2019 NFL Draft: Prospect rankings for top 100, the Kyler Murray conundrum and more to know
Revealing the top 100 prospects in the draft along with a discussion on Kyler Murray
With the Super Bowl in the rear-view mirror, and draft season officially here, it's time to introduce my current Top 100 prospects for the 2019 NFL Draft.
This is a defensive-centric class loaded up front that features more question marks than presumed sure things at the quarterback position. The receiver group is stacked, and there are plenty of superb offensive linemen.
Back to the quarterbacks. While Drew Lock and especially Dwayne Haskins will get their due over the next few months, reigning Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray takes the cake as the most polarizing, discussion-worthy prospect at the position. Well under 6-foot-0 and probably under 200 pounds, he was more efficient as a pocket passer at Oklahoma in 2018 than Baker Mayfield was in 2017 and has Lamar Jacksonian scrambling skills.
Did he just take advantage of poor defensive play in the Big 12? Or is he ready to be an outlier in a league loaded with quarerbacks 6-2 and up? Oh, and might he just pick baseball over football anyway?
Let's get to the rankings.
1. Nick Bosa, EDGE, Ohio State
2. Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama
4. Greedy Williams, CB, LSU
5. Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama
6. Clelin Ferrell, EDGE, Clemson
7. Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi State
8. Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia
9. Christian Wilkins, DL, Clemson
10. A.J. Brown, WR, Ole Miss
We haven't seen Bosa play since September. He's still my No. 1 prospect. He can win in too many ways to be anything but. Jonah Williams is a technician with vice grips for hands and plus athleticism. Oliver still has an edge on Quinnen Williams, but they're both studs. Greedy Williams is what you look for in an outside corner. Length, fluidity, ball skills. Ferrell got better as the year wore on, and he has top half of the first round athleticism on the field. With more hand work, we're talking Robert Quinn or Chandler Jones type production. The more I watched Simmons, the more I liked. Another multi-faceted player up front. Burst. Power. Hand use. Baker rarely allows separation and is aware when the ball's arriving. Wilkins was outstanding in every phase of the game as a senior, the only concern I have with him is that he's turning 24 in December. But as you can see, with him at No. 9 overall, that concern is minor. Getting to post-season film work, I realized Brown deserved to be my top receiver prospect over Harry heading into the combine. The former is a big, muscular pass-catcher with excellent yards-after-the-catch skills that will allow him to acclimate quickly to the NFL. Harry will make or break his stock in Indianapolis.
11. Zach Allen, EDGE/DL, Boston College
12. N'Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State
13. Dalton Risner, OT, Kansas State
14. Kelvin Harmon, WR, NC State
15. Dre'Mont Jones, DT, Ohio State
16. JJ Arcega-Whiteside, WR, Stanford
17. Ben Burr-Kirven, LB, Washington
18. Josh Allen, EDGE, Kentucky
19. Hakeem Butler, WR, Iowa State
20. Devin White, LB, LSU
Tons of talent that comes at intimidating size for its respective position in this group ... and then there's the high-energy, fundamentally sound Risner and Burr-Kirven, who I'll get to in a minute. Allen has awesome edge/defensive tackle versatility, lead pipes for hands, and is a load at 6-foot-5 and 280-ish pounds. Harry wins in contested-catch situations and has some wiggle. Explosion though? Harmon's a fluid, well-rounded perimeter wideout, and Jones is a hand-work master with loose hips on the inside. His run defense needs work. Arcega-Whiteside destroys corners on jump balls with ease, and Allen and White are supremely gifted, productive defenders in need of some refinement to their games. Butler, another towering, physically overpowering receiver can test himself into the top half of Round 1 with a big combine. As for Burr-Kirven, he's another prospect with a stock that hinges on what happens in Indianapolis. Is he a legit 6-0 and over 225 pounds? How fast is he? Three-cone drill time? On the field, BBK ranges from sideline to sideline, understands route concepts, and is the most polished block-defeater in the class.
