This list of 2018 NFL draft early entrants consists of college football players who forfeited remaining collegiate eligibility and were declared by the National Football League (NFL) as eligible to be selected in the 2018 NFL draft. This includes juniors and redshirt sophomores who completed high school at least three years prior to the draft. A player that meets these requirements can renounce his remaining NCAA eligibility and enter the draft. Players had until January 16, 2018, to declare their intention to forgo their remaining collegiate eligibility.
Terminology Year Interpretation Sophomore "redshirt sophomore" – an academic junior in his second season of athletic participation Junior "redshirt junior" – an academic senior in his third season of athletic participation; also known as a "fourth-year junior"
List of players The following players had 2018 draft eligibility granted, or confirmed, by the NFL.
Players granted early eligibility NamePositionSchool Year Round Pick TeamRef. RB Notre Dame JuniorUndrafted DE Toledo JuniorUndrafted CB Louisville Junior 1 18 Green Bay Packers Louisville football's Jaire Alexander declares for 2018 NFL draft, won't play in TaxSlayer Bowl TE Oklahoma Junior 3 86 Baltimore Ravens DE Kansas Junior 4 116 Dallas Cowboys LB Ohio State Junior 3 73 Miami Dolphins Ohio St. LB Jerome Baker skipping senior season to start pro career RB Penn State Junior 1 2 New York Giants S Wake Forest Sophomore 2 54 Cincinnati Bengals OT Oklahoma Junior 3 83 Baltimore Ravens DT Florida Junior 1 29 Jacksonville Jaguars Florida DT Taven Bryan forgoing senior season, enters NFL draft WR USC JuniorUndrafted WR Clemson Junior 6 185 Indianapolis Colts WR Florida Junior 4 105 Cleveland Browns OT Louisville Junior 3 74 Washington Redskins WR Indiana JuniorUndrafted IU football star WR Simmie Cobbs declares for NFL draft WR Texas Tech Junior 4 103 Houston Texans DB Nevada JuniorUndrafted DB Louisiana-Monroe JuniorUndrafted OC Iowa Junior 2 39 Chicago Bears QB USC Sophomore 1 3 New York Jets CB Auburn Junior 2 63 Tampa Bay Buccaneers P Texas Junior 5 149 Seattle Seahawks LB Virginia Tech Junior 1 16 Buffalo Bills S Texas Junior 6 190 Baltimore Ravens DB Alabama Junior 1 11 Miami Dolphins WR Benedictine JuniorUndrafted OT Nebraska JuniorUndrafted CB Tennessee Junior 3 85 Carolina Panthers LB San Jose State JuniorUndrafted DT USC Junior 3 79 Seattle Seahawks RB LSU Junior 2 59 Washington Redskins S Alabama Junior 3 93 Jacksonville Jaguars WR Pittsburgh JuniorUndrafted CB Texas JuniorUndrafted RB NC State Junior 4 104 Indianapolis Colts Why NC State running back Nyheim Hines decided to enter the NFL draft LB Auburn JuniorUndrafted CB UCF Junior 1 30 Minnesota Vikings TE South Carolina Junior 1 25 Baltimore Ravens LB Western Kentucky Junior 4 115 Chicago Bears TE Florida State Junior 7 250 New England Patriots CB LSU Junior 2 55 Carolina Panthers Speeding to the NFL: LSU's Donte Jackson to skip final season, declare for draft CB Maryland JuniorUndrafted CB Iowa Junior 2 45 Green Bay Packers QB Louisville Junior 1 32 Baltimore Ravens S Florida State Junior 1 17 Los Angeles Chargers WR Middle Tennessee Junior 7 240 San Francisco 49ers LB Texas Junior 3 78 Cincinnati Bengals DT Miami (Florida) JuniorUndrafted RB Auburn Junior 2 43 Detroit Lions RB USC Junior 2 38 Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Tennessee Junior 6 176 Los Angeles Rams LB LSU Junior 3 87 Oakland Raiders WR Texas A&M