2018 NFL Draft Redraft | Picks 17-32
17) Los Angeles Chargers: Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame
It should come as absolutely no surprise to anyone that the Los Angeles Chargers needed an offensive tackle ahead of the draft. The Chargers needing offensive line help is the new Cleveland needing a quarterback narrative.
Ignoring the fact that Sam Tevi was the only backup on the roster, McGlinchey gives them an instant upgrade over Joe Barksdale at right tackle. He earned All-Rookie honors after starting 16 games in his first year with the 49ers.
18) Seattle Seahawks: Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia
Despite not being seen as a need for them, the Seattle Seahawks used the 27th overall pick on San Diego State’s Rashaad Penny. Although he was the second running back taken following a productive college career, Penny has rushed for less than 1,000 yards in his career.
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Meanwhile, Nick Chubb has established himself as one of the best in the game. The former Georgia running back has over 3,500 rushing yards across three seasons. Pete Carroll would be in love with this selection.
19) Dallas Cowboys: Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia
Leighton Vander Esch is an extremely good football player. He was at Boise State and has been for the Dallas Cowboys. Yet, his injury history is concerning, both in college and subsequently in the NFL. Therefore, the Cowboys elect to bypass him in this 2018 NFL Draft redraft.
Instead, they scoop up Smith, who drops considerably down the board from his original No. 8 overall selection. He provides the Cowboys’ linebacker room with a tackling machine who is also adept in coverage.
20) Detroit Lions: Frank Ragnow, C, Arkansas
With no outstanding players at the positions the Detroit Lions needed most — DE, RB, TE — they stick with their original selection of Frank Ragnow. A versatile offensive lineman who was originally drafted as a center, the Lions moved him to guard which filled the team’s biggest need on the offensive line.
21) Cincinnati Bengals: Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech
Like the Chargers, the Cincinnati Bengals are a team that always seems to need to get better on the offensive line in the NFL Draft. Unlike the Chargers, however, they attempted to address that issue in the 2018 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, Billy Price hasn’t relished in much success in the NFL. Admittedly, there was a temptation to add Kolton Miller or Will Hernandez here.
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Ultimately, they use the 21st pick to swipe Tremaine Edmunds from under the nose of the Bills. The Bengals wanted to add speed at the linebacker position, and Edmunds was the fifth-fastest linebacker at the 2018 NFL Combine. He’s a two-time Pro Bowler who has over 350 tackles in his short career.
22) Buffalo Bills: D.J. Moore, WR, Maryland
Having selected Darnold with the 12th overall pick, the Bills make immediate moves to surround him with talent. D.J. Moore is an instant upgrade to a receiver room that contained Kelvin Benjamin and Zay Jones. Moore made the All-Rookie team as a member of the Carolina Panthers to start a career where he has averaged over 1,000 receiving yards per season.
23) New England Patriots: Jessie Bates, S, Wake Forest
The New England Patriots selected Isaiah Wynn to be their starting left tackle. However, after sustaining a torn Achilles in training camp, he missed the entire season and has never managed a full campaign in any of his three seasons in the NFL.
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With multiple needs in the secondary, the Patriots use this 2018 NFL Draft redraft to select Jessie Bates out of Wake Forest. Bates has quietly been one of the best safeties in the NFL, finally making some noise as a second-team All-Pro in 2020.
24) Carolina Panthers: D.J. Chark, WR, LSU
Having seen their original selection Moore snagged two places in front of them, the Panthers address their wide receiver need with D.J. Chark. Despite some inconsistent play at the quarterback position, Chark has racked up 1,888 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in his career for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
25) Tennessee Titans: Vita Vea, DT, Washington
Although edge rusher was considered a priority, the Tennessee Titans halt the slide of Vita Vea in this 2018 NFL Draft redraft. The 347-pound behemoth has endured injury issues in two of his three seasons. Still, when he’s on the field, he can be a dominating force.
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Vea and Jurrell Casey on the defensive line would have allowed the outside linebackers to wreak havoc. Moreover, he became the heaviest player to catch a touchdown during a 2019 win over the Atlanta Falcons.
26) Atlanta Falcons: Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU
The Atlanta Falcons drafted Ridley to provide a wide receiver tandem with Julio Jones. Although Ridley went much earlier, SMU’s Courtland Sutton would make an admirable replacement. A Pro Bowler in 2019 after a 1,000-yard season, we were denied what could have been a true breakout year for Sutton in 2020 by a torn ACL. A big-play threat, Sutton has averaged over 16 yards per catch in his career to date.
27) New Orleans Saints: Mark Andrews, TE, Oklahoma
Although Marcus Davenport earned All-Rookie honors in 2018, I think it’s fair to say the Saints have yet to see a decent return on their investment. Let’s not forget, New Orleans traded up to 14 to select the former UTSA pass rusher. Considering that their biggest needs ahead of the draft were thought to be tight end and wide receiver, selecting a pass catcher at No. 27 seems much more sensible.
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Originally a third-round pick for Baltimore, Oklahoma’s Mark Andrews broke Ravens records for single-season touchdowns, most receiving yards by a rookie tight end, and snagged a 74-yard catch to break the record for longest reception by a tight end.
28) Pittsburgh Steelers: Terrell Edmunds, S, Virginia Tech
Safety was considered the biggest need for the Pittsburgh Steelers heading into the 2018 NFL Draft. This was further emphasized by their trade for Fitzpatrick in 2019. Terrell Edmunds was seen as a surprising choice at the time, and he’s dealt with his fair share of criticism in his Steelers’ career. Nevertheless, he seemed to take a big step up in 2020 which should help Steelers fans fall in his favor.
29) Jacksonville Jaguars: Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State
Exit Paul Posluszny. Enter Vander Esch. The former Boise State linebacker, when healthy, is exactly the sort of player that the Jaguars needed to come into the heart of their defense. The injury concerns that have allowed him to slip into their grasp are worth the risk for the upside he brings to a unit that lost its leader to retirement.
Jacksonville’s recent free agency additions on the defensive line are a testament to the fact that their original selection Taven Bryan was a bust.
30) Minnesota Vikings: Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA
Remember when Kirk Cousins was the highest-paid player in the history of the NFL? YOU LIKE THAT?! Well, it may have been an idea for the Minnesota Vikings to have invested a little more in protecting their $84 million man. In this redraft of the 2018 NFL Draft, that’s exactly what they do with 6’9″ left tackle Kolton Miller. Despite early issues adapting to the speed of the NFL, Miller has started 46 games for the Raiders.
31) New England Patriots: Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
Did Josh Rosen have the potential to be a solid NFL quarterback? I guess we’ll never really know. As he bounced around from team to team, Rosen never had the opportunity to mature and grow as a player. The New England Patriots would have been the perfect environment for him to develop, and he could have studied under one of, if not, the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the position in Tom Brady.
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The Patriots had multiple opportunities to draft a successor for Brady in the 2018 NFL Draft but failed to pull the trigger. This partnership would have been mutually beneficial, with Rosen not forced into the spotlight early and the Patriots developing their quarterback of the future.
32) Philadelphia Eagles: Dallas Goedert, TE, North Dakota State
From the Seahawks, Jets, and Colts, the Philadelphia Eagles originally found their way to Dallas Goedert in the second round. Although there was a consideration to use this pick on Alabama’s Rashaan Evans, the Eagles stay put with their tight end in this 2018 NFL Draft redraft. Goedert’s performances have been impressive enough for the Eagles to entertain trade offers for star tight end Zach Ertz this offseason.
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Oliver Hodgkinson is a staff writer for Pro Football Network. You can follow him on Twitter at @ojhodgkinson.