Pro days matter. Just not very much, and especially not to quarterbacks.
However, many prospects not invited to the combine get their chance to showcase their timed and measured athleticism. And while it's good practice to add a tenth of a second onto pro day 40 times, the rest of the workout figures are usually pretty accurate.
Also, after the combine is time to watch film of deep sleepers and look into extra film of some of the top prospects (previous seasons). Even re-watching some games can't hurt. You'll notice a few prospects at the same position listed back to back. That means they simply finished with the exact same grade in my system. Speaking of system, that's what it comes down to with those players. Different specialties for different systems.
(Note: These rankings are based on my personal evaluations of the 2019 draft class, not necessarily an indication of where these prospects are expected to be drafted.)
Here's a look at my updated top 100 a month away from the 2019 NFL Draft.
1. Nick Bosa, EDGE, Ohio State
2. Ed Oliver, DT, Houston
3. Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama
4. Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama
5. Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi State
6. Greedy Williams, CB, LSU
7. Jerry Tillery, DT, Notre Dame
8. Dalton Risner, OT, Kansas State
9. Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia
10. A.J. Brown, WR, Ole Miss
The big change here is Christian Wilkins out of my top 10. He really came on during his senior year, but I've realized I just don't think he has superstar potential. I'll be stunned if he isn't a solid pro for a long time. Will he ever be a true difference maker on a defense? I see a Michael Brockers type impact with him.
11. Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson
12. Zach Allen, EDGE/DL, Boston College
13. Ben Burr-Kirven, LB, Washington
14. Byron Murphy, CB, Washington
15. Devin White, LB, LSU
16. Montez Sweat, EDGE, Mississippi State
17. Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson
18. Clelin Ferrell, EDGE, Clemson
19. Drew Lock, QB, Missouri
20. Hakeem Butler, WR, Iowa State
I still have Lock as my QB1. But the margin between him and Kyler Murray is razor thin. White got a bump because of how impressed I was with the improvement in his tackle reliability from 2017 to 2018. And he's a monster in coverage.
21. Josh Allen, EDGE, Kentucky
22. Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma
23. Brian Burns, EDGE, Florida State
24. JJ Arcega-Whiteside, WR, Stanford
25. N'Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State
26. Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida
27. Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State
28. Julian Love, CB, Notre Dame
29. D.K. Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss
30. Devin Bush Jr., LB, Michigan
Taylor and Dillard have the same grade, which was fascinating to me because they're vastly different prospects. Dillard has a little higher grade in pass protection. Taylor is more well-rounded and has the athleticism to be a star on the right side for a long time. Teams will love Dillard's pass-blocking prowess. Taylor's power/mobility blend will make him a high pick too. With Love, who moved down a bit, for as disruptive as he was over the past two seasons at Notre Dame, I have a tiny speed concern with him, but that's nit-picking.
31. Juan Thornhill, S, Virginia
32. Justin Layne, CB, Michigan State
33. Amani Oruwariye, CB, Penn State
34. Jachai Polite, EDGE, Florida
35. Kelvin Harmon, WR, NC State
36. T.J. Hockenson, TE, Iowa
37. David Long, CB, Michigan
38. Rashan Gary, EDGE, Michigan
39. Oshane Ximines, EDGE, Old Dominion
40. Yodny Cajuste, OT, West Virginia
Long is a big riser here. While I am not predicting he'll be the next Darrelle Revis, his combine effort was very comparable to Revis' pro day coming out of Pittsburgh in 2007, and the Michigan star was absolutely stifling in man coverage in 2017 and 2018. Layne and Oruwariye have grown on me too the more I've watched.
41. Anthony Nelson, EDGE, Iowa
42. Noah Fant, TE, Iowa
43. Greg Little, OT, Ole Miss
44. Marquise Brown, WR, Oklahoma
45. Chris Lindstrom, OG, Boston College
46. Dre'Mont Jones, DT, Ohio Stateo
47. Lonnie Johnson, CB, Kentucky
48. Cody Ford, OG, Oklahoma
49. Amani Hooker, S, Iowa
50. Kris Boyd, CB, Texas
Lindstrom is set in stone as my OG1. I'll understand if a power-blocking team picks someone like Oklahoma's Cody Ford in front of him, but Lindstrom isn't scheme sensitive. He's a nasty, fundamentally sound guard with light feet, loose hips, and plus awareness dealing with stunts and delayed blitzes.