Junior 2 47 Arizona Cardinals DT Oklahoma SophomoreUndrafted WR UCLA Junior 5 162 Baltimore Ravens QB Marshall JuniorUndrafted WR Washington State JuniorUndrafted DT Washington State JuniorUndrafted WR Clemson Junior 6 187 Buffalo Bills CB Florida State JuniorUndrafted DT Miami (Florida) Junior 5 139 New York Giants DT Tennessee Junior 6 198 Kansas City Chiefs DB Stanford JuniorUndrafted Stanford cornerback Quenton Meeks declares for NFL draft OT UCLA Junior 1 15 Oakland Raiders WR Maryland Junior 1 24 Oakland Raiders Maryland's D.J. Moore decides to enter NFL draft RB Oregon State JuniorUndrafted CB Wisconsin Junior 4 110 Oakland Raiders DT Miami (Florida) Junior 7 242 Carolina Panthers CB Colorado Junior 2 58 Atlanta Falcons CU Buffaloes cornerback Isaiah Oliver to forego senior season for NFL draft OT Oklahoma JuniorUndrafted DT Alabama Junior 1 13 Washington Redskins RB Auburn JuniorUndrafted K Florida JuniorUndrafted WR SMU Junior 7 256 Washington Redskins CB Kansas State Junior 5 142 San Francisco 49ers S Stanford Junior 3 68 Houston Texans OT NC State Junior 4 129 Jacksonville Jaguars WR Alabama Junior 1 26 Atlanta Falcons TE UCLA JuniorUndrafted WR Southern Miss JuniorUndrafted QB UCLA Junior 1 10 Arizona Cardinals RB Alabama Junior 7 236 Dallas Cowboys TE Stanford Junior 4 137 Dallas Cowboys DT Virginia Tech Sophomore 5 163 Washington Redskins LB North Carolina Junior 7 234 Carolina Panthers LB Georgia Junior 1 8 Chicago Bears S Clemson JuniorUndrafted DE Ole Miss Junior 2 46 Kansas City Chiefs WR Notre Dame Junior 6 207 Green Bay Packers Notre Dame WR Equanimeous St. Brown will declare for 2018 NFL Draft DE Florida State Junior 4 130 Philadelphia Eagles WR Florida State Junior 7 253 Cincinnati Bengals FSU's Tarvarus McFadden, Auden Tate leaving early for NFL draft OG Southeastern Louisiana JuniorUndrafted DT Georgia JuniorUndrafted CB LSU JuniorUndrafted NT LSU JuniorUndrafted LB Boise State Junior 1 19 Dallas Cowboys DT Washington Junior 1 12 Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Miami (Florida) Junior 4 112 Cincinnati Bengals CB Ohio State Junior 1 4 Cleveland Browns RB Texas JuniorUndrafted OT LSU JuniorUndrafted DB Pittsburgh Junior 4 117 Tampa Bay Buccaneers DT Arizona State JuniorUndrafted DE Florida State SophomoreUndrafted OT Texas Junior 2 50 Dallas Cowboys DT Purdue JuniorUndrafted Courtel Jenkins transferred to Houston in 2017, but did not play for them.
Players who have successfully completed their college degrees and are draft eligible NamePositionSchool Year Round Pick TeamRef. TE UCF Junior 3 98 Houston Texans QB Wyoming Junior 1 7 Buffalo Bills QB Houston JuniorUndrafted QB Oklahoma Senior 1 1 Cleveland Browns N/A OC LSU Junior 7 245 New Orleans Saints S Virginia Tech Junior 1 28 Pittsburgh Steelers OG Clemson JuniorUndrafted DE Ohio State Junior 3 77 Cincinnati Bengals OG Arizona State Junior 6 183 Denver Broncos OG Notre Dame Junior 1 6 Indianapolis Colts OT Pittsburgh Junior 2 62 Minnesota Vikings LB Arizona State Junior 6 178 New England Patriots WR UCF Junior 3 91 New Orleans Saints WR SMU Junior 2 40 Denver Broncos
Players who can enter the draft without the need for special eligibility NamePositionSchool Year Round Pick TeamRef. DB Pittsburg State JuniorUndrafted QB Nebraska Junior 6 203 Jacksonville Jaguars DT Stanford Junior 3 96 Buffalo Bills Stanford DL Harrison Phillips announces he will enter NFL draft WR Kansas State JuniorUndrafted
References