2019 NFL Mock Draft: Predictions for Most Tantalizing Early-Round Prospects

In fewer than three weeks, we'll start to discover the official landing spots for the 2019 NFL draft class' top prospects.

But it's 2019—who has time to wait that long to start plugging players into teams and schemes? If you're anywhere close to the millennial age group, the only answer here is: no one.

That's what mock drafts are for, folks. Well, that and providing as much insight as possible into football's greatest annual guessing game.

So, after we run through our latest mock opening round, we'll spotlight three of this freshmen-to-be crop's most tantalizing talents.

2019 NFL Mock Draft

1. Arizona Cardinals: Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma

2. San Francisco 49ers: Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State

3. New York Jets: Josh Allen, DE/OLB, Kentucky

4. Oakland Raiders: Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Devin White, LB, LSU

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

7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida

8. Detroit Lions: T.J. Hockenson, TE, Iowa

9. Buffalo Bills: Ed Oliver, DT, Houston

10. Denver Broncos: Drew Lock, QB, Missouri

11. Cincinnati Bengals: Devin Bush, LB, Michigan

12. Green Bay Packers: D.K. Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss

13. Miami Dolphins: Rashan Gary, DE, Michigan

14. Atlanta Falcons: Montez Sweat, DE, Mississippi State

15. Washington Redskins: Daniel Jones, QB, Duke

16. Carolina Panthers: Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson

17. New York Giants (via Cleveland Browns): Brian Burns, DE, Florida State

18. Minnesota Vikings: Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State

19. Tennessee Titans: Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson

20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia

21. Seattle Seahawks: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, S, Florida

22. Baltimore Ravens: Hakeem Butler, WR, Iowa State

23. Houston Texans: Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama

24. Oakland Raiders (via Chicago Bears): Byron Murphy, CB, Washington

25. Philadelphia Eagles: Josh Jacobs, RB, Alabama

26. Indianapolis Colts: N'Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State

27. Oakland Raiders (via Dallas Cowboys): Noah Fant, TE, Iowa

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

29. Kansas City Chiefs: Greedy Williams, CB, LSU

30. Green Bay Packers (via New Orleans Saints): Nasir Adderley, S, Delaware

31. Los Angeles Rams: Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson

32. New England Patriots: Irv Smith Jr., TE, Alabama

Josh Allen, DE/OLB, Kentucky

You want tantalizing? How do 21.5 tackles for loss and 17.0 sacks in a single season sound?

Josh Allen might not be the No. 1 edge-rusher in this class, but he could be 1B to Nick Bosa's 1A. Allen is a blur coming off the end, and he can get from his stance to the quarterback in an instant.

Trust us when we tell you, no SEC quarterbacks are sad to see Allen exit the conference. They were far too familiar with the former Wildcat, who had at least 60 tackles and seven sacks in each of his final three collegiate campaigns.

WalterFootball.com's Charlie Campbell broke down Allen's strengths and weaknesses in a recent scouting report. Campbell detailed 27 different strengths for Allen, including "excellent instincts," "can take over games" and "locker-room leader." The weakness column had a single entry: "can get covered up and pushed on runs coming straight at him."

That's plenty to love about Allen and almost literally nothing to dislike.

D.K. Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

We all saw the famed photo, right? D.K. Metcalf looks like a bodybuilder and runs like an Olympic-caliber sprinter (4.33 seconds in the 40-yard dash—as a 6'3", 228-pounder!).

While he didn't run the most intricate route tree at Ole Miss and could need some development there, he's as electric as his physical tools say he should be once he touches the ball. He averaged 18.3 yards per catch with the Rebels and 14 of his 67 receptions found the end zone (20.9 percent).

NFL.com's Lance Zierlein described Metcalf as a "big, explosive talent with projectable upside to become a home run threat as a WR1." If you're wideout shopping at the draft, isn't that exactly what you're hoping to add?

Maybe Metcalf finds his way into a featured role as a rookie. Or maybe he opens his career as a more complementary receiver. It doesn't matter. Either way, he'll remain a big-play threat every time he's involved in the offense.

Ed Oliver, DT, Houston

How good is Ed Oliver as an athlete? Well, when ESPN's Todd McShay examined this class last May, it was Oliver—not Kyler Murray, Nick Bosa or anyone else—at the top of his list.

Back then, McShay dubbed Oliver "a force on the inside" and "immensely talented." Those descriptions are as true now as ever.

Sure, Oliver didn't exactly set the world on fire in 2018. He lost some time to injury and skipped out on the Cougars' bowl game, so he only suited up eight times. But he still produced 14.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks, pushing his three-year totals to 53.0 and 13.5, respectively.

It isn't hard to look at Oliver and see shades of Aaron Donald, the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year for this season and last. Oliver's ceiling—elevated several stories by his unique combination of strength, athleticism and leverage—is high enough to think executives who pass on him may remember him as the one who got away sooner rather than later.