Wednesday 25 April 2018 19:34, UK
The 2018 NFL Draft is almost upon us. Here are six names to look out for when the annual selection of America's best college players begins in Dallas on Thursday night.
As is typical in today's NFL, quarterbacks lead many of the pre-Draft discussions and they get top billing in this list, even though there are better prospects at other positions.
The whispers that Allen will be the first overall pick for the Cleveland Browns are growing in volume. His production on the field at Wyoming was mixed at best but the 6-foot-5, 237-pound QB has absolutely blown the scouts away during the build up to the Draft.
Allen has physical tools to die for and he routinely showed them off in front of scouts with 70 and 80-yard passes downfield. He also has a 74.3 mph fastball which means he can make every throw on the field.
But there are questions over his ability. Allen completed just 56 per cent of his passes in college and some wonder if he can adapt to the cerebral challenges of the NFL. That said, his physical skills are hard to ignore and his name will be called very early in round one.
Another who has been linked to the Browns in the top spot, Darnold is a pro-built passer who was adored by his team-mates at USC. He is a leader who had one of the better Pro Day workouts during the build-up to this draft.
The knock on Darnold is that the long wind up in his throwing motion can lead to turnovers. He threw 20 interceptions in his final 20 games in college.
An unconventional gamer who can make plays on the move, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Darnold has drawn lofty comparisons to the likes of Tony Romo and Russell Wilson. Darnold can also make plays in the pocket and while he may take some time to adjust in the NFL, he is a sure-fire top five pick.
As many as six quarterbacks could go in round one but few are as intriguing as Mayfield, who was the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner as college football's best player.
Mayfield has all the tools - strong arm, decision-making, accuracy and playmaking ability. He also has a confidence that borders on cocky and can rub some people the wrong way. But he is undoubtedly a leader who will take responsibility for his NFL team from the front.
A criticism is that the 6-foot Mayfield is too short to succeed in the NFL. Over the past 15 drafts, only one quarterback under 6-1, Johnny Manziel, was taken in the first round and he bombed out of the league. Mayfield fans will point to the fact that Drew Brees is 6-foot and Russell Wilson is 5-11.
Praised as the best running back prospect of the last 25 years by New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, the explosive and dynamic Barkley is a sure-fire top 10 selection and could go as high as second overall to the New York Giants.
Many have dubbed Barkley - who is perfect for the open nature of the league - as the best player in this draft. His pre-draft testing was off the charts as he bench-pressed more than Joe Thomas, was faster over 10 yards than DeSean Jackson, faster over 40 yards than Odell Beckham Jr. and jumped higher than Julio Jones.
Barkley is not a run-you-over type like Leonard Fournette, but he has electrifying pace and moves and will be an instant hit.
A devastating edge rusher who has recorded 26 sacks in his past three years in college, Chubb should be a day one starter who makes an impact immediately in the NFL.
A confident player who wants to be a combination of Khalil Mack and Von Miller, Chubb has been ranked as one of the best pass-rushers to come out of the college ranks in the past five years.
The 6-foot-4, 269-pound end is tough to block with 34-inch arms that have seen him compared favourably to perennial Pro Bowler Julius Peppers.
Other linebackers will be taken ahead of Griffin in the 2018 NFL Draft, but few will have battled so hard and given so much to reach the highest level of American football.
Griffin suffered a congenital disease that resulted in the amputation of his left hand at the age of four. Undeterred, this athletic defender made it to Central Florida where he made plays all over the field. As a result he was named the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2017.
Griffin showed off his skills and athleticism at the NFL Combine where he covered the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds - the fastest time for a linebacker in 15 years. On the field, Griffin overcame playing with one hand and produced consistently with seven sacks in his final year in college and three career interceptions at UCF.
And a bonus seventh choice........
Keep any eye out for Mailata, who has never played a single down of American football at any level, to be drafted in the lower rounds on Saturday evening.
The 20-year-old Australian professional rugby league player with the South Sydney Rabbitohs was spotted by the same NFL International scouts who helped German student Mo Bohringer get drafted as a wide receiver by the Minnesota Vikings a couple of years back.
Mailata has been turning heads in pre-draft workouts, displaying excellent movement skills and long arms to go along with his 6-foot-8, 346-pound frame. This diamond in the rough should prove to be a late-round gem.
All three days of the NFL Draft are exclusively live on Sky Sports with opening night getting underway from 12.30am on Friday, April 27 on Sky Sports Action and Sky Sports Mix.
Check out our NFL Draft support programming with Neil Reynolds, Jeff Reinebold, Solomon Wilcots, the Around the NFL guys and MMQB's Peter King who will give us their informed opinion on what to expect and what happens in Dallas next week.
You can follow all the build-up to the NFL Draft with us at www.skysports.com/nfl and on @SkySportsNFL
