two-year, $40 million deal, there is still a feeling that the Arizona Cardinals could draft a quarterback with the 15th overall pick. The projected options include Louisville’s Lamar Jackson and Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph. With that, retired coach Bruce Arians believes the Cardinals should rely on Lamar Jackson.
• Three teams eyeing to move up in the first round of the NFL Draft include the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, and Arizona Cardinals. This is likely to fill a slot in the quarterback department.

Atlanta Falcons

• The two favorites for the Atlanta Falcons in recent mocks include defensive tackles Maurice Hurst and Taven Bryan. The Falcons will pick at #26 on Thursday.
• If UCF cornerback Mike Hughes falls due to off-the-field issues, that leaves Isaiah Oliver as the next best man. It is rumored that the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks have looming interest.

Baltimore Ravens

• Now that wide receiver Willie Snead is officially a member of the Baltimore Ravens, there is less of a need for a wide receiver in the early rounds of the draft according to some. The franchise was previously linked to free agent Dez Bryant in recent weeks.

Buffalo Bills

• Three teams eyeing to move up in the first round of the NFL Draft include the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, and Arizona Cardinals. This is likely to fill a slot in the quarterback department.
• If Buffalo moves up in the first round of the draft, don’t expect them to steal the #2 pick. According to Ian Rapoport, it’s more realistic for the Bills to move up to the fifth or sixth overall pick instead.
• If a trade does occur for the Buffalo Bills, they have been targeting both Josh Rosen and Josh Allen throughout the offseason. The belief is that they favor Allen, and will target him in a trade if he doesn’t go with the first overall pick.

Carolina Panthers

• It seems as though Carolina will be projected to target a defensive back in the first round of the NFL Draft. While some wide receivers hold promise, it is believed that the Panthers will select depth in that department towards the middle rounds.

Chicago Bears

• The Chicago Bears are “very high” on cornerback Isaiah Oliver, but would trade down in the first, or trade up in the second round in order to grab him. If Quenton Nelson or Derwin James are still on the board with the eighth overall pick, the asking price will suddenly skyrocket.

Cincinnati Bengals

• As the offensive line grows weaker, I expect for Cincinnati to address this issue early and often this year through the draft. With that, the center position is the team’s biggest need at the moment.

Cleveland Browns

• Breaking: There is a mounting belief that the Cleveland Browns will select Baker Mayfield with the first overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, per Adam Schefter.
• If Penn State running back Saquon Barkley falls to the fourth overall pick, it’s almost certain that the Cleveland Browns will jump the gun. This would give the Browns a quarterback to be named and Barkley, potentially two franchise players.
• The Cleveland Browns have made a decision about their first overall pick, but even head coach Hue Jackson is out of the loop. This decision will likely remain confidential until the public receives the announced pick.
• If the Browns move down in the first round, expect for them to target CB Denzel Ward, as he has been on Cleveland’s radar for a few weeks now. If a cornerback is selected at any point, CB Jamar Taylor could be on the trade block. The team has already signed three free agent defensive backs heading into draft day.

Dallas Cowboys

• After letting go of wide receiver Dez Bryant, some believe a “flashy” pick for Dallas will be to find an immediate replacement in the first round. Although the team contains plenty of depth at this position, the draft is held in Dallas, which could make for an interesting outcome.
• Assuming Calvin Ridley doesn’t fall to Dallas, the Cowboys could very well be looking into SMU wide receiver Courtland Sutton on draft day.
• There have been ongoing disscussions about the Dallas Cowboys trading a second-round pick for Seattle Seahawks S Earl Thomas.

Denver Broncos

• GM John Elway is open to trading away the fifth overall pick of the NFL Draft, and plenty of suitors are interested. The team has been talking about trading this pick away for weeks now.
• It is rumored that the Denver Broncos have ongoing interest in CB Denzel Ward. He could become a first-round target.

Detroit Lions

• According to Michael Rothstein of ESPN, he believes that Marcus Davenport is a better option than Harold Landry at the twentieth overall pick for Detroit. Although, the Lions have been rumored to be interested in trading down, so this remains to be unforeseen.

Green Bay Packers

• The Green Bay Packers are believed to target a pass-rusher within the first round of the NFL Draft. Some names that may fall to the franchise include Marcus Davenport and Harold Landry.
• The Green Bay Packers are being rumored to being interested in trading up heading into Thursday night. With multiple picks in the fourth and fifth rounds, the franchise holds the ammunition they need to make a splash.

Houston Texans

No New News

Indianapolis Colts

• The Indianapolis Colts could fall victim to trading down in the upcoming draft, especially after being linked to later talent such as Roquan Smith and Ronald Jones. With the sixth overall pick, this selection could be a wild card guess.

Jacksonville Jaguars

No New News

Kansas City Chiefs

• Within the second round, the Kansas City Chiefs are being connected to edge Lorenzo Carter out of Georgia. The team will likely target him, or an interior offensive lineman.

Los Angeles Rams

No New News

Los Angeles Chargers

• If UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen continues to slip in the first round to the seventeenth overall pick, the Los Angeles Chargers have a compelling case to select him as a future investment.

