Draft season is one of the best times of the year for a football fan. It allows one to break away from the dead offseason where the football landscape is mostly barren and hypes up who your team will pick to be their next possible star.

Here are my predictions as to who picks who once the 2018 NFL Draft rolls around in April (Note: these picks are based on my personal predictions and takes into consideration the NFL combine results and the very early stages of the free-agent period. This mock draft also has no trade predictions factored in either). Also, thank you to Ryan Prosick for helping me with this piece.

1. Cleveland Browns – Saquon Barkley – RB – Penn State

The Browns have two picks within the top four of this draft. While quarterback is a priority, I do not see them passing on Barkley after the monster performance at the NFL combine. This is a once-in-a-generation running back and the Browns would not be smart if they passed on him, even after signing Carlos Hyde from the 49ers in free agency.

2. New York Giants – Josh Rosen – QB – UCLA

Rosen is the smartest quarterback in the class, and the Giants need to find a replacement for Eli Manning at some point. The former UCLA quarterback is the most NFL-ready of the strong quarterback class and he can learn under Eli for at least a year.

3. Indianapolis Colts – Bradley Chubb – EDGE – North Carolina State

Bradley Chubb is the best non-QB who is not named Saquon Barkley in this class. He is not on the level of prospects past like Joey Bosa and Myles Garrett, but he is still by far the best and most polished edge rusher in the class by a long shot.

4. Cleveland Browns – Josh Allen – QB – Wyoming

Cleveland could go for basically any of the next-three quarterbacks on the big board in Allen, Darnold or Mayfield, but I believe the Brown go for the one with a cannon for an arm. Coach Hue Jackson may have traded for Tyrod Taylor, but to pass on a quarterback in this class would be a dumb move from a franchise known for making dumb moves. This has to be the pick.

5. Denver Broncos – Sam Darnold – QB – USC

The Broncos have a lot of needs. I mean A LOT of needs, especially on the offensive line, but John Elway wants his franchise quarterback after whiffing big time on Paxton Lynch. Darnold is the second-most NFL ready quarterback and Denver needs to take one. Plus, he can sit behind recently-signed Case Keenum and learn for a little bit.

6. New York Jets – Baker Mayfield – QB – Oklahoma

Big market plus a QB with a big ego equals no-brainer pick. Mayfield was called the most accurate of the quarterbacks during the combine, and New York cannot rely on Bryce Petty or Christian Hackenberg to be a starter and there is no telling if Teddy Bridgewater's knee will hold up. Mayfield has the chip on his shoulder the Jets have not had since Joe Namath.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Minkah Fitzpatrick – DB – Alabama

Fitzpatrick is the best defensive back in the 2018 class and can play at either corner or safety depending on where they want to play him. Defensive backs of this caliber usually go much higher but with the run on QBs in this year’s class, Tampa gets a steal at seven.

8. Chicago Bears – Quenton Nelson – OG – Notre Dame

Nelson is the best offensive lineman this year by a long shot. Normally, he would be in consideration for a top-three pick in other years but the run on QBs strikes again and he falls to eight to the Bears. Sophomore QB Mitchell Trubisky then praises the lord that he has a probable future all-pro on his line.

9. San Francisco 49ers – Tremaine Edmunds – LB- Virginia Tech

Edmunds is the youngest player in this draft class and it happens that he is one of the best. The 49ers get an athletic off-ball linebacker to hopefully pair with Reuben Foster (if he can get onto the field). Even if Foster doesn’t play another down though, Edmunds is the perfect kind of player to replace him. It is a win-win for San Fran.

10. Oakland Raiders- Roquan Smith- LB- Georgia

Smith is arguably the best linebacker in this class, but goes one pick after Edmunds because of him being undersized for the position. Although his athletic ability and leadership traits won’t let him fall too far down boards, and the Raiders desperately need athleticism at LB with Navarro Bowman likely departing in free agency.

11. Miami Dolphins – Marcus Davenport – EDGE – UTSA

Davenport tested well at the combine and drew a lot of comparisons to Jadeveon Clowney from the Texans. The Dolphins really need help at corner, but with a small slide from Davenport, and Cameron Wake being 36, this move makes too much sense for the Dolphins to pass up.

12. Cincinnati Bengals – Mike McGlinchey – OT – Notre Dame

The Bengals need help on the outside badly and McGlinchey becomes the second Notre Dame offensive lineman off the board in a seemly no-brainer pick.

13. Washington Redskins – Courtland Sutton – WR – SMU

The Redskins are possibly losing both Ryan Grant and Terrelle Pryor to free agency and Josh Doctson has not done anything special since being drafted. Sutton is the best wide receiver in a weak class but the Redskins do not have a lot of options unless they trade the pick away.

14. Green Bay Packers – Harold Landry – EDGE – Boston College

Landry’s combine performance was really similar to now-Atlanta Falcons linebacker Vic Beasley and while he is not quite as polished as he was coming out of Clemson, he is too good for the Packers to pass up, especially with ageing-star Clay Matthews' play deteriorating every year.

