It’s draft week! Seems like the perfect time to reveal my first — and last — NFL mock draft of 2019, eh?
While I do have four quarterbacks coming off the board in Round 1, only one of them is selected in the top 10. And fresh off trading Frank Clark, the Seahawks nab an explosive edge rusher.
To see every draft pick each team holds in the 2019 NFL Draft, click here.
School: Oklahoma | Year: Junior (RS)
No surprise here. The
Cardinals make good on the worst-kept secret of this draft season and select the QB to support their head coach. Now, time to support the QB.
Nick Bosa – Edge
School: Ohio State | Year: Junior
Yes, selecting a DL in the top 10 has become all too familiar to Niner Faithful, but Bosa’s a better pure pass rusher than any of the previous selections in this mold — and thus, the reason San Francisco goes with Bosa over
Quinnen Williams.
Quinnen Williams – DT
School: Alabama | Year: Sophomore (RS)
The
Jets went down this road when
Leonard Williams slipped to them at No. 6 back in 2015 — they took the versatile DL despite already having
Muhammad Wilkerson and
Sheldon Richardson on the roster. OK, that didn’t end up working out, but this could be the most likely trade destination in the top 10. If Murray goes No. 1, then Quinnen could be the target of teams looking to move into this spot.
Ed Oliver – DT
School: Houston | Year: Junior
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport’s report of a
“surprise pick” coming at this slot for the
Raiders has me thinking crazy, but for a team solidly last in sack production a year ago, let’s get a guy who has the fastest route to the QB: up the middle. Oliver has the ability to be a formidable interior presence for the
Raiders.
Devin White – LB
School: LSU | Year: Junior
White rides into Tampa despite the Bucs signing LB
Deone Bucannon in free agency. Best linebacker — and one of the safest picks — in the draft.
Jonah Williams – OL
School: Alabama | Year: Junior
Let’s have some fun, shall we? Perhaps the
Giants believe the offensive lineman they covet will be gone by 17, so they turn in the card at 6. We know GM Dave Gettleman loves the hog mollies. We know he believes
Eli Manning can still play. If the
Giants truly want to support their 38-year-old quarterback, then keeping him upright should be where it starts. Positional versatility gives Williams the edge over the rest of the OL class.
T.J. Hockenson – TE
School: Iowa | Year: Sophomore (RS)
Is there a player in this draft that better fits the attitude and style Tom Coughlin covets? The Jags help their two most valuable pieces on offense —
Nick Foles and
Leonard Fournette — with one draft pick.
Josh Allen – Edge
School: Kentucky | Year: Senior
Admittedly, this is further down than I’ve expected Allen to go for the better part of this process. His skill set would seem to be an ideal fit for Matt Patricia’s multiple-look defense.
Montez Sweat – Edge
School: Mississippi State | Year: Senior
GM Brandon Beane was in Carolina when the
Panthers made Julius Peppers a cornerstone of the franchise. I’m not exactly calling Sweat the second coming of Peppers, but the Mississippi State product shares some of those freakish qualities and could be a valuable edge presence for years to come.
Noah Fant – TE
School: Iowa | Year: Junior
The
Broncos get the prolific pass-catching tight end they haven’t had since Julius Thomas departed Denver in 2015.
Rashan Gary – Edge
School: Michigan | Year: Junior
Gary falls out of the top 10, but not by much. While Rapoport reported Tuesday that
Gary’s shoulder has been flagged by teams, the defensive lineman recently told me on NFL Network that he’s
“110 percent.” Could the
Bengals unlock his tremendous potential and get rewarded with the much-anticipated sack production befitting a prospect possessing such elite athletic traits?
Devin Bush – LB
School: Michigan | Year: Junior
After upgrading the edge of their defense in free agency, the
Packers find their man in the middle in the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
Jawaan Taylor – OT
School: Florida | Year: Junior
The
Dolphins add a nasty run blocker and get a fixture for the right side of their offensive line with Taylor, a popular candidate to be the first tackle off the board.
