2018 NFL Draft order revisited: 3 winners & 2 losers of an iconic Draft Class
The 2018 NFL draft had significant boom or bust potential, especially in the first round.
This is a draft class where the last pick in the first round was a unanimous league MVP the next season, and the number one pick has played for more teams than a perennial ring chaser. In essence, it was a unique draft class, and five years later, we are here to pick three winners and two losers of the draft.
So without further ado, let's proceed.
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Three Winners of 2018 NFL Draft
Here are three major winning teams of the 2018 NFL draft:
#1 Baltimore Ravens
While Lamar Jackson's time as QB1 in Baltimore might be ending, there's no denying he's their most significant player in modern football history. He has the Pro Bowls, All-Pro nod and MVP Award in his trophy cabinet, and he's yet to clock 30.
Apart from Jackson, the Ravens drafted Orlando Brown in the third round; he was traded to the Chiefs but is a good player, and they added starting tight end Mark Andrews later in the third round. Snagging Jackson alone makes this draft a major dub for the Ravens.
Five-Year Grade: A+
#2 Buffalo Bills
Two words, Josh Allen. The Bills traded up for the Wyoming University alum in the 2018 NFL draft with a move resoundingly mocked by most analysts back then, but who's laughing now? Josh Allen is routinely in MVP conversations and part of a young core in Buffalo that will be contending for years.
They then took Tremaine Edmunds with their other first-round pick, and he has developed into a good linebacker, now on the Chicago Bears. Third-round defensive tackle Harrison Phillips is a rotational guy who plays occasionally and then. The other players they drafted are pretty decent, but we all know that most of the work is done on days one and two of the NFL draft.
Five-Year Grade: A
#3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers wouldn't have won the 2021 Super Bowl without the number of players they selected in this stacked 2018 NFL draft.
The Bucs picked first-round defensive tackle Vita Vea, second-round corner Carlton Davis and third-round guard Alex Cappa on days one and two of the draft. All the above players played key roles in their iconic 2020-21 NFL season, and truth be told, their GM deserved a raise.
This core helped cement the legacies of future Hall of Famers Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown; that's already more than enough to get them a winner's tag.
Five-Year Grade: A+
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Two Losers of 2018 NFL Draft
Only some teams got it right five years ago, but two teams were forced to hold their L higher than the rest:
#1 Houston Texans
They traded their first-round pick to move up to get Deshaun Watson the year before, and they moved their second to Cleveland to dump the contract of Brock Osweiler.
Their first pick was third-round safety Justin Reid, who is a starter. Third-round tackle Martinas Rankin was traded to the Chiefs for Carlos Hyde, who's no longer on the roster. They did get the tight end, Jordan Akins, later in the third, and backup receiver Keke Coutee in the fifth.
Simply put, that's not a good 2018 NFL draft, and it sure did not age well. The Texans will likely make better decisions in next month's NFL draft.
Five-Year Grade: D
#2 Jacksonville Jaguars
Imagine being the team that passed on a future MVP Award winner, Hall of Famer, dual-threat QB, and instead drafted a backup defensive tackle.
Now that you've imagined, take a moment to feel sorry for the Jacksonville Jaguars, the case study of the imagination. The Jaguars bottled the Lamar Jackson sweepstakes in the 2018 NFL draft, but at least they hit a home run with the rest of their picks. Well, that's wrong as well.
Of the many picks, only D.J. Chark and Logan Cooke panned out decently. Thank goodness they have Trevor Lawrence, the Jaguars could have been a dumpster fire.
Five-Year Grade: D
Complete 2018 NFL Draft First-Round Order
- Cleveland Browns: QB Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
- New York Giants: RB Saquon Barkley, Penn State
- New York Jets: QB Sam Darnold, USC
- Cleveland Browns: CB Denzel Ward, Ohio State
- Denver Broncos: DE Bradley Chubb, NC State
- Indianapolis Colts: OG Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame
- Buffalo Bills: QB Josh Allen, Wyoming
- Chicago Bears: LB Roquan Smith, Georgia
- San Francisco 49ers: OT Mike McGlinchey, Notre Dame
- Arizona Cardinals: QB Josh Rosen, UCLA
- Miami Dolphins: DB Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: DT Vita Vea, Washington
- Washington: DT Da’Ron Payne, Alabama
- New Orleans Saints: DE Marcus Davenport, UTSA
- Oakland Raiders: OT Kolton Miller, UCLA
- Buffalo Bills: LB Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech
- Los Angeles Chargers: DB Derwin James, Florida State
- Green Bay Packers: CB Jaire Alexander, Louisville
- Dallas Cowboys: LB Leighton Vander Esch, Boise State
- Detroit Lions: C Frank Ragnow, Arkansas
- Cincinnati Bengals: C Billy Price, Ohio State
- Tennessee Titans: LB Rashaan Evans, Alabama
- New England Patriots: OT Isaiah Wynn, Georgia
- Carolina Panthers: WR D.J. Moore, Maryland
- Baltimore Ravens: TE Hayden Hurst, South Carolina
- Atlanta Falcons: WR Calvin Ridley, Alabama
- Seattle Seahawks: RB Rashaad Penny, San Diego State
- Pittsburgh Steelers: S Terrell Edmunds, Virginia Tech
- Jacksonville Jaguars: DT Taven Bryan, Florida
- Minnesota Vikings: CB Mike Hughes, UCF
- New England Patriots: RB Sony Michel, Georgia
- Baltimore Ravens: QB Lamar Jackson, Louisville
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