NFL Mock Draft Part Two
April 24, 2019
Tomorrow, the first round of the NFL Draft begins. Here is part two of my mock draft of the first round, which includes picks 16 all the way to the number one selection.
For part one of my mock draft, click here.
(This mock draft does not include potential trades.)
- Carolina Panthers: OL Jawaan Taylor, Florida. Franchise quarterback Cam Newton was shut down for the season with multiple games remaining on the schedule due to a shoulder injury. Taylor is the best offensive linemen in this year’s draft.
- Washington Redskins: CB Byron Murphy, Washington. Murphy will boost the secondary right away and will also benefit The Redskins in the future as he can eventually be the replacement for the aging Josh Norman.
- Atlanta Falcons: EDGE Brian Burns, Florida State. The Falcons are perhaps the most talented team picking in the first half of the draft. Burns adds depth and has bulked up this offseason (up 15 lbs) and is now around 250 lbs. He is long, athletic and ran a 4.53 40.
- Miami Dolphins: EDGE Montez Sweat, Mississippi State. Six-foot-six-inches, 260 pounds and runs a 4.41 40-yard dash. Sweat has all the tools to translate into an elite pass rusher but has a pre-existing heart condition some are concerned about. The talent is there and Miami might take the gamble.
- Green Bay Packers: DL Ed Oliver, Houston. There are reports that Oliver can go as early as number three to the New York Jets. The talent is undeniable despite his stats dropping in his last college season and people see Oliver’s ceiling comparable to that of Aaron Donald
- Cincinnati Bengals: LB Devin Bush, Michigan. The Bengals need to get younger and faster on defense, specifically at linebacker after the departure of Vontaze Burfict. Bush is undersized at five-foot-eleven-inches and 234 pounds, but he is a rangy, fast (4.43 40 40) linebacker that can contribute right away.
- Denver Broncos: QB Drew Lock, Missouri. Although Denver traded for veteran quarterback Joe Flacco in the offseason, general manager John Elway might draft his quarterback of the future. Lock has an ideal size and arm talent to be a starting NFL quarterback, but still needs development.
- Buffalo Bills: WR AJ Brown, Ole Miss. Buffalo missed out on the first Brown they attempted to get for second-year quarterback Josh Allen, but this time around they should get their guy. Brown’s college teammate, DK Metcalf, has been stealing the headlines this offseason, but Brown is the better receiver. He has good size, route running and hands.
- Detroit Lions: DL/EDGE Rashan Gary, Michigan. Gary paired with Trey Flowers would give head coach Matt Patricia his dream defensive line. A versatile group that can do multiple things and creates havoc.
- Jacksonville Jaguars: TE TJ Hockenson, Iowa. Usually, I’m not a fan of a tight end this high in the draft. But Hockenson is a unique talent who can boost a team’s receiving and running game.
- New York Giants: QB Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State. Eli Manning is not the answer. If the Giants believed that Manning was the answer and they were competitors this season, they would not have traded Odel Beckham Jr. away. Haskins can be the franchise quarterback going forward and start a new era for the Big Blue.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: LB Devin White, LSU. White brings speed and sideline-to-sideline play to the table. He is exactly what an NFL team is looking for in a linebacker and fits Tampa perfectly, as they have to contend with the offenses of the Saints, Falcons and Panthers.
- Oakland Raiders: DL Quinnen Williams, Alabama. Williams brings immediate pass rushing ability as he helps Oakland escape the bottom of the NFL in terms of sacks. Oakland recorded 13 team sacks last season and the second worst team on that list earned 30.
- New York Jets: OLB Josh Allan, Kentucky. They say the easiest way into the playoffs is to win your division, and for the Jets to do that, they need to stop Tom Brady. Adams can get to Brady and gets the Jets one step closer to the top of the division.
- San Francisco 49ers: EDGE Nick Bosa, Ohio State. Bosa is an instant impact, plug and play rookie, who can play all over the defensive line for the 49ers. Pairing him with DT DeForest Buckner should be a scary sight for offenses and it can possibly get DE Solomon Thomas going as well, as he will face less attention.
- Arizona Cardinals: QB Kyler Murray, Oklahoma. We live in an NFL where a five-foot-eleven-inch quarterback is the highest paid player in the league. Murray’s height is a concern as he is likely shorter than Russell Wilson, but he has proven that he can play despite his height on numerous occasions. He’s a dynamic player that can keep a defense on their toes. This would mean that Arizona would likely have to trade last year’s first-round pick Josh Rosen, but having two solid, young quarterbacks is perhaps a good problem to have.