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NFL Draft 2019: Complete Order and Predictions Ahead of Scouting Combine
February 10, 2019
The next set of important dates in the buildup to the 2019 NFL draft is February 26-March 4, when the NFL Scouting Combine takes place in Indianapolis.
At the combine, NFL personnel receive a better chance to watch the top prospects in person and break down every little detail of their respective skill sets.
For some prospects, like Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray, the combine is more important to them than others, as they look to prove they're worth being selected high in the first round of April's draft.
The NFL released the full list of 338 combine invitees Thursday, with Murray being the one player on the list people couldn't stop talking about.
2019 1st-Round NFL Mock Draft
1. Arizona Cardinals: Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State
2. San Francisco 49ers: Josh Allen, LB, Kentucky
3. New York Jets: Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama
4. Oakland Raiders: Rashan Gary, DT, Michigan
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Greedy Williams, CB, LSU
6. New York Giants: Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State
7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma
8. Detroit Lions: Ed Oliver, DT, Houston
9. Buffalo Bills: Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama
10. Denver Broncos: Devin White, LB, LSU
11. Cincinnati Bengals: Cody Ford, OG, Oklahoma
12. Green Bay Packers: Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson
13. Miami Dolphins: Montez Sweat, DE, Mississippi State
14. Atlanta Falcons: Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson
15. Washington Redskins: Drew Lock, QB, Missouri
16. Carolina Panthers: Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi State
17. Cleveland Browns: N'Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State
18. Minnesota Vikings: Greg Little, OT, Ole Miss
19. Tennessee Titans: Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson
20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia
21. Seattle Seahawks: Deionte Thompson, S, Alabama
22. Baltimore Ravens: D.K. Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss
23. Houston Texans: Jachai Polite, DE, Florida
24. Oakland Raiders (from Chicago): Marquise Brown, WR, Oklahoma
25. Philadelphia Eagles: Byron Murphy, CB, Washington
26. Indianapolis Colts: Zach Allen, DE, Boston College
27. Oakland Raiders (from Dallas): Brian Burns, DE, Florida State
28. Los Angeles Chargers: Noah Fant, TE, Iowa
29. Kansas City Chiefs: Devin Bush, LB, Michigan
30. Green Bay Packers (from New Orleans): A.J. Brown, WR, Ole Miss
31. Los Angeles Rams: Yodny Cajuste, OT, West Virginia
32. New England Patriots: Daniel Jones, QB, Duke
Analysis
For the NFL franchises in need of a quarterback, the combine is going to be all about Murray.
From the player's perspective, Murray needs to show on the field that he's not limited by his size, and he needs to impress head coaches and general managers in off-field interviews.
The interviews are going to be key for Murray, who still has the option of playing baseball lingering out there if he chooses against playing in the NFL.
Murray should expect a hard collection of questions from teams like the New York Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins, all of whom need to make additions at quarterback.
If teams leave Indianapolis happy with what they heard and saw from Murray, his draft stock should continue to rise.
The Giants will receive most of the pressure heading into the draft because none of the teams in the top five have a glaring need at quarterback.
With Eli Manning inching closer to a possible retirement and no clear heir to the throne behind him on the depth chart, the Giants need to make a decision with their future in mind.
Jacksonville is in the same boat, as it is expected to cut ties with Blake Bortles, which opens the door for a new starting quarterback to come into the team in 2019.
However, the Jaguars, like a few other teams, have a decision to make at quarterback before the draft since Nick Foles and Joe Flacco are the best in-league options.
If for some reason, the Giants and Jaguars choose to go in a different direction, Denver, Miami and Washington have to be prepared with a wealth of knowledge on Murray, as they are the other teams in need of a signal-caller inside the top 15.
For the five teams mentioned above, scouting Ohio State's Dwayne Haskins, Missouri's Drew Lock and Duke's Daniel Jones will be important too.
At this time, Haskins is the only quarterback predicted to go ahead of Murray in the top 10, and it's likely the Giants or Jaguars take the Ohio State product, and the other goes after the Heisman Trophy winner out of Oklahoma.
If that situation comes into play, the Broncos, Dolphins and Redskins will be forced to make decisions with their future in mind.
If they believe a franchise quarterback isn't there for the taking in the first round, they need to improve other areas of their respective depth charts instead of reaching on a signal-caller in the first round.
When it comes to the overall prospects, Nick Bosa needs to prove to NFL personnel that he is 100 percent healthy at the combine after deciding to skip the majority of Ohio State's season to focus on recovering from an injury with an eye on the NFL.
Houston's Ed Oliver will also be one of the prospects under the microscope, as he looks to earn the tag of guaranteed top-10 pick after his stock slipped throughout the college football season because of a lack of big numbers and clashes with the coaching staff at Houston.
While most eyes will be on the high-profile college players, there will be some unexpected standouts at the combine as well.
By the time the combine is over, don't be surprised to hear a few new names in the first-round discussion based solely on impressive combine performances.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.