NFL Draft 2019: Bold predictions for Day 2, including Drew Lock lucking out and a Round 2 run on DBs
See what our analysts have to say about the wild things that could happen in the draft on Friday
The first round of the 2019 NFL Draft is in the books, and the surprises started early. Kyler Murray to the Cardinals seemed like a done deal dating back to the combine, but the Raiders shook things up at No. 4 when they selected edge rusher Clelin Ferrell. Not to be outdone, the Giants drafted Daniel Jones two picks later. At No. 10, the Steelers traded up for linebacker Devin Bush, the Redskins stood pat and still got their quarterback in Dwayne Haskins at No. 15, and two players no one pegged for first rounders heard their named called: right tackle Tytus Howard to the Texans and edge rusher L.J. Collier to the Seahawks.
But that's what makes the draft so exciting. But with winners come losers. The good news: those losers on Thursday night could be winners in the long run. Here are some bold predictions for Rounds 2 and 3.
Also, don't forget to join us for our live coverage of Day 2 and Day 3, starting tonight at 6 p.m. ET. You can stream it on CBS Sports HQ right here, or download the CBS Sports app on your mobile or connected devices. Don't miss all the picks, grades, trades, analysis and plenty more.
Ryan Wilson: Drew Lock will land in a much better situation
We've had Drew Lock going in the first round of our mock drafts dating back to the fall. In our last mock draft, we had him falling to No . 32 -- with the Broncos trading up to get him -- but on Thursday only three quarterbacks went in Round 1. In the near term, this is a tough pill to swallow for Lock, who walked down the red carpet with his family before the proceedings and admitted to us that he was ready for the pre-draft process to be over so he could get back to actual football. He'll have to wait one more day, but he probably won't have to wait long. And instead of being shoehorned into an organization in desperate need of a quarterback -- and with very little on the roster to help him -- he can instead find himself in a much more stable situation.
The Jaguars have needs at right tackle and tight end, but they also need a long-term solution at quarterback. Lock at No. 38 makes sense because he'll have the benefit of sitting behind Nick Foles for a year. And when he does take over, he'll have one of the league's best defenses behind him. It worked for Ben Roethlisberger in 2004, Joe Flacco in 2008 and even Blake Bortles earlier in his career.
Chris Trapasso: Another move up for an O-lineman in Round 2
In Round 1, there were two instances of a club trading up to land an offensive lineman. The Eagles moved up to pick Andre Dillard at No. 23 overall, and the Falcons traded back into the first round to take Washington tackle Kaleb McGary at No. 31.
With Jawaan Taylor, a right tackle essentially everyone had landing in the first round of mock drafts for months, still available, along with Oklahoma's versatile power blocker Cody Ford, Kansas State's ultra-reliable Dalton Risner, and Ole Miss's prototypical sized tackle Greg Little, I think we'll see another aggressive move to land an offensive lineman within the first 10 selections on Day 2.
The Green Bay Packers from No. 44, Carolina Panthers from No 47, Miami Dolphins from No. 48, and Houston Texans from either No. 54 or 55 -- yes they could use more offensive line help even after taking tackle Tytus Howard in Round 1 -- seem like the team most likely to make the ascension up the draft board due to clear-cut needs in the trenches on the offensive side of the ball.
Jared Dubin: 10 defensive backs taken in Round 2
One of the biggest stories of Day 1 of the NFL draft was the lack of defensive backs being selected. The live broadcasts kept discussing how a cornerback had yet to be taken, and indeed none of the incredibly deep corner class came off the board until the Giants traded up for Deandre Baker at pick No. 30. In addition to Baker, just two safeties (Darnell Savage and Johnathan Abram) were drafted in the first round.
Day 2 -- and specifically Round 2 -- should be significantly different. There are already rumors that Washington corner Byron Murphy is the favorite for the Cardinals at pick No. 33, and his selection could start a round-long run on defensive backs. We'll say here that at least 10 of the 32 picks in the second round will be DBs. Any or all of Murphy, Greedy Williams, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Nasir Adderley, Rock Ya-Sin, Joejuan Williams, Isaiah Johnson, Lonnie Johnson, Juan Thornhill, Taylor Rapp, Justin Layne, Sean Bunting, Deionte Thompson, Amani Oruwariye, and Amani Hooker are possibilities.
R.J. White: Polite still on board by end of Friday
At one point and time, Florida edge rusher Jachai Polite was considered a surefire first-round pick, likely in the top half of the first round. Early mock drafts connected him to teams like the Packers (before their free-agency upgrades), Falcons and Panthers. But the predraft process was a house of horrors for the player who had 11 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss last year, as he ran a 4.84 40-yard dash amid poor workouts, reportedly bombed his interviews with some teams, and then didn't make up any ground at an uninspiring pro day.
At some point, the stats overweigh the concerns, but we've seen talented pass-rushers wind up in a similar situation to Polite. Arden Key almost got out of Day 2 last year before the Raiders took him with the 23rd pick of the third round, for example, but he had better athletic testing numbers, as well. I wouldn't be shocked if Polite is a Round 3 pick, but I'm betting he has to wait until Saturday to hear his name called.
















