Justin Herbert might possess every physical trait you'd want in a franchise quarterback but until he starts playing with more consistency we're dropping him down our draft board. In our latest mock draft, we have him falling into the bottom third of the first round while Joe Burrow makes his debut at No. 1, followed by Tua Tagovailoa, who suffered a high-ankle sprain on Saturday and is expected to miss several weeks.
All told, only three quarterbacks go in Round 1. Meanwhile, the Redskins end up with arguably the best player in this draft class and the Broncos find a younger, faster more dynamic Emmanuel Sanders. And just a reminder: In light of the Jalen Ramsey trade, three teams -- the Dolphins, Raiders and Jaguars -- now have multiple first-round picks.
The draft order is based on team records through the first seven weeks of the season.
There's a new No. 1 in our latest mock draft. Brady Quinn and Ryan Wilson join Will Brinson to break it down, and they also size up the latest trade talk and more. Listen below and be sure to subscribe for daily NFL goodness fired into your eardrums.
Alright, let's get to it.
NFL Mock Draft
Round 1
Round 1 - Pick 1
This isn't all Andy Dalton's fault but he's not going to be the long-term solution in Cincinnati either. Burrow, meanwhile, has been the best player in college football over the first month and a half. And in that time he's gone from a Day 2-pick-at-best prospect to vying to be the first player taken in the entire draft.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 2
Tagovailoa has been playing out of his mind this season and the only real mystery to this point is how much of that success (2,166 yards, 27 TDs, 2 INTs, 74.7 completion percentage) is due to his talents and how much we should attribute to the first-round picks that are on the receiving end of his throws. He suffered a high-ankle sprain on Saturday vs. Tennessee and is expected to miss a few weeks but that will have no effect on his draft stock.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 3
Yes, the Redskins have glaring needs along the offensive line, due in large part to the Trent Williams holdout. But Young is too good to pass up. An explosive first step off of the edge allows Young to get into the backfield quickly and often. He already has 9.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss this season and he'd join 2019 first-rounder Montez Sweat along the Redskins' defensive line.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 4
The Falcons need help everywhere, but the defense has been particularly bad this season. Delpit can line up anywhere -- in centerfield, the slot, near the line of scrimmage, off the edge -- and wherever he ends up he consistently makes plays. He's best coming downhill but he'll continue to improve the other aspects of his game and his long, lean frame coupled with his fluid movements make him look like a natural playmaker.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 5
The Jets O-line was an issue before the entire team was exposed on "Monday Night Football" by the Patriots but if they're going to build around Sam Darnold (and, in the process, reduce the recurrence of any ghost sightings), it might as well start with the front five. One of the best offensive lineman in college football, Thomas not only looks the part at 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds, he plays like a dominant left tackle. He's protecting Jake Fromm's blind side at Georgia through quick feet, athleticism and strength. Coming into 2019, Thomas has allowed just four sacks in two seasons and he can take over in the run game.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 6
First-round pick Deandre Baker has been up and down during the first half of his rookie season but it's reasonable to expect the team to move on from veteran Janoris Jenkins. At 6-foot, 200 pounds, Okudah is a physical cornerback who excels in man coverage, and would upgrade a unit that ranks 27th against the pass. He has three picks through six games this season after not logging one during his first two years at Ohio State.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 7
The Chargers have drafted just one offensive tackle in the first round since Philip Rivers came into the league in 2004. That has to change. Wirfs, who has a little Cody Ford in his game, is surprisingly athletic for his size, and his combination of strong hands and quick feet allows him to control would-be pass rushers. If he gets his hands on you it's over, and he also has the ability to get into space and pave the way in the running game. There's a chance he returns to Iowa but he's a top-10 talent.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 8
This is best-case scenario for the Broncos and their hard-to-watch offense. They land the most dynamic player in this draft class and he'll immediately replace the just-traded Emmanuel Sanders. Jeudy is an elite route runner who does everything well. If you're looking to nitpick, he doesn't have top-end speed, though you wouldn't know it to watch him take over games.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 9
The Browns arguably have bigger needs along the O-line but they also need to shore up the interior of their defensive front. Enter Brown, who is hard to move off the ball and has the strength to push the pocket, even against double teams. He doesn't have the dynamism of a Quinnen Williams or Jeffery Simmons but he is a space-eater that is disruptive around the line and allows teammates around him to make plays.
