Football fans rejoice, the NFL Draft is the first sign that football is almost upon us. This will provide just enough excitement until training camp begins in a couple months. As we all eagerly await, we will soon know which direction our teams will take for the future.
The 2019 NFL Draft will take place from April 25th-27th in Nashville, Tennessee.
#1—ARIZONA CARDINALS: Kyler Murray, QB (Oklahoma)
Going against my judgement, all signs point to Arizona selecting Murray with the first overall pick. Kliff Kingsbury’s relationship with Murray have given multiple reports selecting Murray.
#2—SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: Nick Bosa, DE (Ohio State)
Bosa will be a great addition to the 49ers pass rushers, hoping to drastically drop the number of one-possession losses that they’ve recently acquired.
#3—NEW YORK JETS: Quinnen Williams, DT (Alabama)
The only way this changes is if somehow Nick Bosa were to drop—extremely unlikely; however, the Jets will most likely take the best player available that will make a great tandem with Leonard Williams.
#4—OAKLAND RAIDERS: Josh Allen, Edge (Kentucky)
Josh Allen makes the most sense at this spot (with Quinnen Williams gone), and the Raiders having a league-low at 13 sacks last season. As Allen had 17 sacks himself at Kentucky, he could be the missing piece to this defense and spark a fire for this team.
#5—TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: Devin White, LB (LSU)
White will make a great replacement for Kwon Alexander, as someone who can come in and make an impact. If somehow Josh Allen were to fall, then that would be the logical pick in this spot.
#6— NEW YORK GIANTS: Rashan Gary, DE (Michigan)
Given this off-season, the Giants are trying to fill many holes on both sides of the defense, as a quarterback seems to be the easy decision—I see them selecting Gary. Adding a strong pass rusher will have a quick impact on that defensive line—look for the Giants to take a QB in the later rounds.
#7—JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: Jawaan Taylor, T (Florida)
Jawaan Taylor will be a day-one starter that will be brought in to protect newly acquired Nick Foles. If the Jaguars want to get back to their roots running the football, they will need to reinforce that offensive line.
#8—DETROIT LIONS: Ed Oliver, DT (Houston)
Already having acquired Trey Flowers from the Patriots, adding Oliver to the defensive line will be sure to strengthen the defensive side of the football. As some teams are spooked by his size as an issue, the Lions see his quickness as overcoming concerns pertaining to his size.
#9—BUFFALO BILLS: T.J Hockenson, TE (Iowa)
The Bills have been aggressive this off-season in adding weapons on the offensive side of the football with receivers, John Brown and Cole Beasley. I don’t see them stopping there—adding Hockenson as a great blocking tight end to help protect Josh Allen is a good move. But, don’t let his size fool you, he’s an excellent receiver as well.
#10—DENVER BRONCOS: Drew lock, QB (Missouri)
This is where the quarterback fun will begin, John Elway is a sucker for big-armed throwers, having a seasoned veteran in Joe Flacco to learn from, is a great opportunity to groom the QB of the future in Denver.
#11—CINCINNATI BENGALS: Dwayne Haskins, QB (Ohio State)
There is a massive change overload in Cincinnati, with the new addition of Zac Taylor at head coach and Andy Dalton not receiving an extension this off-season, looks to be a perfect storm.
With a fan base that’s been longing for change, the Bengals could re-energize their offense by bringing in Haskins, filling in a void that has been somewhat empty over the past years.
#12—GREEN BAY PACKERS: Noah Fant, TE (Iowa)
Green Bay relies too heavily on the tight end position as a key focal point in their offense. With Jimmy Graham and Marcedes Lewis getting older, this would be a wise move to begin incorporating young talent.
#13—MIAMI DOLPHINS: Clelin Ferrell, Edge (Clemson)
With the signing of Ryan Fitzpatrick, it looks as if the Dolphins are going to hold off another year to fix their quarterback issues. Ferrell can be the start of building up the defense for seasons to come.
#14—ATLANTA FALCONS: Christian Wilkins, DT (Clemson)
Grady Jarrett needs some help on the interior defensive line. Wilkins looks to be a great fit for that spot. The Campbell Trophy winner would be able to come in and contribute early as the Falcons to too continuously strengthen their defense.
#15—WASHINGTON REDSKINS: Daniel Jones, QB (Duke)
There has been much discussion over whether Case Keenum is the answer for the Redskins. Jones could be the next quarterback for the future, and the foundation for a complete offensive re-haul.
