Top 10 NFL Mock Draft with Trades

1. Browns---QB Sam Darnold, USC---Browns hope this Trojan does the trick.
2. Broncos*---QB Josh Allen, Wyoming---can throw the ball 90 yards at Mile High from the back of a galloping orange pony.
3. Jets---QB Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma---Baker is Apple crisp.
4. Browns---RB Saquon Barkley, PSU---bringing the Bark to the Dog Pound .
5. Giants*---DE Bradley Chubb, NC St.---JPP yeah you once knew me.
6. Bills*---QB Josh Rosen, UCLA---McCarron on my wayward friend.
7. Bucs---DB Minkah Fitzpatrick---they stole this Minkah.
8. Cardinals*---G Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame---whoa Nellie, the Cardinals are serious about winning the line of scrimmage.
9. 49ers---CB Denzel Ward, Ohio St.---Denzel does not go to Washington.
10. Raiders---LB Leighton Vander Esch, Boise St.---Darth Vander now a Raider.

Trades:

1. The Giants trade the #2 pick to the Broncos for the #5 and #71 picks, plus OLB Shaquil Barrett.
2. The Colts trade the #6 pick to the Bills for the #12, #53 and #96 picks, plus the Bills’ 2019 3rd round pick.
3. The Bears trade the #8 pick to the Cardinals for the #15 and #79 picks plus the Cardinals’ 2019 3rd round pick.

Rationale for each pick:

1. The Browns are tempted to take Allen or Mayfield, but decide that Darnold is the safest bet.
2. The Broncos know they need to trade up to get Allen, the way the Eagles did to take Wentz. The Giants make the trade because they know they will wind up with either Barkley or Chubb at #5.
3. The Jets have been honed in on Mayfield since day one.
4. The Browns were hemming and hawing about taking Barkley at #1, so this is a bonus.
5. The Giants wanted Chubb all along and now they have an extra 3rd round pick and another OLB edge rusher in Barrett.
6. The Colts are stockpiling picks and in adding an extra 2nd round and 3rd round pick they now have 6 of the top 96 picks. The Bills get their franchise QB in Rosen.
7. The Bucs are torn between Minkah Fitzpatrick and Denzel Ward, but go with Fitzpatrick because of his outstanding versatility.
8. The Bears are still trying to recover picks they gave up in order to draft Mitch Trubisky. They do not have a 3rd rounder, so picking up the #15 and #79 picks from the Cardinals, plus adding a 3rd rounder in 2019 makes this trade attractive. Many will believe the Cardinals are moving up to take a QB, but Steve Keim cannot resist taking the best offensive lineman in the draft in Quenton Nelson. Steve Wilks has been adamant about winning the battles up front on both sides of the ball.
9. The 49ers are pleased to see Denzel Ward on the board.
10. The Raiders opt to take Vander Esch over Raquon Smith (Georgia) because Vander Esch is a more instinctive and mulit-dimensional linebacker.