| |||
From
Pittsburgh Steelers
Round 1 - Pick 10
The Dolphins need help everywhere and what better way to expedite upgrading this roster than getting a player who excels at multiple positions? Simmons is a hybrid capable of dominating the linebacker position but with the athleticism to drop into coverage like a safety. He even stood out on Clemson's stacked defense from last season's national championship team and Simmons should only get better in 2019. If Dylan Moses returns to Alabama in 2020, Simmons is the top-rated linebacker while also being one of the nation's top-rated safeties.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 11
Huge. Strong. Epenesa can rag-doll offensive tackles with a straight-arm and while he's not explosive, he has the strength to control the line of scrimmage. He's a high-motor edge setter in the run game who can't be contained by just one player.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 12
Marvin Jones and Kenny Golladay both have contracts that expire after the 2020 season, and Lamb is an elite route runner, has some of the best hands in college football and his next-level body control allows him to adjust to throws in mid-air. And while he needs to put on weight and get stronger, he's a willing blocker. Either way, the bottom line is that Lamb is a game-changer.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 13
The Jaguars have to replace Jalen Ramsey and Fulton fits the bill. He considered entering the 2019 NFL Draft, has quick feet, smooth hips and was arguably LSU's best cornerback last season even though he played across the field from Greedy Williams, the Browns' second-round pick this spring. According to Pro Football Focus' metrics, Fulton allowed just 41.5 percent of the passes thrown in his direction to be caught and held receivers to 49 yards after the catch during the '18 season. Fulton's off-field history may give some NFL teams pause but his on-field abilities are undeniable.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 14
The Titans have an obvious need at quarterback but instead of reaching for a player like Justin Herbert (who, in the right light, reminds you of Marcus Mariota) they bolster the offensive line. Biadasz has few flaws and would've probably been a first-rounder if he declared for the 2019 draft.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 15
The Eagles really need to fix their secondary but they have issues in the middle of the defense too. Moses will miss the 2019 season after suffering a torn ACL in August. Still, he is the prototypical NFL inside linebacker in that he's explosive, extremely athletic and has sideline-to-sideline playmaking abilities. He can rush off the edge and has the ability to sift through trash and knife would-be blockers to make plays in the backfield. Moses was the best inside linebacker on Alabama's defense a season ago (and that included Browns fifth-rounder Mack Wilson).
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 16
Okwara, who plays bigger than his listed 240 pounds, shows good hand usage and quick first step around the edge and has the athleticism to sink hips and blow past the offensive tackle. He's quick-twitch explosive, not easily blocked, and even when he doesn't get to the quarterback his hands are up trying to make a play. No. 4 overall pick Clelin Ferrell hasn't made much of an impact (in fact, he's being outplayed by rookie fourth-rounder Maxx Crosby).
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 17
Terrell Suggs is 37 years old and you can never have enough young pass rushers. Gross-Matos shows good pursuit down the line of scrimmage, the ability to make backside tackles and uses his quickness to knife through the line. He needs to get stronger but has the quickness to regularly find himself making plays in the backfield.
| |||
From
Chicago Bears
Round 1 - Pick 18
Regularly the fastest player on the field, Ruggs is a YAC monster who dominates short and intermediate routes and must be accounted for on every play. Tight end Darren Waller currently leads the Raiders with 44 receptions, 27 more than Tyrell Williams, who is second on the list with 17.
| |||
From
Los Angeles Rams
Round 1 - Pick 19
Feelings are mixed on Herbert, who has been much better in 2019 than he was last season. It's easy to see why NFL teams could fall in love too; Herbert's 6-foot-6, 240 pounds, incredibly athletic, has one of the best arms in the country and when he gets hot he's hard to stop. The question is consistency -- can Herbert play at a high level from one play to the next, something we've seen glimpses of this season.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 20
Kinlaw, who has five sacks and five tackles for loss in seven games this season, is disruptive at the scrimmage and he has the ability to consistently push the pocket. He would give the Panthers a much-needed presence in the middle of the defense.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 21
The Cowboys have to get better on defense. If Diggs didn't suffer an injury last season he would've been a first-round pick. At 6-1, 200 pounds, he has the prototypical size and speed for today's NFL cornerback and he has the strength, speed and athleticism that will likely see him go in Round 1 next spring.