Christian Wilkins – DT
School: Clemson | Year: Senior
Grady Jarrett signed his franchise tender, but without a long-term deal, the future remains unclear. Wilkins could provide some security on that front, and in the interim, give the
Falcons an excellent tackle tandem in the middle of the D-line.
Dwayne Haskins – QB
School: Ohio State | Year: Sophomore (RS)
The fall for Haskins stops in the nation’s capital, where the
Redskins are void of a long-term answer at QB, but won’t be forced to turn to Haskins in Week 1 with
Case Keenum and
Colt McCoy on the roster.
Andre Dillard – OT
School: Washington State | Year: Senior (RS)
The
Panthers‘ O-line remake continues with the selection of an excellent pass-blocking LT in Dillard. Paired with the free-agent signing of C
Matt Paradis, the
Panthers make big strides up front.
Clelin Ferrell – Edge
School: Clemson | Year: Junior (RS)
The
Giants get an edge rusher with their second pick of the first round. Ferrell has experience getting to the QB at the highest level and in the biggest spots. And hey, perhaps the
Giants are the winners of the
Josh Rosen trade sweepstakes.
Cody Ford – OL
School: Oklahoma | Year: Junior (RS)
Ford provides the
Vikings a much-needed upgrade on the offensive line.
Daniel Jones – QB
School: Duke | Year: Junior (RS)
RELAX. Not necessarily putting Jones with the
Titans here, but this is about the time he should come off the board. And since I didn’t mock him to the
Giants, I’m wondering if this is where somebody comes up to get him. Side note: Are you sold on the
Titans QBs right now? Just food for thought.
Greedy Williams – CB
School: LSU | Year: Sophomore (RS)
The
Steelers could use some reinforcements on the perimeter, especially if they’ve grown weary of
Artie Burns. Maybe Pittsburgh would prefer Washington CB
Byron Murphy here, but I like Greedy.
Garrett Bradbury – C
School: N.C. State | Year: Senior (RS)
If you’re going to run the ball like the
Ravens want to, a continued investment up front makes sense — and they do that here in the form of the best center in the class.
Byron Murphy – CB
School: Washington | Year: Sophomore (RS)
Murphy is arguably the cleanest corner in this class and would seem to be quite a bargain for the CB-needy
Texans at this spot.
Marquise Brown – WR
School: Oklahoma | Year: Junior
“Hollywood” teams up with his cousin, Antonio, to form one of the most explosive receiving corps in the league.
Johnathan Abram – S
School: Mississippi State | Year: Senior
Best safety in the class goes to Philly.
Jeffery Simmons – DT
School: Mississippi State | Year: Junior
If the
Colts are considering
Dexter Lawrence here, then why not Simmons, who could be one of the best players in this draft when healthy?
Rock Ya-Sin – CB
School: Temple | Year: Senior
Chargers fortify their secondary with a technically sound corner and willing tackler.
Lonnie Johnson Jr. – CB
School: Kentucky | Year: Senior
One of my favorite players in this draft, Johnson dominated at the
Senior Bowl. He provides a physical presence on the perimeter and has the ability to be one of the premier press corners in the league. That style has played well in Seattle in the past.
Chris Lindstrom – OG
School: Boston College | Year: Senior
The
Packers have long boasted a completely homegrown (through the draft) offensive line. Lindstrom helps get them back there on the interior.
Dexter Lawrence – DT
School: Clemson | Year: Junior
The
Rams obviously value the interior presence along their defensive line, and with
Ndamukong Suh not in the plans for 2019, Lawrence could fit next to
Aaron Donald.
D.K. Metcalf – WR
School: Mississippi | Year: Sophomore (RS)
Bill Belichick has never selected a receiver in the first round as head coach in New England, but Metcalf’s speed could tempt him enough to do it here. And if it isn’t the Pats, does someone else make a move up for Metcalf at the back end of Round 1? An OL like
Dalton Risner or
Kaleb McGary got some consideration here, but let’s shoot some fireworks to end the night.
Follow Rhett Lewis on Twitter @RhettNFL.