21. Drew Lock, QB, Missouri
22. Jachai Polite, EDGE, Florida
23. Jerry Tillery, DT, Notre Dame
24. Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida
25. Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma
26. D.K. Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss
27. Andre Dillard, OT, Washington state
28. Montez Sweat, EDGE, Mississippi State
29. Byron Murphy, CB, Washington
30. Oshane Ximines, EDGE, Old Dominion
Lock's my top quarterback due to his experience in the SEC, improved pocket management, and decision making as well as his huge arm and deceptive scrambling ability. Polite can be an elite one-trick pony (pass rusher) in the NFL thanks to exceptional burst and edge-bending, and he's decent with his hands. Tillery has some Chris Jones to him, but he had too many invisible stretches on film for my liking, and Taylor is a big riser at right tackle. He has stellar footwork and is extraordinarily powerful. Murray has one season of starting experience and demonstrated pocket management skills well beyond his years in 2018. His arm is NFL-caliber too. I'm as enamored as everyone else with Metcalf's size and athleticism combination, I just don't think he's that polished as a route runner. That may not matter in the NFL because he is Josh Gordon like physically. Dillard floats in pass protection and has a heavy anchor against bull rushes, and Sweat is one of the most complete edge rushers in this class. Murphy thrives in zone because of his twitchiness and play-recognition skills. Ximines is a smooth athlete who's mastered how to use pass-rushing moves to make blockers look silly.
31. Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State
32. Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson
33. Deionte Thompson, S, Alabama
34. Greg Little, OT, Ole Miss
35. Marquise Brown, WR, Oklahoma
36. Terronne Prescod, OG, NC State
37. Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, S, Florida
38. Anthony Johnson, WR, Buffalo
39. Yodny Cajuste, OT, West Virginia
40. T.J. Hockenson, TE, Iowa
Haskins isn't far behind Lock but lacks downfield touch and is simply unprepared to start right away after just one year as a starter at Ohio State. He needs more experience dealing with pressure. Lawrence is a rare nose tackle at over 330 pounds who can push the pocket with more than just power, but I do think he's much more of a run plugger than a pass rusher at the NFL level. That sinks his stock slightly. Thompson has the athleticism and aggressiveness to be a quality free safety, and Little has the talent to be an All-Pro. He just needs to work on his grip strength and moving his feet once he locks on. Brown is electric. Prescod's enormous but mobile and powerful. Gardner-Johnson is the modern-day safety/cornerback hybrid who can man the slot position but also range in zone and make impact plays against the run on the outside. Johnson has good size, good YAC ability, good downfield tracking. He'll outplay his draft position. Cajuste has the tools to be an All-Pro too. His lateral movement can be clunky at times. His technique in pass protection is outstanding, and he's super strong. Hockenson is young but boy does he get after it as a blocker, and he's a natural hands catcher with explosive athleticism.
41. Devin Bush, LB, Michigan
42. Cody Ford, OL, Oklahoma
43. Noah Fant, TE, Iowa
44. Brian Burns, EDGE, Florida State
45. Johnathan Abram, S, Mississippi State
46. Amani Oruwariye, CB, Penn State
47. Elgton Jenkins, C, Mississippi State
48. Beau Benzschawel, OG, Wisconsin
49. Rashan Gary, DT, Michigan
50. Chris Lindstrom, OG, Boston College
Bush is one of what will likely be a handful of prospects I change my tune on after re-watching them once the season is over. Leighton Vander Esch was one of those guys last year. Bush is probably the springiest linebacker in the class and can accelerate to the football at scary speeds. He's a reliable tackler too. I just have questions about his size and coverage ability. Ford is a dancing bear, and I'd love him back at guard at the next level. Fant is Evan Engram-ish. Burns can be as good as he wants to be. He needs to play with more aggression, and more importantly, power. Abram is a huge hitter who flies all over the field. Oruwariye is a long, linearly explosive outside corner. Jenkins is my top center because of his amazing strength and solid movement skills. Get him in a power running scheme and let him thrive. Benzschawel can look like a first-rounder for long stretches then get overwhelmed against power or not have enough lateral mobility to stop quick penetration. Gary's likely to go considerably higher than where I have him ranked, and if that happens, good for him. He's a freakish athlete who, to me, is very unpolished. There's a lot of Robert Nkemdiche to his overall game. Lindstrom has tackle feet and plays with surprising power.
