1.Arizona Cardinals: Kyler Murray, quarterback (Oklahoma)
It's hard to tell what's actually true during Smokescreen SZN, but the "Josh Rosen might be staying in Arizona after all!" whispers are by far the least convincing reports floating around the NFL news wire at the moment. New head coach Kliff Kingsbury is a perceived offensive wizard that wants his own guy under center and since they're picking 1st overall, the Cardinals have the rare luxury of honoring that request without having to give anything up in the process. Murray's rare accuracy and pocket presence for a dual-threat QB makes him a really appealing option to run Kingsbury's air raid attack.
2.San Francisco 49ers: Nick Bosa, edge rusher (Ohio State)
With the Cardinals going with a quarterback, the next four teams on the board will seemingly get their pick of the litter in this loaded defensive draft. While there's durability concerns that aren't there with Quinnen Williams and Josh Allen, Bosa would fill a desperate need at defensive end/outside linebacker. With his combination of excellent power, speed and technique off the edge, Bosa looks like could become an even more lethal pass rusher than his older brother Joey-who was picked 3rd overall by the Chargers in 2016 and has 28.5 sacks in his first 35 NFL games.
3.New York Jets: Josh Allen, edge rusher (Kentucky)
A trade down is very possible here as the Jets currently only have 6 picks and aren't slated to pick again until the top of the 3rd round. That being said, their near signing of Anthony Barr in free agency indicates that they're desperate for edge help and the consistent tenacity that Allen displays when pursuing the quarterback paired with his ability to drop back in coverage if needed might be too tempting for Mike Maccganan to pass up.
4.Oakland Raiders: Quinnen Williams, defensive tackle (Alabama)
Dealing Khalil Mack prior to the start of last season has left the Raiders with no elite defensive assets to build around. Taking Williams here could change that. Williams is arguably the most disruptive interior defensive line prospect to come along since Aaron Donald and even the remote possibility of adding that type of game-changing force to the middle of their defense should have Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock rushing to the phones to send their pick in.
5.Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Ed Oliver, defensive tackle (Houston)
Switching to a 3-4 under new DC Todd Bowles has completely re-shuffled the Bucs front 7. With Jason Pierre-Paul moving back to outside linebacker and last year's 1st round pick Vita Vea being penciled at nose tackle, a slot on the defensive line is now up for grabs. Enter Oliver. Allowing him to play as more of a defensive end eliminates the size concerns (he's listed at 6'2, 287 lbs) that have plagued him throughout the pre-draft evaluation process and his superb instincts, relentless motor and steadfast refusal to quit on a play would be a great addition to this overhauled unit.
6.New York Giants: Daniel Jones, quarterback (Duke)
The Giants seem strangely content to trot out the rotting corpse
of Eli Manning at quarterback for another year and I wouldn't bat an
eye if Dave Gettleman's repeated insistence that the 2x Super Bowl
Champ will be their uncontested starter for the foreseeable future
proved to be truthful. That being said, they've been linked to Jones
for quite some time now, so I'm going to go ahead and say with a
modest amount of confidence that 2019's “Looks the Part” QB of
the Year ends up landing in East Rutherford.
7.Jacksonville Jaguars: Jawaan Taylor, tackle (Florida)
The Jags o-line has been wretched for years now and considering that they want to be a smashmouth, run-first team that relies on their defense to win games, addressing this perennial liability remains at the top of their list of needs. Taylor is the best run-blocking tackle in this draft by far-which should be enough to give him an edge over the rest of the offensive lineman that are projected to go in the top 20.
8.Detroit Lions: Brian Burns, edge rusher (Florida State)
The Lions desire to move down is no secret, but if they decide to stick and pick, adding an edge rusher to pair with free agent pickup Trey Flowers makes a ton of sense. An explosive pass rush-centric guy like Burns would be the perfect complement to Flowers-who is one of the position's finest run defenders.
9.Buffalo Bills: Christian Wilkins, defensive tackle (Clemson)
While their woes at receiver gained more attention thanks to the passing game struggles of rookie quarterback Josh Allen, no unit on the Bills struggled more in 2018 than their defensive interior. Free agent pickup Star Loltulelei got torched in the running game, rookie Harrison Phillips was below average at best and beloved veteran workhorse Kyle Williams-who announcement his retirement at the end of the year-finally slowed down to the point where he wasn't making a notable impact whenever he was on the field. Adding a strong, well-rounded player like Wilkins who is polished enough to start right away could help alleviate some of these lingering issues as they look to take a step forward in their rebuilding process.
