2019 NFL Draft: First Round Mock Draft and Analysis

1.   Arizona Cardinals – Kyler Murray, 5’10”, 205lbs, QB, Oklahoma, Jr.

04/05/19 - Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma

03/28/19 - Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma

02/11/19 - Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State

02/03/19 - Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State

01/31/19 - Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State

A season ago, the Arizona Cardinals had a new head coach in Steve Wilks along with a pick in the top 10 of the draft, which was used to select Josh Rosen out of UCLA.  Fast forward one year and Arizona again has a new head coach, this time GM Steve Keim looks for his version of Sean McVay in former Texas Tech HC Kliff Kingsbury, and now they have the No. 1 overall selection after a 3-13 record in 2018.  It doesn’t take long to look at Kingsbury’s spread offense to get the feeling that Rosen may not be the best fit in Kingsbury’s offense.  I would expect Rosen to be better suited for a West Coast-style offense.  Kingsbury has been known to develop QB’s, having coached the likes of Johnny Manziel, Davis Webb and Patrick Mahomes.  If you’ll recall, Manziel had the most success of his career with Kingsbury calling the plays at Texas A&M.  When you watch Kyler Murray play, his athleticism is reminiscent of a young Johnny Football.  The offense that Lincoln Riley runs at Oklahoma is similar to Kingsbury as both coaches were disciples of Mike Leach.  And, Kingsbury was quoted as saying he’d take Murray No. 1 overall if he had the chance when interviewed by sports reporter Eric Kelly of KLBK in October when he was coaching the Red Raiders.  Would a team really trade last year’s 1st-Round QB to take another QB on Day One of the draft?  What we’re talking about isn’t unprecedented as it has happened three times in the history of the draft.  In 1983, John Elway was selected by the Colts one year after they selected Art Schlichter.  And in 1955, the Colts actually drafted George Shaw just one year after drafting Cotton Davidson to play QB.  Then there’s the Rams, who drafted a QB in three consecutive Drafts between 1962 and 1964 – Roman Gabriel, Terry Baker and Bill Munson.  If the Cards want to give Kingsbury a fair chance to succeed in the NFL, he needs to have a QB who best fits his system and that’s why Murray makes the most sense here.  Plus, there are plenty of teams that will have an interest in Rosen.  The Dolphins are moving on from Ryan Tannehill plus there are several teams with aging QB’s that wouldn’t mind landing a former 1st Round pick as a backup and eventual replacement.  If the Cardinals don’t make a play for Murray, it will likely be difficult to shop the No. 1 overall pick, unless a team like the Raiders or Giants are willing to trade up for Murray.  In that scenario, the Cards could take Nick Bosa to team with Chandler Jones and Terrell Suggs to give them a trio of prolific pass rushers, or they could opt for Quinnen Williams, who would compete with Robert Nkemdiche and Corey Peters for a starting spot along the interior of the line.  At the end of the day, last year’s Heisman Trophy winner has to be the pick.  This past year has been quite an adventure for Kyler Cole Murray.  After batting .296 with 10 HR, 47 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 2018, Murray was selected by the Oakland Athletics with the ninth overall pick of the 2018 MLB draft.  Murray opted to play football in the fall for the Sooners and he put together one of the most prolific seasons we’ve seen at the collegiate level in quite some time.  In 2018, Murray threw for 4,231 yards while completing 69.0% of his passes and threw 42 TD to just 7 Int.  His QBR of 96.0 was the highest in the 16 years college football has been keeping track of the stat.  There has been a lot of discussion about Murray’s height.  However, he did measure in at 5’10”, the same height as Russell Wilson, who hasn’t had any issues being electric in the NFL.  Plus, Murray played behind one of the largest offensive lines in the country.  The height narrative doesn’t hold as much water as the game is changing to allow the shorter QB’s to excel at the next level.  One thing that can’t be argued is his arm strength.  I’ve had the pleasure of watching Murray live and it’s clear his baseball-like delivery allows him to put added torque to his release which allows the ball to jump out of his hand, though it tends to elongate his throwing motion a bit.  His baseball background also allows him to change arm angles to fit the ball in tight windows and can be very efficient on the run.  What may be most impressive is Murray’s ability to drive the football down the field, even without setting his feet; it’s reminiscent of Murray’s days cutting loose from centerfield.  In the Orange Bowl against Alabama, Murray saw Charleston Rambo getting over the top of the Safety and stepped up to avoid OLB Anfernee Jennings coming off the edge, then threw the pass 55 yards in the air off one foot to Rambo for a TD.  He sees the field well, goes through his progressions quickly and does a good job manipulating defenders with his eyes.  Murray also shows tremendous touch on the football, placing the ball where only his man can get to it and can fit the ball in over the LB and in front of the safety.    Murray has a good feel in the pocket to avoid the rush, subtly stepping up to avoid pressure.  However, what makes him so dynamic is his ability to make plays outside the pocket.  His speed allows him to get to the edge in a hurry while still keeping his eyes down the field.  When it’s time for Murray to pull the ball and run with it, he is an angle killer with his quick acceleration down the field and is tremendously elusive in space.  Murray finished last year racking up 1,001 yards on the ground and found the end zone 12 times as a ball carrier.  Murray proved to be difficult to bring down, as he was sacked just 15 times prior to bowl season and rarely took a big hit.  However, he proved in the Orange Bowl that he can withstand a constant barrage of big hits.  What made Murray’s season so impressive was his ability to continue to rise to the occasion every single game.  The Sooners’ defense was atrocious for much of the season, forcing Murray to be at his best if OU expected to come out on top.  He never seemed to get rattled, played with ice water in his veins and elevated his play to will his team to victory.  Murray frustrates defenses with RPO’s, uses his quickness to extend plays and has an uncanny ability to find the open man whenever the play breaks down.  Now, Murray doesn’t come without flaws.  He did tend to stare down receivers at times, will sail the ball outside the numbers and will have issues with timing over the middle.  That said, Murray is the perfect fit in Kingsbury’s offense and shouldn’t flinch when facing off against the likes of Jared Goff, Russell Wilson and Jimmy Garoppolo in the NFC West.

2.   San Francisco 49ers – Nick Bosa, 6’4”, 266lbs, DE, Ohio State, Jr.

04/05/19 - Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State

03/28/19 - Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State

02/11/19 - Josh Allen, DE/OLB, Kentucky

02/03/19 - Josh Allen, DE/OLB, Kentucky

01/31/19 - Josh Allen, DE/OLB, Kentucky

Expectations were high coming into the 2018 season for the 49ers after winning its final five games of the season once Jimmy Garoppolo took over under center offensively.  However, the Niners suffered a huge blow when Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a torn ACL in the fourth quarter of the third game against the Chiefs, which ended his season and any hopes of improving upon the 6-1 record from the prior season.  San Francisco finished the year 4-12 and left GM John Lynch and HC Kyle Shanahan going back to the drawing board.  Offensively, Garoppolo should be back, though undrafted free agent Nick Mullens was a breath of fresh air as he led the team to three of the four wins, including back-to-back victories over Denver and Seattle in Weeks 14 and 15; Matt Breida showed promise running the football following a season-ending injury sustained by projected starter Jerick McKinnon; and TE George Kittle and rookie WR Dante Pettis emerged as legitimate pass catchers, with Kittle topping the 1,000-yard mark on the season.  Defensively, the 49ers were actually stout against the run giving up just 4.1 yards per carry, which tied them with Minnesota for 7th overall.  That said, San Fran must do a better job getting to the QB, having finished 2018 with just 37 sacks, good for a tie for 22nd in the league.  DeForest Buckner was a force up front, finishing with 12 sacks on the year.  However, he needs help up front, as lesser known players like Ronald Blair (5.5 sacks) and Cassius Marsh (5.5 sacks) outplayed former 1st Round picks Arik Armstead (3 sacks) and Solomon Thomas (1 sack).  Armstead seemed to finally show some promise after injuries hampered him the two previous seasons while Thomas was much more effective moving inside.  The Niners did make a play for an edge rusher with the trade for Dee Ford, who had a Pro Bowl season in 2018 after registering 13.0 sacks and forcing 7 fumbles on the year with the Chiefs.    Alabama’s Quinnen Williams would be intriguing here as he’s the type of interior pass rusher the league is looking for following the success of DPOY Aaron Donald.  However, given the depth along the interior of the defensive front, I would expect this pick to come down to either Bosa or Josh Allen, whoever is left on the board, as both can provide constant pressure and would combine with Ford to give the 49ers a formidable duo rushing the passer off the edge.  The moment Nick Bosa played his first down for the Buckeyes in 2016, it was clear he was the same type of player as his brother Joey as both are technically advanced at the point of attack.  Bosa’s hand usage was very polished even as a freshman, showing he can easily get off blocks.  Bosa looks to quickly get under the OT’s pad level to drive him off the ball then disengages in a hurry by slapping the OT’s hands down to get to the edge.  Bosa’s hands are violent at the point of attack as he uses the quick strike to get his man off balance, which then gives him a two-way go to the QB.  You’ll often see him take two steps to the outside off the ball to set up his man then use a quick arm over move to clear the OT to the inside on one play; then the next he’ll use a quick burst to beat the OT off the ball then attack the outside shoulder by dipping his inside shoulder to easily turn the corner.  He’s much more explosive than his brother, showing better hip flexibility to quickly turn the corner then has a tremendous burst after flattening out to close quickly on the QB.  Bosa is also stout against the run, playing with a low pad level when taking on blockers, stacks and sheds blocks in a hurry while keeping his eyes glued to the ball carrier.  Bosa’s has an endless motor in his pursuit of the football, showing an ability to fight through blocks laterally, keeping one arm free to corral the RB, and can pursue the ball down the line from the back side.  After racking up 13.5 sacks and 23.0 tackles for loss in his first two seasons as a Buckeye, Bosa was off to a fast start in 2018, having racked up 4.0 sacks and 6.0 tackles for loss in just three games of action.  However, a core injury against TCU on September 15 put an end to Bosa’s season.  Rather than risk further injury, Bosa chose to leave the team to focus on the draft.  Bosa seemed to be at full strength at the Combine, his first action since the injury.  Bosa ran a 4.79 40, recorded a 33.5-inch vertical leap and put up 225 pounds 29 times in the bench press.  He also looked fluid in space and showed off tremendous flexibility for a guy his size; his 4.14-second 20-yard shuttle and 7.1-second 3-cone drill were second and fourth quickest among defensive linemen. In fact, his 20-yard shuttle time was so quick, it would have tied him with Deebo Samuel for fifth fastest among WR’s.  Adding Bosa to pair with Ford would give the Niners two elite pass rushers on the outside along with Buckner wreaking havoc on the inside.  

3.   New York Jets – Quinnen Williams, 6'3", 303lbs, DT, Alabama, RS Soph.

04/05/19 - Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama

03/28/19 - Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama

02/11/19 - Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama

02/03/19 - Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama

01/31/19 - Quinnen Wiliams, DT, Alabama

The Todd Bowles era is over in New York following a dismal season that saw the Jets finish 25th-ranked defense and 29th in total offense.  The latter was addressed with the hiring of Adam Gase, who will be tasked with developing Sam Darnold, who had an up-and-down rookie campaign.  Defensively, Gase brought in Gregg Williams, who had a hand in turning around the Browns defense in 2018.  Williams will undoubtedly bring his 4-3 scheme to the Jets, which will be a sharp departure from Bowles’ 34 defense, which means you can expect there to be wholesale changes to the roster so its makeup can match the scheme.  Leonard Williams has largely underperformed since being drafted No. 6 overall in the 2015 draft.  However, he was playing out of position as a five-technique under Bowles.  A move back inside is just what Williams needs as he enters the final year of his rookie deal.  Free agent C.J. Mosley was signed to take over as the MIKE, teaming with Avery Williamson and Darron Lee in the LB corps.  However, Jordan Jenkins and Brandon Copeland don’t appear to be ideal fits as edge rushers in a 4-3 scheme, while Henry Anderson seems best suited as an interior rusher on passing downs.  It’s entirely possible the Jets use this pick on Josh Allen, who would give New York an elite pass rusher at DE.  However, it may be difficult to pass on a player like Williams, who has the rare ability to take over games from the interior of the line, much like Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh before him.  Most teams are looking for an interior pass rush and teaming Quinnen Williams with Leonard Williams would give Gregg Williams rare explosiveness on the inside.  Coming into the 2018 season, Quinnen Williams was a bit of an unknown after having a backup role behind Da’Ron Payne at NG as a redshirt freshman.  He played in just nine games and recorded 6.5 tackles for loss and 2 sacks on the year.  Little did Bama fans know that Williams would take over as the premier player on defense, dominating the interior of the line against both the pass and the run.  Williams was a nightmare to block up front, displaying such a quick burst off the ball that he would beat interior linemen off the snap.  His quickness allows him to quickly engage the O-lineman and uses his quick hands to beat his man with a variety of moves.  You’ll see a quick hand slap and rip on one play, then he’ll follow that up with a quick arm over to shoot the A gap and disrupt the play in the backfield.  Williams excelled at converting speed to power, getting his hands into the OL and driving his man into the backfield.  Against Clemson in the National Championship game, Williams drove LT Mitch Hyatt back into the RB to disrupt the run play, ultimately resulting in a TFL.  He seemed to live in opposing backfields, finishing the season with 19.5 TFL.  However, he was equally disruptive getting after the passer.  Williams repeatedly shot the A gap with a quick burst followed by a quick rip or arm over and was relentless in his pursuit of the QB.  Williams finished the season with 8.0 sacks, which an impressive stat from the NG position.  His 71 tackles on the year was further proof of just how active Williams was throughout the season.  His domination up front led to an Outland Trophy win and an 8th place finish in the Heisman Trophy voting.  To put things in perspective, let’s compare Williams’ 2018 season with that of Suh and Donald, both of whom are fellow Outland Trophy winners.  Suh finished the 2009 season with 85 tackles, 20.5 for loss and 12.0 sacks, which also led to a 4th place finish in the Heisman voting and led being selected No. 2 overall by Lions.  Just four years later in 2013, Donald finished with 59 tackles, 28.5 TFL and 11.0 sacks, leading to a No. 13 overall selection of the Rams.  What’s so impressive about what Williams was able to accomplish was he’s only a one-year starter.  In their junior seasons, Suh finished with 76 tackles, 16.0 TFL and 7.5 sacks, while Donald racked up 64 tackles, 18.5 TFL and 5.5 sacks.  Imagine the stat line Williams could have put together had he decided to return for his redshirt junior season!  

