2018 NFL Draft - Pro Football Rumors

Alabama WR Calvin Ridley Enters NFL Draft

January 10th, 2018 at 3:26pm CST by Zachary Links

Calvin Ridley is going pro. The Alabama wide receiver announced on social media that he is entering the NFL Draft.

It is expected that Ridley will be the first wide receiver off the board in this year’s draft, though SMU’s Courtland Sutton and Oklahoma State’s James Washington could give him a run for his money. The Bears, who pick at No. 8 overall, are in need of a receiver and could have interest.

Ridley’s numbers have declined since his breakout freshman campaign, but that can be largely attributed to Alabama’s focus on the running game. This past season, Ridley had 63 catches for 967 yards and five touchdowns, but his 15.3 yards per reception average was a collegiate career best.

Riding the momentum of a National Championship, Ridley could become the latest Alabama receiving threat to go high in the draft, following the footsteps of Julio Jones and O.J. Howard.

Louisville QB Lamar Jackson Enters Draft

January 5th, 2018 at 9:07am CST by Zachary Links

Another top quarterback has declared for the draft. Louisville signal caller Lamar Jackson announced on Friday morning that he is going pro:

“For the past three years, the (University of Louisville), as well as the city of Louisville, has embraced me as one of their own. My time in Louisville has produced some of the best memories of my life. I have had the pleasure of being in the presence of some of the best professors, coaches, advisers, training staff, athletes and fans, in the nation. With their help I have been able to grow not only as a quarterback, but as a teammate, student, and most of all, as a man. After much discussion with my family and coaches, I have made the decision to take the next step in my career and enter the 2018 NFL draft. I would like to thank the University of Louisville, coach (Bobby) Petrino and the coaching staff, my teammates and the fans. It has been nothing short of an honor to be a member of Cards Nation and to play for this university. No matter what the future holds, one thing remains true: Go Cards!”

The inclusion of Jackson gives this year’s draft another big name at quarterback. He joins UCLA’s Josh Rosen, USC’s Sam Darnold, Wyoming’s Josh Allen, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield, and Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph as possibilities to be drafted in the first round.

Jackson’s resume is about as impressive as it gets. As a sophomore in 2016, Jackson became the first player in Louisville history to win the first Heisman Trophy. This year, he finished third in Heisman voting and wound up as the first underclassman to reach 9,000 passing yards and 4,000 rushing yards.

Still, Jackson is a polarizing prospect. He is not cut out of the typical quarterback mold and there are concerns about whether he will be able to stay under center at the next level. Any team selecting Jackson will need to have a clear plan in place for developing him, but the rewards could be astronomical.

LSU’s Arden Key Declares For Draft

January 4th, 2018 at 10:08am CST by Zachary Links

LSU outside linebacker/defensive end Arden Key has officially announced that he will enter the 2018 draft. Key is widely projected as a first-round prospect with a strong possibility of coming off the board within the first 15 picks.

“Our sincere gratitude goes out to all of the LSU fans, the state of Louisiana, [Ed Orgeron] and staff, administration and most of all my brothers,” Key said in his Twitter announcement. “A special thank you to Coach [Les] Miles for giving me the opportunity to become a Tiger. … Excited to start my new journey and prayers that my LSU fam will continue to support me. To LSU Football, bring our state of Louisiana a national championship.”

Key stands at 6’6″, weighs about 250 pounds, and is still among the more agile OLB/DE prospects in this year’s draft. From a pure talent perspective, Key has evaluators drooling. However, there are some questions about his injury history and off-the-field activities.

This past spring, Key took a leave of absence for what LSU called “personal reasons.” To this day, no one knows for sure why Key was separated from the team. Key later had shoulder surgery and missed all of summer workouts plus the first two games of the 2017 season. He was also slowed by a broken finger and a knee injury during the year.

Still, Key is tied for third on LSU’s all-time sack list and possesses more upside than most in this year’s class. With a solid showing in workouts, Key could find his way into the top ten.

OT Orlando Brown Declares For NFL Draft

January 3rd, 2018 at 9:59pm CST by GregGoldstein

Another potential first round pick is throwing their name into the upcoming draft mix. Oklahoma left tackle Orlando Brown announced his intentions to forego his senior year and declare for the 2018 NFL Draft on his personal Twitter account tonight.

“After talking things over with my family and coaches, I will be declaring early for the NFL Draft. It’s been an amazing 4 years here. I wouldn’t want to be a part of any other university. Thank you Sooner Nation!!!”

