NFL Mock Draft 2019: 1st-Round Projections and Prospects to Watch

Welcome to the slog of NFL draft season. 

With the draft itself a few weeks out, the news cycle slows to a crawl. Barring something substantial popping up during a pro day or prospect visit, little will change in terms of a player's stock or a team's draft boards. 

After all, teams have reels and reels of film, the NFL Scouting Combine and other events to form an opinion on the draft class. The No. 1 pick still remains a mystery, though it could simply be some sly mystique maintained by an Arizona team looking to keep a smoke screen strong while fueling speculation that keeps fans invested. 

Either way, here's a look at a mock draft and a focus on some prospects to keep an eye on as they make the visits circuit.

2019 NFL Mock Draft

1. Arizona Cardinals: Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State

2. San Francisco 49ers: Josh Allen, DE/OLB, Kentucky

3. New York Jets: Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama

4. Oakland Raiders: Ed Oliver, DT, Houston

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Montez Sweat, DE, Mississippi State

6. New York Giants: Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State

7. Jacksonville Jaguars: D.K. Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss

8. Detroit Lions: Brian Burns, DE, Florida State

9. Buffalo Bills: Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama

10. Denver Broncos: Drew Lock, QB, Missouri

11. Cincinnati Bengals: Devin White, LB, LSU

12. Green Bay Packers: Noah Fant, TE, Iowa

13. Miami Dolphins: Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida

14. Atlanta Falcons: Rashan Gary, DE, Michigan

15. Washington Redskins: Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma

16. Carolina Panthers: N'Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State

17. New York Giants (via Cleveland Browns): Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State

18. Minnesota Vikings: T.J. Hockenson, TE, Iowa

19. Tennessee Titans: Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson

20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Byron Murphy, CB, Washington

21. Seattle Seahawks: Deionte Thompson, S, Alabama

22. Baltimore Ravens: A.J. Brown, WR, Ole Miss

23. Houston Texans: Garrett Bradbury, OL, NC State

24. Oakland Raiders (via Chicago Bears): Greedy Williams, CB, LSU

25. Philadelphia Eagles: Josh Jacobs, RB, Alabama

26. Indianapolis Colts: Marquise Brown, WR, Oklahoma

27. Oakland Raiders (via Dallas Cowboys): Daniel Jones, QB, Duke

28. Los Angeles Chargers: Cody Ford, G, Oklahoma

29. Kansas City Chiefs: Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson

30. Green Bay Packers (via New Orleans Saints): Devin Bush, LB, Michigan

31. Los Angeles Rams: Nasir Adderley, S, Delaware

32. New England Patriots: Jace Sternberger, TE, Texas A&M

2. San Francisco 49ers: Josh Allen, DE/OLB, Kentucky

Kentucky's Josh Allen is one of the bigger names to watch as he makes the rounds in the weeks before the draft, which begins April 25. 

Allen has been in the conversation for the top 10. Productive, 6'5", 262-pound edge-rushers with plus traits and upside have a way of landing near the top of a draft and staying there. 

Naturally, he has a reported meeting with the San Francisco 49ers: 

Notice the report also lists the Detroit Lions, a team that would likely be more than happy to keep beefing up the pass rush after Ezekiel Ansah hit free agency, even after adding Trey Flowers. 

But Allen and the 49ers have always made the most sense, provided Nick Bosa isn't available. The defense mustered 37 sacks a season ago and needs foundational pieces, especially with 2017 third overall pick Solomon Thomas generating one sack last year. 

Allen doesn't answer all the problems for the 49ers. But his above-average abilities in coverage mask what he's going to do on each snap, which blends well with his pass rush and athleticism to make him an instant starter with some of the most upside in the class. 

10. Denver Broncos: Drew Lock, QB, Missouri

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

Drew Lock hasn't been able to elevate his stock over Kyler Murray and Dwayne Haskins. 

That makes sense. The 6'4", 228-pound Mizzou Tiger actually dropped in production a year ago, regressing from 44 touchdowns to 28. It is slightly nitpicking, as stats aren't everything—pro traits are more important. 

But some of the negatives stick out more with Lock compared to the other two, especially with accuracy (he didn't complete north of 60 percent of his passes until his senior season) and ability to navigate pressure. 

That hasn't stopped some of the top teams from checking in on him: 

The New York Giants might want a successor to Eli Manning, and the Washington Redskins need a long-term solution under center after the Alex Smith injury. 

But a team like the Redskins might have to jump the Denver Broncos. 

The Broncos aren't out of the quarterback sweepstakes just because they acquired Joe Flacco. He's 34, had the worst completion percentage of his career dating back to 2013 (61.2) and only threw 12 touchdowns, the worst mark of his career while losing his job to a rookie. 

In Denver, Lock wouldn't need to start right away, which is a nice development for all parties. 

27. Oakland Raiders (via Dallas Cowboys): Daniel Jones, QB, Duke

Gerry Broome/Associated Press

Another quarterback...surprise, right? 

After last year's run when four came off the board within the first 10 picks, it's impossible to ignore the volatility of the position this year, even in what is viewed as a weak class for the position. 

Which makes someone like Duke's Daniel Jones a must-watch prospect. 

Jones is a bit all over the place in terms of his stock. He didn't post eye-popping numbers at Duke, completing just 60.5 percent of his passes last year with 22 touchdowns and nine picks. The former was a career high over three years. But at the same time, onlookers won't often see a prospect with prettier mechanics. 

His possible upside would explain why a team like the Giants had Jones in for a private visit, according to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.

The perfected mechanics, by the way, have a very specific engineer: 

Still, Jones seems like a smoke screen. Meaning, the guy whom teams zero in on but do so in an attempt to misdirect others. Mechanics are nice, but few prospects ever have the upside of a Heisman Trophy winner like Murray. 

In the mock above, the Oakland Raiders pluck Jones out of his fall. Jon Gruden probably doesn't mind working with Derek Carr some more while he fills out the rest of the roster to his liking. But nailing down one of the top passers in the class near the end of the round with one of his three first-round picks isn't so bad either.