4.   Oakland Raiders – Ed Oliver, 6'2", 287lbs, DT, Houston, Jr.

04/05/19 - Josh Allen, DE, Kentucky

03/28/19 - Josh Allen, DE, Kentucky

02/11/19 - Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma

02/03/19 - Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson

01/31/19 - Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson

Jon Gruden’s first year back with the Raiders was anything but smooth sailing.  First, Oakland traded one of the top defenders in the league in Khalil Mack to the Bears, and we all saw what an impact one elite player can have on the rest of a defense.  Less than two months later, the Raiders dealt their No. 1 wideout Amari Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys.  That’s two former 1st Round picks sent packing in one season, but the Raiders did pick up two additional 1st Round picks this year (No.’s 24 and 27 overall).  The Raiders must address both positions early in this draft.  Without Mack, the Raiders struggled mightily, managing just 13 sacks on the year, which was not only the fewest in the league, but was a full 17 sacks shy of the next closest team.  That’s why it’s not a matter of if the Raiders take an edge rusher, but rather when this will happen.  Here’s something else to consider with this pick - There’s talk the Raiders may look to move on from Derek Carr, who would be entering year three of a five-year, $125 million deal.  If Carr is released after the 2019 season, the Raiders would only be looking at $7.5 million in dead cap space.  The question is whether Gruden is sold on Carr or if he’d prefer to bring in his own guy at any cost.  Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray could be on Oakland’s radar.  Adding Murray would be uniquely intriguing considering he was drafted No. 9 overall by the Oakland Athletics in the 2018 MLB Draft.  Keep in mind the A’s have a new AAA affiliate in Las Vegas and the Raiders happen to also begin play in Vegas in 2020.   If Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden want to make a splash for Raider Nation, selecting Murray would certainly turn heads.  If Gruden wants to move on from Carr and Murray is off the board, this pick could very well be Missouri’s Drew Lock or Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins.  However, the addition of the league’s top WR in Antonio Brown along with free-agent pickup Tyrell Williams point to keeping the veteran Carr.  Mayock told Rich Eisen that Gruden told him not to mess this year’s draft up since he’s landed three 1st Round picks.  I don’t see Mayock reaching for any player, which means they’ll look to address both best player available as well as need.  In this case, the Raiders can get their interior pass rusher that will be needed if they want to upgrade an anemic pass rush.  While people debated where Oliver would play at the next level given that everyone was convinced, he played the 2018 season weighing under 280 pounds, he had a chance to put on a show at Houston’s Pro Day to solidify his spot in the top 10.  Weighing in at 281 pounds, Oliver ran a 4.73 40 with a 1.63 10-yard split and posted a 7.15-second three-cone drill and went 4.22 second in the 20-yard shuttle.  To put this into perspective, here are Aaron Donald’s numbers from the 2014 Combine:  4.68 40 with a 1.59 10-yard split, 7.11 3-cone drill and 4.39 20-yard shuttle.  While the positional comparisons between Donald and Oliver may not be fair, the fact that Oliver posted Aaron Donald-fast times bodes well for his draft stock.  Oliver came to Houston in 2016 as the program’s first ever five-star recruit and made an instant impact as a true freshman, finishing the season with 65 tackles, 22 TFL, 5.0 sacks and 6 pass breakups en route to Freshman All-America honors.  In 2017, Oliver was dominant once again, racking up 73 tackles from the DT position, 16.5 TFL, 5.5 sacks and broke up another 3 passes, culminating in an Outland Trophy win along with being named the AAC Defensive Player of the Year.  Oliver played in 26 straight games, never missed a start and played the majority of the snaps during those games.  As a junior, Oliver played in just 8 games as a junior in 2018 as lingering knee injury cut his season short.  Many questioned why he didn’t rush back to the field.  Others pointed to the altercation on the sideline with head coach Major Applewhite over a jacket Oliver was wearing that the HC stated was only to be worn by active players.  However, Oliver proved he’s a highly competitive player with high character.  Then there’s the question of his size.  Oliver was said to have played his junior season at under 275 pounds.  They said he’d get pushed around at the next level and couldn’t make the transition to the next level.  However, Oliver again proved everyone wrong by measuring in at 6’2” and 287 pounds at the Combine.  Few players at any position are as explosive as Oliver from the time the ball is snapped.  He first so quickly out of his stance that he can shoot gaps before the interior O-lineman is out of his stance.  Oliver fires off the ball with a low pad level, which allows him to win with leverage at the point of attack.  His suddenness catches blockers off guard, which allows him to get into their body and deliver a powerful punch to get him off balance.  Often, you’ll see Oliver strike the center under the armpit to shove him completely aside, which then gives him a free path to the QB.  Oliver does a good job setting up the man lined up over him, attacking half the man with his burst on one play and will then use a jab step followed by a slap and rip to attack the other side of the blocker.  Oliver does a great job diagnosing plays early and once he’s in the backfield, he has a tremendous burst to close on the ball carrier and has a nonstop motor in his pursuit.  Oliver’s athleticism may be unrivaled in this year’s draft.  There are YouTube videos that feature his footwork and agility drills where he moves like a 280-pound LB or DB!  It’s that type of athleticism that caused Oliver to see frequent double and triple teams.  However, for as explosive as he is, Oliver would get engulfed at the point of attack and would easily get washed down the line if he wasn’t able to beat his man off the ball.  During his junior season, Oliver would be disruptive in the backfield, but could not finish.  It took until the sixth game of the season against East Carolina before he recorded his first sack.  At the end of the day, you can’t argue with Oliver’s production at Houston.  In three seasons, Oliver racked up 192 tackles, 53.0 TFL, 13.5 sacks, 11 pass breakups and 5 forced fumbles.  Forget the physical limitations, Oliver is a dynamic playmaker along the interior of the defensive front and in my opinion, he belongs in the top 5.

5.   Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Josh Allen, 6'4", 262lbs, DE, Kentucky

04/05/19 - Ed Oliver, DT, Houston

03/28/19 - Rashan Gary, DE, Michigqn

02/11/19 - Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama

02/03/19 - Devin White, ILB, LSU

01/31/19 - Devin White, ILB, LSU

The Buccaneers had high hopes coming into 2018, but HC Dirk Koetter was let go following a disappointing 5-11 record.  Bruce Arians has taken the reins and will be tasked with elevating Jameis Winston’s game.  The passing game was not the issue a season ago as Winston and “Fitz Magic” led the league with over 320 passing yards per game.  It was the running game, which managed a disappointing 95.2 yards per game, which was good for 29th in the league.  However, Arians made it a point to bring back OT’s Donovan Smith and Demar Dotson so the focus could switch to the defensive side of the ball, where the Bucs are changing their defensive scheme as Todd Bowles is bringing his heavy 3-4 scheme to Tampa.  Despite the considerable lack of cap space, the Bucs announced they would bring back Gerald McCoy and his $13 million for 2019.  There’s no question there will be new positional designations, but you have to also expect that must mean Bowles will be mixing in a 4-3 scheme.  In odd-man fronts, you would have to assume McCoy would be teaming with Jason Pierre-Paul at the ends with Vita Ve’a manning the middle, then McCoy moving inside and JPP teaming with Carl Nassib on the outside when they move to a four-man front.  We’ve also seen offseason activity to add personnel to fit Bowles scheme as they re-signed ILB Kevin Minter and brought in hybrid LB/S Deone Bucannon, both of whom played under both Arians and Bowles in Arizona, and 3-4 rush OLB Shaquill Barrett.  To further the LB positional conversion, I’d expect Noah Spence to see time at OLB in odd-man fronts, which would also mean Lavonte David could slide inside.  However, adding a playmaker like Devin White, who has a chance to make a bigger impact as a rookie than last year’s 8th overall pick Roquan Smith, would more than round out the Bucs’ LB corps.  But what if Josh Allen falls to them here?  The Bucs registered 38 sacks with 12.5 of them belonging to JPP, while DE’s Gerald McCoy and Carl Nassib each had 6 sacks.  While Spence and Barrett are nice depth pieces, adding an edge rusher to pair with JPP is critical to their success under Bowles.  Allen arrived as a 2-star LB and his first three years at UK led to 20.5 TFL and 14.5 sacks, but he dominated his senior season, racking up 21.5 TFL and 17.0 sacks, both of which bested his first three seasons combined!  Allen has a quick burst off the ball, which allows him to explode out of his stance with a low pad level and attack the edge in a hurry.  Allen’s burst allows him to cover a lot of ground off the ball, often getting as much as five yards up the field before the LT can get more than three steps into a kick slide.  He also uses his hands well to slap the OT’s hands away and uses a variety of moves to get by before flattening out to the QB.  Allen has the hip flexibility required to bend around the edge, dipping his inside shoulder while keeping little surface area for the OT to redirect him off his path.  His rip move is so quick and powerful, he can easily win at the point of attack.  He’s effective both with his hand in the dirt and as a stand-up rusher and will not only attack the OT to the outside but will also set his man up to come back inside.  When Allen is standing, he has a stutter off the line that often allows a two-way go to either attack the outside shoulder of the OT or can fake outside before crossing the face of the OT back inside.  Allen is also effective in the run game, showing he can set the edge and provide outside contain.  He also does a good job reading the RPO, which was on display against A&M- Allen came off the edge as the QB took off up the middle, he was able to quickly plant and change directions to pursue the football back inside.  Allen also has the athleticism to drop into coverage.  Against Texas A&M, he had underneath coverage against TE Jace Sternberger on an out-breaking route in the red zone with safety help over the top; Allen read the play quickly, stayed on Sternberger’s hip and was able to close at the end and elevate to tip the ball away.  And against Mississippi State, Allen was covering a shallow cross and was able to break quickly to get a hand in and knock the pass away.  Allen’s ability to read routes should come as no surprise as he was an All-State WR in high school before moving to the defensive side of the ball.  His performance at the Combine, running a 4.63 40 and bench pressing 225 pounds 28 times, only confirmed his speed and strength seen on tape.  You do want to see Allen show a mid-rush counter move when getting after the QB and needs to be a bit more disciplined against the run, but there’s no question he’s a versatile edge rusher who will be starting Week One.

6.   New York Giants – Dwayne Haskins, 6'3", 231lbs, QB, Ohio State, RS Soph.

04/05/19 - Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State

03/28/19 - Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State

02/11/19 - Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State

02/03/19 - Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma

01/31/19 - Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma

Coming into this offseason, the Giants and GM Dave Gettleman had a decision to make with Eli Manning, who was coming off a season with his highest completion percentage of his career at 66%, his 4,299 passing yards were the most since 2015 and his 11 Int. was the lowest total since 2008.  However, Manning is also 38 years of age and will be a free agent at the end of the 2019 season.  The Giants announced Manning will not only be back in 2019, but he also received the $5 million roster bonus.  However, Gettleman announced we can expect the Giants offense to be tailored more for a power running game with the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year Saquon Barkley carrying the rock.  It seems like that could still bode well for a QB prospect like Dwayne Haskins, a one-year starter at Ohio State who could sit behind Manning and continue to develop before becoming the face of the franchise, except for the fact that ESPN’s Dianna Russini reported the Giants don’t feel Haskins is a fit for their offense.  That does appear to be a smokescreen to keep teams from trying to trade into the top five to take the talented redshirt sophomore, as the Giants did have their executives meet with Haskins for dinner prior to the Ohio State Pro Day.  Now, if Haskins isn’t the pick here and all signs continue to point to Manning under center in 2019 and while Eli has been an ironman at his position, he also was sacked 47 times, the most of his career, and we know that his body won’t be able to bounce back from hits like it used to; Father Time is undefeated.  If the Giants aren’t grooming his eventual replacement now, you can expect the focus to turn to the offensive line.  LT Nate Solder was a disappointment in 2018 after signing a four-year $62 million deal before the season, but second-year LG Will Hernandez looks to be a keeper.  New York also traded Olivier Vernon to secure veteran Kevin Zeitler to play RG and re-signed center Jon Halapio.  That leaves the RT position up in the air as Chad Wheeler started 14 games last year but is seen more as a backup.  The team’s interest in Mike Remmers is a sign they prefer to upgrade the O-line in free agency this offseason, meaning Florida RT Jawaan Taylor would actually be out of the mix here.  Do the Giants dare look for a replacement for Odell Beckham, Jr. here?  Giant fans were up in arms when OBJ was traded to the Browns and signing Golden Tate in free agency isn’t enough to replace one of the game’s top wideouts.  Could we see Gettleman surprise everyone and go after the freakishly athletic D.K. Metcalf?  I believe this pick, if it’s not used to take Haskins, would actually be used on the defensive side of the ball.  Alec Ogletree and B.J. Goodson are listed as starters at ILB in James Bettcher’s 3-4 scheme and while Ogletree’s starting spot seems secure, we can expect New York to look for an upgrade over Goodson.  If the Bucs pass on Devin White, he could easily be the pick here and if that happens, it’s likely because New York traded for Josh Rosen.  The other legitimate possibility here is an edge rusher, especially considering the Giants only got to the QB 30 times in 2018, good for 31st in the league.  Rashan Gary and Montez Sweat are both elite pass rushers and would be very tempting here.  However, don’t forget about Florida State’s Brian Burns, who will be coming off the board somewhere between 11-20.  The Giants can still land their QB here and still land an edge rusher at No. 17.  No QB had quite the meteoric rise in 2018 than Haskins, who began the season as a redshirt sophomore seeing his first crack at significant action as the Buckeyes’ starting QB replacing J.T. Barrett and finished the season as the Big 10 Offensive player of the year after throwing for 4,831 yards with 50 TD while completing 70% of his passes.  At the beginning of the season, you immediately saw a QB with a quick releasee and ran the short-to-intermediate passing game to perfection.  Haskins did a good job seeing the entire field, manipulated the defense with his eyes and hit WR’s on in-breaking routes in stride and on time, putting the ball away from the defender and in a position where the WR could get up the field and make a play after the catch.  Haskins also did a tremendous job fitting the ball into tight windows against zone coverage.  However, we also saw Haskins struggle with pressure in his face.  His footwork became shaky, opening up his stance rather than stepping to his target, if he set his feet at all.  Haskins would try to escape pressure but struggled to square his shoulders to the target on the move, which caused his passes to sail.  That said, his red zone play was still efficient; at one point Haskins completed 62% of his passes in the red zone with 13 TD to just 1 Int.  Then, something happened against Penn State.  Down 26-14 to the Nittany Lions, Haskins threw 2 TD in the final 7 minutes to lead the Buckeyes to a 27-16 victory.  Never mind the fact that 133 of Haskins’ 270 yards on the day were thrown during the final two drives.  However, the run game managed 119 yards the entire game and weren’t helping him move the ball.  At that point, Haskins put the OSU offense on his back.  After winning in Happy Valley, Ohio State went on a three-game stretch against Indiana, Minnesota and Purdue.  In those three games, the run game averaged just 107.3 yards per game, including back-to-back games under 100 yards in the final two games of that stretch.  At the same time, Haskins went 115-161 (71.4%) for 1,337 yards with 11 TDF and 3 Int.  During that time, we saw Haskins begin to air out the ball, mainly because he had to in order to move the ball.  Haskins was showing excellent deep ball accuracy, effortlessly putting the ball over the outside shoulder.  I had been clamoring on my Podcast to pump the brakes on the Dwayne Haskins hype until this stretch of games.  If there were any doubters of Haskins’ game, there was the showdown against Michigan in the Horseshoe on November 25th.  Ohio State was ranked 10th at the time, but they were 4-point underdogs to the 4th-ranked Wolverines, who came into the game on a 10-game win streak and boasted Don Brown’s dominating defense, ranked 4th in the country.  All Haskins did was throw for 396 yards on 20-31 passing (64.5%) with 6 TD and 0 Int., leading the Buckeyes to a convincing 62-39 victory.  If you tune in and watch Haskins at the beginning of the season, you’ll see a QB who very much looks like a sophomore QB playing his first season as the team’s full-time starter.  However, the second half of the season proved Haskins was deserving of all the accolades he received, including placing 3rd in the Heisman Trophy voting.  I think New York is the perfect place for Haskins because he’s not ready to take over an NFL team yet.  Let Manning play out his contract and when the team is ready to move on, they’ll already have his replacement on the roster, primed and ready to take over.

7.   Jacksonville Jaguars – T.J. Hockenson, 6’5”, 251lbs, TE, Iowa, RS Soph.

04/05/19 - T.J. Hockenson, TE, Iowa

03/28/19 - T.J. Hockenson, TE, Iowa

02/11/19 - Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida

02/03/19 - Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State

01/31/19 - Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State

Expectations were high for the Jaguars this year following a trip to the AFC Championship in 2017.  While the Jags again put together a top-five defense this past season, the offense was anemic, which resulted in the firing of OC Nathaniel Hackett and the benching of Blake Bortles in favor of Cody Kessler down the stretch.  Bortles is out and in steps Super Bowl LI MVP Nick Foles, who finally gets a shot to lead a franchise after signing a 4-year $88 million deal.  Now that the Jags have their man under center, they have to be sure they protect him and add weapons around him.  Jacksonville’s O-line gave up 53 sacks, which tied for third most in the league.  The line saw four different OT’s on the left side and three on the right.  LT Cam Robinson went down to a season-ending injury but should be back this season and I don’t expect free agents Ereck Flowers and Corey Robinson back.  On the right side, Jeremy Parnell was released, meaning last year’s 4th Round pick Will Richardson and the newly-signed Cedric Ogbuehi will vie for the starting RT job.  As a result, I’m not expecting Florida’s Jawaan Taylor to be the pick here, which means the focus turns to finding Foles another weapon.  The receiving corps was solidified with the signing of Chris Conley, but the TE position is in question.  Geoff Swaim joins Ben Koyack on the roster, but the Jags are lacking a true No. 1 option at TE and T.J. Hockenson has emerged as one of the highest rated TE’s to enter the draft in quite some time because he excels in all facets of the position.  Hockenson wasn’t the TE everyone was talking abut on the Iowa roster at the beginning of the season, that nod went to Noah Fant, who should also be a 1st Round Pick.  However, Hockenson finished the season with 49 receptions for 760 yards and 6 TD and finished the year as the Mackey Award winner as the nation’s top TE.  Pro Football Focus noted he posted a 139.1 passer rating when targeted, which was the highest among TE’s, and 37 of his 49 receptions went for a 1st down.  Hockenson is a natural pass catcher, extending to haul in the pass with his hands away from his body.  He has tremendous body control and is able to adjust to the ball while it’s in the air.  Hockenson tracks the ball well in the air and will attack the ball in the air, often elevating to pluck it out of the air at its highest point.  His ability to catch everything thrown his way gives the QB a reliable target and his huge catch radius gives the passer confidence that all he needs to do is put the ball near Hockenson to complete the pass.  I think Hockenson does need some refinement in his route running, but his 4.7 40 at the Combine proves he’s plenty fast enough to be an effective weapon down the field.  Plus, Hockenson ran the three-cone drill in 7.02 seconds and posted a 4.18-second 20-yard shuttle, both of which were second only to Fant among TE’s at the Combine, meaning he can sink his hips and change direction.  However, it’s his prowess as a blocker that tips the scales for Hockenson as a top-10 pick.  Few TE’s are as physical at the point of attack.  He fires quickly out of his stance with a low pad level, provides a powerful punch with his hands under the defender’s pad level and generates a lot of movement with his leg drive.  Hawkeye game film is a highlight reel of Hockenson pancake blocks.  Against Nebraska, he fired off the ball and met LB Dedrick Young five yards down the field, his hands were perfectly placed below Young’s pad level and Hockenson used his leg drive to clear Young out and down the field a good 10 yards before putting him on his back.  His powerful leg drive was on display against DE Michael Ziemba of Indiana, where he absolutely mauled him at the point of attack, driving him back five yards before forcing Ziemba to take a knee before planting him to finish the block. And on a four-yard TD by RB Mekhi Sargent against Illinois, Hockenson drove an LB to the outside about three yards into the end zone before absolutely burying him.  I can keep going, but you get the picture.  He's a complete TE prospect and would not only be a weapon for Foles in the passing game but would be a welcome addition to the running game for Leonard Fournette and T.J. Yeldon.  Since 2000, only Kellen Winslow, Jr. (No. 6 overall in 2004), Vernon Davis (No. 6 in 2006) and Eric Ebron (No. 10 in 2014) have been the only top-10 picks at TE and I expect T.J. Hockenson to be the fourth.

