The 2018 NFL Draft has proven to be one of the most impactful in recent memory, fundamentally altering the landscape of the NFL. It welcomed a wealth of talent into the league across the board, transforming certain expectations at positions that remain in the overall success of a team’s performance.
Game-changing quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, the electric talent of Saquon Barkley, and standout defensive players Fred Warner, Roquan Smith, and Shaquille Leonard each heard their names called some six years ago. These are players who have influenced schemes, reshaped their respective teams’ identities, and cemented their places as cornerstones of the modern NFL.
QBs: A New Era
The draft class featured five quarterbacks selected in the first round: Baker Mayfield (1st overall), Sam Darnold (3rd), Josh Allen (7th), Josh Rosen (10th), and Lamar Jackson (32nd). While the aforementioned names away from Jackson and Allen have either been league average (Mayfield and Darnold) or failed to meet expectations (Rosen), the ones who have succeeded at historic levels (Allen and Jackson) have done so in ways that have redefined the position.
No player has had a more revolutionary impact on how the quarterback position is viewed than Jackson, a two-time MVP. The 32nd overall pick largely due to teams doubting his ability to be a consistent passer in the NFL, Jackson’s labeling as a “running back playing quarterback” is now funny to look back on so many years down the line. Jackson quickly became one of the most electrifying players in the NFL and remains so today behind his unique blend of speed, elusiveness, and arm talent that makes him such a unique threat. His ability to create plays on the ground while also being a confident and accurate passer has forced NFL defenses to adapt at all three levels.
The ripple effect of Jackson's success can be seen in the increasing willingness of teams to embrace quarterbacks who don’t fit the “traditional” mold. Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts, and even 2024 No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels owe part of their intriguing NFL projections out of school to the path Jackson blazed.
For Allen in Buffalo, the Bills bet on their scouting staff during the process. A quarterback with immense physical gifts but questionable accuracy, Allen was seen as a project or massive ball of clay out of Wyoming, with many doubting his ability to develop into a player to build a franchise around. While Allen has yet to lead Buffalo to its franchise’s first Super Bowl, he remains the figurehead of one of football’s most historic franchises.
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The Modern RB Prototype
The second overall pick in the class, Barkley entered the NFL with sky-high expectations. His combination of strength, explosiveness, and ability out of the backfield made him one of the most highly-touted running back prospects in recent memory. And despite questions about his potential success due to an average front five in New York, Barkley lived up to the hype, rushing for more than 1,300 yards and catching 91 passes for 721 more, earning him Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
His success as both a runner and as a modern flex weapon reflects the modern evolution of the position. No longer are running backs viewed solely as downhill, between-the-tackles runners; today’s elite backs are expected to contribute heavily in space. For Barkley, he was one of the first of a new breed. His ability to line up as a receiver, catch passes out of the backfield, and create mismatches in space makes him invaluable in today’s offensive architecture. While injuries have hindered Barkley's career at times, his impact on the league has been undeniable.
As the offensive players in the class have pushed the NFL toward more dynamic, versatile attacks, the defenders drafted have worked to counter this shift.
San Francisco found a gem in Fred Warner, a third-rounder out of BYU. The epitome of the modern NFL linebacker—attacking downhill while also touting the ability to erase tight ends and running backs from a progression. Warner is consistently discussed as one of the league’s top off-ball ‘backers and is someone who has as good a shot as anyone to end up in Canton when things are all set and done. In today’s NFL, where offenses frequently employ spread formations and target mismatches, players like Warner—who excel in both areas—are simply invaluable. His rapid rise to stardom has influenced how NFL teams evaluate the position, with a premium placed on explosiveness, coverage ability, and alignment versatility.
The same can be said for Smith and Leonard, who both quickly became two of the league’s best inside linebackers. While Leonard hasn’t suited up since the 2021 campaign, both players’ blend of athleticism, intelligence, and toughness made them prototypical fits inside the lungs of an NFL defense.
Beyond the second level, the 2018 draft also produced key contributors along the defensive line and within the secondary. Vita Vea and Minkah Fitzpatrick have become cornerstones for their respective teams, making an impact in a variety of ways. Even Harold Landry, who has accrued 45.5 sacks in his career to date (leads all rushers drafted in 2018) as a second-round pick that spring.
Vea, selected No. 12 overall by Tampa Bay, has developed into one of the league’s premier 1-techs. His size (6-foot-4, 347 pounds) and strength make him an immovable force against the run, but he’s also an electric pass rusher who demands double teams. In totality, his ability to collapse the pocket from the interior was critical to the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl run led by Tom Brady in 2020.
Vea’s success has reinforced the value of interior linemen who can not only stop the run but also generate vertical push. As offenses increasingly rely on quick passing attacks to negate pressure, players like Vea, who can disrupt plays from the middle, have become invaluable skill sets for defensive coordinators at all levels of the game.
Drafted No. 11 overall by the Miami Dolphins, then later traded to Pittsburgh, Fitzpatrick’s ability to play multiple positions in the secondary, combined with his knack for creating turnovers, quickly saw him evolve into one of football’s premier safeties. A back-to-back All-Pro selection, he’s been an invaluable asset to a Steelers defense that has remained historically successful since the dawn of the organization dating back to 1933. As offenses have evolved to spread out defenses and exploit mismatches, safeties like Fitzpatrick who can cover, tackle, and make plays in space have become more valuable than ever.
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2018 NFL Draft’s Lasting Legacy
The 2018 NFL Draft class has had a profound impact on the modern NFL, as it introduced a wave of talent that has reshaped the league in a variety of ways we may never be able to truly put to substance. Under center, Jackson and Allen have redefined the meaning of dual-threat talents, showing that quarterbacks no longer have to fit into a traditional, pocket-passing mold to succeed. Meanwhile, Barkley has helped to solidify the running back’s evolving role, despite the irresponsible narrative that is the devaluing of the RB position.
On the opposite side of the ball, players like Warner, Smith, and Leonard have exemplified the modern linebacker as athletes who must excel in both coverage and in countering the ground game. Additionally, the success of versatile players in Fitzpatrick and Vea—at different positions—has also demonstrated the increasing importance of players who can make an impact in multiple facets of the game. That also includes players like IOL Quenton Nelson, RB Nick Chubb, WR DJ Moore, TE Mark Andrews, and DL Daron Payne, all of whom heard their names called on that April weekend.
As the NFL continues to evolve, the influence of the class will continue to be felt in the years to come. The players taken have not only become superstars in their own right but have also redefined positions and created new standards of excellence across football for both the present and the future.