15. Arizona Cardinals – Calvin Ridley – WR – Alabama

Ridley is already 24, which might put off some teams, but his game tape from his pro-style offensive at Alabama is too good for teams to pass on despite the poor-showing at the combine. Plus, he can learn from one of the best receivers in NFL history in Larry Fitzgerald.

16. Baltimore Ravens – Derrius Guice – RB – LSU

In any other class, Guice would be the best running back but with Barkley putting up video game-like performances at the combine and being a possible once-in-a-generation talent at the position, Guice falls to the middle of the round where the Ravens are happy to take him.

17. San Diego Chargers – Leighton Vander Esch – LB – Boise State

Vander Esch impressed me during the bowl game against Oregon this year and was a defensive leader for Boise State. The Chargers get a true middle linebacker that can go all over the field and easily be a future leader.

18. Seattle Seahawks – Derwin James – S – Florida State

The Legion of Boom has lost its pop over the last few years, and now just lost its leader in Richard Sherman. James brings back the playmaking the Seahawks secondary has been missing.

19. Dallas Cowboys – Vita Via – DT - Washington

The Cowboys need help at wide receiver, but Via is a force on the inside and has the athleticism to rush the passer as well. This pick makes too much sense, especially in a weak receiver class.

20. Detroit Lions – Will Hernandez – OG – UTEP

The Lions want to protect Matthew Stafford and with Ziggy Ansah still on the team because of the franchise tag, defensive end is not a super high priority. Hernandez is a great run blocker as well and can help out the Lions abysmal attempt at a run game so Stafford maybe can throw 40 times a game instead of 50...just maybe.

21. Buffalo Bills – Taven Bryan – DL – Florida

Since losing Marcell Dareus, the Bills have lacked that punch that they used to have on the inside of their line. Bryan, who tested similarly to JJ Watt, gives the Bills that defensive line presence back.

22. Buffalo Bills – Denzel Ward – CB – Ohio State

Mason Rudolph could go here if the Bills get desperate but his combine was not impressive at all in my opinion to warrant this high of a first-round pick. Buffalo goes for a best-player available situation and grab Denzel Ward, who excelled at the combine and gives them help once again on the defensive side.

23. Los Angeles Rams – Rashaan Evans – LB – Alabama

Another year, another Alabama linebacker in the first round. Evans has that punch that you want from a middle linebacker and is fluid enough to cover the whole field.

24. Carolina Panthers – Joshua Jackson – CB – Iowa

The Panthers have been exceptionally bad in the defensive backfield ever since Josh Norman left to go to the Redskins. Jackson brings the playmaker attitude back into that secondary.

25. Tennessee Titans – Arden Key – EDGE – LSU

The Titans are in a tricky spot as their top-three needs are EDGE, guard and cornerback. Therefore, they reach just slightly for a kid with tremendous upside in Key, who was the speed to excel in a Dick LeBeau defensive scheme.

26. Atlanta Falcons – Da’Ron Payne – DT – Alabama

The Falcons are probably going to lose Dontari Poe to free agency so grabbing him to complement Grady Jarrett is an excellent pick for a team that has plenty of offensive weapons at their disposal.

27. New Orleans Saints – Mike Gesicki – TE – Penn State

Gesicki absolutely lit up the combine and had offensive coordinators drooling at his potential. Drew Brees plus Gesicki is a disgusting combination that might remind people of Jimmy Graham's time in New Orleans.

28. Pittsburgh Steelers – Lamar Jackson – QB – Louisville

The Steelers cannot and WILL not let Landry Jones take over for Ben Roethlisberger once he finally hangs up the cleats. Jackson needs time to bulk up to withstand NFL hits, but give him a few years and he will light up this league like a young Michael Vick. He has an artillery cannon for a right arm and can make every throw needed in the NFL.

29. Jacksonville Jaguars – D.J. Moore – WR – Maryland

Moore had probably the best combine of any wide receiver and instantly shot him into late-first round consideration. Jacksonville is getting rid of Marquise Lee and possibly Allen Robinson so they need a wide receiver.

30. Minnesota Vikings – Kolton Miller – OT – UCLA

The Vikings are a strong team that need help on the offensive line. Miller gives future-QB Kirk Cousins the protection on the outside that he will need.

31. New England Patriots – Mason Rudolph – QB – Oklahoma State

The Patriots probably are kicking themselves for trading away Jimmy Garrapolo who played like an all-pro during his six games with the 49ers. Brady does not look like he is retiring any time soon, but they need to draft a backup and Rudolph can learn behind the best of all-time.

32. Philadelphia Eagles – Ronald Jones – RB – USC

Jones was absolute monster for USC this season putting up close to 1600 yards on the ground. With Philadelphia’s zone-run scheme, Jones fits like a glove.