8.   Detroit Lions - Montez Sweat, 6’6”, 260lbs, DE, Mississippi State

04/05/19 - Montez Sweat, DE, Mississippi State

03/28/19 - Montez Sweat, DE, Mississippi State

02/11/19 - Rashan Gary, DE, Michigan

02/03/19 - Montez Sweat, DE, Mississippi State

01/31/19 - Rashan Gary, DE, Michigan

Detroit underperformed in their first season under Matt Patricia.  Despite boasting a top-10 defense, the passing offense, which was ranked in the top ten five times and no lower than 12th between 2010 and 2017, fell to 20th in 2018 while the running game yet again finished in the back half of the league in yards per game.  However, there’s reason to be optimistic – Kenny Golladay has emerged as a legitimate No.1 WR while RB Kerryon Johnson showed promise in his rookie season, weapons new OC Darrell Bevell will be sure to use to his advantage.  A playmaker at TE could be in order for Matthew Stafford and T.J. Hockenson would be in play here should he be on the board here.  But would the Lions really take another TE in the top 10 just five years after selecting Eric Ebron?  Not likely, which is why I expect Patricia to look defense with this pick.  After finishing with just 7 Int. last year, a playmaker opposite Darius Slay on the back end has to be a priority, but LSU corner Greedy Williams is no longer a viable option in the top half of Round One.  It’s clear the primary focus this offseason was actually the DE position, which was why the Lions targeted one of the top free agent edge rushers in Trey Flowers.  Even with Flowers onboard with Da’Shawn Hand and Romeo Okwara, whom they re-signed, adding another pass rusher is a must in this draft, especially considering Ziggy Ansah and Kerry Hyder are expected to leave in free agency.  Montez Sweat was the talk of the Combine after putting up a blistering 4.42 40 time, setting the record for the fastest of any edge rusher.  Then there was the pre-existing heart condition found by the doctors at the Combine.  However, unlike Star Lotulelei and Maurice Hurst who were forced to miss the Combine due to their heart condition, Sweat’s was considered low-risk and he was allowed to fully participate in all drills.  It is expected that the condition will not affect his draft stock as a result.  Sweat arrived in Starkville as a transfer from Michigan State and after sitting out the 2016 season, he quickly made a name for himself as one of the top edge rushers in the SEC, finishing with 10.5 sacks and 14.5 TFL.  He teamed with DT Jeffery Simmons to give the Bulldogs a formidable duo wreaking havoc in opposing backfields.  Sweat demonstrated elite pass rush skills as a senior, finishing with 11.5 sacks, 14 TFL, 47 QB pressures and 10 QB hits while finishing with the third-highest overall rating of 86.3 and fourth highest pass rush rating of 83.2 among edge rushers according to Pro Football Focus.  Sweat has tremendous length, measuring in at 6’6” with 35 ¾-inch arms, which he uses to his advantage to create separation from the OT after exploding quickly off the ball.  Sweat looks to quickly get his hands into the chest of the OT and looks to bench press his man to get off the block.  From there, Sweat closes in a hurry to get after the QB.  What makes Sweat so lethal as an edge rusher is he can not only beat you with power, but his quick get-off allows him to get to the outside on the OT and the fluidity in his hips allows him to bend when running the arc before flattening out to the QB.  Sweat has a nonstop motor and is always working back to the QB, using a spin move to work back inside to the QB.  However, Sweat is equally effective against the run, as Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 86.8 against the run, good for third-best among edge rushers.  He uses his length and strength to set a strong edge.  He can stack and shed blockers, has the lateral quickness to track down the ball carrier and the speed to track down RB’s in pursuit from the back side.  Sweat does have a problem with pad level due to his height and can give the OT too much surface area to get his hands on him and redirect.  He also struggles at times to sink his hips to change directions quickly.  That said, I think Sweat has the ability to be an immediate starter at the next level and should make an impact early.

9.   Buffalo Bills – Jonah Williams, 6’4”, 302lbs, OT, Alabama, Jr. 

04/05/19 - Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama

03/28/19 - Ed Oliver, DT, Houston

02/11/19 - D.K.Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss

02/03/19 - Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama

01/31/19 - Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida
Josh Allen had a bit of a rocky rookie season, but if the final game of the season was any indication, things might be looking up in Buffalo.  Allen accounted for five TD, throwing for three and running for two more in a 42-17 victory, which led to being named AFC Offensive Player of the Week.  The Bills know they need to protect their investment up front, but there were more questions than answers along the offensive line heading into the offseason.  The whole right side of the line, Jordan Mills and John Miller, were free agents and Wyatt Teller and Vladimir Ducasse, who split time at LG, were underwhelming.  Then there’s Dion Dawkins, whose play dropped off dramatically at LT after a solid 2017.  But the Bills moved quickly in free agency, signing center Mitch Morse away from the Chiefs and brought in two OT’s to add depth to the position in Ty Nsekhe and La’Adrian Waddle.  The focus then appeared to shift to finding Allen a go-to target in the passing game.  Kelvin Benjamin had an underwhelming 2018 season after the Bills traded for him the season prior, which led to his release in December.  Zay Jones and Robert Foster were the leading WR’s on the roster, but neither was seen as a No. 1 wideout.  However, the Bills remained active in free agency, signing vertical threat John Brown and slot WR extraordinaire Cole Beasley to beef up the receiving corps.  That appears to take D.K. Metcalf out of the equation.  Buffalo also found additional weapons for Allen in TE Tyler Kroft and RB Frank Gore.  All the attention to the offensive side of the ball in free agency means this pick could very well be used on the defensive side of the ball.  I imagine the interior of the D-line will be an area of focus as Kyle Williams retired at the end of the season.  Star Lotulelei is locked in as one starter at DT and while Harrison Phillips and Jordan Phillips are solid role players, adding a dynamic playmaker like Ed Oliver would be too much to pass up should he fall.  However, I think adding a versatile technician to the offensive line like Jonah Williams would give Buffalos some options up front.  Williams burst onto the scene as a true freshman in 2016, starting all 15 games at RT for the Crimson Tide, earning Freshman All-America honors.  He moved to LT to replace the departed Cam Robinson to start his sophomore year and started all 29 games over the course of the next two seasons and was a two-time 1st Team All-American.  Williams also got to play on the college game’s biggest stage, having played in three consecutive CFP Championships.  Williams does not have ideal size for the LT position.  He measured in at 6’4” and 302 pounds at the Combine and his 33 5/8” arms are a little on the short side for an OT.  However, his game reminds you a lot of Joe Thomas, who excelled with using superior technique and angles to win on the edge.  Williams is very fundamentally sound, playing with excellent pad level, knee bend and balance.  His footwork is tremendous and never seems to be out of control.  He fires quickly out of his stance and offers a very deep kick slide to set up the proper angle to beat the pass rusher to the edge.  His feet are very quick and his short, choppy steps allow him to effortlessly slide with the defender.  Williams plays with tremendous leverage and is patient with his hands.  When he does engage, his hand placement is key, keeping his hands under the DE’s pad level to easily control his man.  His lateral agility allows him to make a power step to the inside to wall of an inside rush, then slide to get back to the outside to shut down a secondary move.  His mirror skills are tremendous against speed rushers, keeping his rear down while bending at the knees, sliding with his man to steer away from the pocket and not let them get to the edge.  Williams as a strong base to absorb the punch by the defender and can also anchor against a bull rush.  Williams is also a drive blocker in the run game, generating movement with leverage under the DE’s pad level followed by a powerful leg drive.  He can be physical when needed and will repeatedly cave in the left side of the line, which is often on display in goal line situations.  Against Ole Miss, Williams locked up with Josiah Coatney, a 6’4” and 316-pound DT and drove him four yards into the end zone.  Williams is also agile enough to climb to the second level and arrives under control, which allows him to secure his block on the LB.  Most of the concerns surrounding Williams are due to his lack of size and ideal length.  Will he get overpowered at the point of attack?  Will his lack of length be exploited by edge rushers with longer arms?  If you watched the National Championship, Williams’ battle against Clelin Ferrell was a lot of fun to watch.  Ferrell beat Williams a couple of times with his length and was even jacked back and thrown down on one occasion.  However, when Williams was patient and stuck to his superior movement skills, he was able to effectively neutralize Ferrell and often would ride him away from the pocket.  Williams is not the same level as Thomas, but the two have similar challenges with length as Thomas has 32 ½” arms and was still able to play at a high level as an All-Pro and future Hall of Famer.  

10.  Denver Broncos – Devin White, 6’0”, 237lbs, ILB, LSU, Jr.

04/05/19 - Devin White, ILB, LSU

03/28/19 - Devin White, ILB, LSU

02/11/19 - Drew Lock, QB, Missouri

02/03/19 - Andraez "Greedy" Williams, CB, LSU

01/31/19 - Drew Lock, QB, Missouri
The Broncos underperformed in 2018, which led to a coaching change at the top.  Vance Joseph is out, and Vic Fangio is in as head coach.  Fangio is a former DC, so there’s no reason why we shouldn’t expect a focus this offseason on finding players to fit his scheme.  I think the Broncos will target an ILB in this draft to take the place of Brandon Marshall, who is expected to leave in free agency.  Fangio had an impact rookie ILB a season ago in Roquan Smith, so it makes a ton of sense for Devin White to be the pick here.  However, Denver has yet to figure out the QB position since Peyton Manning retired following the 2015 season.  During the next two seasons after Peyton, Denver started Trevor Siemian, Paxton Lynch, whom they drafted with the 26th overall pick in 216, and Brock Osweiler and finished 9-7 and 5-11 while finishing 3rd and 4th in the AFC West during those seasons.  Then Denver signed Case Keenum, who was fresh off a career year in Minnesota, to a two-year $36 million deal.  However, Keenum failed to have the encore performance the Broncos were expecting as they finished the 2018 season with a 6-10 record, good for 3rd in the division.  Clearly, John Elway hasn’t gotten the QB situation right to this point and the pressure is on to find the QB of the future.  In the meantime, Denver traded for 34-ear old Joe Flacco, who is under contract through 2021.  Flacco gets a chance to resurrect his career, which means Elway doesn’t have to be in a hurry to find the QB of the future, especially considering he has to get it right this time.  That said, Drew Lock seems to be on the Broncos’ radar, especially considering Elway was spotted in Columbia to get a first-hand look at the Missouri Tiger.  Lock is absolutely in play here, but if Fangio gets the chance to work with another athletic and productive rookie ILB, how can he pass that up?  Devin White was the heart and soul of the LSU defense and was tremendously productive the last two seasons, having put together back-to-back seasons with over 120 tackles.  White is a converted high school RB, so his instincts are still playing catch-up as you’ll see him easily fooled and will take false steps from initial movement.  However, that’s why the production is so impressive is that despite his shortcomings, White finds a way to get the job done.  His play speed is accurately represented by the 4.42 40 time he ran at the Combine.  White does a tremendous job working laterally from gap to gap to force bouncing RB’s to the perimeter and has the speed downhill to fill gaps in a hurry.  He can sink his hips and cut on a dime to change directions, then has quick acceleration and closing speed to get to the ball carrier quickly.  White does a good job timing his blitzes well, especially when spying the QB as he’ll often shoot the A gap late to pressure the QB as the ball is being thrown.  While he has some trouble taking the proper angle to the football, when he does arrive at the ball carrier, he does a good job driving through the ball carrier and is always looking to make a play on the ball, having forced 3 fumbles this past season.  He is smooth in his back pedal in coverage and has fluid hips to turn and run with the receiver.  White also shows a knack for finding the ball in the passing game, having deflected 6 passes in 2018, which doubled his output from the prior year.  Simply put, the best is likely yet to come for White, who is still learning the position, which is a scary thought!  I’d expect White to start immediately and be an impact defender for Fangio’s defense.

11.  Cincinnati Bengals – Jawaan Taylor, 6’5”, 312lbs, OT, Florida, Jr.

04/05/19 - Drew Lock, QB, Missouri

03/28/19 - Drew Lock, QB, Missouri

02/11/19 - Devin White, ILB, LSU

02/03/19 - Cody Ford, OT/OG, Oklahoma

01/31/19 - Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama

For the first time since 2003, the Bengals will not be coached by Marvin Lewis.  After a 131-122-3 regular season record, including 4 AFC North division titles, and a 0-7 postseason record, Lewis was let go after a 6-10 record.  In steps Zac Taylor, a former college QB and Sean McVay’s QB coach with the Rams.  Now, the question surrounding Cincy is what happens with Andy Dalton.  Will Taylor look for his own QB to develop, or does he roll with Dalton, who has been the franchise QB since his rookie season in 2011?  For the first five seasons of Dalton’s career, he led the Bengals two five straight playoff appearances, though he posted an 0-5 record in the postseason.  During the last three seasons, Dalton failed to post a winning record and finished this past season on IR following a thumb injury that required surgery.  Dalton is under contract through 2020 and is set to make $33.9 million in those two seasons.  Now may be the time to move on from Dalton.  If Drew Lock is Taylor’s guy, don’t rule out Cincy trading up to land their guy.  However, the QB position isn’t the only need in this draft.  Defensively, MLB Preston Brown was re-signed to a three-year deal, but WLB Vontaze Burfict was released, leaving a hole in the LB corps.  Even with Brown coming back, he’s really more of a two-down backer.  Adding a versatile LB like Devin Bush would allow the Bengals to play Bush at the WILL and when Brown comes off the field on 3rd downs, Bush would team with Nick Vigil to give the Bengals two very active LB’s who can drop into coverage.  Also, the right side of the O-line was a huge question mark coming into the offseason and while RT Bobby Hart was re-signed, he’s better as a backup and there’s little depth at the position.  I think Taylor will want an O-line that is more physical than this group has displayed.  Look at how the Rams’ offensive line dominated the point of attack for much of the 2018 season.  Zac Taylor will surely want to duplicate that and Jawaan Taylor will bring a rare blend of size, power and quickness to the OT position.  Despite being a highly-touted recruit, Taylor weighed 380 pounds and was told by the Florida coaching staff they’ like to see him lose weight before they offered him a scholarship, which they did after he weighed in at 347 pounds when he signed his letter of intent.  Taylor started 12 games as a true freshman, earning Freshman All-America honors.  Since then, Taylor started 23 of his final 24 games in a Gator uniform and proved to be a stalwart a RT.  Taylor is big and powerful at the point of attack, accelerating into his man off the ball.  His hand placement is right under the pad level and delivers a powerful punch which gets his man off balance.  From there, he uses a strong lower body to generate movement.  He plays with a mean streak, is always looking to finish and will sustain his blocks to the whistle.  Taylor does a good job playing under control when climbing to the second level and was effective as a puller when asked to do so.  He’s a prototypical old school RT in the sense that he is looking to punish you in the run game.  Taylor does struggle at times in pass protection with his foot speed.  He’ll tend to overset, which leaves himself to an inside rush and he does have a hard time when a defender is slanting across his face.  However, Taylor does show the required knee bend to be effective as a pass blocker and moves well laterally.  If you watched Florida play Florida State, you would have seen Taylor handle Brian Burns’ patented spin move, which definitely caught my eye.  That said, he still needs some work with his footwork as he is inconsistent in being able to pick up secondary moves because his change of direction can be a tad slow.  

