SportsLine's consensus first round mock draft
You've undoubtedly gone through dozens of mock drafts this year, but you probably haven't seen one like SportsLine's.
For our first annual mock, we're playing the odds to let NFL fans know the favorite to be picked in every single slot in the first round.
To give some background: SportsLine's committee of oddsmakers have recently been setting odds on the most likely first-round picks for each team. Here's a look at the latest edition for the AFC, and here's the NFC. They also revealed odds for who is most likely to pick the top-tier quarterbacks.
Now we've taken all of those under consideration and put together a consensus mock draft, taking the best available player with the highest remaining odds for each pick in the first round.
The objective is to give fans the best possible idea of who is the odds-on favorite to be picked by every team. Here's what we came up with:
No. 1 Cleveland Browns -- QB Josh Allen, Wyoming
The odds point to Allen or Sam Darnold at No. 1 overall, but Cleveland got the best odds at 2/1 to pick the promising signal caller out of Wyoming
No. 2 New York Giants -- QB Sam Darnold, USC
The Giants and Browns are listed as the co-favorites to grab Darnold, and with Cleveland taking Allen at No. 1, he goes to New York to be Eli Manning's replacement
No. 3 New York Jets -- QB Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
The Jets are all over the list of favorites for the top quarterback, so signal caller is almost certainly coming off the board here one way or the other. Mayfield has the best odds overall.
No. 4 Cleveland Browns -- DE Bradley Chubb, NC State
With QB checked off, the Browns could look for a trade here, but if they stay put, the odds point to them grabbing a player some consider the best in the entire draft in Chubb, who could form a fierce pass-rushing duo with Myles Garrett
No. 5 Denver Broncos -- RB Saquon Barkley, Penn State
Quarterback could be in play here too, but Barkley, who has Ezekiel Elliott-type upside, is the odds-on favorite
No. 6 Indianapolis Colts -- OG Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame
If Barkley is on the board, he's the overwhelming favorite, but instead Indianapolis opts to beef up its offensive line with one of the best guard prospects to come out in the past few years
No. 7 Tampa Bay Bucs -- SS Derwin James, Florida State
At 3/2, the Bucs picking the in-state product is one of the most likely picks in the first round
No. 8 Chicago Bears -- LB Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech
Another possible spot for a trade, but Edmunds (3/1) is the most likely pick remaining on the board for Chicago if it stays put
No. 9 San Francisco 49ers -- FS Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama
With several nice defensive options available, John Lynch opts to upgrade the secondary by taking the versatile and talented Fitzpatrick, who has 3/1 odds for San Francisco, at No. 9
No. 10 Oakland Raiders -- LB Roquan Smith, Georgia
Oakland has strong odds to land Edmunds or Fitzpatrick at this spot, but with them both off the board, Smith is the call to wrap the top 10
No. 11 Miami Dolphins -- DT Vita Vea, Washington
Miami finds its replacement for Ndamukong Suh here
No. 12 Buffalo Bills -- QB Josh Rosen, UCLA
Buffalo stays patient and still lands a top-tier quarterback
No. 13 Washington Redskins -- DT Da'Ron Payne, Alabama
Washington upgrades its subpar defensive line with one of the most disruptive interior defensive linemen available
No. 14 Green Bay Packers -- DE Marcus Davenport, UTSA
Aaron Rodgers might be lobbying for more help on offense, but the odds point to a defensive upgrade in Davenport
No. 15 Arizona Cardinals -- QB Lamar Jackson, Louisville
Another quarterback-needy team stays in place and lands a prospect with nice upside
No. 16 Baltimore Ravens -- WR Calvin Ridley, Alabama
Baltimore's unending quest to find a No. 1 receiver might come to and end
No. 17 Los Angeles Chargers -- LB Leighton Vander Esch, Boise State
L.A. adds one of the best overall defenders in the draft in the middle of the first round
No. 18 Seattle Seahawks -- DE Harold Landry, Boston College
Seattle has several strong options at offensive line, tight end and corner here, but the odds say that the defensive rebuild gets a nice piece with one of the most highly-productive pass rushers in college football
No. 19 Dallas Cowboys -- WR Courtland Sutton, SMU
He might not be Dez Bryant Day 1, but the local product gives the Cowboys a brighter future at receiver. Dallas has to feel good about having its pick of any receiver except for one at this point in the draft.
No. 20 Detroit Lions -- OG Will Hernandez, UTEP
After giving up 47 sacks last year, odds are that Detroit invests in keeping Matthew Stafford upright
No. 21 Cincinnati Bengals -- C James Daniels Iowa
They've looked for targets for Andy Dalton a lot recently, but now they look to protect him
No. 22 Buffalo Bills -- G Isaiah Wynn, Georgia
With Rosen taken at No. 12, Buffalo finds him some protection 10 picks later
No. 23 New England Patriots -- QB Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State
No, we don't think Tom Brady is retiring this year, but the time to nail down a succession plan has come
No. 24 Carolina Panthers -- WR D.J. Moore, Maryland
Finally, time to get Cam Newton somebody else to throw to. Keep an eye on tight ends Hayden Hurst and Dallas Goedert as well since Greg Olsen's NFL days might be numbered.
No. 25 Tennessee Titans -- LB Rashaan Evans, Alabama
The Titans don't have a ton of holes, but getting better at linebacker is high on the to-do list
No. 26 Atlanta Falcons -- DL Taven Bryan, Florida
We know the Falcons can score, but they need to do more on defense to make it back to the Super Bowl
No. 27 New Orleans Saints -- TE Dallas Goedert, South Dakota State
The Saints weren't able to bring Jimmy Graham back, but this sleeper gives Drew Brees an intriguing target. Hayden Hurst is certainly in play as well.
No. 28 Pittsburgh Steelers -- RB Derrius Guice, LSU
Worst-case scenario, Guice steps in to carry the load for Le'Veon Bell if things don't get worked out. Best case: the two combine to form an elite tandem.
No. 29 Jacksonville Jaguars -- T Connor Williams, Texas
Jacksonville believes in Blake Bortles, and now it gets him more protection as the Jags look to make another postseason run
No. 30 Minnesota Vikings -- T Colton Miller, UCLA
They put the big guaranteed money on Kirk Cousins, and here's the insurance policy
No. 31 New England Patriots -- CB Jaire Alexander, Louisville
Malcolm Butler seemed to fall out of favor at the end in New England, but he still won't be simple to replace. Alexander is a nice step in that direction.
No. 32 Philadelphia Eagles -- CB Isaiah Oliver, Colorado
The Eagles don't have a ton of needs, but, with Patrick Robinson out, upgrading the secondary is the most likely scenario. The odds point to either Oliver or LSU corner Donte Jackson, though Alexander very well could be an option as well.
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