51. Ryan Finley, QB, NC State
52. Devin Singletary, RB, Florida Atlantic
53. Daniel Jones, QB, Duke
54. Deebo Samuel, WR, South Carolina
55. Elijah Holyfield, RB, Georgia
56. Jace Sternberger, TE, Texas A&M
57. David Montgomery, RB, Iowa State
58. Juan Thornhill, S, Virgina
59. L.J. Collier, EDGE, TCU
60. Nasir Adderley, S, Delaware
Quite the fall for Finley, who spent time as my top quarterback during the season. In a nearly perfect environment, I think he can be a productive albeit unspectacular passer. Finley lacks arm strength and at his experience level, he should be better drifting in the pocket than he is right now. Singletary is my top running back because of his dazzling elusiveness, downfield speed, and effectiveness inside the tackles. Jones can look like a franchise quarterback on one drive, then an undrafted free agent on the next. Like Finley, he's not very reliable when moving inside the pocket and after some outstanding downfield throws early in the season, most of his work was done in the short passing game late. He can overextend plays too. Samuel is a fun player with great route-running skills. I just don't know if he's fast or athletic enough to be as fantastic after the catch in the NFL as he was in college. Holyfield's feet are immaculate, and while he's quicker than fast, there's some juice to his game, and he finishes runs hard. Sternberger is a smooth operator running routes and after the catch. Some drops are worrisome. If Montgomery were a little faster, he'd be in contention for the top running back spot. Elite jump cuts and contact balance. Thornhill really covers ground quickly and has plus ball skills. He's a little out of control as a tackler though. Collier is a compact, low-center-of-gravity hand-work machine who's going to be annoying to block in the NFL, and Adderley is very similar to Thornhill. He might be more athletic. We'll see at the combine.
61. Lonnie Johnson, CB, Kentucky
62. Carl Granderson, EDGE, Wyoming
63. Will Grier, QB, West Virginia
64. Garrett Bradbury, C, NC State
65. Charles Omenihu, EDGE/DL, Texas
66. Erik McCoy, C, Texas A&M
67. Irv Smith Jr., TE, Alabama
68. Taylor Rapp, S, Washington
69 Josh Jacobs, RB, Alabama
70. Chuma Edoga, OT, USC
Johnson's currently an outlier for me, because I'm a big production guy, and he doesn't produce much. One pick and four pass breakups in 2018. But at a legit 6-2 and 210 pounds with arms over 32 inches and incredibly smooth athleticism on the field, he's someone I can see playing better in the NFL than he did in college. And really, quarterbacks were seemingly afraid to throw his way. Granderson is a heavy-handed, high-motor sleeper with decent bend and long arms. Grier was remarkable in West Virginia's Air Raid. He doesn't have NFL-caliber arm talent and is often frantic when forced to move off his initial drop when pressured. Bradbury is one of the most athletic centers I've ever scouted. He just needs to get considerably stronger. Omenihu is a lot like Granderson. McCoy is a gritty, scheme-versatile center susceptible to counter moves, and Smith is a fun, yards-after-the-catch tight end. Rapp doesn't waste any movements on the field and can play multiple positions. He's just a bit undersized. Jacobs is the buzzy running back right now. I see him as a high end RB2 because of his cutting ability and power. He's quicker than fast. Edoga rocked the Senior Bowl and glides in pass protection with insanely long arms for being under 6-4.