#16—CAROLINA PANTHERS: Andre Dillard, OT (Washington State)
Offensive line needs to be the focus in protecting Cam Newton. As the best pass-protecting offensive tackle in the draft, Andre Dillard would allow the Panthers to move Taylor Moton to the guard position and strengthen that line.
#17—NEW YORK GIANTS: Jonah Williams, OG (Alabama)
Obtaining this pick from the Odell Beckham trade with the Browns, the Giants could acquire a player such as Williams to start the rebuilding process. Williams could be versatile, as he can play as a left tackle or inside guard.
#18—MINNESOTA VIKINGS: Cody Ford, OT (Oklahoma)
There’s no secret that the Vikings want to place their focus on the offensive line, which is an obvious need for the team. Picking the All-American that can play tackle or inside guard is the best pick in this spot.
#19—TENNESSEE TITANS: Jeffery Simmons, DT (Mississippi State)
As a great fit alongside Jurrell Casey, Simmons will be able to wreak havoc on the Titans defense, the only downside is that they’ll have to be patient as he’s rehabbing from ACL surgery. Healthy, Simmons is an easy top-10 talent.
#20—PITTSBURGH STEELERS: Greedy Williams, CB (LSU)
The Steelers seem to be in a transitional phase with many stars leaving the team, Williams will be able to fill a void on the defensive side where he can be effective and make a quick impact.
#21—SEATTLE SEAHAWKS: Montez Sweat, Edge (Mississippi State)
With the recent trade of Frank Clark after the Russell Wilson extension, that leaves a void at defensive end. The Seahawks have a history at valuing speed on defense very highly, this is a match made in heaven that will bring excitement and energy to Seattle.
#22—BALTIMORE RAVENS: Marquise Brown, WR (Oklahoma)
The Ravens have had some key losses this off-season of Joe Flacco and Terrell Suggs, but they’ve also made some key additions with Earl Thomas and Mark Ingram. To continue to build excitement, they will surely select a high motor player at wide receiver.
With Lamar Jackson under center, the Ravens look to give him more weapons. Brown is an exciting receiver that will surely spark the offense with a new look in the upcoming year.
#23—HOUSTON TEXANS: Greg Little, OT (Mississippi)
The focus for the Texans needs to be the protection of Deshaun Watson, as the centerpiece in the offense, he took entirely way too many hits. In order to protect him, they will look to the offensive line.
#24—OAKLAND RAIDERS: Josh Jacobs, RB (Alabama)
The Raider Nation is looking for their next big running back that they can depend on. Jacobs is a great combination of an elusive runner that can also catch out of the backfield.
#25—PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: Johnathan Abram, S (Mississippi State)
One of the major issues for the Eagles last year was the depth in the secondary. Abram is a hard-hitting safety that will ignite the defense.
#26—INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: Dexter Lawrence, DT (Clemson)
In a division that is very run heavy, the Colts need to fill the void of a strong defensive front. Lawrence will increase the overall power to combat the other teams in the division.
#27—OAKLAND RAIDERS: Byron Murphy, CB (Washington)
Murphy could possibly be the best corner in the draft—on a defense that needs a lot of work, fixing the secondary needs to be a focus. Another option would be looking to the offensive side, if they do in fact select Josh Allen first.
#28—LOS ANGELES CHARGERS: Rock Ya-Sin, CB (Temple)
A very physical corner that loves to press on receivers, Ya-Sin fits the mantra for the Chargers. He will fit nicely alongside of All-Pro Derwin James.
#29—SEATTLE SEAHAWKS: Deandre Baker, CB (Georgia)
The Seahawks are still trying to rebuild the “Legion of Boom.” Baker is a great addition to that aggressive defense. His mentality of being feisty and a tough competitor will fit nicely.
#30—GREEN BAY PACKERS: Devin Bush, LB (Michigan)
Green Bay will surely be comping at the bit when Bush falls this far, as one of the top prospects in the draft the Packers won’t pass on the best available player here.
#31—LOS ANGELES RAMS: Garrett Bradbury, C (N.C. State)
With the Rams declining John Sullivan’s contract option for 2019, Bradbury could be a nice fit filling that void. If they decide to go the defensive route, then a Dre’Mont Jones or Jerry Tillery could be a nice option.
#32—NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: Dalton Risner, OT (Kansas State)
There is a lot of speculation surrounding the Patriots going into this draft, that they are now looking for a quarterback. If this is the case, look for them to move up in the draft to get someone they really want.
If they stay at this spot, they will likely look to increase depth to their offensive linemen, Risner is very versatile and can play anywhere on the line.