10.Denver Broncos: Devin White, inside linebacker (LSU)
This pick would be a perfect marriage of value and fit. White is a top 5-caliber talent who just happens to be exactly the type of sound, athletic field general new head coach Vic Fangio wants in the middle of his defense. Plus selecting White would allow John Elway, who is clearly still scarred from his decision to take Paxton Lynch 26th overall in 2016, to continue to stall on taking a quarterback- making this a win for every power player in the Broncos organization.
11.Cincinnati Bengals: Dwayne Haskins, quarterback (Ohio State)
Bringing in a new head coach (former Rams QB coach Zac Taylor) should be enough to inspire a long-overdue shakeup at the quarterback position. Haskins is an accurate pure pocket-passer who made a ton of NFL-caliber throws during his lone year as Ohio State's starter and getting a chance to sit behind frustrating albeit completely competent vet Andy Dalton for a year should be beneficial for his long-term development.
12.Green Bay Packers: T.J. Hockensen, tight end (Iowa)
Yes, the Packers spent big bucks on Jimmy Graham a year ago, but he's a nearly 33-year old receiver who barely lines up outside of the slot and is coming off an underwhelming 2 TD season. Hockensen is willing to do the dirty work as a blocker that Graham isn't while also providing the downfield receiving prowess that the 5-time Pro Bowler failed to provide during his inaugural season in Cheese Country.
13.Miami Dolphins: Jonah Williams, guard/tackle (Alabama)
Is a quarterback out of the question here? No, but considering that they effectively just launched a rebuild and Ryan Fitzpatrick is a completely viable stopgap option, they can afford to wait until next year to take their next potential franchise guy. Adding a hard-nosed technician who can lineup anywhere but center to a line that currently has no legit starters besides left tackle Laremy Tunsil would be a savvy, forward-thinking move for Brian Flores' squad.
14.Atlanta Falcons: Jerry Tillery, defensive tackle (Notre Dame)
No one benefited more from the results of the post-combine medical recheck than Tillery and his rapidly-rising stock could catapult him to the middle of the first round. Putting someone with Tillery's burst and strength next to gap-clogging mauler Grady Jarrett should put the Falcons in contention for the title of Most Overwhelming Interior Pass Rush in the League.
15.Washington Redskins: Drew Lock, quarterback (Missouri)
Alex Smith's career is still very much in jeopardy and projected 2019 starter Case Keenum will be a free agent after the season. These long-term question marks under center open up the door for the 'Skins to take a chance on Lock. His accuracy (56.9 career CMP%) and performance against tough competition (he only posted a 2:1 TD:INT ratio against SEC opponents in 2018) in college were very questionable, but Lock's rocket arm, mobility and wealth of starting experience (3 years) has won him quite a few fans in scouting circles despite the presence of these alarming red flags on his resume.
16.Carolina Panthers: Andre Dillard, tackle (Washington State)
Not having a true left tackle on the roster with Cam Newton coming off major shoulder surgery isn't a great look for the Panthers. While his inconsistency as a run-blocker game admittedly isn't ideal for a team that heavily relies on the run, Dillard is a stout pass-protector that possesses exceptional athleticism for the position who could have what it takes to slide into that vital role.
17.New York Giants: Rashan Gary, edge rusher/defensive tackle (Michigan)
Gettleman is reportedly just as interested in adding an edge
rusher as he is a quarterback whose strongest asset is being tall.
Gary is a polarizing prospect with a bum shoulder who never really
popped at Michigan, but he's super athletic and can line up anywhere
on the defensive line-making him a very desirable target for Dice Roll Dave.
18.Minnesota Vikings: Garrett Bradbury, center/guard (NC State)
There's honestly not even a single spot on the Vikings o-line can be a considered a strength right now, so the front office has the freedom to draft whoever they feel is the best lineman still on the board at #18. Fluid, pro-ready footwork/hand usage and 3 years of starting experience at a solid ACC program should ultimately help Bradbury get the nod over the physically-imposing, but very erratic Oklahoma product Cody Ford.