71. Julian Love, CB, Notre Dame
72. Renell Wren, DT, Arizona State
73. Anthony Nelson, EDGE, Iowa
74. Joejuan Williams, CB, Vanderbilt
75. Khalen Saunders, DT, Western Illinios
76. Terrill Hanks, LB, New Mexico State
77. Jaylon Ferguson, EDGE, Louisiana Tech
78. Kris Boyd, CB, Texas
79. Blake Cashman, LB, Minnesota
80. Joe Jackson, EDGE, Miami
The combine will be huge for Love, because if he tests well he has tremendous production to back it up. Wren was another Senior Bowl winner and is a fascinating prospect because he's 6-4 and 315 pounds with experience at nose tackle. He converts speed to plenty of power with his burst off the snap. With more pass-rushing moves, he could be a Pro Bowl type. Nelson is a three-down edge who knows how to use his hands. Williams was somewhat of a surprise entrant into the draft. His film is a blast to watch. Length, major click-and-close speed, and awareness when the ball's arriving. Saunders was unblockable in Mobile and was blessed with rare athleticism for a 6-0, 320-pounder. Hanks is a rocked up safety who flourished as a linebacker this season and plays with his hair on fire. Ferguson is the NCAA's all-time sack leader. I needed to see more bend and hand use from him. Boyd is a smaller, feisty ball skills corner, and Cashman isn't amazing anywhere but isn't a liability against the run, in coverage, or as a blitzer. Jackson is a power rusher with flashes of pass-rushing moves who's stiff around the edge.
81. Kaden Smith, TE, Stanford
82. Justice Hill, RB, Oklahoma State
83. Dillon Mitchell, WR, Oregon
84. Terry Beckner, DT, Missouri
85. Benny Snell, RB, Kentucky
86. Nate Davis, OG, Charlotte
87. Devine Ozigbo, RB, Nebraska
88. Amani Hooker, S, Iowa
89. Dru Samia, OG, Oklahoma
90. Jaquan Johnson, S, Miami
Smith is relatively inexperienced but possesses the natural hands-catching ability, athleticism, and willingness to have a huge catch radius down the middle of the field. Hill is the forgotten man in this running back class who could be a dangerous feature back if his offensive coordinator can get him into space often. Mitchell's a fluid slot with great size for the position who was Justin Herbert's go-to target all season. He has awesome body control and YAC skills. Beckner is a large, powerful, one-gap penetrator. Snell has good vision and can make defenders miss frequently at 5-11 and around 220 pounds. Davis played tackle at Charlotte and is a gifted mover at close to 320 pounds but he's a guard at the next level, and I love his fighter's style in the trenches. Pound for pound, Ozigbo might be the most physically gifted back in the class. He's a train with loose hips and ankles. Hooker is seemingly a step ahead of everyone on the field, and Samia seemingly loves the physical nature of playing on the inside. With a little more weight, he can be a solid, 10-year pro. If Johnson were bigger, he'd be in the Day 2 conversation with other safeties like Abram, Thornhill and Adderley.
91. Darrell Henderson, RB, Memphis
92. Trayvon Mullen, CB, Clemson
93. Jakobi Meyers, WR, NC State
94. Damien Harris, RB, Alabama
95. Gerald Willis, DT, Miami
96. Justin Layne, CB, Michigan State
97. Te'von Coney, LB, Notre Dame
98. Tyree Jackson, QB, Buffalo
99. Emanuel Hall, WR, Missouri
100. Cortez Broughton, DT, Cincinnati
(extra) 101. Rock Ya-Sin, CB, Temple
Henderson is more linearly explosive -- and I mean really explosive -- than he is laterally capable. Mullen is talented, but I didn't see him win frequently in press, and his motor runs hot and cold. Meyers is a plug-and-play No. 2 wideout thanks to his complete skill set, and Harris bounces off tacklers with his forceful but nimble style. Willis is a high-quality run stopper with great burst off the ball, and Layne gets his hands on a lot of footballs thanks to his length and awareness. Coney diagnoses quickly. Love that with a linebacker. He just looks slow out there. Jackson has major size (6-7, 245), and major talent. He's very raw right now when it comes to reading through his progressions and drifting in the pocket. Hall is a blazer at around 6-3, and there' some jagged twitchiness to his game. Broughton consistently wins with his first step and has above-average athleticism. I had to throw in Ya-Sin, a mid-round #DraftCrush of mine. He's a tall, physical, outside corner with enough fluidity to line up anywhere.
















