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With the NFL Draft finally arriving, we can put an end to the rumors that are running wild. Will the Cardinals commit to Josh Rosen and not draft Kyler Murray? Is Oakland looking to shock everyone at pick 4? What are the Giants going to do at quarterback? Polarizing opinions on wide receivers. This is going to be a really fun weekend. Here’s my updated 2019 NFL mock draft.
1. Arizona Cardinals – Kyler Murray – QB – Oklahoma
With the first pick in the NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals and HC Kliff Kingsbury get their quarterback of the future. Josh Rosen is a fine quarterback, but an immobile one. Kyler has every tool you want in a star quarterback and will thrive in an Air-Raid offense.
[Also See: Top 5 quarterbacks in the 2019 NFL Draft]
2. San Francisco 49ers – Quinnen Williams – IDL – Alabama
The 49ers are taking the best player in the draft with Quinnen Williams. Quinnen carries one of the rarest abilities in football at creating pressure from inside. He is going to start immediately and play in the Pro Bowl for years to come.
3. New York Jets – Nick Bosa – EDGE – Ohio State
Nick Bosa is a great prospect and carries the highest ceiling as an edge rusher in this class and the Jets need him. Bosa will be an immediate contributor for as long as he is able to stay on the field. After the great success of older brother, Joey, the Bosa brand is strong and Nick won’t make it past the third pick.
4. Oakland Raiders – Josh Allen – EDGE – Kentucky
The Raiders are reported to make a shocking pick here but they unfortunately can’t afford to do that. The Raiders had one of the lowest pressure rates in the NFL last season, taking Josh Allen will solve that. I have Josh Allen ranked above Nick Bosa and I think Allen’s ability to create pressure and swat balls efficiently makes him a higher floor prospect.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Devin White – MLB – LSU
Devin White is the perfect fit to anchor this Bruce Arians team for years to come. Arians, an offensive-minded coach, has always had a high speed linebacker to lead his defenses. The Buccaneers defense was terrible in 2018 and have holes at each level. They have even considered moving on from Gerald McCoy, one of the few talented players on the team.
6. New York Giants – Ed Oliver – IDL – Houston
The Giants have been reported to take the best available defensive player at this pick and address the quarterback need at 17. Ed Oliver was an absolute force for Houston since the day he got there. With a lot of needs on the defensive side of the ball, Oliver will be a disruptor from the moment he arrives.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars – Jawaan Taylor – OT – Florida
Protecting newly acquired franchise quarterback Nick Foles will be the top priority for Jacksonville and they’re not going too far down the road to find the guy in Jawaan Taylor. Taylor addresses a need in pass protection and will be a mauler in the run game for Leonard Fournette.
8. Detroit Lions – T.J. Hockenson – TE – Iowa
Lions fans still think about the failure of Eric Ebron but he was not even close to the prospect that T.J. Hockenson is. Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn are familiar with a recently retired tight end who could contribute as a receiver and was a menacing blocker. Comparing Hockenson to Gronk is ignorant but it makes a lot of sense.
9. Buffalo Bills – Brian Burns – EDGE – Florida State
Brian Burns is a long and explosive edge rusher who bulked up to 250 pounds at the combine and still lit all of the tests on fire. The Bills have one of the better pass defenses in the NFL but have an average pass rush. The combination of Burns and this secondary could make this one of the best defenses in the NFL.
10. Denver Broncos – Drew Lock – QB – Missouri
I believe Elway to be on the hot seat in Denver right now, especially after referring to Joe Flacco as “in his prime.” Lock wouldn’t see the field much in 2018 but would be the security to help Elway keep his job. Elway has missed on a lot of his picks but has shown that he understands the importance of quarterback to a team’s long term success.
11. Cincinnati Bengals – Devin Bush – MLB – Michigan
The Bengals have a hole right in the middle of their defense that is too big to ignore. Devin Bush will increase the speed of this defense and will be able to defend the middle of the field because of his speed and football IQ. He is a shorter linebacker but this is a dire need for this Bengals team.
