USA TODAY Sports' Lorenzo Reyes breaks down what Patriots could be hunting for in the upcoming NFL draft. USA TODAY Sports
USC Trojans quarterback Sam Darnold (14) watches warmups before the game against the Stanford Cardinal in the Pac-12 Conference championship game at Levi's Stadium.(Photo: John Hefti, USA TODAY Sports)
The NFL draft is only three weeks away ... which is to say we've officially entered the pre-draft rumor mill phase, which is billowing smokescreens and wild speculation fueling the league's version of silly season. Delightful. So following the Rams' lead — GM Les Snead has already made five significant offseason trades after obtaining WR Brandin Cooks from the Patriots on Tuesday evening — our latest mock draft will delve deep into the trade market while adding grist for a mill now in overdrive.
(And in a year when so many highly capable quarterbacks are coming out, this could provide a reasonably realistic slice of what's to come on April 26, when the draft room phones could be ringing even more than usual.)
1. Browns — Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming: Yup, the latest buzz links Allen and his ballistic arm to Cleveland. But before you dismiss the notion, consider that new Browns GM John Dorsey traded up last year, when he was running the board in Kansas City, to select Patrick Mahomes, who, like Allen, probably had the biggest fastball and most upside — and risk — of any incoming passer. And even though arm strength remains a dubious trait when forecasting NFL success, it's definitely a nice attribute for quarterbacks who play in the AFC North's cold and windy climes. Like Mahomes, Allen would also reap the benefits of joining an up-and-coming roster while sitting behind a veteran, Tyrod Taylor in this case.
2. **PROPOSED TRADE** Bills (from Giants) — Sam Darnold, QB, USC: OK, let's have some fun. Buffalo didn't believe in Taylor and certainly didn't invest in AJ McCarron at a level that would suggest team brass believes he'll replicate his championship feats at Alabama. But with Darnold, widely regarded as the best overall quarterback in the draft, on the board in our scenario, GM Brandon Beane has to complete his systematic trek to the top of the board to get the long-awaited successor to Jim Kelly. But this won't come cheaply given the price the Jets already paid (three second rounders) just to move up three pegs. Giants GM Dave Gettleman could reasonably expect Beane to fork over the 12th and 22nd picks of this draft and next year's first rounder.
3. Jets (from Colts) — Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA: Had he not been born in 1943, Joe Namath might have been a Millennial right out of central casting. So don't expect GM Mike Maccagnan to flinch at taking Rosen — there's probably no rookie QB better equipped to step right into Gang Green's lineup — no matter how much former Bruins coach Jim Mora elaborates/equivocates about him.
4. Browns (from Texans) — Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State: Dorsey will owe the football gods quite an offering if he winds up with the quarterback of his choice and Barkley, who's almost universally regarded as the draft's best player and perhaps the perfect guy — see Todd Gurley, Ezekiel Elliott, et al. — to relieve pressure on a sidekick like Allen.
5. Broncos — Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State: Denver let perennial Pro Bowler Aqib Talib go and may lose Bradley Roby to free agency next year. Cover corners grow on trees in Columbus, Ohio, and Ward is ripe for the picking, capable of stepping into Talib's shoes and keeping the No Fly Zone devoid of enemy TD passes.
6. Colts (from Jets) — Bradley Chubb, DE, North Carolina State: Though GM Chris Ballard surely remains open for business as he rebuilds the foundation around Andrew Luck, he'll be hard pressed to bypass a pass rusher (and relentless run stopper) of Chubb's caliber — especially since he's capable of closing out games and enabling Luck to hand off more.
7. **PROPOSED TRADE** Giants (from Buccaneers) — Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame: Gettleman strikes again. Using the 12th pick acquired from Buffalo as bait, he gets back on the horn with Bucs GM Jason Licht, who took DE Jason Pierre-Paul off his hands last month. Knowing he has to get in front of Chicago, which employs Nelson's former Fighting Irish O-line coach (Harry Hiestand), Gettleman could also send Licht a third rounder to flip from 12th to seventh. Why do it? Nelson may be the best player in the draft not named Saquon. He would help the Giants win now and later regardless of which quarterback he's protecting and will surely help revive a dormant ground game. All that aside, Gettleman's mancrushes are reserved for his beloved "Hog Mollies."
8. Bears — Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama: They spent free agency putting new pieces around QB Mitchell Trubisky and would surely like to count Nelson as part of that effort. Barring that, there's probably not another offensive player on GM Ryan Pace's top-10 radar. But Fitzpatrick would enhance a defense charged with combating slot receivers like Randall Cobb, Golden Tate and Stefon Diggs. Fitzpatrick could eventually settle into a safety combo with former 'Bama teammate Eddie Jackson if Adrian Amos moves on in free agency next year.