12.  Green Bay Packers – Devin Bush, 5’11”, 234lbs, ILB, Michigan, Jr.

04/05/19 - Devin Bush, ILB, Michigan

03/28/19 - Devin Bush, ILB, Michigan

02/11/19 - Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson

02/03/19 - Jachai Polite, OLB, Florida

01/31/19 - Cody Ford, OT/OG, Oklahoma

Mike McCarthy is out, and Matt LaFleur is in as HC following back-to-back 3rd place finishes in the NFC North Division.  Green Bay drafted heavily on the defensive side of the ball since McCarthy took the helm, drafting defense 10 out of 12 picks in the 1st Round during his tenure.  I think LaFleur may look to change that pattern this year.  We saw the Packers become active in free agency on the defensive side of the ball, landing edge rushers Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith and Safety Adrian Amos.  I think the only possible move defensively here would be if one of the Devin’s were to fall to No. 12 as the Packers would like to pair an athletic LB with sideline-to-sideline range with Blake Martinez, who led the team last year with 144 tackles.  I think we’ll see LaFleur address offense early and often in this year’s draft.  Adding weapons for Aaron Rodgers is a must.  T.J. Hockenson would be a no-brainer here if he’s on the board and I think they’ll take a look at D.K. Metcalf to give Davante Adams a running mate on the outside.  Green Bay was again a top-ten passing team, but couldn’t protect Rodgers, finishing the year with 53 sacks given up, which tied them for third most in the league.  The line play must improve in 2019 under new OL coach Adam Stenavich.  LT David Bakhtiari is a top-level pass protector while Corey Linsley has been a model of consistency with 2,484 consecutive snaps under his belt. LG Lane Taylor had a disappointing 2018 season, so a bounce-back year is expected and the Packers turned to free agency to address the RG position by signing Billy Turner.  RT Bryan Bulaga is solid when he’s on the field, but he can’t seem to stay healthy and is in the final year of his contract. If LaFleur isn’t sold on the health of Bulaga, who is only under contract through the 2019 season, this pick may be used on a versatile lineman like Jonah Williams, Cody Ford or Chris Lindstrom.  I just think that if Bush, the best off-ball LB and one of the most explosive playmakers in this year’s draft, is available at No. 12, how can the Packers pass on him?  There is no question Bush has been shooting up draft boards following an explosive performance at the Combine that saw him run a 4.43 40 and post a vertical leap of 40.5 inches.  Bush has NFL bloodlines, as his dad Devin was the 26th overall pick of the Falcons in the 1995 draft and played 8 seasons in the league.  Bush arrived as a four-star recruit and after a freshman season as a reserve LB and special teams contributor, he was thrusted into the starting lineup as a sophomore in 2017.  Bush filled the stat sheet, finishing with 102 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 5 sacks and 1 Int., which earned him 1st Team All-Big 10 honors and he was named a finalist for the Butkus Award.  He was named team captain prior to the start of this past season and again proved to be all over the field, posting 80 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 5 sacks and 6 pass breakups and was named the Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year and was a 2nd Team All-American.  What jumps out quickly when you watch Devin Bush play is how active he is.  He does a tremendous job diagnosing plays quickly, reading his keys and reacting in a hurry.  His athleticism and speed allow him to beat blocks over the top laterally and once he hits a hole downhill, he explodes to the ball carrier.  He does a tremendous job using his hands at the point of attack to slip blocks and has a low center of gravity that gives him the balance required to keep his footing and work through contact.  If you play too high trying to block Bush, you’re in for a world of trouble because he delivers a powerful punch at the point of attack to get the blocker off balance.  However, because of his lack of size, he has to work harder to slip blocks because he can be engulfed by blockers at the point of attack and will struggle to get off the block at that point.  Bush is also tremendous in coverage.  He has the speed and fluidity to turn and run with RB’s in the flat and up the sideline.  His recognition is excellent, sowing he can read the screen, run by blockers on the perimeter to get outside then drop the RB behind the line of scrimmage.  He can also get after the QB, showing he can bend around the corner in a hurry and times his blitzes well to get in the QB face and affect the pass.  Bush does have to do a better job of breaking down in space.  He tends to fly around like he has his hair on fire and will miss tackles as a result.  He already has a lack of ideal length, so it’s critical that he arrives at the ball carrier under control.

13.  Miami Dolphins – Cody Ford, 6’4”, 329lbs, OT/OG, Oklahoma, Jr.

04/05/19 - Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida

03/28/19 - Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida

02/11/19 - Ed Oliver, DT, Houston

02/03/19 - Ed Oliver, DT, Houston

01/31/19 - Ed Oliver, DT, Houston

The Dolphins is officially in rebuild mode following a 7-9 season that marked the end of Adam Gase’s time in Miami.  Since 2005, the Fins have only been to the playoffs twice and the last time they won a playoff game was 2000.  Brian Flores is now tasked with bringing a winning attitude to the organization.  The Ryan Tannehill era in Miami is over as he was traded to Tennessee.  Filling his spot will be journeyman gunslinger Ryan Fitzpatrick, who filled in well for Jameis Winston last season with the Bucs.  Now Fitzmagic is on the wrong side of 30, so he’s clearly not Miami’s long-term solution at QB, but you have to wonder if their intention is to select a QB now or continue the rebuild status and focus on an exciting 2020 QB draft class.  They could also be players in the Josh Rosen sweepstakes.  Miami will be meeting with all of the top-rated QB’s in this year’s draft and I would expect the organization to select a QB at some point in this draft, but unless something drastic changes between now and the draft, I don’t expect it to be here.  The Dolphins finished 2018 with the 28th-ranked defense and was especially bad against the run as they gave up 145.3 yards per game; only Arizona gave up more.  Offensively, Miami will have to address its porous offensive line, which gave up 52 sacks, which tied them for fifth most in the league.  You’d think the offseason focus would be on upgrading both lines, but the relative inactivity this offseason is another reason to believe Miami is comfortable with its rebuild status, meaning that focus will shift to the draft.  I think this pick will may come down to one of four players – Ed Oliver, Christian Wilkins or Rashan Gary on the defensive side or Jawaan Taylor or Cody Ford on offense.  Ziggy Hood and Sylvester Williams are free agents, meaning Davon Godchaux and Akeem Spence are left to man the starting spots along the defensive interior.  While there’s a chance that neither will be available here, adding Oliver or Wilkins would give the Dolphins an interior presence they are sorely lacking at the moment.  Wilkins may actually be the better fid for Flores’ defense as he can line up all over the line and is scheme versatile.  However, this is also a very deep draft at the DT position.  Then there’s the pass rush, or lack thereof.  The Dolphins already finished 29th in the league in sacks with 31, but then the two edge rushers who led the team in sacks in Robert Quinn and Cameron Wake are no longer on the roster.  Quinn, who managed 6.5 sacks to lead the team, was traded away to Dallas, while Wake, who had 6.0 sacks himself, left in free agency, leaving former 1st Round disappointment Charles Harris as the team’s top pass rusher.  Brian Burns and Gary could start immediately for the Fins.  When Ja’Wuan James left for Denver in free agency, that left journeyman Zach Sterup to man the RT position.  Sterup will be in his 3rd season with the Fins after spending time on the practice squad of three other teams.  The question will be whether Miami is confident Sterup, who has played in just 12 games in three seasons, can hold down the right side of the line.  Starting OG’s Jesse Davis and Isaac Asiata are also free agents after season’s end and there is little depth behind him, so I think a versatile O-lineman like Cody Ford makes a lot of sense with this pick.  Plus, Ford would also bring a mean streak and some nastiness that would help change the mentality up front.  Ford was a starter his freshman season at LG for three games before a broken leg against Ohio State sidelined him for the season.  He was a reserve OG in 2017 but did start in four games when LG Ben Powers went down to injury.  When Bobby Evans moved from RT to the left side to replace Orlando Brown, it opened a starting spot at RT and Ford was a natural fit.  He started all 14 games for the Sooners and received All-America honors in the process.  Ford was the leader of the nation’s top OL as the Sooners won the Joe Moore Award, which coincidentally offers up the largest trophy you’ve ever seen!  Ford has a rare blend of size and quickness which made his move to OT a smooth one.  He has very heavy hands that he uses to jolt defenders and will keep them off balance.  Ford offers good hand placement, rarely missing his strike inside under the DL’s pad level.  From there, when he locks on, he can be extremely physical and will drive his man down the field with a leg drive that keeps going to the whistle.  Ford is nasty and plays with a mean streak, looking not just to keep his man blocked, but to also dominate and bury him.  He is surprisingly light on his feet and showed decent agility laterally, especially when he squares up his man and can sit down in his stance and anchor against the bull rush.  Plus, he gave up just one sack on 441 pass snaps according to Pro Football Focus.  Ford still struggles with his feet against speed rushers and will overset at times, leaving him susceptible to an inside move.  He will get overextended sometimes and get too far on his toes, which will cause him to get off balance, which makes his ability to sustain blocks inconsistent.  That said, he has the ability to play at RT for a long time in the league and would start right away for the Dolphins.

14.  Atlanta Falcons – Christian Wilkins, 6’3”, 315lbs, DT, Clemson

04/05/19 - Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson

03/28/19 - Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson

02/11/19 - Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi State

02/03/19 - Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi State

01/31/19 - Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi State

The Falcons are hoping to move on from 2018 quickly, especially considering their 7-9 record was the worst in the four years Dan Quinn has been head coach.  While Atlanta’s offense did finish with the 6th most productive offense averaging 389.1 yards per game, the offense was still a disappointment under Steve Sarkisian, who was let go in favor of a familiar face in Dirk Koetter, who was the team’s OC from 2012-14.  However, it was the defense under Marquand Manuel that was the real disappointment, finishing with the 25th-ranked run defense and 27th versus the pass.  Like Sarkisian, Manuel was shown the door and Quinn will be taking over the DC duties.  Offensively, Thomas Dimitroff, Quinn and Co. knew they had to overhaul the offensive line and that was exactly where their focus has been this offseason.  James Carpenter and Jamon Brown have been signed to start at the OG positions, which instantly upgrades the interior of the line with Wes Schweitzer and Brandon Fusco providing depth at the position.  LT Jake Matthews and center Alex Mack are mainstays on the Falcons’ line and it seems like the RT position is getting much clearer as Ty Sambrailo was signed two a two-year deal, which then led the release to Ryan Schraeder.  While Jonah Williams could be the pick here, I think the O-line is in much better shape than the interior of the defensive line.  Grady Jarrett was franchised and last year’s 4th Round pick Deadrin Senat seems to be a keeper, but there’s little in terms of depth especially with Terrell McClain a free agent.  This is the draft for adding an interior lineman defensively and Christian Wilkins, who is versatile and can play all over the line, is a quick penetrator versus the run and uses his burst to collapse the pocket along the interior, has been a consistent performer during his four years at Clemson, so he seems like a natural fit.  Wilkins leaves Clemson as one of the more celebrated players to come through the program in quite some time.  He began his career as a reserve up front, spending time at both DT and DE in Brent Venables’ defense, ending his freshman season with a 10-tackle performance against Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl.  He also caught a 31-yard pass on a fake punt in the first half against the Sooners.  He followed up his Freshman All-America performance by being named first-team All-America and a finalist for the Bednarik and Nagurski awards as a sophomore.  In 706 snaps, Wilkins recorded 56 tackles, 13 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 20 QB pressures and was a disruptive force when the lights were brightest, including providing constant pressure on Jalen Hurts in the National Championship victory over Alabama.  Everyone was expecting Wilkins to turn pro following another impressive season in 2017.  He was named team captain and was a leader of the defense while having another 50-tackle year, racked up 8.5 TFL and got to the QB 4.5 times with another 11 QB pressures and 4 pass breakups.  However, Wilkins surprised everyone by returning to Clemson for his senior season, joining fellow DT Dexter Lawrence and DE’s Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant to form one o the more impressive front fours college football has seen in quite some time.  Wilkins tallied 57 tackles, 8.5 TFL, 6.0 sacks and 2 pass breakups, a performance that saw him be named a finalist for a number of awards, including the Nagurski, Outland, Bednarik and Lombardi Awards along with the Lott Trophy.  Wilkins also became the fifth player in Clemson history to be named a unanimous All-American, joining Gaines Adams, Da’Quan Bowers, Terry Kinard and C.J. Spiller, all of whom were 1st Round picks.  In addition to his prowess on the field, Wilkins was equally impressive off the field.  Wilkins was a four-time All-ACC Academic team selection, was very active in his community and even spent time as a kindergarten teacher, so the Falcons know they’re getting a high character player.  He is definitely scheme versatile, lining up as a three-technique in an even man front, but can also like up as a five-technique in a 34 defense.  Wilkins does a great job timing the snap count and is very quick with his hands to get into the blocker, which allows him to shoot gaps off the ball.  His rip and arm over moves allow him to beat his man to get early penetration into the backfield.  Wilkins also has the lateral quickness to be disruptive in gaps along the line of scrimmage and has impressive for a man his size to keep his footing through contact, especially on cut blocks.  He also has excellent play recognition.  He also plays with excellent effort.  Against Syracuse, he was engaged with the LG, then as QB Eric Dungey ran up the middle, used a quick arm over to get off the block and drop the QB in the hole; on another QB run by Dungey, this time to the outside toward the end zone, LB JD Davis forced Dungey to cut back inside as Wilkins was pursuing him 8 yards down the field to drop him 1 yard shy of the end zone.  He will also pursue the football all the way to the sideline from the back side.  Wilkins isn’t without flaws.  His lack of length is noticeable as his 32 1/2" arms are fifth shortest among all DL at the Combine.  That lack of length means he struggles with OT’s with considerable reach and struggles to get off blocks.  He lacks the lower body strength to anchor at the point of attack and will get engulfed by double teams if he cannot win at the point of attack.  However, he does understand his limitations.  While Wilkins will frequently get driven back by double teams, he also is adept at getting his hands into the passing lane as he finished his career with 15 pass breakups.  The trio of Wilkins, Jarrett and Senat would give the Falcons three quick penetrators.

15.  Washington Redskins – Drew Lock, 6’4”, 228lbs, QB, Missouri

04/05/19 - D.K. Metcalf, WR, Mississippi

03/28/19 - Brian Burns, DE, Florida State

02/11/19 - Montez Sweat, DE, Mississippi State

02/03/19 - D.K. Metcalf, WR, Mississippi

01/31/19 - D.K. Metcalf, WR, Mississippi

The Redskins began the 2018 season with high expectations after Alex Smith signed a 5-year $94 million contract to take over for Kirk Cousins under center.  Washington entered Week 11 as the NFC East leaders with a 6-3 record, but then Smith sustained a Joe Theismann-type compound leg fracture that not only ended his season, but also jeopardized his career following a subsequent battle with an infection after his surgery.  The 34-year old is not expected to return for the 2019 season, which made the QB position a huge need, especially considering Colt McCoy was the only other QB on the roster.  Washington did make a trade for Case Keenum and worked out an agreement to have Denver pay half of the $7 million he is owed in 2019.  Keenum, a journeyman QB who will have played with his fourth team in as many seasons, is simply a stopgap and there’s a chance Smith may never play again.  Washington has to come out of this draft with a QB and if they want to land one of the top three QB’s, I would expect them to trade up in this draft to land one.  If the Skins stay here, I think it is a real possibility they could build around whoever is at QB in 2019.  The offensive line is set at four of the five positions with only the RG position in question, which could mean Cody Ford, who reminds me a lot of LG Brandon Scherff with their physicality and versatility, could be the pick here if he’s on the board.  However, if the top QB’s ae of the board, this pick will be used on either upgrading the pass rush or finding a playmaker at WR.  Defensively, Ryan Kerrigan yet again led the Skins in sacks with 13.  Kerrigan, a former 1st Round pick in 2011, has been a model of consistency, starting all 126 games in his career, which makes him the active leader among OLB’s in the league.  He’s also just 9 sacks shy of surpassing Dexter Manley.  Kerrigan wasn’t the only one racking up the sacks for the Skins as the DL trio of Jonathan Allen (8.5), Matt Ioannidis (7.5) and Da’Ron Payne (5.0) each proved to be effective getting after the QB.  However, Preston Smith, Kerrigan’s running mate at the other OLB position, underachieved in 2018, finishing with just 4.0 sacks on the year.  Smith left in free agency and 2017 2nd Round pick Ryan Anderson battled a hamstring injury this past season and while his role is expected to expand in 2019, he’s known more as being a physical downhill player adept at setting the edge than he is as an edge rusher.  Brian Burns is one of the more explosive athletes in this draft and would take some pressure off Kerrigan coming off the edge.  However, the WR position has to be targeted early and often.  2016 1st Round pick Josh Doctson has yet to make the impact the Skins were expecting, while last year’s free-agent acquisition Paul Richardson, who was supposed to be the team’s vertical threat, found himself on IR after shoulder surgery.  Trey Quinn is a solid option in the slot, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Redskins use mltiple picks to add playmakers to the WR corps.  Adding a vertical threat like D.K. Metcalf or even Marquise Brown could be the pick here.  I think at the end of the day, if Washington wants to compete in the NFC East, they have to address the QB position and while I don’t see them getting ahead of the Giants at No. 6, I think they can land move into the back half of the top 10 to get Lock, who has a chance to be the best of the bunch.  Lock arrived at Mizzou as a highly-touted recruit who participated in the Elite 11 Camp.  It was clear early on that Lock was a tremendous athlete, showing off tremendous arm strength and a knack for making plays outside the pocket.  Lock started the final 8 games of his true freshman season for the Tigers but completed under 50% of his passes and the number of Int.’s thrown (8) doubled his TD’s (4).  Lock did improve as a sophomore, throwing for nearly 3,400 yards on 54.6% passing with 23 TD and 10 Int.  Lock showed off his arm strength, especially with the deep ball, but struggled with accuracy on short-to-intermediate routes, especially those requiring more touch and finesse.  Lock’s junior campaign really put himself on the map as his 3,964 yards and 44 passing TD’s both led the SEC, but his accuracy only moved up a couple of points to 57.8%.  The concern with Lock was whether he’d ever get control of his accuracy.  He proved doubters wrong in his final season at Mizzou, finishing the season completing 62.9% of his passes for 3,498 yards with 28 TD and just 8 Int.  What was so impressive about the completion percentage is that it includes a three-game stretch against Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama where he completed just 48.2% of his passes for 567 yards with 5 Int. and just 1 TD.  While Lock did struggle against the SEC’s elite defense, a lot was due to the fact that the Tigers were outmatched up front as 7 of his 13 sacks came in those three games alone.  Much of that pressure caused Lock to try to do too much to keep his team in the game.  He’ll need to learn that throwing the ball away and living to face another down is better than throwing an ill-advised pass into double and triple coverage late.  When you put on the film, it’s easy to see Lock’s athleticism.  He was once a highly-regarded basketball player and you can see some plus athleticism with his escapability, which was also confirmed at the Combine with his 4.69 40 time.  Lock has a very quick release, effortless delivery and the ball clearly jumps out of his hands.  He can also change his arm angle as needed to fit a throw into a tight window.  He does a good job getting the ball out early to the wide side, especially in front of soft coverage, where he can throw a dart and let the WR make a play after the catch.  Lock’s arm strength is not only apparent with the velocity, but he can also unload it down the field; against Wyoming he threw a pass 64 yards on play action without setting his feet!  Plus, he was able to drop the ball in over the outside shoulder of the receiver on vertical routes so that the wideout wouldn’t have to break stride.  Occasionally, his throws up the sideline would creep too far inside to allow the defender to make a play on the football, but the arm strength paired with excellent ball placement is a recipe for success down the football field.  Lock also showed excellent touch and ball placement on back shoulder throws, putting the ball away from the defender where only the WR could make a play on the ball.  While he still gets into trouble staring down receivers, which allows DB’s to undercut routes, Lock also shows an improved ability to manipulate defenses with his eyes.  Against Wyoming, he was able to look to the middle of the field before finding Nate Brown up the sideline for 27 yards before safety Andrew Wingard could get there over the top.  Against Georgia, he hit a RB on a wheel route up the sideline, freezing the safety by keeping his eyes locked up the middle of the field, before hitting the BR who beat the LB to the outside.  Then against Purdue, he looked off safety Jacob Thieneman, holing him over the middle, then came back to the left to hit Jalen Knox on a skinny post that went for a 59-yard TD all because Thieneman couldn’t out to Knox in time.  Lock may be the most NFL-ready QB in the draft, but with Keenum on the roster, he won’t be asked to start right away which is the best possible situation.