19.Tennessee Titans: Noah Fant, tight end (Iowa)
Surrounding Marcus Mariota with weapons has been ongoing mission that has yielded very poor results during his 4 years with the Titans. Bringing in a potential matchup nightmare (6'4, 249 lbs, 4.5 40 time) in Fant to occupy the slot may finally introduce an element of explosiveness to a typically conservative aerial attack as the 25 year-old signalcaller enters his contract year.
20.Pittsburgh Steelers: Devin Bush, inside linebacker (Michigan)
Inside linebacker play has been a crippling problem in the Steel City since Ryan Shazier suffered a (likely) career-ending spine injury in December 2017. Filling the shoes of a guy who became a cult hero thanks to his sideline-to-sideline playmaking ability over his 4 years in the league would be tough for anybody, but Bush appears to be 100% qualified to take on this daunting challenge. The freakishly athletic Michigan star plays the game with the same type of frenzied energy as Shazier did and could end up being similarly productive in Keith Butler's zone scheme as a result.
21.Seattle Seahawks: Clelin Ferrell, edge rusher (Clemson)
Pass rush was an area that the Seahawks needed to improve going to 2019 and now that they've traded reigning sack leader Frank Clark, they're absolutely desperate to land some edge help here. Luckily for them, a touted prospect like Ferrell should still be on the board at #21. Ferrell is nowhere near the project that Clark was coming out of college and his ideal quick first step/power to fight through blocks combo makes him the next potential double-digit sack threat in the Pacific Northwest.
22.Baltimore Ravens: Marquise Brown, wide receiver (Oklahoma)
A quick glance at the Ravens wide receiver depth chart (Willie Snead and Seth Roberts, who combined for 1,148 YDS and 3 TD's in 2018, are currently projected to start) indicates that the position is a top priority for them during this draft. With his blistering speed and shiftiness in the open field, Brown is the type of home run threat that could help bring Lamar Jackson's passing to the next level.
23.Houston Texans: Cody Ford, guard/tackle (Oklahoma)
Whether or not Ford, who battled some consistency issues throughout his college career, is ready to play tackle at the next level remains a serious question, but his proficiency as a downfield blocker and exceptional athleticism for his size (nearly 330 lbs) makes him perfectly suited to play guard right away in the Texans uptempo offense.
24.Oakland Raiders: Greedy Williams, cornerback (LSU)
Getting a read on this corner class is damn near impossible. There's nothing that even resembles a consensus regarding the top prospects and the estimates of when the 1st guy will come off the board have been all over the map (I've seen everything from top 5 to the beginning of Round 2). Given their egregious lack of secondary talent, the Raiders seems like a good bet to kick off the draft night festivities for the divas of the backend. Williams is a gambler who will allow some ugly TD's and regularly get exploited as a tackler, but his strong footwork, route-recognition skills and top-end speed gives him a high ceiling that rivals any DB in this class.
25.Philadelphia Eagles: Darnell Savage, safety (Maryland)
Buzz has started to swell around this previously wildly underrated safety from the University of Maryland entering the 1st round equation. While there's a ton of teams picking from 20-32 that are in the market for a safety, the Eagles appear to be the most likely to pull the trigger on Savage early. His combination of strong coverage skills, exceptional burst that allows him to stalk the line of scrimmage and the high football IQ you want in a free safety makes him a really appealing option for a defense that ranked 30th against the pass last season.
26.Indianapolis Colts: Byron Murphy, cornerback (Washington)
Pierre Desir was a nice surprise for the Colts last year, but they still need to add some more depth at the corner position if they want to try and separate themselves from the pack in a deep AFC South. Murphy is a tough and disciplined ballhawk (of the 87 targets he faced in college, he made 7 INT's, 20 pass breakups and allowed a CMP% of just 48.8) who could ruin a lot of receiver's days for the next decade.
27.Oakland Raiders: Josh Jacobs, running back (Alabama)
Gruden is a proud gridiron Neanderthal, so him taking the 1st running back of the 2019 draft would truly be poetic. While he lacks top-end speed (the 4.63 40 he ran at his Pro Day has drawn a lot of criticism), Jacobs is a tough, patient runner with very little tread on his tires (he never touched the ball more than 140 times in any of his 3 seasons at Alabama) who contributes enough in the passing game to be an all-around back at the next level.
28.Los Angeles Chargers: Dexter Lawrence, defensive tackle (Clemson)
Ask the Patriots just how easy it was to run wild on the Chargers last season. Adding a 340-pound nose tackle who can routinely blow through double teams and make TFL's might not be enough to completely nix their woes against competent ground attacks, but it would certainly be a nice step in the right direction of accomplishing their lofty goal of allowing nearly 5 yards per carry in a playoff game again for a 2nd straight season.