9. 49ers — Derwin James, S, Florida State: The Niners have been busy building a Seattle-style defense laden with former Seahawks, including CB Richard Sherman and Super Bowl XLVIII MVP Malcolm Smith. James isn't exactly Earl Thomas or Kam Chancellor but is a special player whose makeup is a combination of skills that include some of the best attributes of Seattle's star safety tandem.
10. **PROPOSED TRADE** Cardinals (from Raiders) — Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma: Maybe Arizona won't have to go that far for its long-term answer under center. We've got GM Steve Keim sending a third- and fifth-round pick to Oakland in order to swap their Round 1 slots and jump the Cards ahead of Miami, which has been widely linked to Mayfield. The fiery Heisman Trophy winner has every intention of playing right away and given his ability — and fellow Sooner Sam Bradford's lengthy medical chart — it might very well be Mayfield feeding Larry Fitzgerald and David Johnson under the capable tutelage of OC Mike McCoy.
11. Dolphins — Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia: Miami's defense was merely average with Ndamukong Suh, which speaks volumes. Last year's linebackers didn't prove very effective despite the benefit of lining up behind Suh and the double teams he commanded. Hence, a strong case to be made for a guy like Smith, who's far more capable of making plays on his own while bringing a nice streak of leadership.
More: Three and out: Miami Dolphins' 2018 NFL draft needs, prospect fits
12. **PROPOSED TRADE** Buccaneers (from Bengals via Bills and Giants) — Mike Hughes, CB, Central Florida: Tampa Bay doesn't have to drop far (or look beyond state lines) to snag a player who can further remedy the NFL's worst defense in 2017 while also adding juice to the Bucs' return game.
13. Redskins — Vita Vea, DT, Washington: No team gave up more rushing yards last year than the 'Skins. Vea's 6-4, 347-pound frame alone will obstruct running lanes, but he's also uniquely mobile for a man his size and has shown the ability to bag quarterbacks, too.
14. **PROPOSED TRADE** Chargers (from Packers) — Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech: Bolts GM Tom Telesco admits needing more from his linebackers. It's probably worth surrendering a fourth-round pick in order to leapfrog the Raiders for Edmunds, 19, who already packs 253 pounds onto his 6-5 frame. Yet his size doesn't appear to impede his range, and that could bolster the AFC's worst run defense, which is sometimes left vulnerable up the middle when Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram are roaring around the edges.
15. **PROPOSED TRADE** Raiders (from Cardinals) — Da'Ron Payne, DT, Alabama: Jon Gruden would probably like another toy for his offense, but the smart play is putting more talent around Khalil Mack and a defense that ranked 23rd.
16. Ravens — Marcus Davenport, DE, Texas-San Antonio: Outgoing GM Ozzie Newsome's final first-round pick might be best spent on a player who could ultimately supplant Terrell Suggs, who remains Baltimore's best pass rusher at age 35. Davenport would benefit from Suggs' wisdom and on-field presence before the seven-time Pro Bowl selection winds down.
17. **PROPOSED TRADE** Packers (from Chargers) — Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama: Jordy Nelson is gone, and Randall Cobb might be in a year. Ridley effectively mixes the skills of both, ready to run polished routes now and able to provide the deep speed lost with Nelson's departure.
More: Three and out: Green Bay Packers' 2018 NFL draft needs, prospect fits
18. **PROPOSED TRADE** Steelers (from Seahawks) — Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama: Pittsburgh's defense — and Super Bowl aspirations — fell apart last season after LB Ryan Shazier was lost in Week 13. Pittsburgh GM Kevin Colbert probably can't wait for Evans, whose abilities largely mirror Shazier's, and would likely have to part with a third rounder and additional sweetener to get Seattle to drop 10 slots. But the championship window for Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and others may close soon, and this is the kind of bold move that could secure a record seventh Lombardi Trophy.
19. Cowboys — DJ Moore, WR, Maryland: WRs Dez Bryant and Allen Hurns and TE Jason Witten are all nice weapons but essentially classify as rebounders. Moore is an explosive asset who could take this offense to another level.
More: Three and out: Dallas Cowboys' 2018 NFL draft needs, prospect fits
20. **PROPOSED TRADE** Patriots (from Lions) — Harold Landry, OLB, Boston College: New England suddenly has a fair amount of holes yet also an ample supply of mid-round picks to move up. Why not deal with old buddies Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia, who have a lot of work to do in order to remain relevant in the NFC North? New England's inability to get a key defensive stop was on full display in Super Bowl LII. Landry might be the
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