16.  Carolina Panthers – Brian Burns, 6’5”, 249lbs, DE, Florida State, Jr.

04/05/19 - Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson

03/28/19 - Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson

02/11/19 - Garrett Bradbury, OC, NC State

02/03/19 - Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State

01/31/19 - Montez Sweat, DE, Mississippi State

Carolina can breathe a little easier since Cam Newton’s shoulder injury wasn’t quite as bad as initially thought.  Newton had arthroscopic surgery to repair cartilage damage in his shoulder on January 24 and the team is optimistic he will be ready for the start of the season.  It’s entirely possible this pick is used on the offensive side of the ball, either to find someone to protect him or another weapon in the passing game.  Carolina was expected to target Garrett Bradbury with this pick after the retirement of Ryan Kalil, but we can rule that move out now that the Panthers have signed Matt Paradis.  RT Daryl Williams was re-signed to a one-year deal to start opposite Taylor Moton and RG Trai Turner is signed through 2021.  That said, there is an immediate hole at LG and the lack of depth at OT could mean this pick could be used on a versatile offensive lineman.  The WR position became a need area the moment Devin Funchess signed with the Colts.  The receiving corps consisting of Curtis Samuel, Jarius Wright and last year’s 1st Round pick DJ Moore are all explosive, but each of them lack Funchess’ size, meaning DK Metcalf and N’Keal Harry are in play here.  However, would Carolina really use 1st Round picks on a WR in back-to-back seasons?  Defensively, the Panthers drafted Donte Jackson in the 2nd Round a year ago to pair with James Bradberry, himself a 2nd Rounder in 2016.  The two form a formidable duo on the outside.  However, should the Panthers look for added length at the position, adding Greedy Williams would solidify the back end of the defense.  Then there’s the pass rush, which is in desperate need of an upgrade following a 2018 season that saw Carolina sack the QB 35 times, which was good for just 27th in the league.  40% of the team's sacks came from two players:  Julius Peppers (5.0) and Mario Addison (9.0).  Peppers, a future first ballot Hall of Famer, called it quits after an incredible 17-year career that saw him finish third on the all-time sack list, leaving a void opposite Addison.  Bruce Irvin was signed to address the need, but he was only signed to a one-year deal, meaning he’ll be a free agent at the end of the season, as will Addison.  Adding Brian Burns to the mix would not only address the pass rush this year, but also gives them some insurance at the position should they not be able to re-sign either Addison or Irvin.  I expected the Panthers to go corner then WR with their first two picks in 2018, but the depth at the corner position on Day 2 was enough for the Panthers to select D.J. Moore 24th overall, then took CB Donte Jackson with their 2nd Round pick.  I think the depth in this year’s OT draft is actually on Day 2 and the drop-off from the premier edge rushers is enough that Carolina could use this pick on Burns, then use a Day 2 pick to go after an OT, possibly Washington’s Kaleb McGary.  While it’s been 11 years since the Panthers last took an OT in Round One, the last time a DE was taken in the 1st Round was Peppers in 2002.  I think this pick has to be Brian Burns, one of the most explosive edge rushers in this year’s draft after racking up 23.0 sacks in his three seasons as a Seminole.  Burns was an impact player from the time he showed up on campus in Tallahassee.  He led all first-year players with 9.5 sacks while earning Freshman All-America honors in 2016.  He registered 13.5 TFL while only managing 4.5 sacks as a sophomore, but he showcased his athleticism with 2 blocked punts.  Burns was one of the lone bright spots for FSU during a disappointing 2018, leading the team with 10.5 sacks and 15.5 TFL.  Burns has always been an explosive player off the edge, but his lack of size left many questioning whether his game could translate to the next level.  He began his career weighing under 220 pounds and finished his Seminole career gaining only 15 pounds.  However, Burns showed up at the Combine tipping the scales at 249 pounds.  While Burns was bigger, would the added weight affect his burst and explosiveness?  Burns silenced any doubters by running a 4.53 40, good for third among all DL and would have finished 6th among LB’s.  Burns has a tremendous get-off combined with long strides that help him beat OT’s to the edge in a hurry.  His hip flexibility allows him to dip his inside shoulder under the OT’s pad level and he has the ankle flexion to get to a 45-degree angle when bending around the edge.  He also does a good job changing his speeds during his rush, equipped with hesitation, stutters and jab steps to either freeze the OT ore get him leaning before quickly accelerating by his man.  Burns is advanced with his hand usage, showing an ability to chop the OT’s hands down; he uses a club move to get his man off balance; and will use a rip move to disengage and get by the blocker.  Burns has a basketball background, which is on display with his tight and explosive spin move that leaves his man in the dust.  Burns will continue to work to get to the football off the edge and is tremendous in pursuit of the ball carrier from the backside, which means teams must run at him to take away his athleticism and overpower him at the point of attack.  Despite his lack of overall size, Burns uses his length to get off blocks and uses his long arms to get to the ball, having knocked 7 passes down and forced 7 fumbles in his career.  However, for as explosive as Burns played, if he could not win right away with his speed and the blocker is able to square him up, he can easily get engulfed at the point of attack.  He struggled mightily to get off blocks and can get completely washed down the line.  Burns also struggled to set the edge against the run because he didn’t have the strength to anchor.  The question now will be whether the added 14 pounds since the end of the season will have an impact on his play strength.  If he can hold his ground at the point and can fight through blocks, then the 16th overall selection could end up being a steal.  If not, then it’s possible Burns could be the next Aaron Maybin, Vernon Gholston or Dion Jordan.

17.  ​New York Giants (from Cleveland) – Rashan Gary, 6’4”, 277lbs, DE, Michigan, Jr.

04/05/19 - Rashan Gary, DE, Michigan

03/28/19 - D.K. Metcalf, WR, Mississippi

02/11/19 - Cleveland - Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson 

02/03/19 - Cleveland - Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson

01/31/19 - Cleveland - Andraez "Greedy" Williams, CB, LSU

The Giants secured this pick from Cleveland in the Odell Beckham, Jr. trade and it should be expected that this pick will be used on one of four positions.  Currently, the RT position is the only OL position that has yet to be solidified.  The incumbent Chad Wheeler is best suited as a backup.  It wouldn’t be a shock if this pick was used on Cody Ford or Jonah Williams, both of whom could easily be off the board at this point.   Alec Ogletree will be a starter at ILB, but New York could use an upgrade for B.J. Goodson.  If Devin Bush falls this far, he’d be too good to pass on.  Then there’s the WR position.  The loss of OBJ left New York scrambling to find a WR to pair with Sterling Shepard and while Golden Tate was brought in on a four-year deal worth $37.5 million, he’s actually a similar player to Shepard.  I think the depth of the WR position will allow the Giants to pass on a WR in Round 1.  The pass rush absolutely needs to be revived after finishing the 2018 season with just 30 sacks.  Gone are the days of Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck, Osi Umeniyora and Jason Pierre-Paul.  You can expect Dave Gettleman to address the pass rush early and often, especially now that Olivier Vernon was traded to Cleveland, and there's a chance Gary is on the board here.  Rashan Gary was the Wolverines’ prized recruit of the 2016 class as he was the No. 1 overall recruit that year.  Fast forward three years and Gary flashed the athleticism that had Michigan fans excited when he first set foot on campus.  Measuring in at 6’4” and 277 pounds, Gary ran 4.58 in the 40, which was the fastest among D-linemen and would have been fourth fastest among edge rushers!  There’s no doubt Gary has the potential to be great, but we’ve ben waiting for the production to match the potential.  After a true freshman campaign that saw Gary register 5.5 TFL and 0.5 sacks, Gary took a step forward as a sophomore in 2017, finishing the season with 58 tackles, 11.5 for loss and 5.5 sacks.  Everyone was expecting Gary to take a big step forward in production as a junior, but he managed just 38 tackles, 6.5 TFL and 3.5 sacks in 9 games as a shoulder injury caused him to miss a month of action.  It wasn’t like Gary was seeing a lot of double teams considering Chase Winovich was on the opposite side, but while Winovich was ultra-productive in the backfield, Gary seemed to run himself out of position to make a play.  His pass rush skills, especially his hands, seem to lack polish and too often he’d stay on the outside rather than work back inside to the QB.  It’s frustrating to see as Gary will show flashes of dominance, especially when he fires low out of his stance.  His lower body explosion, which was on display at the Combine with a 38-inch vertical leap, and powerful base allow him to convert speed to power effortlessly.  He can easily cave in one side of the line with power and can then disengage and has the lateral quickness to pursue the football.  He has the strength and length to set a strong edge and does a good job getting off blocks to make a play on the football.  Gary uses that same length and power to drive his man back off the ball with an effective bull rush to collapse the pocket on the QB.  His effectiveness can be taken away when his pad level gets too high, as OT’s easily stand him up and neutralize his raw power.  He has plus strength and has the athleticism to be an edge rusher at the next level, but he needs polish to his game, and I think it’s expected that once an NFL position coach gets his hands on him, the refinement will help bring all of the tools together.  Because the production hasn’t matched the potential, I see Gary as a boom-or-bust prospect, but if everything can click for Gary, the league better watch out!  However, the key word there is “if”.

18.  Minnesota Vikings – Andre Dillard, 6’5”, 315lbs, OT, Washington State

04/05/19 - Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State

03/28/19 - Jonah Williams, OT, Oklahoma 

02/11/19 - Cody Ford, OT/OG, Oklahoma

02/03/19 - Jawaan Taylor, 6'5", 328lbs, OT, Florida, Jr.

01/31/19 - Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State

Last year, Minnesota made a trip to the NFC Championship, but 2018 was a different story as the Vikes failed to make the playoffs in Kirk Cousins’ first year under center.  Mike Zimmer and Co. must look to improve its offense to match the output of the defense.  Minnesota’s defense finished with the 5th-ranked defense, finished 3rd in the league versus the pass and racked up 50 sacks, which tied them with Chicago for 3rd overall.  That is in stark contrast to the offense, which finished 20th overall and a dismal 30th on the ground.  Even with the addition of Josh Kline to man the RG spot, the offensive line must continue to be addressed this offseason.  Brian O’Neill shows promise at RT and Center Pat Elflein will hold down the position once again.  The Mike Remmers experiment inside didn’t work and he’s not expected to be back.  Like Remmers this past season, LT Riley Reiff may be moved inside to OG.  I think the Vikes would be ecstatic to have the choice of adding Cody Ford, who has the versatility to play both OT positions as well as OG which will come in handy depending on what happens with Reiff, and Andre Dillard, the best pure pass protector in this draft who would be an upgrade at LT and would make Reiff’s move inside an easy decision.  Either way, Minnesota gets a lineman who is ready to start immediately, but I think adding Dillard at LT means Reiff moves inside and O’Neill can continue to progress at RT, rather than try to transition to LT.  After seeing action in just three games as a redshirt freshman, Andre Dillard became a fixture at LT in Mike Leach’s Air Raid Offense in the Paloose with 39 consecutive starts to finish his career.  Dillard is quick off the ball and is smooth in his kick slide to easily beat speed rushers to the edge.  He’s a natural knee bender who plays with a wide base that allows him to keep his balance.  His nimble feet allow him to quickly change directions to keep his man in front of him on counter moves.  Dillard has very active hands, but his punch tends to be too high and needs to bring them down under the defender’s pad level.  When Dillard does extend into the chest of the edge rusher and locks on, he can easily sit down and mirror the defender and ride him away from the pocket.  His prowess was a pass protector was noticeable, as Pro Football Focus reported Dillard gave up just one sack on 722 pass snaps.  Dillard has quick hips in the run game to seal his man off to allow the RB to run off his block and is athletic to climb to the second level.  However, Dillard has some work to do when climbing as he’s not always under control and doesn’t always make contact with his target.  He also needs more power to drive his man off the ball.  Dillard can be driven off the ball a couple of steps by a good punch before he’s able to reset.  He was able to recover at Wazzu, but that may not be the case at the next level.  

19.  Tennessee Titans​ - Chris Lindstrom, 6’4”, 308lbs, OG, Boston College

04/05/19 - Noah Fant, TE, Iowa

03/28/19 - Noah Fant, TE, Iowa

02/11/19 - T.J. Hockenson, TE, Iowa

02/03/19 - Rashan Gary, DE, Michigan

01/31/19 - Jachai Polite, OLB, Florida

The Titans finished 2018, Mike Vrabel’s first year as head coach, with a 9-7 record for the third consecutive season.  Vrabel’s defense finished 8th in yards per game and was especially efficient defending the pass.  Brian Orakpo retired, and Derrick Morgan is a free agent, so adding an edge rusher to team with Harold Landry is an option, though the addition of Cameron Wake does temper that need a bit.  However, the more likely scenario up front would be finding a running mate for Jurrell Casey, who let the team with 7.0 sacks last season.  Christian Wilkins is versatile enough to be a five-technique in a 34 defense and would be enticing should he fall.  I think Wilkins’ teammate Dexter Lawrence could be an option to plug the middle of the D-line.  However, the more likely scenario is the Titans look to upgrade the offensive side of the ball.  The jury is still out regarding whether Marcus Mariota is the answer in Tennessee.  He also has thrown more Int. (27) than TD (24) in the last two seasons.  He has the No. 7 running game at his disposal as Derrick Henry enjoyed his first 1,000-yard season and Corey Davis is emerging as a go-to target on the outside.  TE Delanie Walker broke his ankle and sustained ligament damage in the first game of the season last year.  Walker will be 35 years of age when the season starts, so it’s expected that he’ll lose a step returning from a major injury.  Jonnu Smith, Mycole Pruitt and Anthony Firkser all had their moments, but none of them proved to be a No. 1 option at TE.  Iowa’s Noah Fant has to garner consideration here.  However, when you think about the TE position in the draft since 2000, we’ve only seen multiple TE’s selected in the 1st Round five times and we’ve yet to see two TE’s taken in the first 19 picks.  It’s entirely possible the Iowa duo could change that this year.  Walker was a model of consistency in his six seasons with Tennessee.  After his first season with the team, he saw triple digit targets between 2014 and 2017 and posted at over 60 receptions and 800 yards in each of those years, including 2015 when he was named to his 1st Pro Bowl after hauling in 94 receptions for 1,088 yards.  ESPN.com’s Turron Davenport reported Walker is targeting a return to action at the OTA’s and he’s been quoted as saying he’s quite motivated to prove everyone wrong.  However, time may not be on his side.  While Antonio Gates is not an exact match because Gates had chronic foot problems, his productivity when dealing with his lower leg injury dropped dramatically after he turned 35.  Tennessee has to be mindful of that with Walker and can’t rush him back.   Adding Noah Fant not only gives Mariota another weapon in the passing game, but he will also become Walker’s successor, much like Hunter Henry was for Gates.  Tajae Sharpe and Taywan Taylor are decent role players, but the Titans could use a true No. 2 wideout to team with Davis.  N’Keal Harry would add size to the position, but the play here would be the electric Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, who has the vertical speed to take the top off a defense.  The issue for him is the Lisfranc surgery that caused him to miss the Combine and his Pro Day.  While he’s expected to be healthy by OTA’s, the sample size of athletes successfully returning from the surgery is small.  Just talk to Dez Bryant and Hakeem Nicks about what it did to their careers, though Taysom Hill was able to battle through his injury while at BYU and is now a utility player of sorts for the Saints.  Missing the Combine didn’t deter the Titans from selecting Corey Davis with the 5th overall pick in 2017.  Davis tore two ligaments in his ankle and required surgery shortly after his senior season.  He struggled to stay healthy his rookie year before having a breakout season in 2018 with 65 receptions for 891 yards and 4 TD.  Would Tennessee make a similar move here?  I think the addition of slot WR Adam Humphries in free agency tempers that argument a bit, especially considering they signed Humphries to a 4-year $36 million contract, meaning he’s expected to play a large role in the offense.  Tennessee also needs to ensure the OL is solidified this offseason, especially following a 2018 season that saw the Titans give up 47 sacks while Mariota failed to stay healthy for the fourth consecutive year.  Some of the inconsistent play up front had to do with OT’s Taylor Lewan and Jack Conklin battling injuries.  Rodger Saffold was signed to take over at LG, but Tennessee still needs to fill the void at RG left by Josh Kline and Chris Lindstrom is a plug-and-play lineman with experience at both OG and OT.  Lindstrom is a four-year starter at BC and is one of the most athletic O-linemen eligible for this year’s draft.  He fires quickly out of his stance, is a natural knee bender and has the lateral quickness to quickly slide with his man to keep him in front.  Lindstrom makes quick work of defenders on reach blocks, can get out and pull in a hurry and is agile to climb to the second level under control to line up the defender in space.  His movement skills laterally allow him to plug gaps in pass protection and he has the awareness to quickly take care of stunts and twists.  He offers a compact punch at the point of attack and gets his hands under his man’s pad level to control him at the point.  His leverage and balance allow him to control his man to the whistle.  I mentioned the versatility - 11 of his 47 starts were at RT.  What you’ll notice with Lindstrom is he lacks size and strength, which leaves him susceptible to being overpowered at the point of attack.  He also lacks the strength required to sustain his blocks as defenders will slip his block to make a play on the ball.  That said, Lindstrom’s athleticism is rare for the position, which makes him the top interior lineman in this draft and, therefore, the first off the board.  

