1 | |
Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State On a team chock full of holes, edge rusher isn't at the top of the to-do list. That said, it's hard to pass on a talent like Bosa, who can take over games. There isn't an offensive linemen worth taking this high and the Cardinals find themselves in full-on rebuild mode less than a year after hiring Steve Wilks and drafting Josh Rosen in the first round. |
2 | |
Josh Allen, EDGE, Kentucky Is Josh Allen the best pass rusher in the draft? That will be decided in the coming weeks and months, but no one did more for their draft stock than Allen, who returned to Kentucky for his senior season and went off. After seven sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss in 2017, Allen gained 10-15 pounds of muscle and put up 14 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss and was pretty much unblockable. The 49ers need an edge rusher and Allen is it. |
3 | |
Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama The Jets don't have a glaring need in the middle of their defense but Williams is a one-man wrecking crew. He wins one-on-ones almost every time and he regularly destroys double-teams. Yes, pressure off the edge is important but don't sleep on consistent pressure up the middle. |
4 | |
Brian Burns, EDGE, Florida State At 235-240 pounds, the concern is whether Burns is strong enough to play the position at the next level, but Burns isn't just a speed rusher; he's also strong, and has the frame to get stronger. The Raiders have to solidify the position after trading Khalil Mack before the season and releasing Bruce Irvin midway through 2018. |
5 | |
Ed Oliver, DT, Houston Oliver spent his college career terrorizing centers but he'll be a three technique in the NFL -- where he'll continue to dominate. The Bucs could be moving on from Gerald McCoy and Oliver would be a solid choice to replace him in the lineup. |
6 | |
Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State Eli Manning may be returning in 2019 but the Giants aren't passing on a franchise quarterback two years in a row. He attempted only 40 passes before last season but the Ohio State standout remains our top quarterback after an impressive 2018 campaign. |
7 | |
Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma We're not convinced the Jaguars would take a flyer on Murray but even if they end up with Nick Foles, how can you pass on maybe the most talented player in this draft? Foles can play in 2019 and the Jaguars can use Murray like the Ravens used Lamar Jackson a season ago. |
8 | |
Mock trade with Lions
Drew Lock, QB, Missouri The Dolphins are moving on from Ryan Tannehill one way or the other and they desperately need a quarterback. We love Kyler Murray to South Beach but with Murray already off the board the Dolphins target Lock, who had a strong finish to his senior season at Missouri. |
9 | |
Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama Are Williams' arms long enough to play tackle in the NFL? Yes. It's hard to believe this has become a talking point after Williams dominated the 2018 season. He'll be a starter for the next decade, which is great news for second-year quarterback Josh Allen who spent much of his rookie season running for his life. |
10 | |
Byron Murphy, CB, Washington With Drew Lock off the board and Joe Flacco set to replace Case Keenum, the Broncos focus on their defense. Byron Murphy is our No. 1 cornerback and he'll join Chris Harris Jr. in the secondary next season. |
11 | |
Cody Ford, OT, Oklahoma Andy Dalton and the Bengals' offense is at its best when he has time to throw. New coach Zac Taylor can make things easy by solidifying an offensive line that wasn't even replacement-level last season. Ford is a converted guard who shined on the outside in 2018. |
12 | |
Rashan Gary, DL, Michigan Gary didn't live up to expectations at Michigan but part of that can be blamed on him playing out of position. Is he an edge rusher? Is he better inside? People close to him say he is, without a doubt, an edge rusher. With Clay Matthews, who's 32 years old, headed for free agency the Packers need to restock the position. |
13 | |
Mock trade with Dolphins
Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson Ferrell was one of the stars of the best defensive line in college football, and he finished his junior season with 11.5 sacks and 20 tackles for loss. There may be questions about his flexibility compared to the other first-round pass rushers but there's no denying his Clemson production. In fact, on first downs during the 2018 season, Ferrell ranked among the top 10 players in the country in sacks (5), hurries (12), hits (10), knockdowns (5) and pressures (17). |
14 | |
Dalton Risner, OL, Kansas St. Risner had a fantastic week at the Senior Bowl and while he's destined to kick inside in the NFL -- perhaps even to center -- he's shown throughout his college career that he's a very good tackle too. Either way, the Falcons have to do a better job in both pass protection (14th, according to Football Outsiders) and run blocking (24th). |
15 | |