Miami Dolphins

• Three teams eyeing to move up in the first round of the NFL Draft include the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, and Arizona Cardinals. This is likely to fill a slot in the quarterback department.
• Per the Miami Herald, one quarterback that the Miami Dolphins have interest in is Josh Rosen. He could very well fall to their pick.

Minnesota Vikings

• It is rumored that the Minnesota Vikings will select an offensive lineman with their first-round pick. In reality, this should come down to the best available player on the board.
• Last year, GM Rick Spielman selected five players from the ACC conference, including RB Dalvin Cook. Could this be a pattern heading into Thursday?

New England Patriots

• If the New England Patriots are interested in selecting a quarterback within the first round of the NFL Draft, all trails lead to Louisville star Lamar Jackson. While his style is unorthodox in comparison to Tom Brady, the franchise is still impressed.
• The New England Patriots have received commitment from Rob Gronkowski for the 2018 season. It is believed that Tom Brady will also be returning.

New Orleans Saints

• The New Orleans Saints have reportedly made a number of calls in order to move up in the first round of the NFL Draft. If the right player (perhaps a quarterback) falls to a certain point, the Saints could jump the gun.

New York Giants

• Considering the Giants lack of a run game, the franchise has been consistently linked to Penn State running back Saquon Barkley. There is an additional rumor that the Giants could trade away their pick, but if they remain in place, New York could see a new face in the backfield.
• New York Giants GM Dave Gettleman isn’t feeling pressured to take a quarterback in the first round of the draft, referring to that theory as “hogwash”.
• The New York Giants are rumored to be shopping away offensive lineman Ereck Flowers ahead of draft day. After failing to report to voluntary team workouts, he could be vulnerable to a trade.

New York Jets

• The New York Jets coaching staff is making a push for Wyoming QB Josh Allen with the third overall pick.
• If a new quarterback is selected by the New York Jets, expect for Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenburg to become release/trade candidates.
• It is rumored that the roster spot for Teddy Bridgewater is “not locked in” until he proves to be healthy.

Oakland Raiders

• The Oakland Raiders are eyeing to fill their need at the linebacker position, and one fit includes Georgia’s Roquan Smith. According to Todd McShay, Smith is labeled as “the guy”.

Philadelphia Eagles

• With the 32nd overall pick, the Philadelphia Eagles are exploring options in order to trade away their first-round pick. Even though their offensive line continues to age, Peter Kings finds it unlikely that the Eagles will stick with their pick.

Pittsburgh Steelers

• While some teams hold concerns over the health of Boise State linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, the Pittsburgh Steelers are not one of those franchises. With a need at the linebacker position, this could be an interesting match.
• The Pittsburgh Steelers are actively listening to offers for WR Martavis Bryant.

San Francisco 49ers

No New News

Seattle Seahawks

• The Seattle Seahawks are notorious for trading down in the NFL Draft, and Brady Henderson of ESPN believes that this could be the case once again. Without a second or third-round pick this year, Seattle could cash in.
• It seems as though Seattle has been actively evaluating quarterbacks for the last several weeks. The assumption is that the Seahawks will explore more backup options.
• If UCF cornerback Mike Hughes falls due to off-the-field issues, that leaves Isaiah Oliver as the next best man. It is rumored that the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks have looming interest.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been linked to S Derwin James, as well as OL Will Hernandez. While Hernandez is not projected within the top ten, a prospect such as James is within the conversation.
• While there were previous rumors about the Buccaneers having interest in RB Derrius Guice, the team has re-signed RB Charles Sims. It seems unlikely that Tampa Bay will invest in more depth at this position.

Tennessee Titans

No New News

Washington Redskins

No New News

Player Rumors

Josh Allen

• There is speculation as to the draft stock of Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen taking a hit due to his high school tweets surfacing. Some may find it offensive, but it shouldn’t be too much of a concern heading into tonight.

Saquon Barkley

• If the New York Giants don’t select Saquon Barkley with the second overall pick, he could be in for a slight fall. The franchises sitting between No. 3 and No. 6 are not “running back needy” teams at the moment.

Antonio Callaway

The Florida wide receiver has tested positive during his drug testing stage. According to his agent, Callaway was over-hydrated and will address teams who may have concerns.

Derrius Guice

• The investigation against LSU running back Derrius Guice has officially concluded, and he seems to be in the clear. This may set his projection back a few slots, but could prove to be a valuable first-round selection towards the end of the given round.

Arden Key 

• Based on his off-field issues, LSU defensive end LSU could fall as low as the third round. He will become one of the biggest gambles in this draft class.

Sony Michael

• For medical reasoning, it is believed that running back Sony Michael will slip out of the first round on Thursday.

Billy Price

• Per sources, it is rumored that Ohio State center Billy Price will be ready to go for July practices. This could launch his projection into the top 25.

Josh Rosen

• According to Daniel Jeremiah and others, UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen is the most likely prospect to slip in this draft. This is likely due to his outspoken nature involving politics, as well as other matters. Our own Miles Hill covered the topic.

 

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