NFL Mock Draft 2019: 1st-Round Projections and Ideal Scenarios for Top Prospects
Smoke-screen season remains in full effect ahead of the 2019 NFL draft.
The April 25-27 showcase that stands as one of the biggest events in sports is still a mystery. For now, everything starting right at the No. 1 overall pick is a question mark. Those Arizona Cardinals could take Kyler Murray—or they could simply be playing the long con in hopes of a trade.
With a prospect like Murray, it is hard to say what his ideal scenario might be. For some players, it is landing where a team will have some patience while veterans still start. Others need to get on the field right away.
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Here's a look at a new mock draft and some of the best examples of ideal scenarios for prospects.
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
4. Oakland Raiders: Ed Oliver, DT, Houston
On paper, Ed Oliver won't need much help at the next level.
After all, the Houston product looks something akin to an Aaron Donald clone. He's a 6'2", 287-pound interior force who has the power (32 reps of bench press at the combine) to stop the run and the athleticism (120-inch broad jump) to collapse pockets from the interior.
Those testing measurements aren't everything, of course. Rather, they confirmed what the film showed—which is a top-10 prospect teams will kick themselves for passing on. He did more of the same at his pro day:
But even a prospect like Oliver can have an ideal landing spot. He could end up going somewhere that needs him to do it all on his own.
Or he could end up in a place like Oakland, where the Raiders already roster a force in the middle like Maurice Hurst. Last year's fifth-round pick has four sacks on his own over 13 games and was as advertised as a disruptor.
In Oakland, Oliver would benefit from moving all over the line and not having to deal with as much attention from opposing offenses as he might in a different locale. Sitting as a top-five pick and put in an optimal position to make serious rookie noise is about as good as it gets for Oliver.
6. New York Giants: Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State
It seems Dwayne Haskins is this year's supposed big faller at quarterback.
Somebody had to get the honor. The 2019 class isn't overly impressive compared to some past years, but Haskins has competition in the form of Kyler Murray, Drew Lock and Daniel Jones, at a minimum.
Hence the following from NFL.com's Lance Zierlein:
Despite this, Haskins' best landing spot remains the New York Giants.
The 6'3", 231-pound Haskins threw for 50 scores and just eight interceptions a year ago, but the fact that he did all of his impressive pro showcasing over only one season is a problem. Continuing to develop as a passer while also adapting to pro speed and the complexity of defensive looks is a major hurdle for any signal-caller, let alone one with only a season's worth of starting experience.
Eli Manning appears set to be the starter going into next season. Agree with the move from a win-now standpoint or not, the Giants starting Manning while Haskins gets to stand on the sideline and learn for a season isn't a bad outcome for the Ohio State star.
Granted, it would be nice if Haskins would still have Odell Beckham Jr. to target once he eventually assumed the starting gig. But managing a run-first offense built around Saquon Barkley isn't so bad.
12. Green Bay Packers: Noah Fant, TE, Iowa
A prospect like Iowa tight end Noah Fant needs the right environment to start marching toward a lengthy NFL career.
Unlike teammate T.J. Hockenson, Fant isn't as well-rounded of a prospect and struggles a bit on the line as a blocker. It limits his perceived NFL ceiling—to a degree.
After all, Fant is a superb weapon down the field.
Kyle Crabbs of the Draft Network summed it up: "The league has never been friendlier to flex targets and Fant runs like a receiver and leaps like a basketball pro. Fant is a nightmare in space and will excel in a vertical passing offense that can implement him in the middle of the field."
The perfect spot for a prospect of Fant's caliber is in Green Bay with a coaching staff and quarterback who will use his skill set in an optimal way. The 6'4", 249-pound target caught 18 touchdowns over his past two seasons on all of 69 catches, so he'll be a fun target right out of the gates for Aaron Rodgers.
Those Packers didn't get the expected return out of Jimmy Graham last year (two touchdowns), but he'd be a superb mentor for Fant as the rookie looks to round out his game, too.
Fant standing tall as a top-12 pick isn't a bad outcome for him, either.
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