| |||
From
Houston Texans
Round 1 - Pick 22
The Dolphins use their final first-round pick to protect their new franchise quarterback. Wanagho has ability to drive defenders and combo blocks with ease due to athleticism and strength.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 23
One of best pass-rushing interior linemen through first month of the season (via PFF) and it's easy to see why -- he's strong, quick off the snap and his variety of pass-rush moves frequently gets him into the backfield. Colts GM Chris Ballard has done a great job of putting together a young, athletic team but the defense needs to get better up the middle.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 24
As it stands, Russell Wilson is the Seahawks offense. He could use a little help. Leatherwood can play both guard and tackle and he's having a great senior season at Alabama where he's had no problem replacing Jonah Williams, who was the first-round pick of the Bengals in April.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 25
Humphrey was an integral part of a dominant unit at Oklahoma last season that had four of his linemates drafted, and he's picked up where he left off in 2019, anchoring a group that has done a tremendous job protecting Jalen Hurts. With Matt Skura in the final year of his deal in Baltimore, Humphrey becomes center for another insanely athletic quarterback in Lamar Jackson.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 26
Xavier Rhodes might have three years left on his deal but he hasn't looked anything like the shutdown corner that earned a 5-year, $70 million deal he signed in July 2017. Terrell is a physical, athletic corner who would fill a need in Minnesota's secondary, especially if the team decides to move on from Rhodes.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 27
When Shenault is healthy, he's a game-changer. He lines up all over the field -- in the slot, offset tight end, H-back, quarterback. He has strong hands -- he's made a living out of plucking the ball out of the air with a defender draped all over him. He can win at every level and is always one play away from taking it to the house. Think a stronger, more physical N'Keal Harry.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 28
Reagor has gotten off to a slow start to the 2019 campaign (just 23 catches and 3 touchdown through six games) but he's electric with the ball in his hands. A season ago he had 72 receptions with 11 total touchdowns and he's also a threat in the return game. And while the Saints have Michael Thomas, they could use another pass-catching playmaker.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 29
The Chiefs are desperate for help in the secondary. Long-legged and long-armed, Henderson can flip his hips, get in and out of breaks against top-flight receivers, and displays good mirroring skills. He's strong in man coverage, and while he isn't a ballhawk (two picks, five passes defended in '18, no picks and nine passes defended through five games this season) he has the hands of a wide receiver. Henderson sometimes struggles to disengage from blocks to make tackles in the run game and he'll need to add weight to what can be described as a slight frame, at least by NFL standards.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 30
It took a few weeks but Aaron Rodgers finally seems to be flourishing in Matt LeFleur's system so why not get him another weapon? In a word, Swift is explosive. He has the ability to bounce it to the outside using both speed and strength, which sometimes comes with a stiff arm. He can also run between the tackles and he uses his quick acceleration through the hole to get head of steam and that makes him even tougher to bring down. And while he may not be a burner, his one-cut ability can leave defenders flat-footed.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 31
Hall suffered an ankle injury earlier this month but he came into the season as our CB1. He's a tall, physical corner who isn't afraid to gamble. Last season Hall played mostly off-coverage in zone looks but showed the instincts and athleticism to come off his responsibility to make plays. He's also stout against the run and is a solid open-field tackler. If Hall had come out after his junior season there's a chance he would've been a first-round pick.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 32
The Patriots aren't afraid to lean on the running game, especially as they try to sort out the wide receiver position, and Wills is one of the best run blockers in the game. Plus, with the addition of Mohamed Sanu, and New England still waiting for 2019 first-rounder N'Keal Harry to come off IR, there isn't an immediate need for a WR in Round 1.
|