20.  Pittsburgh Steelers – Byron Murphy, 5'11”, 190lbs, CB, Washington, RS Soph.

04/05/19 - Greedy Williams, CB, LSU

03/28/19 - Greedy Williams, CB, LSU

02/11/19 - Andraez "Greedy" Williams, CB, LSU

02/03/19 - Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia

01/31/19 - Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia
No team had more of a roller coaster ride of a season than the Pittsburgh Steelers.  First, Le’Veon Bell sat out the entire season.  Then Antonio Brown had trouble with Ben Roethlisberger and Mike Tomlin and ultimately asked to be traded.  However, with the likes of James Conner and Juju Smith-Schuster stepping up and Big Ben not slowing down along with an offensive line that gave up just 24 sacks (good for 4th fewest), but turnovers were costly as the offense gave the ball away 26 times (17 Int., 9 fumbles), which was the 7th highest total in the league.  The defense also ended the season ranked in the top 10 in total yards per game, rush defense, pass defense and sacks.  However, the defense lacked playmakers, generating just 15 turnovers (8 Int., 7 fumbles).  The Steelers were -11 in turnover ratio, which was a big reason for their downfall in 2018.  Pittsburgh hasn’t been able to replace Ryan Shazier on the football field.  Jon Bostic and Vince Williams are holding down the starting spots but with the addition of Mark Barron in free agency, the Steelers can turn their attention to the secondary and specifically the CB position, which accounted for 4 of the 8 Int. on the year.  Joe Haden did pick off 2 of those passes and added another 12 passes defended, but he’s going to need some help.  Coty Sensabaugh and Mike Hilton are free agents, which means the job falls to Artie Burns, a 1st Round pick in 2016 whose play dropped off tremendously in 2018.  Burns failed to pick off a single pass and finished the year with just 1 pass breakup.  That lack of production won’t get it done.  Adding Steven Nelson this offseason is a great start as he’ll likely hold down the starting spot opposite Haden.  Pittsburgh hopes Nelson will bring with him the ball skills he showed off in KC a season ago where he recorded 4 Int. and had 15 pass breakups.  I think GM Kevin Colbert will be looking for depth at the CB position and I would be surprised if the Steelers don’t draft a corner with this pick.  Murphy started right away in his redshirt freshman season before a broken foot sidelined him after three games.  He only saw action in 6 games, but made the most of his time, picking off 2 passes and breaking up another 7 while also recording a sack and 3 TFL.  Murphy was especially impressive in the Fiesta Bowl against Penn State, where he racked up 7 tackles, 2 TFL and a sack while also picking off a pass in the end zone.  He built upon an impressive freshman campaign with an All-America performance in 2018 when he picked off 4 passes, returning one for TD, and registered 13 pass breakups to go with 58 tackles, 4 of those going for loss.  At 5’11”, Murphy is not the tallest prospect and his 4.55 speed doesn’t make him the most explosive corner in the draft, but Murphy makes up for that with superior instincts that makes him one of the better ballhawks in this year’s draft.  Murphy does an excellent job with route recognition and puts himself in position to make a play as a result.  He’s very patient when he is square to the WR and doesn’t open up until the receiver commits.  He also does a great job reading the QB’s eyes and will drive quickly on the football.  Murphy may not have great long speed to post a sub-4.5 40 time, but he is very sudden and is quicker than he is fast, which allows him to change directions and explode out of his break.  He stays low and gets good depth in his back pedal and does have fluid hips to turn and run with the WR.  Murphy has natural ball skills having been an All-American WR in high school.  He also seems to be at his best when the lights are brightest.  In addition to the Fiesta Bowl performance, Murphy was named the Pac-12 Championship MVP after picking off two passes, including one that he returned 66 yards for a TD.  Since Murphy doesn’t have deep speed, he will panic when trailing the WR and tends to grab and hold.  He also will get caught looking at the QB and can be baited on a double move.  Against UCLA, Murphy kept his eyes in the backfield while in bail technique when the QB faked a pass to the WR short on a quick throw, he took false steps forward on the fake and the QB hit the WR over the top and Murphy was unable to recover.  I think Murphy is the most instinctive CB in this year’s draft class and should be an immediate starter at the next level.  

21.  Seattle Seahawks – Jaylon Ferguson, 6’5”,255lbs, DE, Louisiana Tech

04/05/19 - Brian Burns, DE, Florida State

03/28/19 - Terry McLaurin, WR, Ohio State

02/11/19 - Jachai Polite, DE/OLB, Florida

02/03/19 - Jaylon Ferguson, DE, Louisiana Tech

01/31/19 - Deionte Thompson, S, Alabama

2018 was a tale of two halves of the season for Seattle.  Through 10 weeks of the season, the Seahawks were 4-5 and visions of the playoffs were fleeting.  Then the Seahawks went on to win six of the last seven games to finish the year 10-6 which allowed them to secure a playoff spot for the seventh time since 2010 under Pete Carroll.  Seattle’s success under Carroll was driven by a top-tier defense.  The defensive decline started in 2017 as Seattle ranked 11th in total defense and finished outside the top 10 for the first time since 2010, Carroll’s first season.  In 2018, the defense dropped another 5 spots to 16th overall.  This downward turn has to end if the Seahawks want to return to the level of success they’re used to under Pete Carroll.  Earl Thomas, the last of the vaunted Legion of Boom secondary, will not be back in a Seahawks uniform for the 2019 season.  Since 2010, Thomas has started 125 games and racked up 684 tackles, 28 Int. for 417 yards and 2 TD, 67 pass breakups, 11 forced fumbles and 5 recoveries, 1 of which was returned for TD, all for Seattle.  One player to consider as a replacement for Thomas would be local product Taylor Rapp of Washington, whose versatility would allow him to line up all over the field.  There are also other needs, including adding another corner to pair with Shaquill Griffin and a playmaker at WR.  Doug Baldwin’s health is so concerning he’s considering retirement.  After battling a number of injuries in 2018, Baldwin now had to have sports hernia surgery.  If Baldwin can’t return, then Seattle would have to replace 17.9% of their receptions in 2018; the only other WR with more than 50 receptions was Tyler Lockett (70).  Then there’s the pass rush as Frank Clark has yet to sign his $17.128 million franchise tag and has been the subject of trade talks.  Seattle also made an investment when they signed Russell Wilson to a four-year $140 million extension, making him the highest paid QB in the league.  Seattle must protect their investment.  Pro Football Focus noted Wilson has been sacked on at least 7% of his dropbacks in each of his seasons as a pro.  His 299 sacks since joining he league in 2012 are more than any other QB in the league.  Duane Brown and Germaine Ifedi will be lined up at OT and Mike Iupati was brought in to man the LG position, but he’s an aging veteran who has run into injuries the past two seasons.  D.J. Fluker was also re-signed, but he was also rated as the 68th OG by PFF.  Adding interior line help could be a smart move here and Chris Lindstrom, Garrett Bradbury and Erik McCoy would all be in play.  However, with the trade of Frank Clark to KC for the 29th overall pick, there is a glaring hole at the DE position.  Seattle finished 2018 with 43 sacks on the year, but the duo of Clark and Reed had half that output between the two of them, combining to register 23.5 sacks.  No other player had more than 3.0 sacks on the year.  Now that Clark is gone, we know Schneider and Carroll will use this pick to land a top DE, but I don’t think it’ll be Ferrell.  You see, Seattle is known for marching to the beat of their own drum when it comes to their 1st Round picks under Schneider and Pete Carroll.  Look no further than their last four 1st Rounders, as OG James Carpenter (No. 25 in 2011), DE Bruce Irvin (No. 12 in 2012), OT/OG Germain Ifedi (No. 31 in 2016) and RB Rashaad Penny (No. 27 in 2018) were all surprises.  This year may be no different.  Keep an eye on Louisiana Tech’s Jaylon “Sack Daddy” Ferguson, who broke Terrell Suggs’ FBS record for career sacks after racking up 45.0 for the Bulldogs.  I think at the end of the day, the pass rush is the biggest need and Ferguson definitely knows how to get to the QB.  Ferguson is an intelligent pass rusher with top notch recognition, a loaded pass rush repertoire and excellent hand usage.  He’s physical at the point of attack to drive through the blocker and takes the proper angle to get the edge on the OT.  He has violent hands, using club, chop and rip moves that allow him to quickly clear the OT to allow him to turn the corner in a hurry despite clear stiffness in his hips.  His hands are very active and will look to deliver a punch and jolt to get his man off balance and drive him back.  Ferguson also uses his burst and tremendous lower body strength to convert speed to power to drive through blocks on the outside and can also drop his hips and spin back inside to pressure the QB in the pocket.  Ferguson is relentless in pursuit of the ball and will outwork blockers to make a play.  And Ferguson is not a one-trick pony as he registered a staggering 67.5 tackles for loss, showing he can also make plays behind the line against the run.  His stiffness is apparent, and he tends to play with a high pad level coming off the ball at times, which allows him to easily get blocked.  He also charges so hard off the edge that he can’t get to the QB stepping up in the pocket.  That said, if Clark is on the roster in 2019, Ferguson’s high motor would pair nicely with Clark’s relentlessness to give Seattle to of the hardest working edge rushers in the league.

22.  Baltimore Ravens – D.K. Metcalf, 6’3”, 228lbs, WR, Mississippi, RS Soph.

04/05/19 - Hakeem Butler, WR, Iowa State

03/28/19 - Hakeem Butler, WR, Iowa State

02/11/19 - Kelvin Harmon, WR, NC State

02/03/19 - Marquise Brown, WR, Oklahoma

01/31/19 - Nasir Adderley, S, Delaware

The Ravens lost some key contributors to last year’s playoff team.  Edge rushers Terrell Suggs and Za’Darius Smith, Safety Eric Weddle, WR’s John Brown and Michael Crabtree, ILB C.J. Mosely and QB Joe Flacco will all be wearing different uniforms in 2019.  While Earl Thomas was brought in to play safety and Mark Ingram was signed the same day to be the No. 1 RB, there are still several need areas that must be addressed.  The loss of two edge rushers leaves Matt Judon, Tim Williams and Tyus Bowser as the remaining OLB’s on the roster.  This may be one of the key need areas and I would imagine if Brian Burns or Clelin Ferrell were to fall here, I think the Ravens would likely make the pick.  Addressing the loss of Mosley has to also be a priority, but if Devin Bush isn’t around, there isn’t another inside backer worth selecting here.  That leave us with the WR position, where Willie Snead was the only WR to haul in over 50 passes a season ago.  The other three WR’s on the roster are Chris Moore, Jordan Lasley and Jaleel Scott.  Moore was the only one of the trio to see the field and caught just 19 balls for 196 yards and 1 TD, while Scott spent the season on IR with a hamstring injury.  Needless two say Lamar Jackson must have weapons to throw to if he wants to build upon a promising rookie campaign.  I anticipate the Ravens to use multiple picks to solidify the WR position.  Baltimore needs a big-bodied WR who can be a go-to target and security blanket for Jackson and Metcalf certainly fits the bill.  The legend of DK Metcalf began with a pre-Combine photo that showed off his chiseled physique.  The talk was furthered following his performance at Combine where his 4.33 40 time was not only a blistering time, but he ran that at 6’3” and 228 pounds!  His strength was on display as well, putting up 225 pounds 28 times in the bench press, which is even more impressive given his tremendous arm length (34 7/8 inches) and he posted a 40.5-inch vertical leap proved Metcalf can leap out of the building.  In short, Metcalf proved he’s a physical freak.  Teams are always looking for WR’s with that rare blend of size, strength and speed and Metcalf has just that.  The potential is endless for him as a WR1 at the next level.  Just to compare, Julio Jones ran a 4.39 40 while measuring in at 6’2” and 220 pounds, his arm length measured at 33 ¾”, he repped 225 pounds 17 times and he posted a 38.5-inch vertical.  Jones was once considered THE physical freak at the WR position and Metcalf bested all of his measurements and tests.  It’s entirely possible a team in the top 10 falls in love with the physical gifts Metcalf brings to the table.  His times definitely qualify him for top-10 level.  Metcalf arrived at Ole Miss in 2016 and caught TD passes on each of his first two receptions before breaking his foot against Wofford, which caused him to miss the remaining 10 games, though he was able to secure a medical redshirt for the season.  He then showed off his ability to be a deep ball threat as a redshirt freshman in 2017, posting 39 receptions for 646 yards (16.6 avg) and 7 TD.  Metcalf was emerging a top target in the entire SEC, starting the first seven games and posted 26 receptions for 569 yards and 4 TD during that time.  However, a broken neck against Arkansas ended his season.  Metcalf has been given a clean bill of health and appears ready for the NFL.  He does a tremendous job winning at the line of scrimmage against press coverage, using his hands to slap the CB aside to then get a free release up the field.  Against Alabama, Metcalf set the corner up with a quick jab step to the outside coupled with quick hands to toss the CB aside, then got a free release vertically, showing impressive acceleration down the field; QB Jordan Ta’amu aired it out and Metcalf did a good job tracking the ball and extended for it without breaking stride, taking it to the house for a 75-yard TD on the first play from scrimmage.  He will absolutely destroy a coverage cushion in a matter of steps and does a tremendous job setting up his man.  His ability to get vertical in a hurry will get Metcalf on the field early and often at the next level.  However, Metcalf can also take a short pass and turn it into a big gain.  Against Arkansas, he caught a quick throw on the perimeter, turned away from the corner who whiffed on the tackle, then showed impressive acceleration to run away from the defender for a big gain.  Metcalf also does a tremendous job using his large frame to shield defenders from the ball, especially on back shoulder fades.  And his size and leaping ability make him an obvious choice in the red zone.  Just put on film of his game-winning TD against Kentucky to see what I’m talking about.  Ole Miss drove down to the Wildcat 7-yard line and Metcalf was guarded by 6’3” corner Lonnie Johnson, Jr.  Metcalf fought through some grabbing and hand fighting by Johnson, Jr. on a fade to the corner of the end zone and was able to go up strong and elevate over Johnson, Jr. to pluck the ball out of the air with his hands, then showed the body control required to get a foot inbounds before going out.  He does an excellent job creating late separation by using his length to clear some extra space and has a flair for making the acrobatic catch.  And Metcalf has NFL bloodlines as his father Terrance, grandfather Terry and uncle Eric all played in the league.  But you do have to ask yourself why Metcalf was still the No. 2 wideout on the Rebels as A.J. Brown saw significantly more targets.  In 2017, according to Pro Football Focus, Metcalf received only 16.32% of all targets for the Rebels.  Metcalf also has had trouble with drops in his two seasons.  He seemed to be just fine once he cleared his man and was out in the open but would have concentration lapses coming back for the ball and seemed to struggle at times with the contested catch.  If you take a look at 2017, his only full season at the collegiate level, PFF noted that he was targeted 79 times, but only hauled in 39 of those passes, a catch rate of just 49.37%, though he did improve that stat to 61.9% (26 catches on 42 targets) through seven games in 2018.  Metcalf will have to prove he’s not another Darrius Heyward-Bey.  DHB ran a 4.31 40 at the Combine in 2009, which helped get him drafted No. 7 overall by the Steelers.  However, in his first seasons in the league, DHB registered 33 drops on 339 targets and posted a catch rate of just 46.4%.  Metcalf’s route tree was also quite limited at Ole Miss, through no fault of his own, but as a result, his route running needs some work as they appear rushed rather than crisp.  He needs to improve his footwork, especially at the top of the route as he needs to do a better job sinking his hips to explode out of his breaks.  While everyone paid attention to the 4.33 40 time, there was buzz around Metcalf’s times in the three-cone drill and 20-yard shuttle.  His 7.38-second three-cone drill was 3rd slowest among WR’s and would have only bested two TE’s who completed the drill.  In comparison, Julio Jones ran the three-cone drill in 6.66 seconds.  Only three WR’s posted slower times than Metcalf’s 4.5 seconds in the 20-yard shuttle.  It can be argued that simply using these times to knock Metcalf’s draft stock would be wrong and I agree with that.  However, it does give an idea that Metcalf does have some stiffness in his hips, which does contribute to his inability to be fluid in and out of his breaks.  It does make you wonder whether his route tree was limited at Ole Miss for a reason.  Finally, there’s the durability concerns.  Metcalf had major season-ending injuries in two of his three years at Ole Miss.  While his medicals checked out at the Combine, his health has to be a bit of a red flag.  I think Metcalf has all the ability in the world to eventually be an All-Pro WR, but he has some work to do and has a ways to go.  Think about it, he has three years of college football under his belt and two of those were cut short due to injury.  I think whichever organization drafts him must be patient with him and has to be willing to take the good with the bad early on.

