By MARQUES EVERSOLL
Mock drafts are really hard because when one thing goes wrong, you’re guaranteed to get another thing wrong. Trades screw everything up, too. So, what’d I do? I said, “Screw it,” and projected a couple trades. So before skimming through my one and only mock for the 2019 NFL Draft, be sure to remember my Rule of Thumb: “When I’m wrong, just forget about it.”
In the words of Billy Madison on his first day of school, “Here goes nothin…”
- Arizona Cardinals — Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray
When it’s all said and done, I feel like Kliff Kingsbury gets his guy.
- San Francisco 49ers — Ohio State DE Nick Bosa
Assuming the QB goes No. 1, this would be the easiest pick ever for 49ers GM John Lynch.
- New York Jets — Alabama DT Quinnen Williams
Tough call here between Quinnen Williams and Ed Oliver, but Williams is on the Nick Bosa Level of Safety. (Also a prime spot for a trade, as has been heavily rumored in recent days.)
- Oakland Raiders — Houston DT Ed Oliver
For whatever reason, it seems like the week of the draft is finally when Oliver started to get some buzz in the Top 5. There’s no reason he shouldn’t be. He’s a Top 5 player in this draft.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers — LSU LB Devin White
Dude’s a stud. Buccaneers lost speedy linebacker Kwon Alexander in free agency, and White is a natural replacement. White gives head coach Bruce Arians a bonafide leader on defense, much like he had with Patrick Peterson in Arizona.
- New York Giants — Kentucky EDGE Josh Allen
I don’t think the Giants are taking a quarterback with their first pick. I think they’ll take the best available defensive player on their board.
- Jacksonville Jaguars — Florida OT Jawaan Taylor
This isn’t just wishful thinking. Until I see it happen, I’m not buying the hype of T.J. Hockenson going No. 7 to the Jaguars. He’s a great player, but you can’t pass up your pick of the litter on the offensive line. If they can get the best O-Lineman in the draft, they gotta do it.
- Atlanta Falcons (Projected Trade w/ Lions) — Clemson DT Christian Wilkins
Wilkins is another guy who just strikes me as “safe.” Obviously there’s no such thing in this crazy world called the draft, but you kinda know what you’re getting in Wilkins. Falcons trade up to beef up their run defense.
- Buffalo Bills — Florida State EDGE Brian Burns
I tweeted last night: “I can’t believe we made it all the way to the draft, and Brian Burns still isn’t considered a consensus elite player in this draft.” Seriously though. To me, Burns is undoubtedly one of the 10 best players in this class. Some may be surprised, but I think this is where Burns should go. (If not earlier.)
- Denver Broncos — Iowa TE T.J. Hockenson
I can just see this happening. John Elway can’t find a quarterback, but he can easily identify his quarterback’s new best friend. If a team takes Hock in the Top 10, I can’t be mad.
- Cincinnati Bengals — Washington State OT Andre Dillard
The best pass-protecting left tackle in this year’s draft. If he’s on the board at No. 12, I have this gut feeling that he’d be the Packers’ pick. That said, the guy who always picks the Bengals’ pick correctly had them taking Dillard. Sounds legit to me.
- Green Bay Packers — Michigan LB Devin Bush
This pick should be unanimously popular amongst Packers fans. Typically, I’m not big on taking an off-ball, stack linebacker this early. However, they don’t make many linebackers like Devin Bush. The man could outrun any wide receiver on the Packers’ roster not named Valdes-Scantling. He’s the prototypical modern-day linebacker, and would give the Green Bay defense something it hasn’t had … maybe ever. This also gives the Packers some cushion at the position, as Blake Martinez enters the final year of his rookie contract.
- Carolina Panthers (Projected trade w/ Miami Dolphins) — Alabama OT Jonah Williams
Reports suggest the Panthers want to move up for a tackle. That makes sense, and this wouldn’t be a very costly move, going from No. 16 to No. 13.
- Detroit Lions (Projected Trade w/ Falcons) — LSU CB Greedy Williams
Gut feeling. Lions won’t pick at No. 8. Instead they’ll move down, and get the top cornerback on their board to pair with shutdown stud Darius Slay. (Could be Greedy, Rock Ya-Sin or Byron Murphy.)
- Washington Redskins — Ohio State QB Dwayne Haskins
Daniel Snyder will undoubtedly trade up to get whichever quarterback his crazy mind desires. I don’t know. I’m just giving them Haskins at No. 15. #Analysis
- Miami Dolphins (Projected trade w/ Panthers) — Michigan DE Rashan Gary
This may be a further fall than most expect, but I won’t be surprised if Gary winds up in the mid-to-late first round. It’s never a good sign when the first negative everyone brings up about your game is “effort.” Still, it’d be a solid value at No. 16. (Especially after a trade-down.)
