GREG DEPALMA’S NFL MOCK DRAFT 2.0
Here’s our updated mock draft for the 2019 season.
You can listen to our final ‘Mock Draft Podcast’ on Ourlads’ Guide to the 2019 NFL Draft with Dan Shonka as Dan and I go in-depth on every pick in the first-round.
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And make sure to enter your own picks in the free 7-round ‘Mock Draft Challenge’ where you can win $500 by beating the field.
FIRST ROUND MOCK DRAFT
1 Arizona QB Kyler Murray, Oklahoma
So which team will steal Josh Rosen?
2 San Francisco DE Nick Bosa, Ohio State
San Francisco hasn’t finished in the upper half of the league in sacks for over six years. Therefore, the signing of Dee Ford should have little impact on whether they use their top pick on another premier edge-rusher who also happens to be the best player in the entire draft.
3 NY Jets DL Ed Oliver, Houston
It’s no secret by now that the Jets are desperate to trade down and add picks because they still need an elite edge-rusher and starters at center and cornerback. Most logical trade partners are the Giants (for their two first-round picks) and the Bengals (for their first, second and 2020 first-round picks).
Washington could come into play, but they would have to give up a ton of picks to get the Jets to drop down that far.
4 Oakland DE Josh Allen, Kentucky
With four picks in the first 35, the Raiders will have a good chance to re-stock their roster with elite talent. I feel pretty good about them adding an edge-rusher, running back and cornerback early in the process.
5 Tampa Bay DT Quinnen Williams, Alabama
With limited salary cap space and a potential deal to unload DT Gerald McCoy, the Bucs have several good options including Williams to replace their longtime star.
If Dwayne Haskins is still available by time this pick comes around, the Bucs could trade down to accumulate more draft collateral which is something this organization desperately needs.
6 NY Giants QB Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State
I seriously doubt the Giants will get lucky and not have to trade up to get Haskins if they truly want him. If Haskins and Quinnen Williams are gone by time this pick comes around, OL Jonah Williams would be my top pick here. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see them trade down too.
7 Jacksonville TE TJ Hockenson, Iowa
If you’ve been paying any attention to the main weapons that aided QB Nick Foles during his successful two-year run in Philadelphia, then you know the Jags will add at least one top-tier tight-end to their roster.
OL Jonah Williams or a top defensive lineman are also possibilities.
8 Detroit ILB Devin White, LSU
White is one of the top-five players in the draft and if he’s still available the Lions will pounce. Other options include DEs Rashan Gary & Montez Sweat as well as CB Greedy Williams.
9 Buffalo DE Montez Sweat, Mississippi State
The Bills pass rush has been a sore-spot since Sean McDermott took over in 2017, even though they did improve from 27 sacks in 2017 to 36 last season. This is a position that needs a young star to develop and Sweat would be as good an option as anyone at this spot. DE Clelin Ferrell and OL Jonah Williams are also in the mix here.
Keep in mind that Ferrell could be chosen over Sweat if Sweat’s recent health concerns have him free-fall down the board.
10 Denver OL Jonah Williams, Alabama
If the Broncos are trying to win now, which I do believe to be the case, then making sure Joe Flacco has better talent protecting him should be a priority. And since not many quarterback’s in the league like throwing to their tight-ends more than Flacco does, Denver could go with Noah Fant here or Hockenson if he’s still on the board.
11 Cincinnati QB Drew Lock, Missouri
New young offensive-minded head coach = new QB.
The Bengals can also save 40 million by cutting Andy Dalton.
12 Green Bay ILB Devin Bush, Michigan
With three picks in the first 44, the Packers should add at least two top defensive players early and Bush is my choice here because he’s a rare talent for the position and the type of player who can help transform the entire unit.
The Packers will probably add a tight-end early too, but they might be able to get Noah Fant with their second pick or Irv Smith Jr. with their third.
13 Miami RT Andre Dillard, Washington State
This roster might be the worst in football and with only two picks in the first 77, Miami needs to do whatever they can to trade down and accumulate more talent. They can also use one of those picks by working out a deal with Arizona for Rosen.
14 Atlanta DE Clelin Ferrell, Clemson
With key contract decisions upcoming on the defensive line for Vic Beasley, Jack Crawford and Grady Jarrett, the Falcons need to add depth. After tagging Jarrett, the Falcons proved how much they value his abilities and will most likely lock him up long-term. But Beasley has regressed over the past two seasons after registering 15 ½ sacks in 2016 and will probably be one of the players Atlanta must decide to move on from. So with this being a very good class for edge-rushing talent, the Falcons might end up grabbing someone early like Ferrell.
Other possibilities include a top corner or right tackle.
15 Washington WR D.K. Metcalf, Ole Miss
The Redskins have done a solid job re-building their defense by using their last two top picks on Alabama lineman. Now they have to start investing more quality in the back-seven while also hoping to land a dynamic big-play receiver.
16 Carolina DE Rashan Gary, Michigan
Following a poultry 35-sack season and the retirement of Julius Peppers, the Panthers need to add at least one blue-chip edge-rusher to the mix and they couldn’t ask for a better draft class to find him. That’s why if Rashan Gary drops this far, he would be an excellent option with this pick.
CB Greedy Williams would also make sense here since three of Carolina’s top corners are entering the market after the season.
17 NY Giants OLB Brian Burns, Florida State
If the Giants land QB Dwayne Haskins with the 6th pick, this would be a good spot to go with an edge-rusher like Burns. If the edge-rushers are all gone though, then RT Jawaan Taylor and WR AJ Brown would be good options too.
If the Giants don’t go with Haskins, then QB Daniel Jones comes into play.