29.Seattle Seahawks: Rock Ya-Sin, cornerback (Temple)
The Seahawks have rostered plenty of physical, athletically-gifted corners who are far from finished products over the years (Byron Maxwell, Brandon Browner, current top Shaq Griffin) and that's exactly what Ya-Sin is at this juncture. He only played against D1 competition for 1 season and his fundamentals are REALLY rough, but Sin displayed solid ball skills and a consistent willingness to help in run support during his time at Temple.
30.Green Bay Packers: Chris Lindstorm, guard (Boston College)
With his great lateral movement, sizable mean streak and potential to play all 5 spots on the line, Lindstorm would bring a nice dose of athleticism and versatility to an o-line that needs some help alongside 3x All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari.
31.Los Angeles Rams: Chauncey Gardener-Johnson, safety/cornerback/linebacker (Florida)
Gardner-Johnson is a versatile weapon with absurd range and a strong nose for the ball who can start off as a slot corner or perhaps even an undersized coverage linebacker a la Mark Barron before eventually transitioning back to his natural position of free safety once 34-year old Eric Weddle hangs them up for good.
32.New England Patriots: Irv Smith Jr., tight end (Alabama)
Smith might lack the size (6'4, 241 lbs) and blocking prowess Bill Belichick covets at the position, but he would still be an intriguing addition to a suddenly-depleted Patriots tight end group. He's a solid receiving option who can make things happen after the catch and despite not being dominant, is more than willing to take on any blocking assignment you throw his way. The fact that he played for Belichick's longtime pal Nick Saban at Alabama also doesn't hurt.
2nd round:
33.Arizona Cardinals: D.K. Metcalf, wide receiver (Mississippi)
34.Indianapolis Colts: A.J. Brown, wide receiver (Mississippi)
35.Oakland Raiders: Deebo Samuel, wide receiver (South Carolina)
36.San Francisco 49ers: Deandre Baker, cornerback (Georgia)
37.New York Giants: Dalton Risner, tackle (Kansas State)
38.Jacksonville Jaguars: Jeffrey Simmons, defensive tackle (Mississippi State)
39.Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Julian Love, cornerback (Notre Dame)
40.Buffalo Bills: Greg Little, tackle (Mississippi)
41.Denver Broncos: Taylor Rapp, safety (Washington)
42.Cincinnati Bengals: Tytus Howard, tackle (Alabama State)
43.Detroit Lions: Elgton Jenkins, center/guard (Mississippi State)
44.Green Bay Packers: Dre'Mont Jones, defensive tackle (Ohio State)
45.Atlanta Falcons: Amani Oruwayrie, cornerback (Penn State)
46.Washington Redskins: Montez Sweat, edge rusher (Mississippi State)
47.Carolina Panthers: N'Keal Harry, wide receiver (Arizona State)
48.Miami Dolphins: Zach Allen, edge rusher (Boston College)
49.Cleveland Browns: Nasir Adderley, safety (Delaware)
50.Minnesota Vikings: Jaylon Ferguson, edge rusher (Louisiana Tech)
51.Tennessee Titans: Erik McCoy, center/guard (Texas A&M)
52.Pittsburgh Steelers: Justin Layne, cornerback (Michigan State)
53.Philadelphia Eagles: Parris Campbell, wide receiver (Ohio State)
54.Houston Texans: Jonathan Abram, safety (Mississippi State)
55.Houston Texans: Miles Sanders, running back (Penn State)
56.New England Patriots: Chase Winovich, edge rusher (Michigan)
57.Philadelphia Eagles: Connor McGovern, guard (Penn State)
58.Dallas Cowboys: Juan Thornhill, safety (Virginia)
59.Indianapolis Colts: Khalen Saunders, defensive tackle (Western Illinois)
60.Los Angeles Chargers: Kaleb McGary, tackle (Washington)
61.Kansas City Chiefs: Hakeem Butler, wide receiver (Iowa State)
62.New Orleans Saints: J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, wide receiver (Stanford)
63.Kansas City Chiefs: Lonnie Johnson Jr., cornerback (Kentucky)
64.New England Patriots: Mack Wilson, inside linebacker (Alabama)
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