12. Green Bay Packers – Jonah Williams – OL – Alabama
This Packers coaching staff and front office understand what is important about the game today; emphasizing the pass and defending the pass. They spent their first two picks last year on cornerbacks and threw darts in the late rounds on three different receivers who impressed in flashes as rookies. Teams view Jonah Williams in a lot of different ways and I think that creates a value for his ability to help protect Aaron Rodgers from different alignments.
13. Miami Dolphins – Montez Sweat – EDGE – Mississippi State
Montez Sweat’s perceived draft stock seems to be slipping since he isn’t attending the draft. Sweat is a really raw prospect but has insane measurables with a faster 40-yard dash than almost every draft eligible running back, and he is 6’6 and 260 pounds. The ideal scenario for the Dolphins should be trading down because they have a need at every single position. If they stay put, Sweat would be a great pick to learn and develop with this team.
14. Atlanta Falcons – Christian Wilkins – IDL – Clemson
The Falcons defense seemed a lot worse than it should have been when you look at the overview of their defense but they had an incredible amount of injury. They do have a need for their interior and Wilkins carries a lot of pedigree and should be an impact early on.
15. Washington Redskins – Dwayne Haskins – QB – Ohio State
Quarterback is a desperate need for this team. They have to be just as tired as their fans are of watching middling quarterback come in year after year. This is the time they’ll prove to their fans that they are committed to the idea of a long term answer at the position. Whether or not any of these prospects are that answer is another conversation completely.
16. Carolina Panthers – Cody Ford – OT – Oklahoma
Cam Newton has not looked anything like his former MVP season and a lot of it has to do with protection. Christian McCaffrey had a remarkable year running behind an awful and injured offensive line. Protecting these guys are crucial to their long term success and Cody Ford has the reps and a solid floor to be successful blocking in both parts of the game.
17. New York Giants – Daniel Jones – QB – Duke
The Daniel Jones buzz has been crazy with the New York Giants. I hardly consider Jones a top-5 quarterback and considering what guys you will pass on to take him here, it would definitely not be an ideal move. Quarterback is the most important position in football and throwing darts on one in the mid first round who will carry a very low cap hit in regards to the position for the first 5 years of his contract is beneficial. Missing on a quarterback is just as bad as rolling Eli Manning out there every week. Prove you have a long term plan.
18. Minnesota Vikings – Garrett Bradbury – IOL – NC State
I felt exhausted watching Kirk Cousins scramble all season. The Vikings are making significant commitments to their passing offense, rightfully so. They need to do a better job at helping these guys produce efficiently and that starts up front. Bradbury is one of the best interior lineman in the draft who will fill a void and be successful early on.
19. Tennessee Titans – Rashan Gary – EDGE – Michigan
Gary’s draft stock will plummet in the first round after reports have come out about surgery he will require that will cost him significant time. Rashan Gary is an explosive and highly athletic edge rusher who will be able to contribute once he is healthy. The Titans have needs on the offensive side but Gary will be hard to ignore with pass rush being a need.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers – DeAndre Baker – CB – Georgia
The Steelers had a decent pass defense in 2018 but with Joe Haden not getting younger, DeAndre Baker will be able to a hold down the opposite side of the field. Baker has SEC pedigree and was a successful cornerback throughout his time. He has good size, speed and strength to keep up with the majority of receivers in the NFL.
21. Seattle Seahawks – Greedy Williams – CB – LSU
Greedy Williams looks the part of a Seahawks outside cornerback. Long and fast. Greedy was an incredible cover corner in college who could run with anybody he matched up with. He struggled in the run game but you don’t expect a guy of his stature to be able to contribute in that way. Seahawks are going to look to get back to having one of the perennial defenses in the league.
22. Baltimore Ravens – D.K. Metcalf – WR – Ole Miss
This is one of the worst landing spots for a receiver in this class but it is the most wide receiver needy team in the league. The Ravens have a young quarterback in Lamar Jackson, a commitment to the run game and an abundance of tight ends on their roster. Metcalf carries a wide range of outcomes with his incredible size and speed, but carries concern with injuries. Metcalf will be able to stretch the field and if he hits his ceiling, can be an elite NFL receiver.
