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Denver Broncos 2018 NFL Draft watch: Loaded day of prospects

By Sayre Bedinger

IOWA CITY, IOWA- SEPTEMBER 2: Running back Akrum Wadley #25 of the Iowa Hawkeyes takes a hand-off during the second quarter against the Wyoming Cowboys on September 2, 2017 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
IOWA CITY, IOWA- SEPTEMBER 2: Running back Akrum Wadley #25 of the Iowa Hawkeyes takes a hand-off during the second quarter against the Wyoming Cowboys on September 2, 2017 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images) /
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Auburn vs. Clemson (ESPN, 7:00 PM EST)

The Auburn vs. Clemson game may be the college football game of the week, and that typically means there are a good number of NFL prospects to be keeping an eye on. Pictured above is Clemson wide receiver Deon Cain, one of the best playmakers eligible for the up-coming draft. Clemson seems to be cranking out NFL caliber receivers at an unbelievable rate right now.

Cain is getting a good matchup with Auburn cornerback Carlton Davis, a junior who has great size at 6-foot-1, 203 pounds. He has the potential to be a top 75 selection in next year’s draft.

Also keep an eye on Clemson offensive tackle Mitch Hyatt in this game, and his teammate long the offensive line in Tyrone Crowder. Both players have a chance to be top 50 selections.

Of particular interest to the Broncos in this game could be Clemson defensive lineman Christian Wilkins, who has been receiving high praise over the past couple of years. Wilkins is a disruptive interior defender that some feel is the best defensive tackle prospect for the 2018 NFL Draft.

Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield (vs. Ohio State, ABC, 7:30 PM EST)

If Auburn and Clemson isn’t the best game of the week, then Oklahoma vs. Ohio State is. There are NFL prospects all over this game, but none is more intriguing to me than Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield.

There are some who don’t even feel his skills translate to the next level, but this game will be a huge test for him and perhaps a turning point for how scouts perceive him. Up to this point, Mayfield has completed a high percentage of his passes in an offense that requires him to make pretty simple reads, but he has supreme athleticism and a big time arm.

Mayfield was dominant in Oklahoma’s week one victory, playing just one half but completing 19-of-20 passes with three touchdown throws.

This kid is a gamer, and he’s going up against a very talented Ohio State defense, including: Denzel Ward, Dre’Mont Jones, Sam Hubbard, and Jerome Baker, among others.

With NFL caliber prospects at offensive tackle (Orlando Brown) and tight end (Mark Andrews) Mayvield still has plenty of help, but perhaps not as much as he did last season with Samaje Perine, Joe Mixon, and Dede Westbrook all off to the NFL.

Notre Dame offensive line (vs. Georgia, NBC, 7:30 PM EST)

The Notre Dame offensive line doesn’t necessarily close out the 2018 NFL Draft watch list, but this is going to be one of the last things we’re looking closely at this week.

Mike McGlinchey would have been the first offensive tackle off the board had he declared for the 2017 NFL Draft, but he opted to return to school for another season. He has the potential to be a top 15 selection again this year and his teammate along the offensive line — left guard Quentin Nelson — is another prospect who could sneak his way into the top 32 selections.

These two guys are NFL-caliber and should be starters from day one at the next level. Watch them against a good Georgia team to find out why.

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