Projecting Where A.J. Brown Will Land After Day 1 of 2019 NFL Draft

The first round of the 2019 NFL draft came and went in Nashville, Tennessee on Thursday night, and Ole Miss receiver A.J. Brown was not among the 32 names called. 

Now, he must wait until Day 2 to find out where he will land.

Brown is coming off an extremely productive career with the Rebels, one that saw him eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in each of his final two years on campus. He established new career highs in both receptions (85) and yards (1,320) as a junior in 2018. He also found the end zone a total of 17 times in 23 games over those final two seasons.

That standout career led to Bleacher Report's Matt Miller rating Brown not only as the top receiver in this year's draft class but also as the No. 14 overall prospect.

Brown himself has gone on the record and said he believes he is the best player at his position:

Well, two other wideouts were selected ahead of him on the draft's opening night—Marquise "Hollywood" Brown to the Baltimore Ravens at No. 25 and N'Keal Harry to the New England Patriots at No. 32. While he may not have been taken in the first round, he does find himself listed among the best available prospects by a number of NFL insiders:

In other words, he shouldn't have to wait long on Friday. 

Barring any trades, there appear to be a few logical landing spots: the Arizona Cardinals (No. 33), Indianapolis Colts (No. 34) and San Francisco 49ers (No. 36).

First-year Arizona head coach Kliff Kingsbury selected reigning Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray with his first-ever draft pick. Adding a dynamic playmaker on the outside would make the young quarterback's job easier as he adjusts to life in the NFL, especially with 35-year-old Larry Fitzgerald nearing the end of his Hall of Fame career.

However, Oklahoma offensive guard Cody Ford, who Miller ranks 26th overall, is still available, and the Cardinals may not be able to pass up the opportunity to improve an offensive line that gave up 52 sacks last year—tied for the fifth-most. With a rookie quarterback, protection has to be a top priority.

Colts coach Frank Reich acknowledged at the combine that he wouldn't be opposed to adding a receiver for depth behind T.Y. Hilton. After it traded out of the first round, the team could face a tough call between Brown and combine standout D.K. Metcalf.

If Arizona and Indianapolis pass on Brown, though, San Francisco would likely jump all over him. No 49ers wide receiver managed more than 500 yards in 2018, with Kendrick Bourne (487 yards) leading the way.

An early-season injury to quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo certainly contributed to those numbers, but there's no question the team needs to bolster its receiving corps. Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan admitted as much in March, per ESPN's Nick Wagoner.

Arizona appears to have a bigger need elsewhere, and Indianapolis may also fill other holes. As a result, Brown could fall to San Francisco.

Regardless, he should not slip past No. 36.