2019 NFL Draft: Big Questions Remain

The 2019 NFL Draft kicks off live from Nashville just over twenty-four hours from now, and it is truly remarkable year this year. Granted, I probably say that most years, but this one is truly baffling. There are so many scenarios to unfold!

All along the common belief was that the draft starts with the third overall pick and the New York Jets, because the Arizona Cardinals would take Kyler Murray and the San Francisco 49ers would take Nick Bosa.

But the wind is now kicking up whispers of Arizona maybe taking Bosa or maybe the Raiders trade up to No. 1 overall and take Murray. Then there is Quinnen Williams’ name starting to float around the San Francisco pick.

In an attempt to find clarity, we’ve identified the biggest questions and tried to break down the scenarios. Lets get to it…

Who’s Trading?
There is a lot out there at the moment, with the biggest trade whisper being the Washington Redskins looking to potentially move into the Top 5 to select Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins.

Lets be honest, Washington owner Dan Snyder doesn’t learn from his mistakes, and he traded two first-round picks and a second-rounder in order to move up and take a quarterback in 2012 for Robert Griffin III. This can totally happen, especially with Oakland being a potential suitor for Haskins at No. 4 and the Jets trying to move down from No. 3. All Snyder has to do is go all in…again.

We’ve already had one 11th hour trade happen to effect the draft, in the Seattle Seahawks obtaining the Kansas City Chief’s first-rounder for veteran defensive end Frank Clark. This is big considering the Russel Wilson contract has forced the Seahawks to search for low-cost talent and you get that with more draft picks.

As previously mentioned, the Raiders are capable of making a trade, because they have so much draft capital. The Detroit Lions have also been in the market to trade down. The Houston Texans are also in the market to trade up. And the New England Patriots could be in the market to make something happen with six picks in the first three rounds.

Oh, and the LA Rams are looking to trade down. Ya get all that?

Who’s Dropping?
We all remember the epic and exhausting fall of Aaron Rodgers, maybe the most famous drop of all-time. As much as it sucks for that to happen to these kids in such a public manner, it does happen. So who is in line for that to potentially happen to?

There are a few for different reasons.

At the top of the list is the previously mentioned Haskins. He opted not to attend the festivities in Nashville as rumors began to swirl that he could drop. But now, who knows? Could he fall to thirteen and the Miami Dolphins? It could happen.

Then there are the players with injury concerns. Michigan defensive end Rashan Gary has started to slide amid reports of a shoulder injury. It is believed he could play his rookie year and get surgery in the postseason.

There are two players with heart conditions in the draft. One is Top 10 talent Montez Sweat. Sweat, is one of the premier edge rushers in this draft, but following the combine came reports that a heart condition was discovered during his medical. Sweat, was privy to it previously, but that’s still a gamble for a team.

Washington tackle Kaleb McGary is the other player with a heart condition. He had three procedures to stabilize an arrhythmia, but has been medically cleared to play. He is viewed as a fringe first-round talent, but so was Maurice Hurst last year and he fell to the fifth-round.

Then there is the case of Jerry Simmons. Widely regarded as a Top 10 talent, Simmons tore his ACL early in a pre-draft workout.

We have seen a number cases of this happening and the players sliding to the second-round; Myles Jack, Jaylon Smith, and Sidney Jones are all examples. But each player has come back strong from the injury. Do these previous case studies prove that Simmons can break the trend and still get drafted in the first-round albeit later on?

Where are the stars?
Throughout the draft process there has been nonstop praise for the defensive line class. And that’s fair. This is an incredibly rich, incredibly deep defensive line class, but there is a number of other positions that have quality depth.

The wide receivers, tight ends, tackles, cornerback, and safety have a lot of potential starters mixed in their respective classes. While these classes may have quality depth, what they lack is premier talent. So, what does this mean?

It means that after the Top 15 picks there is mostly Round 2 talent on the board. That creates fertile ground for a lot of trades and a run can start on any position group. This plays right into the trade scenarios we broke down early.

It also means certain groups (like quarterback) will get pushed up because teams can gamble comfortably with a deep pool of defensive line talent to dip in to at a later time. The premier linebackers (Devin White, Devin Bush) could go within the Top 10.

Where are the running backs?
In 2013 and 2014 no running backs were drafted in the first-round. This could happen again this year. Alabama’s running back Josh Jacobs is the lone prospect generating first-round buzz and even then the teams looking at him are picking at the bottom of the first-round.