Brown is listed at a large 6’8”, 345 lbs, which gives him a large presence when he is on the field. He’s also been durable throughout his college career, having starting 40 games in three seasons at Oklahoma. Brown was a unanimous first team All-American and was a finalist for the Outland Trophy in 2017. In addition, he was voted as the Big 12’s best offensive lineman from this past season.

Matt Miller of Bleacher Report ranked Borwn as his third-best offensive tackle in his November big board. Brown is likely to compete with other top offensive line prospects like Notre Dame’s Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey, along Texas’ Connor Williams as projected first round picks come April.

Sam Darnold Enters The 2018 NFL Draft

January 3rd, 2018 at 6:34pm CST by GregGoldstein

Minutes after fellow top quarterback prospect Josh Rosen announced his intentions to leave for the NFL, USC signal caller Sam Darnold has revealed that he will also declare for the 2018 NFL Draft in a video posted on his Instagram page.

Always thought of as one of the consensus top two quarterbacks in this draft class, there seemed to at least some hesitation from around the league whether the redshirt sophomore quarterback would decide to go pro after this season. While Darnold has tremendous arm talent, there was some clear holes that were exposed in his game this season, especially in his tendency to turn the ball over. The USC Trojan threw 13 interceptions in 2017, four more than in the previous season. He also was coming off a poor last effort against a talented Ohio State defense in the Cotton Bowl.

Nevertheless, Darnold is betting on himself and is set to be a top pick in about three months time. Even after a rough season, the redshirt sophomore still has great raw ability and was posting better numbers as the 2017 season wore on. Also, with the number of teams needing quarterbacks to build around, Darnold will almost assuredly be taken in the top ten picks with there being a great chance that he goes even higher than that, possibly number one to the Browns.

Cleveland has passed on taking quarterbacks in the first round in the last two drafts, but still look to be in a prime decision to take either Darnold or Rosen this April. While Rosen has been a little more unsure of the idea of going to the Browns, Darnold has stated publicly that it would “be so special” to be taken number one overall, according to Doug Lesmirises of Cleveland.com.

However, there should be no jumping to conclusions as many things could change in the months ahead regarding who will be the first quarterback selected. The important thing is that we now know teams will have a chance to draft Darnold in just a few months.

Josh Rosen Declares For The 2018 NFL Draft

January 3rd, 2018 at 6:04pm CST by GregGoldstein

One of college football’s best quarterbacks will be heading to the NFL next season. UCLA’s Josh Rosen has just announced his intention to enter the 2018 NFL Draft in a letter on posted on his Twitter page.

“I especially want to thank my teammates. I wish we had won more games, but friendships were forged and memories were made that will last a lifetime. They are my best friends- I love them and wouldn’t have chosen any others to go into battle with each and every week. It pains me to leave these guys, but I know they wouldn’t let me come back and pass up this opportunity to chase my dream.”

“Thank you most of all to my family for supporting me. I love you all and don’t know what I would do without you guys. And now as a proud UCLA Bruin, I am officially declaring for the 2018 NFL Draft.”

Rosen was always expected to go pro after this college football season, but now that it’s official we can start speculating on where the talented signal caller will end up. Rosen has often been linked with fellow QB Sam Darnold as being one of the top two picks in this upcoming draft. However, Rosen has previously stated that he may not want to go to the Browns, who hold the first and fourth overall picks in April. The Giants are set to pick second and there’s already been widespread speculation that organization could be looking for the apparent to Eli Manning this offseason.

Nevertheless, Rosen is not only rated as one of the best quarterbacks, but one of the best overall prospects available in this draft class, according to multiple draft experts across the football media world. Rosen has a great chance of being selected in the top three picks given that there are so many quarterback needy teams across the league entering the offseason.

Draft Notes: Nelson, Jackson, Johnson

January 3rd, 2018 at 5:02pm CST by GregGoldstein

We’ve already seen many underclassman opt to enter the 2018 NFL Draft with the January 16 deadline fast approaching. Below are three more high profile players that have made the decision to the jump to professional football:

As expected, Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson has thrown his name into the NFL Draft pool. Nelson revealed his decision on Twitter after the team’s victory over LSU on New Year’s Day. The offensive lineman has been touted as one of the best prospects available in April. It’s a little bit unusual for guards to be taken in the top five, but Nelson has certainly has a good chance because of his dominant play for the Fighting Irish. He’s currently rated as the top offensive lineman and fifth best overall prospect by Matt Miller of Bleacher Report.
Perhaps the best cornerback prospect has declared for the draft as well. Iowa corner Josh Jackson tweeted his intentions to go pro this morning in which he thanked his coaches, teammates and fans.“Growing up, it has always been my dream to play in the National Football League,” Jackson wrote. “I am excited for this next step and humbled by this great opportunity. I will always bleed Black and Gold.” The junior defensive back was named as an unanimous All-American, received the Big Ten’s Defensive Back of the Year honors and finished as a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award in 2017. He’s currently rated as the top cornerback on Miller’s draft board. He also comes in graded as the second best draft eligible corner, according to Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN.com.
Breakout college running back Kerryon Johnson has also entered the 2018 NFL Draft. Auburn’s junior back released his decision in a statement posted on his Twitter page last night. Johnson finished his final collegiate season as the SEC’s Offensive Player of the Year. He totaled 1,391 rushing yards in his junior season, which was significantly more than what he produced in his first two years with the Tigers. He also rushed for 18 touchdowns during what turned out to be his final season with Auburn. Kiper currently ranks Johnson as the seventh best running back available in possibly the deepest positional group in this draft class.

Texas LB Malik Jefferson To Enter Draft

December 31st, 2017 at 8:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

A steady run of Texas Longhorns have declared for the 2018 draft, and linebacker Malik Jefferson will be the latest.

The junior linebacker will forgo his senior season in Austin to place his name in the 2018 prospect pool, he announced via The Players’ Tribune (Twitter link). Jefferson is viewed as a late-first-round-level talent by some mock drafts at this stage of the process.

Jefferson will join first-round tackle prospect Connor Williams, along with safety DeShon Elliott, cornerback Holton Hill and punter Michael Dickson among Longhorns who will leave school early.

A former five-star recruit, Jefferson earned Big 12 co-defensive player of the year acclaim after a season that included 110 tackles and four sacks. Although 2017 represented by far Jefferson’s best season, he finished his three-year career with 13.5 sacks and 26 tackles for loss.

Saquon Barkley Declares For Draft

December 31st, 2017 at 7:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mock drafts’ consensus top running back will indeed be making himself eligible for the 2018 draft. Saquon Barkley will skip his final season at Penn State and pursue an NFL career next season.

The junior ball-carrier announced his decision on Instagram. He is expected to be selected near the top of the first round and has been rated as the draft’s top talent by some experts.

Barkley posted back-to-back seasons with 20-plus touchdowns. After totaling 1,898 yards from scrimmage and 22 touchdowns as a sophomore, the most dynamic Nittany Lion rampaged for 1,903 and 21 this season. He will be a coveted target for teams picking near the top of the draft. Barkley received fewer carries this season (217 after taking 272 handoffs in 2016) but caught a career-high 54 passes, showcasing a vital component of his skill set.

Coming off a bowl performance featuring 137 rushing yards and two touchdowns, Barkley will be in demand from teams seeking a three-down back. The Browns, Giants and Colts will hold the top three picks, with a second Cleveland pick stationed at No. 4 because of the Texans’ 2017 struggles. Each team would probably upgrade their backfield situation with Barkley, whose draft position could well depend on what Josh Rosen and Sam Darnold decide to do.

Eli Manning To Sit Down With New GM

December 31st, 2017 at 6:35pm CST by Micah Powell

With an 18-10 win over the Redskins in the season finale, the Giants brought to a close one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history, finishing 3-13. Quarterback Eli Manning isn’t ready to jump ship, however, and declared his hope to return to the team in 2018, ESPN’s Jordan Ranaan writes.

The two-time Super Bowl winner and longtime Giants quarterback said he plans to sit down with recently hired general manager Dave Gettleman in the coming days to discuss Manning’s future with the team.

“I don’t want to go play football anywhere else,” Manning said. “This is where I want to play, this is my family, the New York Giants. So, hopefully they feel the same way and we can make that work out.”

Manning, who has two years left on his deal, was benched earlier in the season by head coach Ben McAdoo for the Giants to get a look at Geno Smith. McAdoo was fired soon after and Manning returned to his spot under center.

The Giants will pick at No. 2 in the 2018 NFL Draft and could have UCLA’s Josh Rosen or USC’s Sam Darnold in their crosshairs to replace Manning as the quarterback of the future. Even if the team does select a signal-caller, New York could keep Manning on as a mentor until the young quarterback is ready to take over.

Whatever route the Giants go, the team’s quarterback in 2018 will be in a favorable situation. With plenty of pieces on defense and a game-breaking talent at wide receiver in Odell Beckham Jr., the Giants have the necessary talent to make a drastic turnaround in 2018.

2018 NFL Draft News & Rumors