23.  Houston Texans – Deandre Baker, 5’11”, 193lbs, CB, Georgia

04/05/19 - Cody Ford, OT/OG, Oklahoma

03/28/19 - Cody Ford, OT/OG, Oklahoma

02/11/19 - Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State

02/03/19 - Greg Little, OT, Mississippi

01/31/19 - Noah Fant, TE, Iowa

Few teams enjoyed as much success in 2018 as the Texans.  After an 0-3 start, the Texans finished the season 11-3, including a nine-game win streak from Week 4 through Week 13.  There’s a lot that Bill O’Brien can be proud of:  Deshaun Watson finished with over 4,100 yards passing while completing nearly 69% of his passes; DeAndre Hopkins was dominant, hauling in 115 passes for 1,572 yards; and the duo of J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney returned to form, racking up a combined 25.0 sacks on the year.  Nothing should be more important than protecting Watson, who has already torn his ACL twice, once in 2014 as a true freshman and once as a rookie in 2017.  This past season, Watson was sacked 62 times and hit 126 times, more than any QB, and took so many hits that he had to play through a bruised lung and injured ribs.  If Houston wants to keep their QB on the field, they’ll have to take care of him.  RT Seantrel Henderson was re-signed to a one-year deal, but he battled injuries last season and will have to prove he can stay on the field while LT Julie’n Davenport has been slow to develop as a starter.  The instability at OT is a big reason why the Texans took a chance on Matt Kalil, a former top-10 OT who was released by the Panthers following another injury-filled season.  If one of the top OT’s happened to fall, I could see Houston using this pick to shore up the O-line.  However, I think this pick is used on the defensive side of the ball.  The Texans dominated against the run, finishing third in the league with just 82.7 yards given up on the ground per game.  However, they finished 28th in the league versus the pass.  It could be why Houston was okay with letting corners Kareem Jackson, Kevin Johnson and safety Tyran Matthieu walk.  They did add a nickel corner in Bradley Roby along with safeties Briean Boddy-Calhoun and Tashaun Gipson, but another CB could still be in order, especially considering 13-year vet Johnathan Joseph is now 34 years of age and is entering the final year of his contract.  Deandre Baker can be a lockdown corner the Steelers desperately need on the back end of their defense.  Baker has been a spectacular lockdown corner for the Bulldogs, finishing his career with 7 Int. for 145 yards and had 23 total pass breakups.  What may be most impressive is that he went 28 straight games without allowing a TD; the last time a WR was able to reach the end zone was the 2016 Liberty Bowl.  Baker saw some of the SEC’s top WR and shut them all down.  Vandy wideout Kalija Libscomb caught just 2 passes for 16 yards; Van Jefferson of Florida was held without a catch; Deebo Samuel did manage to get two pass interference calls on Baker and hauled in 6 passes, he was only able to rack up 33 yards and was visibly frustrated throughout the game; Auburn’s vertical threat Darius Slayton was held to just 1 catch for 8yars; and even the highly-touted Jerry Jeudy of Alabama managed just 2 catches for 14 yards against Baker.  Simply put, he will lock WR’s down on the outside, which makes him a valuable commodity at the next level.  Baker is the definition of a press corner who looks to jam the receiver and get up close on his man during the release.  He does a good job getting his hands on the wideout and disrupt the timing of the route.  He may not be a burner, as evidenced by his 4.52 40 time at the Combine, but Baker plays much faster than his timed speed and is fluid enough to turn and run with WR’s easily when needed.  Baker does a superb job utilizing the sideline to his advantage on routes down the field, often squeezing the WR into the boundary and will do a good job getting on top of the route to cut his man off.  The instincts are exceptional with route recognition and he reads the QB eyes in off coverage and can plant and drive quickly on the football without any wasted movement.  Baker is very aggressive when he arrives at the football, attacking it in the air to make a play and does a good job timing his jumps to get a hand in.  Baker is also a willing tackler as he will come up and wrap up in the open field.  Maybe Baker’s biggest weakness is his lack of size as he does need to add bulk to deal with bigger WR’s in the league.  He can get pushed around a bit and will struggle to get off blocks.  Because Baker is not a burner, even when he is in phase, he won’t always trust his feet and will tend to grab the WR, which leads to penalties.  If you look at his overall body of work over the last couple of seasons, Baker has been arguably the best in terms of shutting down the opposition’s best wideout.  

24.  Oakland Raiders (from Chicago) – Clelin Ferrell, 6’4”, 264lbs, DE, Clemson, Jr.

04/05/19 - Byron Murphy, CB, Washington

03/28/19 - Byron Murphy, CB, Washington

02/11/19 - Jaylon Ferguson, DE, Louisiana Tech

02/03/19 - Noah Fant, TE, Iowa

01/31/19 - N'Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State

Oakland gets their interior pass rusher at No. 4 with Quinnen Williams and then go with an edge rusher with this pick.  Ferrell burst on the national scene as a redshirt freshman in 2016 finishing with 50 tackles, 12.5 TFL and 6.0 sacks while starting all 15 games for the National Champs.  Ferrell made a name for himself in the title game when he recorded 3 TFL and 1 sack which led to being named Defensive MVP of the Fiesta Bowl.  Ferrell was a 1st Team All-American in 2017 after racking up 63 tackles, including 18 for loss and 9.5 sacks in 14 starts.  He spurned the NFL for one more season and another shot at a National Championship.  Ferrell racked up 53 tackles, 19.5 TFL and 11.5 sacks and won the Ted Hendricks Award and ultimately got revenge against Bama to win the title.  While he may not be explosive as some of the edge rushers in this year’s draft, he is tremendous technically when rushing the passer and has the strength to set a strong edge against the run, making him one of the more complete DE’s in this year’s draft.  Ferrell fires out of his four-point stance quickly, timing the snap much like a sprinter anticipates the starting gun and looks to extend his long arms to keep separation from the blocker.  He has violent hands with a powerful punch at the point of attack to get the OT off balance.  He is adept at attacking the OT’s hands, quickly slapping them aside followed by a quick rip or arm over to win at the point of attack.  Ferrell may not be the most explosive edge rusher, but he has excellent counter moves, including a quick spin move back inside, and is an effective bull rusher converting his speed to power to generate movement and drive the OT back into the QB.  The best matchup of the season may have been Ferrell and Alabama LT Jonah Williams going head-to-head in the National Championship.  While both players got the better of the other, I think Ferrell was able to show how his pass rush repertoire can translate to the next level.  Ferrell was able to bend enough to get under Williams and used his right hand to throw him down after getting him off balance and was able to flatten out to pressure the QB.  Ferrell would use a slap, club and rip move to get Williams’ hands off him, then get the edge.  He also took advantage of his reach advantage to keep Williams off him and was able to use a quick rip move to get by.  His ability to be effective in the run game was also on display in that game.  Ferrell showed excellent play recognition and jacked TE Hale Hentges into the backfield before coming down the line to drop RB Damien Harris from behind for no gain.  He also set Williams up by starting outside, then used his hands to slip the block and shoot inside to drop the RB behind the line.  When Clemson played Georgia Tech, the Yellow Jackets did not want to run in his direction much at all.  Ferrell extends to control the blocker at the point of attack and is able to stack and shed the blocker with his quick hands to drop the RB.  Ferrell’s lack of explosiveness does pose some problems.  While he has a quick get-off that allows him to win at the snap, he lacks the ability to sustain the speed off the edge, which allows OT’s to recover.  Ferrell also lacks some flexibility turning the corner and struggles to get off blocks when he's square to the OT; Williams exposed this weakness time and again in the title game.  His lack of burst often means he’s taking a longer path to get to the QB, which often is the difference between a pressure and a sack.  That said, you still can’t argue with Ferrell’s consistency off the edge.

25.  Philadelphia Eagles – Garrett Bradbury, 6’3”, 306lbs, OC, NC State

04/05/19 - Greg Little, OT, Ole Miss

03/28/19 - Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State

02/11/19 - Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson

02/03/19 - Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson

01/31/19 - Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson

Carson Wentz went down to an ACL tear and a back injury the past two seasons and while Nick Foles was there to lead two playoff runs, including an MVP performance in Super Bowl LII, his departure to Jacksonville in free agency means Philly has to ensure it keeps its franchise QB healthy moving forward.  Former 4th overall pick Lane Johnson is a fixture at RT, but the future at LT is in question.  Jason Peters did sign a one-year deal to be back for another season, but at 37 years of age, this could very well be his final year, while his backup Halapoulivaati Vaitai will be a free agent at the end of the season and has proven he cannot be a full-time replacement.  Now is the time to find a successor for Peters and I wouldn’t rule out Ole Miss LT Greg Little.  The Eagles also appear to be set along the interior of the line as Center Jason Kelce and LG Isaac Seumalo signing extensions and RG Brandon Brooks is under contract through 2020.  However, Brooks tore his Achilles in the NFC Championship game, meaning he’ll likely miss a portion of the 2019 season and there isn’t any depth behind him.  Adding Garrett Bradbury to the mix would give the Eagles an immediate starter at OG should Brooks not be able to go at the start of the season in the short term.  In the long term, Bradbury will push Brooks and Seumalo, who was benched at one point last year in favor of Srefen Wisniewski, for starting spots moving forward.  Bradbury was also an All-American center, so he could easily slide inside should Kelce need a breather, especially given he battled an MCL sprain, a broken foot and a torn elbow last season and even considered retirement.  Bradbury is a converted TE who moved to the OL when he arrived on campus in 2014.  You see the athleticism to this day as he ran a 4.93 40 at the Combine.  Bradbury saw action in 11 games as a reserve OG as a redshirt freshman before taking over a starting spot in 2016.  He then moved to center in 2017 and started all 13 games, finishing with honorable-mention All-ACC honors.  Bradbury’s meteoric development culminated in All-America honors and won the Rimington Trophy as college football’s top center.  Bradbury is a beast when it comes to reach blocks, showing off his athleticism to get outside leverage even on three-techniques and once he gets outside, he’s able to sustain his block and eliminate his man.  He’s also a fluid athlete who is quick to change directions and square up his man, then shows good grip strength to lock on and control his man.  He’s light on his feet climbing to the second level, takes good angles and can seal off his man to allow a RB to run off that block.  Bradbury has very active hands and get them on the DT early in pass protection.  He’s a natural knee bender who can sit down and mirror his man with quick, choppy feet and rarely gets himself out of position.  In addition to the athleticism, keep in mind Bradbury also put up 225 pounds 34 times in the bench press at the Combine, so he has the raw power to not only dominate his man at the point of attack, but also put him on his back.  Bradbury’s biggest weakness is he tends to lean into his blocks, which causes him to get off balance and makes him susceptible for counter moves.  That said, Bradbury will be an immediate starter at the next level with Pro Bowl potential early in his career.  

26.  Indianapolis Colts - Jerry Tillery, 6’6”, 295lbs, DT, Notre Dame

04/05/19 - A.J. Brown, WR, Ole Miss

03/28/19 - Taylor Rapp, S, Washington

02/11/19 - N’Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State

02/03/19 - N'Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State

01/31/19 - Hakeem Butler, WR, Iowa State

Frank Reich certainly put together an impressive rookie campaign as HC in 2018.  Of course, the season began with a 1-5 record to begin the year.  Indy found a way to rattle off nine wins in their final ten games to become eligible for the playoffs.  The unlikeliest of finishes to a regular season was orchestrated by the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year in Andrew Luck, whose health was in serious doubt leading up to the start of the year.  Going forward, the Colts must find additional weapons for Luck.  T.Y. Hilton and Eric Ebron combined for 142 receptions for over 2,000 yards and 19 TD.  They were followed by change-of-pace back Nyheim Hines, who displayed his WR skills out of the backfield hauling in 63 passes for 425 yards and a pair of scores.  From there, the WR foursome of Chester Rogers, Ryan Grant, Dontrelle Inman and Zach Pascal combined for 143 receptions, 1,391 yards and 8 TD.  All four are free agents, though only Grant and Inman are unrestricted.  Deon Cain suffered a torn ACL in August and sat out 2018, so he’ll need to be factored into what the Colts do offensively.  They also added a big wideout in free agency in Devin Funchess.  I think that eliminates some of the bigger WR’s like N’Keal Harry from the mix here.  However, another speedy wideout who will not only stretch defenses vertically but is a polished route runner who can create his own separation out of his breaks would definitely take pressure off Hilton.  Marquise Brown likely falls to Round 2 because of his foot, Deebo Samuel is there as well because of his durability concerns and while Parris Campbell lit up the Combine with a 4.31 40, I think his ceiling is a Curtis Samuel-type, which makes him a Day 2 receiver.  Terry McLaurin played high school football at Cathedral in Indianapolis and played in four state title games in Lucas Oil Field, so this would be a homecoming of sorts.  However, A.J. Brown is rising up draft boards because he’s proven to be a more polished WR than he was getting credit for early on and would give Indy a threat from the slot who can stretch defenses and could find his way into the starting lineup.  I just think Brown can be had at the top of Round 2.  The Colts also re-signed Margus Hunt to team with Denico Autry, but are lacking a versatile DT with quickness to penetrate the line of scrimmage in a hurry on run plays and be an interior pass rusher who can collapse the pocket in a hurry.  Jerry Tillery, who ran a 4.93 40 at the Combine, is gaining momentum leading up to the Draft and should be the pick here.  Tillery came to the Fighting Irish as a top-rated OT before moving to the defensive side of the ball as a freshman.  He was a reserve DT starting in 3 of the 12 games in which he played but was suspended for the Fiesta Bowl for violating team rules.  As a sophomore, Tillery started 11 games, but again ran into problems, this time on the field as he was seen kicking and stepping on players against USC, but he did apologize for the cheap shots after the game.  He got his act together in 2017 as he established himself as a DT to watch following 56 tackles, 9.0 TFL and 4.5 sacks.  Tillery was able to continue to build momentum, receiving 2nd Team All-America honors as a senior while filling the stat sheet with 30 tackles, 10.5 TFL, 8 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and 2 blocked kicks.  Tillery has some inconsistent tape.  If you put on the Stanford tape, he looks like a top-10 pick, while others make him look very pedestrian, playing with a high pad level that gets him blown off the ball.  Tillery arrives at the blocker with heavy, violent hands that he uses to jolt his man back off the snap.  His strength allows him to fight through double teams to get penetration.  Tillery uses his length to quickly get into the blocker’s body, then his raw power takes over as he’ll manhandle the blocker at the point of attack, often throwing them down to shoot into the backfield.  He also has a powerful club move that generates movement on the blocker, which allows him to shoot gaps.  He has short-area quickness to loop around on a stunt to collapse the pocket as a pass rusher.  Once Tillery gets a head of steam heading downhill, he is like a bull in a china shop and you better watch out if you’re a QB.  He shows off good lateral agility to disrupt gaps an drop RB’s around the line of scrimmage.  Against Wake Forest, Tillery took on a double team and had one hand on each blocker, taking up so much space with his length that the RB had nowhere to go.  I mentioned the Stanford game.  Tillery repeatedly beat OG Nate Herbig for four sacks of K.J Costello.  He long armed Herbig, driving him back with a devastating bull rush with his right hand to Herbig’s right shoulder pad, driving him back into the backfield to sack Costello.  He later used an arm over to get inside Herbig to get to the QB stepping up in the pocket.  Later, he started outside on Herbig when the DE forced Costello up in the pocket; Tillery shoved Herbig up the field and is able to track down Costello for the sack.  Finally, he had back-to-back dominating plays – the first, he shot between the LT and LG on a twist stunt, pushed the LT wide and came underneath for a strip sack; the next, he extended his arms into the LG, then rips through to drop Costello for his 4th sack.  Tillery is a renaissance man of sorts, if you follow him on social media, you’ll see he’s been all over the world.  The inconstant play makes you wonder if he truly loves the game.  If the Colts can keep him motivated, they may have a steal at the end of Round 1.

