Here are my latest rankings for each position group in the 2018 NFL Draft class, which I’ll continue to update throughout the offseason.
The first rankings will be about the most talked about position, the quarterbacks.
Quarterbacks:
1 Josh Rosen, UCLA:
Rosen has the best footwork and mechanics of this entire class. He has a very good arm and throws a beautiful tight spiral. He shows great anticipation and shows a high football IQ often looking off safeties and going through progressions. Rosen also has good poise when under pressure, but often tries to do too much due to lack of talent around him, which leads to interceptions. The biggest concern on Rosen is his attitude, interviews will be the most important pre-draft process for him.
2 Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma:
Mayfield has greatly benefited his senior season, moving up in almost every ranking and earning a first-round grade. The Heisman winner has great accuracy and touch on his throws, his ball placement is superb. He is a great leader and teammates love him. His arm isn’t going to wow anyone, but he has enough strength to get the ball anywhere. He moves well within the pocket and is great at escaping sacks, he doesn’t lose accuracy with throws on the run. Mayfield’s footwork needs a lot of work, which is his main weakness to his game. He never played in a pro offense, called plays in the huddle or lined up under center, which is something he will have to learn in training camp.
His height, 6’1, is an issue for some scouts who apparently never heard of Drew Brees or Russell Wilson. He shows good vision on tape; for me, that’s not an issue.
3 Sam Darnold, USC:
Darnold biggest strengths are his anticipation throws, his quick release, and mobility. He shows a strong arm capable of making every throw, he is very poised in the pocket and has earned the ‘’clutch’’ label during his time at USC. He is a good athlete and can make plays on the run. He needs to be more consistent with his footwork, which has been the reason for most of his INTs. He often locks to one receiver and doesn’t go through progressions. Fumbles are a major issue for him some scouts think its related to his weird delivery. He looks the part for what a prototype QB should look and still lives on last year’s huge hype on him.
4 Lamar Jackson, Louisville:
Jackson has a cannon for an arm, great speed and is a human highlight reel at the quarterback position. He was forced to do too much at Louisville carrying an entire offense by himself. Climbs the ladder well, can create a great play out of nothing. His narrow base on throws are the reason for his accuracy issues. A big concern on Jackson is his how long his small frame can take the pounding his style of play will get him. Deshaun Watson’s success can get him drafted in the top 10, if a team thinks they can fix his base on throws.
5 Josh Allen, Wyoming:
Allen has the size scouts covet at the position at 6’5 230 pounds, he carries a rocket arm with the fastest throws recorded in a long time (66 mph) and is also very mobile for a man his size. He can throw from different angles and is at his best on the run. His footwork is inconsistent, and his ball placement is off, which is the reason for his lack of accuracy. Some scouts think his stats are bad because he had no talent around him, but he was also playing teams from the mountain west that aren’t oozing with talent either. In those games he showed his bad ball placement too. He has elite traits you can’t teach which will get him drafted early, but he is a project, if he doesn’t get time to fix his game odds are against him staying in the league for long.
- Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State
- Mike White, Western Kentucky
- Logan Woodside, Toledo
- Kyle Lauletta, Richmond
- Chase Litton, Marshall
Honorable mention: Luke Falk, Washington State
Eric Kirschenbaum is a Writer for Couch Rider Report. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.