51. Terronne Prescod, OG, NC State
52. Nasir Adderley, S, Delaware
53. Deebo Samuel, WR, South Carolina
54. Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, S, Florida
55. Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State
56. Elgton Jenkins, C, Mississippi State
57. Deionte Thompson, S, Alabama
58. Joejuan Williams, CB, Vanderbilt
59. Garrett Bradbury, NC State
60. Dillon Mitchell, WR, Oregon
Jenkins is cemented as my No. 1 center. And the main reason I have him ahead of Bradbury is due to his strength and pass-blocking ability right now. Bradbury has a higher ceiling because of his supreme athletic gifts. Jenkins is ready to anchor in the middle today and isn't a slouch athletically himself.
61. Taylor Rapp, S, Washington
62. Anthony Johnson, WR, Buffalo
63. Johnathan Abram, S, Missippi State
64. Charles Omenihu, EDGE/DL, Texas
65. Andy Isabella, WR, UMass
66. Jaquan Johnson, S, Miami
67. Devin Singletary, RB, Florida Atlantic
68. David Montgomery, RB, Iowa State
69. Ryan Finley, QB, NC State
70. Renell Wren, DT, Arizona State
As you'll notice this group and the group before is loaded with safeties. And I really came around on this safety class. After Thornhill -- my top safety -- I don't see any All-Pro types. But from Adderely to Johnson, there are a collection of high-quality starters with varying skill sets who can play the slot, make an impact against the run and make the occasional big play in coverage. Finley is my QB4 despite a blah end to his season. His arm strength is subpar, but he can throw with anticipation and is accurate down the field along with in the quick game underneath. Despite a lackluster combine, Singletary remains my RB1, and, essentially Montgomery is my RB1b. Singletary is an electric-in-space home run hitter. Montgomery is a throwback feature back with the best contact balance in the class.
71. Christian Miller, EDGE, Alabama
72. Khalen Saunders, DT, Western Illinois
73. Brett Rypien, QB, Boise State
74. L.J. Collier, EDGE, TCU
75. Chase Winovich, EDGE, Michigan
76. Jace Sternberger, TE, Texas A&M
77. Lamont Gaillard, C, Georgia
78. Trayvon Mullen, CB, Clemson
79. Will Grier, QB, West Virginia
80. Jakobi Meyers, WR, NC State
Miller is flying under the radar because he wasn't able to do a full workout in Indianapolis and won't get back on the field until Alabama's second pro day -- yeah, that's a thing -- until early April. He has ridiculously long arms he uses well against tackles and is very explosive off the ball. Gaillard is my No. 3 center -- I'm in the minority who likes him there over Erik McCoy from Texas A&M. The Georgia star measured in much bigger than expected at the combine is as an impeccable run blocker. I love his low center of gravity in pass protection too. He's a battler.
81. Daniel Jones, QB, Duke
82. Emanuel Hall, WR, Missouri
83. Erik McCoy, C, Texas A&M
84. Justice Hill, RB, Oklahoma State
85. Rock Ya-Sin, CB, Temple
86. Miles Sanders, RB, Penn State
87. Justin Hollins, EDGE, Oregon
88. Chuma Edoga, OL, USC
89. Antoine Wesley, WR, Texas Tech
90. Maxx Crosby, EDGE, Eastern Michigan
Count me among those who just don't see it with Jones. He's probably going to be picked in the second round, and he's a dark horse to land in Round 1. He's too up and down for me, and I'm worried about him under pressure. Best case scenario for him would be to land in a true West Coast Offense with a sturdy offensive line. Sanders is my RB4. I compared him to Sony Michel. He's so subtly shifty and has tremendous vision through traffic. The two edge rushers in this group -- Hollins and Crosby -- can be very usual pass-rushing specialists once they add some weight/strength at the next level.
91. Cortez Broughton, DT, Cincinnati
92. Stanley Morgan, WR, Nebraska
93. Blake Cashman, LB, Minnesota
94. Mike Bell, S, Fresno State
95. Carl Granderson, EDGE, Wyoming
96. Andrew Wingard, S, Wyoming
97. Phil Haynes, OG, Wake Forest
98. Josh Jacobs, RB, Alabama
99. Tyree Jackson, QB, Buffalo
100. Kaleb McGary, OT, Washington
I'd be waiting on Cincinnati's pro day for a while, as Broughton, on film, was instantly a favorite of mine at the defensive tackle spot. He did a full workout and had a performance that would've been near the best at his position had it come at the combine in nearly every drill. Let him attack the outside shoulder of the guard. Another new entry here is Haynes, the guard from Wake Forest. He has awesome lateral mobility and a thick, solid frame. He looks more powerful than he is, but his plus athleticism allows him to be under control and effective against stunts. He sits down and anchors well too.