[Also See: Top 10 wide receivers in the 2019 NFL draft]
23. Houston Texans – Andre Dillard – OT – Washington State
My highest rated offensive tackle in this draft will slip to Houston because of his lack of reps in the run game. It is an unknown whether he can run block effectively just because Washington State hardly runs the ball and when they do, it is unconventional. Dillard is an incredibly athletic and long left tackle who will be able to adjust to any type of pass rusher. Watson needs protection. Dillard will be a star left tackle for years.
24. Oakland Raiders – Josh Jacobs – RB – Alabama
Josh Jacobs lacks the production profile and athletic profile of an elite NFL running back prospect. The NFL works in trends and a year after Saquon Barkley happened “running back-needy” teams like the Raiders will take him. This class has no impressive 3-down running back. I still expect the Raiders to take one early.
[Also See: Top 10 running backs in the 2019 NFL Draft]
25. Philadelphia Eagles – Greg Little – OT – Ole Miss
The perspective of Greg Little is so polarizing and I’m really not sure why. He has been a 3-year starter at Ole Miss, an offense with an air raid philosophy. Throughout his time here he has never committed a holding penalty. The Eagles have a long term financial commitment coming in the contract of Carson Wentz. With aging lineman in Peters and Kelce, getting low cost contracts is going to be important for the Eagles to keep Wentz protected and remain successful.
26. Indianapolis Colts – Jerry Tillery – IDL – Notre Dame
The Colts had some really fantastic rookie performances last year and some fantastic performances from veterans who have struggled through their careers. Tillery is a really long and athletic interior defensive lineman who seems like the ideal prospect at this pick for GM Chris Ballard. Tillery’s film critics call him inconsistent but still carried an above average pressure rate from the position which means his ceiling should be incredibly high.
27. Oakland Raiders – Noah Fant – TE – Iowa
Noah Fant was a really productive receiver at the tight end position for Iowa over the last two seasons. I expect the Raiders to focus on adding some fire power for Derek Carr and considering Jared Cook’s role, his departure will be important to replace. Fant is a hyper-athletic tight end who compares to Vernon Davis. It may take him a few years to develop into what he will be but that won’t derail Gruden and Mayock from pulling the trigger.
28. Los Angeles Chargers – Marquise Brown – WR – Oklahoma
Marquise Brown is an outlier in this draft. Smaller than Desean Jackson but the film grinders love watching his game. Brown has had the opportunity of playing with back to back (potentially) first overall pick quarterbacks in Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray. His offseason injury prevented him from athletic testing so we have to assume his speed. The Chargers lost their field stretch in Tyrell Williams and will be looking to add some more explosion to maximize the window of Philip Rivers.
29. Seattle Seahawks – Clelin Ferrell – EDGE – Clemson
The Seahawks acquired this pick through trading Frank Clark to the Kansas City Chiefs, who paid more than what they got for Dee Ford. Seahawks will add Clelin Ferrell here who was mocked in the preseason as a top-10 talent. Ferrell is long and fast but lacks the pass rush repertoire as a prospect. His explosion creates his ceiling and the Seahawks have the experience of developing pass rushers efficiently.
30. Green Bay Packers – Chauncey Gardner-Johnson – Safety – Florida
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson is the most versatile defensive back prospect in this draft. He can align at any safety position or nickel corner and play the position efficiently. He is going to be a top tier defensive player for the Packers, helping them create one of the league’s best pass defenses.
31. Los Angeles Rams – Byron Murphy – CB – Washington
The Super Bowl runner-up has to be pretty tired of watching Marcus Peters get burnt all season, a huge weak spot of their defense that was exploited all season. Byron Murphy is a good cornerback who will contribute immediately. There are size concerns but he shows the ability to play from inside or outside. He isn’t one of the better athletes but is athletic enough to cover anybody.
32. New England Patriots – A.J. Brown – WR – Ole Miss
Reigning Super Bowl champions will look to continue to maximize Tom Brady’s remaining window and drafting one of the most pro-ready prospects. A.J. Brown was incredibly productive throughout his career at Ole Miss even while playing with D.K. Metcalf and DaMarkus Lodge. The Patriots need a do-it-all receiver with Gronkowski retiring and Edelman entering the dreaded age 33 season, Brown fits that mold.
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