27.  Oakland Raiders (from Dallas) – Greedy Williams, 6’2”, 185lbs, CB, LSU, RS Soph.

04/05/19 - Josh Jacobs, RB, Alabama

03/28/19 - Josh Jacobs, RB, Alabama

02/11/19 - Josh Jacobs, RB, Alabama

02/03/19 - Josh Jacobs, RB, Alabama

01/31/19 - Jaylon Ferguson, DE, Louisiana Tech

The Raiders third and final pick of the 1st Round comes at No. 27 that was procured in the trade that sent Amari Cooper to Dallas.  This pick will either be used to upgrade the run game or passing attack.  The ground game was abysmal last year, finishing 28th in the league with just 101.8 yards per game.  The team’s top two rushers, Doug Martin and Marshawn Lynch, are both free agents and Josh Jacobs is the most complete RB in this draft and the only one worthy of a 1st Round pick.  The addition of Isaiah Crowell to team with Jalen Richard and Deandre Washington is enough for the Raiders wait until Day 2 to address the RB position.  On the other hand, now that Jared Cook is in New Orleans, the TE’s on the roster consist of Lee Smith, Derek Carrier Luke Willson and Darren Waller, none of whom strike fear in opposing defenses.  Imagine a passing attack with Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams on the outside with the ultra-athletic Noah Fant stretching defenses up the seam.  I think we saw what Derek Carr was able to accomplish with Cook at TE a season ago, so it would be exciting to see if Fant could offer similar production.  However, I wouldn’t be surprised if this pick is used to address the CB position, which managed just four of their 14 Int. a season ago.  Former Gareon Conley has locked down one starting spot and Nevin Lawson was signed to be the nickel, but another CB on the outside is a must, especially considering only Conley and Nick Nelson are under contract beyond this season.  There is a chance Greedy is not around at this pick, but I think the Raiders would jump at the chance to grab the corner once looked at as the top of this year’s class.  Williams burst on the scene as a redshirt freshman in 2017 after Kevin Toliver was suspended for the season opener.  He went on to start all 13 games, registering 38 tackles while picking off 6 passes and knocking away another 10, which was good enough to be named 1st Team All-SEC and was a 3rd Team All-American.  Williams’ production dropped in 2018, as he managed 33 tackles, 2 Int. and another 9 pass breakups as a redshirt sophomore.  Greedy is a smooth athlete on the outside with rare length for the CB position.  He likes to play up on the line of scrimmage, though he often would drop into bail technique to take advantage of his closing speed.  He is very patient in press coverage, waiting for the WR to commit before turning to run with the WR.  Williams also possesses quick feet in his back pedal, has fluid hips to turn and run with the WR and does a good job mirroring the WR throughout the route.  Greedy is usually in phase running stride for stride with his man, putting himself in perfect position to make a play on the ball.  Greedy also does a good job squeezing the WR to the sideline, forcing a perfect pass to the outside.  He also understands when he has safety help over the top as he gets more aggressive reading the QB eyes, which allows him to undercut routes and make plays on the football.  Williams’ recovery speed is really where his 4.37 40 time is on display.  Against Georgia, Riley Ridley had Greedy beat on a 21-yard post to the end zone.  However, Williams didn’t panic, was able to get inside Ridley and elevate to tip the pass away that was thrown out in front of the WR.  While Williams has incredible length, at 184 pounds, he’s also very lean, which makes him susceptible to being pushed around by bigger WR’s.  His lack of bulk also keeps him from getting off blocks on the perimeter.  Williams was repeatedly beaten inside when in off coverage and was late to arrive to make a play.  While Williams is smooth when in phase, he also has a tendency to grab WR’s and he struggles to get his head around and locate the football.  Williams also plays the WR’s arms very well but doesn’t always attack the ball in the air.  He doesn’t always take the appropriate angles as a tackler and doesn’t arrive at the ball carrier under control, which results in several missed tackles.  He has to become a more fundamentally sound tackler.  That said, Oakland needs playmakers on the back end of their defense and Williams would be an upgrade at corner.

28.  Los Angeles Chargers – Dalton Risner, 6’5”, 312lbs, OT, Kansas State

04/05/19 - Dalton Risner, OT, Kansas State

03/28/19 - Dexter Lawrence, DT< Clemson

02/11/19 - Dalton Risner, OT, Kansas State

02/03/19 - Dre’Mont Jones, DT, Ohio State

01/31/19 - Dre'Mont Jones, DT, Ohio State

The Chargers were one of the most dangerous teams in the NFL in 2018.  After a 1-2 start, the Bolts strung together winning streaks of six and four games to finish the season 12-4.  Philip Rivers continued his dominant play through the air and while Melvin Gordon battled injuries throughout the season, the duo of Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson filled in admirably.  LA’s offensive line also gave up pressure on 31.8% of passes, according to Pro Football Focus, which was good for 19th in the league.  RT Sam Tevi, while proven to be a good run blocker, struggled in pass protection.  PFF indicated Tevi gave up 41 hurries, 12 hits and 8 sacks on 483 pass-blocking snaps and his overall pass blocking efficiency score of 92.9 was third worst in the NFL.  Dalton Risner was an efficient RT at Kansas State, then held up well in pass protection at the Senior Bowl, showing good lateral quickness and hand usage.  The DT position will also need to be addressed this offseason.  Even though Brandon Mebane was re-signed to a two-year deal this offseason, he missed four games in 2016 and has only played a full season once in the last five years.  Damion Square and Corey Liuget are both free agents, with the latter still rehabbing a torn knee suffered in November.  That leaves second-year pro Justin Jones and Isaac Rochell as the remaining DT’s on the roster with any real game experience.  Dre’Mont Jones and Jerry Tillery are both options here as they could make an immediate impact up front, but I think Dexter Lawrence is out of contention as he's more of a run stuffer at this point and should see his stock drop as a result.  In the end, the most glaring need is the RT position and Risner is expected to be available at No. 28.  Risner was a four-year starter for the Wildcats, starting 13 games at center as a freshman before sliding outside to start 36 games at RT.  He’s not a tremendous athlete, as evidenced by his 5.3 40 time at the Combine, but he’s technically sound, has excellent balance and body control, plays angles well and shows excellent hands, which allows him to get the job done at RT.  It’s not always pretty, but he always seems to keep his man in front.  And while it was thought that he would likely move inside at the next level, much like fellow K-State alum Cody Whitehair did, Risner proved he could hold up at RT at the Senior Bowl, which bodes well for his versatility at the next level.   If you're not convinced, then go back and watch Kansas State's Week 2 matchup against Mississippi State.  While the Wildcats lost 31-10, Risner had several reps against the more athletic Montez Sweat and more than held his own, showing an ability to use angles and body control to ultimately square up Sweat, then use his strength and solid base to anchor and hold his ground.  Sweat really only beat Risner when QB 's Skylar Thompson and Alex Delton scrambled into the pass rush.  Risner should start right away and would be an immediate upgrade over Tevi at RT.

29.  Seattle Seahawks (from Kansas City) – Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, 5’11”, 210lbs, S, Florida, Jr.

04/05/19 (Chiefs) - Deandre Baker CB, Georgia

03/28/19 (Chiefs) - Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia

02/11/19 (Chiefs) - Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia

02/03/19 (Chiefs) - Byron Murphy, 5'11", 170lbs, CB, Washington

01/31/19 (Chiefs) - Byron Murphy, CB, Washington

The Seahawks had been down this road before.  They offered up Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas on the trading block during the offseason without any takers.  This time around, however, they found a trade partner in Kansas City, who gladly traded for Frank Clark after losing both Justin Houston and Dee Ford.  Seattle came into the draft with just four draft picks, so landing another 1st Round pick was a nice move, especially considering Clark didn’t sign his $17.128 million franchise tag.  This pick could be used on a WR like AJ Brown or Hakeem Butler, especially considering Doug Baldwin’s future is up in the air.  Greedy Williams has the length of a prototypical Seattle corner, but his unwillingness to tackle does not fit their mentality on the outside.  Losing Earl Thomas created a huge void in the back end of the defense.  They can add a versatile defender like Gardner-Johnson who can play a number of roles for the Hawks.  Gardner-Johnson, a three-year starter with total 37 starts under his belt, was the unquestioned leader of the Gator secondary, getting other DB’s into position.  He also made plays all over the field, filling up the stat sheet.  He finished his three years in Gainesville with 161 tackles, including 15.5 for loss, 4 sacks, 9 Int., 3 of which were returned for TD< and 12 pass breakups.  Gardner-Johnson was equally adept playing in the box, making plays around the line of scrimmage against the run, in coverage in the slot and against RB’s and TE’s and made plays with decent range over the top.  He’s instinctive and physical and has a chance to start right away.

30.  Green Bay Packers (from New Orleans) – Noah Fant, 6’4”, 249lbs, TE, Iowa, Jr.

04/05/19 - Irv Smith, Jr., TE, Alabama

03/28/19 - Irv Smith, Jr., TE, Alabama

02/11/19 - Noah Fant, TE, Iowa

02/03/19 - T.J. Hockenson, TE, Iowa

01/31/19 - T.J. Hockenson, TE, Iowa

Green Bay’s second pick in the 1st Round inherited from the Saints after the Packers traded their 14th pick to New Orleans for their 2018 and 2019 1st Round selections.  Safety play has been disappointing to say the least.  Kentrell Brice specifically struggled this past season as Pro Football Focus pointed out he missed 12 of his 57 tackle attempts and allowed a passer rating of 150.1 on 29 throws his direction in coverage.  The Packers cannot get out of this draft without upgrading the position.  The names of Johnathan Abram, Nasir Adderley and Taylor Rapp will be tied to the Packers leading up to the draft and could be in play.  However, I think Matt LeFleur is going to want to continue to add weapons in the passing game for Aaron Rodgers, especially now that Randall Cobb is catching passes from Dak Prescott in Dallas.  There’s no question Davante Adams has emerged as a Pro Bowl wideout, finishing with 111 catches for 1,386 yards and 13 TD, but the WR corps as a whole ranked 17th in the league a season ago.  The Pack did draft three WR’s in the 5th Round a season ago, but only Marquez Valdez-Scantling made much of an impact.  You would think the Packers would want to draft a smaller wideout to line up in the slot, especially given Valdez-Scantling, Equanimeous St. Brown, J’Mon Moore and Geronimo Allison are all 6’3” or taller, but none are as explosive as Iowa State’s Hakeem Butler, a downfield threat who can make plays both on the outside and as a big slot receiver.  There’s also the TE position as Jimmy Graham signed a three-year $30 million contract prior to the 2018 season and the 32-year-old didn’t make the type of impact Packer fans were hoping for.  According to Spotrac, Graham’s cap hit is at $12.6 million and if he’s released this year, Green Bay would be facing $7.3 million dead cap total.  Graham managed just a pair of TD’s a season ago, just one year removed from finding the end zone 10 times in 2017.  Even if he finds his stride in 2019, the Packers would benefit from finding their TE of the future.  We’ve seen how adding another TE to the mix benefits the passing game when Philly drafted Dallas Goedert to team with Zach Ertz this past season.  While Ertz tallied 116 receptions and eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark, Goedert was the 4th leading receiver for the Eagles, hauling in 33 passes for 334 yards and 4 TD.  I expect at least a similar impact from Fant in Green Bay.  Fant put on a show at the Combine, running a 4.5 40, posted a vertical leap of 39.5 inches and had a broad jump of 10 feet 7 inches, all of which were tops among TE’s.  His 6.81-second three cone drill would have been fourth fastest among WR’s.  Fant came to Iowa as an All-State TE out of Nebraska and after seeing action in six games as a freshman, he had a breakout year as a sophomore.  Fant was the team’s second-leading receiver, hauling in 30 passes for 494 yards with a 16.5 yards-per-catch average.  What was so impressive was his 11 TD catches, which tied him for 11th in the country, meaning every third reception was a TD.  As a junior, Fant was again the second-leading receiver, this time to T.J. Hockenson, hauling in 39 receptions for 519 yards and 7 TD.  His initial burst off the ball allows him to separate quickly from defenders and his high school track background is apparent as he opens his strides up down the field.  He easily gets behind LB’s up the seam and is a mismatch nightmare for safeties because of his size.  Fant shows off tremendous leaping ability and body control to contort his body to make the acrobatic catch.  His large catch radius also allows him to extend for low throws, which can bail a QB out when an errant throw is made.  His athleticism also makes him an obvious weapon in the red zone.  Fant can get easily redirected and needs to develop more contact balance.  He also needs to tune out the footsteps coming across the middle of the field as that did lead to a couple of drops.  Fant isn’t known for his blocking prowess, but he does do a good job squaring up the defender, gets his hands inside the framework and can generate movement.  While he’s a willing blocker, he needs to have better play strength at the point of attack to be more effective in the run game.  Fant’s skillset is reminiscent of Evan Engram, who was the 23rd overall pick of the Giants just two years ago, and his draft stock appears to be comparable.

31.  Los Angeles Rams – Erik McCoy, 6’4”, 303lbs, OC, Texas A&M, Jr.

04/05/19 - Garrett Bradbury, OC, NC State

03/28/19 - Garrett Bradbury, OC, NC State

02/11/19 - Devin Bush, ILB, Michigan

02/03/19 - Devin Bush, ILB, Michigan
01/31/19 - Devin Bush, ILB, Michigan

The NFC Champs made their first Super Bowl appearance as the Los Angeles Rams since 1980.  Sean McVay and Jared Goff led an offense ranked 2nd in the NFL while the defense led by Wade Phillips finished the season ranked 19th in the league.  Safety and ILB were key needs defensively and the Rams addressed both in free agency with former Pro Bowlers Eric Weddle and Clay Matthews.  I would expect LA to add depth at both positions in the draft.  Also, there’s Ndamukong Suh, who is a free agent.  Do they try to re-sign Suh?  Do they move Michael Brockers to NT?  I think we need to keep an eye on Jerry Tillery here as he could take over a starting spot up front.  However, I think the focus will actually turn to the offensive line, which has become the team’s top need area.  The Rams caught a break when 37-year old LT Andrew Whitworth signed a one-year deal to return in 2019.  However, Rodger Saffold left for Tennessee in free agency and center John Sullivan was released, leaving holes along the interior of the line.  I expect the Rams to target a center with this pick and if Garrett Bradbury is off the board, Erik McCoy will find his way into the 1st Round.  McCoy is a three-year starter having started all 39 games for the Aggies.  He’s powerfully built, which allows him to anchor, and is athletic enough to hold up against speed rushers inside.  Maybe McCoy’s most impressive attribute is his ability to pull, firing quickly out of his stance to get out as a lead blocker for the RB in a hurry. His 4.89 40 time proves he can get down the field in a hurry and often climbed to the 2nd level to spring RB Trayveon Williams for big gains.  McCoy plays with a low pad level that allows him to play with exceptional balance and has the lateral quickness to quickly get in front of defenders.  I think McCoy is a plug-and-play center who should be a starter for a long time in this league.

32.  New England Patriots – Irv Smith, Jr., 6’2”, 241lbs, TE, Alabama, Jr.

04/05/19 - Jerry Tillery, DT, Notre Dame

03/28/19 - Jerry Tillery, DT, Notre Dame

02/11/19 - Daniel Jones, QB, Duke

02/03/19 - Drew Lock, QB, Missouri

01/31/19 - Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson

Well, Tom Brady did it again.  The Patriots win Super Bowl LIII for their sixth championship in the Brady-Belichick era.   Brady will be 42 years of age at the start of the 2019 season, and while he says he wants to play until he’s 45, grooming his eventual replacement has to take place sometime soon.  Currently, only Brian Hoyer and Danny Etling are on the roster, so I could see the Pats making a play for Duke’s Daniel Jones at the end of Round 1.  He could then sit behind Brady much like Aaron Rodgers did behind Favre from 2005-07 before taking over in 2008.  Brady would be 44 to start the 2021 season, so the timing seems right.  Defensively, the team finished with just 30 sacks, which put them in a tie for 30th overall, while the pass defense finished 22nd in the league.  DE Trey Flowers is now in Detroit while DT’s Malcom Brown and Danny Shelton are free agents.  I think one of those positions could be the pick here.  At DE, Zach Allen and Charles Omenihu appear to be ideal fits in a New England defense and would fit well opposite Michal Bennett.  I also wouldn’t be surprised of Belichick takes a shot at Jeffery Simmons, whose draft stock has fallen following an ACL tear during the pre-draft process that likely puts him out of action for the 2019 season.  Then there’s the retirement of Rob Gronkowski, who has battled injuries throughout what will be considered a Hall of Fame career.  I think Smith, Jr. would give the Pats a combo TE who can be a weapon down the field for TB12.  Irv Smith, Jr. is hoping to follow in the footsteps of his father Irv Smith Sr. and fellow Bama TE O.J. Howard by being selected in the 1st Round.  Smith, Jr. posted a 4.63 40 time, good for third among TE’s, proving he can be a downfield option for Aaron Rodgers.  We’ve seen how adding another TE to the mix benefits the passing game when Philly drafted Dallas Goedert to team with Zach Ertz this past season.  While Ertz tallied 116 receptions and eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark, Goedert was the 4th leading receiver for the Eagles, hauling in 33 passes for 334 yards and 4 TD.  I expect at least a similar impact from Smith, Jr. in Green Bay.  As a backup for Howard as a sophomore in 2017, Smith, Jr. caught 14 balls for 128 yards and 3 TD in 9 games before taking the reins as the starter this past season.  In 2018, Smith, Jr. hauled in 44 passes for 710 yards, making him the fourth leading receiver on the team.  His 16.6 yard-per-catch average which was second to only Jace Sternberger (17.1) among top TE’s in this year’s draft class.  Bama utilized Smith, Jr. in a number of ways in the passing game, splitting him out, using him in the slot, lining him up at TE and in the backfield.  His athleticism allowed him to run a variety of routes, so he was running crosses, corners, vertical and post routes in addition to attacking the seam.  He has a sturdy base that provides the balance required to run through contact.  He also does a good job shielding defenders form the football.  Smith, Jr. does a good job timing his jumps to high-point the football to pull it down over defenders.  He has strong, reliable hands which allow him to extend for the ball and make contested catches away from his body.  He’s also sound as a blocker, firing out of his stance with a wide base and good hands placement under the defender’s pad level and he can generate movement with a strong leg drive.  He also does a good job climbing to the second level, staying under control to block the moving target.  Smith, Jr. could use some polish with his routes and blocking, but he can be a TE1 at the next level and could quickly develop as a go-to target for Brady.