Daniel Jones, QB, Duke The Redskins have needs at every offensive skill position but with Alex Smith still recovering from a broken leg and backup Colt McCoy with a year left on his deal, addressing depth at quarterback is paramount. Jones is a David Cutcliffe product, and he looks the part. There are questions about his accuracy but he played behind a suspect offensive line at Duke and didn't have the downfield playmakers of, say, Haskins, Lock and Murray. |
16 | |
Montez Sweat, EDGE, Mississippi State Mario Addison is 31 and has just one year left on his deal and Julius Peppers has already retired. Sweat, who is coming off a strong senior season, alleviated any concerns about his ability to bend around the edge during a strong Senior Bowl week last month. |
17 | |
D.K. Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss Metcalf has drawn comparisons to Josh Gordon but without the off-field concerns. If you're looking to replace Gordon's productivity, why not go with the player who reminds you of him? Metcalf is our top wide receiver and he can take over games. |
18 | |
Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida Kirk Cousins was heavily criticized last season. Some of it was deserved while a lot of it had to do with the porous offensive line in front of him. Taylor is a monster in the run game, a surprisingly nuanced pass protector, and a player who can move into the starting lineup from Day One. |
19 | |
Marquise Brown, WR, Oklahoma Corey Davis is the big downfield target while Hollywood Brown can do just about everything else. Antonio Brown's cousin is one of the fastest, most elusive players in this draft class and would give Marcus Mariota another much-needed weapon. |
20 | |
Devin White, LB, LSU The Steelers need help at edge rusher and cornerback but White is the best linebacker in this class and he'll made an immediate impact in Pittsburgh. |
21 | |
Greedy Williams, CB, LSU Williams' athleticism is out of this world and when he's locked in there's no cornerback with more God-given talent. But Williams needs to play with more consistency and become a better tackler. |
22 | |
Kelvin Harmon, WR, N.C. State The Ravens' running game is already among the best in the league. For Lamar Jackson to continue his development the Ravens' passing game needs to evolve. Adding Harmon, a playmaker at every level, would go a long way in doing that. |
23 | |
Chris Lindstrom, OL, Boston College Lindstrom was dominant for BC during the 2018 season, he followed that up with a very good Senior Bowl, and he'll likely produce similar results at the combine later this month. Given that the Texans have to do a better job of protecting Deshaun Watson, Lindstrom could be a starter from Day One. |
24 | |
From Chicago Devin Bush, LB, Michigan The Raiders were a mess on both sides of the ball last season and Bush, a thumper who also has sideline-to-sideline speed, would bolster the middle of the defense. |
25 | |
Jachai Polite, EDGE, Florida Polite was one of the most exciting players we watched last season. There will be questions about his size (he's listed at 240) and his one year of production, but if teams are OK with both, he could be a top-15 pick. |
26 | |
Nasir Adderley, S, Delaware Matt Eberflus transformed the Colts into a good defense in 2018. To go from good to great, Indy needs to add a few more pieces, starting with safety. Adderley is an FCS product but he's still our No. 1 safety after a strong season and an impressive Senior Bowl week. |
27 | |
From Dallas T.J. Hockenson, TE, Iowa Is Jared Cook going to be re-signed? And even if he is, why not complement him with the best tight in this draft class. Hockenson is an inline tight end who is a strong blocker but an even better downfield threat. He's a matchup nightmare for any linebacker, just about any safety, and a lot of cornerbacks. |
28 | |
Jerry Tillery, DT, Notre Dame Tillery had a really good 2018 season for the Fighting Irish and when he's dialed in he's tough to block. Can he play with that consistency from one play to the next? That's what NFL teams will try to find out between now and the draft. |
29 | |
Mack Wilson, LB, Alabama Wilson fits the part for what NFL teams are looking for in today's linebacker: He's quick, has sideline-to-sideline speed and is smart. But he sometimes struggles to get off blocks and can get lost in the mix if he's not on his game. There's a lot to like about Wilson but he needs to clean up some things to ensure he's a first-round pick. |
30 | |
From New Orleans Noah Fant, TE, Iowa Jimmy Graham isn't the player he once was and if the Packers are going to be the dynamic offensive team we're used to seeing, giving Aaron Rodgers the most athletic tight end in the draft makes a lot of sense. |
31 | |
Deionte Thompson, S, Alabama The Rams need help in the secondary and Thompson has the physical skills to be special. His production slipped at the end of the season -- he was beat several times in the national title game against Clemson -- but he remains one of the best safeties in this draft and would upgrade L.A.'s secondary. |
32 | |
Riley Ridley, WR, Georgia Quietly the best route runner in this class, Ridley (brother of Calvin) hauled in nine touchdowns last season for Georgia and makes sense for a Patriots team where Chris Hogan, Cordarrelle Patterson and Phillip Dorsett are all headed for free agency. |