18 Minnesota DL Christian Wilkins, Clemson
Wilkins would be a nice fit here since he’s versatile and can help the Vikings in a variety of roles on the defensive line. He’s also an underrated talent who would be a bargain at 18.
CB Greedy Williams and TE Noah Fant are also options.
19 Tennessee C Garrett Bradbury, NC State
Bradbury could end up as the top overall lineman in this year’s class, and the Titans need a new young pivot since current C Ben Jones is on the downswing of his career and will be a free-agent in 2020. Jones can simply slide over to guard in 2019.
Look for the Titans to add a pass-rusher and a receiver with their next few picks.
20 Pittsburgh WR Marquise Brown, Oklahoma
Lots of options here with Brown getting the nod thanks to his elite speed that will help spread the entire field. Last year’s second-round pick James Washington is no sure thing after a disappointing rookie season, so Brown will also provide insurance.
Other players available on our board to keep an eye on include RB Damien Harris and CB Greedy Williams.
21 Seattle CB Greedy Williams, LSU
Seattle only has four picks in this year’s draft, so look for a potential trade or two to acquire some collateral. DE Frank Clark and WR Doug Baldwin are trade candidates with Clark looking like a lock at this point. UPDATE: Seattle trades Clark to Chiefs and acquire the 29th pick in first-round.
If Williams is gone by 21, I can see the Seahawks going with a receiver (N’Keal Harry), an offensive lineman (Kaleb McGary) or an edge-rusher (Jaylon Ferguson).
If the Seahawks go in another direction with their first pick, keep an eye on CB Joejuan Williams from Vanderbilt as a potential second or third-round selection.
22 Baltimore WR Deebo Samuel, South Carolina
After losing John Brown to Buffalo and cutting Michael Crabtree, the Ravens have to replace two of their top three receivers. They did use picks last year on Jaleel Scott (4th) and Jordan Lasley (5th), but what they really need is an elite-talent Lamar Jackson can grow with and Samuel fits that model as good as any receiver in this class.
If C Garrett Bradbury were to slip though, the Ravens might just take him instead and go with a receiver later.
23 Houston OT Kaleb McGary, Washington
Just like last year this is Houston’s primary need position.
The main spot to address is right tackle after Kendall Lamm signed with Cleveland. Seantrel Henderson signed a one-year deal, but he’s returning from a broken ankle and hasn’t started more than three games over the last three seasons combined. Last year’s 3rd-round pick, Martinas Rankin, made three unremarkable starts at left tackle, but the Texans see him more as a swing tackle or a potential future starter inside anyway.
Houston can also use another defensive back while TE Noah Fant would give Deshaun Watson a new toy to play with.
24 Oakland CB Byron Murphy, Washington
The Raiders have some interesting options at this position, but they can’t afford to wait long on selecting at least one top-level corner with one of their first four picks.
Other possible options include WR AJ Brown, TE Noah Fant and RB Damien Harris.
25 Philadelphia WR AJ Brown, Ole Miss
Nelson Agholor is a free-agent after the season and the depth behind their top three is very questionable. Mack Hollins also missed last season with a groin injury.
26 Indianapolis DL Jeffery Simmons, Mississippi St.
G.M. Chris Ballard is clearly the most underrated football executive in the NFL and his master plan of building from within is about to pay huge dividends. Not only do the Colts have the most salary cap space in the league, but they quite possibly have the least amount of issues. That’s why I’m going with Simmons here. Ballard and the Colts are building towards a long-term goal, which is why they can afford to be more patient with Simmons - who tore his ACL in February - than most other G.M.’s.
My No. 2 choice here is RB Josh Jacobs and I’d keep an eye on DE Jaylon Ferguson and DB Chauncey Gardner-Johnson for pick No. 34.
27 Oakland TE Noah Fant, Iowa
Oakland allowed their leading receiver (Jared Cook) to leave via free agency to New Orleans so picking up Fant would be a smart move.
The Raiders also need to add a running back early even if Marshawn Lynch returns for another season.
28 Los Angeles OT Jawaan Taylor, Florida
As good as the Chargers were last season, they still have several key holes to fill at right tackle, defensive line and safety.
Besides Taylor at this spot, keep an eye on DTs Dexter Lawrence & Jerry Tillery as well as DBs Johnathan Abram & Juan Thornhill.
QB Daniel Jones could also be an option here as a developmental future starter.
29 Seattle DE Jaylon Ferguson, Louisiana Tech
Seattle acquires this pick for DE Frank Clark.
The Chiefs will look for a running back and a defensive back with their first few picks.
30 Green Bay SS Juan Thornhill, Virginia
The Packers have invested heavily in this area over the past two drafts and so far only CB Jaire Alexander looks like a solid long-term solution. I expect they’ll go down this well early again to add a corner as well as a safety to compete with Josh Jones. That’s why Thornhill is a good fit here. He has experience at both positions and would work well with new S Adrian Amos.
Other positions to keep an eye on include wide-receiver, tight-end and offensive tackle.
31 Los Angeles DT Dexter Lawrence, Clemson
The decision to go with Lawrence appears to be an easy one. If they pass on Lawrence or if he’s unavailable, I would look for an edge-rusher, some offensive line depth or a defensive back.
The Rams will probably add some running back depth on the second or third day.
32 New England WR N’Keal Harry, Arizona State
The defending champs own a league-high 12 draft picks and I suspect they’ll spend several of them on much needed receiving depth. They also need to add some pass rushers, find safety depth and look for Tom Brady’s eventual successor.
Harry makes a lot of sense here since he can double as a receiver and a returner, basically replacing departed Cordarrelle Patterson.
If Harry is off the board, I’d look at TE Irv Smith Jr., QB Daniel Jones or even safeties Johnathan Abram and Taylor Rapp.