- New York Giants (CLE) — Duke QB Daniel Jones
There’s sure a lot of smoke around Daniel Jones and the New York Giants. I have no idea what Dave Gettleman is thinking at quarterback. (See Washington’s pick at No. 15 for similar analysis.)
- Minnesota Vikings — North Carolina State C Garrett Bradbury
The Vikings are so weird. Their offensive line has been their weakness for seemingly forever, and yet they haven’t used a first-round pick on a lineman since Matt Kalil in 2012. It’s time. (I think.)
- Tennessee Titans — Clemson DE Clelin Ferrell
Last year, the Titans got a steal of a pass-rusher in Harold Landry in the second round. This year, the host city welcomes a highly-productive pass rusher to the fold in Clelin Ferrell. Solid duo to build around, if you ask me.
- Pittsburgh Steelers — Washington CB Byron Murphy
This year’s cornerback class is tough to figure out. Either way, unless Devin Bush tumbles all the way to No. 20, or the Steelers trade up for him, then I think corner is the spot at this pick.
- Seattle Seahawks — Iowa TE Noah Fant
Seattle gets a mulligan on their Jimmy Graham Experiment. This could also be a prime trade-up spot for the Packers. We’ve seen Brian Gutekunst and John Schneider do that dance before.
- Baltimore Ravens — Oklahoma WR Hollywood Brown
Antonio Brown was a Steeler. He hated the Ravens. Now, Antonio Brown is a Raider. He hates the Steelers. Next, Antonio Brown’s cousin — Hollywood Brown — gets picked by the Ravens. The whole Brown family now hates the Steelers. Happy days.
- Houston Texans — Oklahoma OG/OT Cody Ford
He’s big, strong, and the Texans’ offensive line absolutely sucks.
- Oakland Raiders (CHI) —Mississippi State EDGE Montez Sweat
If his heart issue isn’t a big deal, then the Raiders could be getting one of the best values in the entire draft here. A few weeks ago, imagine being told the Raiders would get Ed Oliver and Montez Sweat AND still have another pick in the first round. Wow.
- Philadelphia Eagles — Virginia S Juan Thornhill
Best safety in the draft. If they can’t get Hollywood Brown, I suppose they could take another receiver. I think people are sleeping on Juan Thornhill, he’s really, really good.
- Indianapolis Colts —Mississippi State DT Jeffrey Simmons
Someone is gonna get a steal in Jeffrey Simmons. He’s this year’s Jaylon Smith. Remember when the Cowboys picked him, let him recover, and now he’s what everyone thought he’d be? Yeah, that’s gonna be Simmons. He’ll be a beast when he comes back from his torn ACL.
- Oakland Raiders (DAL) — Georgia CB DeAndre Baker
Raiders defense looks a lot better after getting a stud at every level of the defense in Round 1.
- Los Angeles Chargers — Clemson DT Dexter Lawrence
Chargers have somewhat quietly built a pretty stacked defense. Last year, they got the Defensive Rookie of the Year (Derwin James) at No. 17. This year, they end Dexter Lawrence’s fall all the way at No. 28.
- Seattle Seahawks (KC) — Notre Dame DT Jerry Tillery
Seattle can’t find its replacement for the recently traded Frank Clark, but they get a bad ass with game-wrecking potential at the end of the first round.
- Green Bay Packers (NO) — Washington OT Kaleb McGary
So I made my second annual #DraftBet with Bill. (If the Packers pick one of the Iowa tight ends, he owes me a bottle of booze. If they don’t, I owe him.) But before I made the bet, I was torn between Fant and Hockenson being my two players in the bet or the two tackles from Washington. It’s just one of those “Feels Like a Packer” type things I have about Washington tackle Kaleb McGary and Washington State tackle Andre Dillard. Of course, Dillard would have to be picked at No. 12, whereas Gary may be an option at No. 30 or No. 44. But still, I don’t know, something about the Packers and the Pac-12 maybe? Just a gut feeling.
- Los Angeles Rams — Boston College OG Chris Lindstrom
Guy would be a great fit for the Packers, which means he’d probably be a great fit for the Rams.
- New England Patriots — Ole Miss WR D.K. Metcalf
Marques thinks to himself, “What would be the most Patriots pick possible?” Oh, hey, there’s a 6-foot-3 230-pound beast who runs 4.3 in the 40. Yep, let’s get Tom Brady a new toy. Belichick says, “He’s good.”