So where are all the running backs?

This year the running back class is more of a mix-and-match group. Need a third-down back? There’s a group to choose from. What about a thumper between the tackles? Sure, there’s a batch of those to sort through too.

A number of the prospects in this year’s running back class are undersized, so if you’re looking for your team to draft a feature back the choices are thin. Who could be considered? Penn State’s Miles Sanders, Iowa State’s David Montgomery, and Alabama’s Damien Harris are your best bets.

Top 10: NFL Draft Classes Of Past 10 Years

We are just mere days away from the 2019 NFL Draft, and honestly it can’t come soon enough. Not because we are massive fans and love the event, we are and we do, but it’s because if left in an NFL Draft limbo, well…

So with time to kill, we decided to whip up a list of the Top 10 rookie classes of the past ten years. Surprisingly, this was a tricky list to narrow down. If left to our own devices this would be a laundry list of Seattle Seahawk and New England Patriot draft classes, but we decided to mix things up a bit.
*UD denotes player signed as undrafted free agent

2009 Green Bay Packers
1.) B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College
1b.) Clay Matthews, OLB, USC
4.) T.J. Lang, OG, Eastern Michigan
5.) Quinn Johnson, FB, LSU
5b.) Jamon Meredith, OT, South Carolina
6.) Jarius Wynn, DE, Georgia
6b.) Brandon Underwood, DB, Cincinnati
7.) Brad Jones, OLB, Colorado
UD.) Evan Dietrich-Smith, C, Idaho St.

What a way to kick off a draft, huh? Three straight Pro Bowlers? That’s just impressive. Raji and Matthews were early building blocks for then-GM Ted Thompson. Thompson believed in drafting and developing rosters and this is a perfect example. Raji and Matthews were instant stars and helped the Packers to win Super Bowl XLV.

The development shines in regards to Lang and Jones. Lang, took over starting duties in 2011 and held down the spot for six straight years before cashing in with Detroit via free agency. Jones, started off as a special teams ace and worked his way in to the starting lineup for a few years.

Now, while none remain on the team following Matthews signing with Los Angeles this offseason, the impact these players had for the organization is inarguable. And perhaps most important of all, this draft class gave us one of the best dances ever in football…

2010 New York Giants
1.) Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida
2.) Linval Joseph, DT, East Carolina
4.) Phillip Dillard, LB, Nebraska
5.) Mitch Petrus, OG, Arkansas
6.) Adrian Tracy, LB, William & Mary
7.) Matt Dodge, P, East Carolina
UD.) Jake Ballard, TE, Ohio St.
UD.) Victor Cruz, WR, UMass

The top and bottom of this draft class explains everything. With the Michael Strahan era ending, following the Giants miracle Super Bowl run in 2007, and veterans Osi Umenyiora and Just Tuck not providing enough pass rush, the Giants went out and revamped their defensive line with their first two draft picks. Paul, was the speed demon off the edge that they were clearly missing, and Joseph was the mountain in the middle who clogged up the running lanes.

At the bottom, you have the signings of Ballard and Cruz, needed bodies to increase competition at the weak skill positions on offense. The result one year later? Ballard, is the starting tight end in Super Bowl XLVI, and Cruz is Second Team All-Pro. Oh, and once again, the Giants went on a miracle Super Bowl run!

2011 Seattle Seahawks
1.) James Carpenter, OG, Alabama
3.) John Moffitt, OG, Georgia
4.) K.J. Wright, LB, Mississippi St.
4b.) Kris Durham, WR, Georgia
5.) Richard Sherman, CB, Stanford
5b.) Mark LeGree, S, Appalachian St.
6.) Byron Maxwell, CB, Clemson
7.) Lazarius Levingston, DE, LSU
7.) Malcolm Smith, LB, USC
UD.) Doug Baldwin, WR, Stanford

Maybe the hardest part of coming up with this article was trying to figure out which Seattle Sehawks’ draft to highlight. Do we go with the one where they pick two All-Pro safeties? The draft where they land a franchise quarterback in the third round? Ultimately, I went with this one, because they landed a future Hall-of-Fame cornerback, a Super Bowl MVP, and stalwart wide receiver.

Now agreed, there are plenty of misses here. Moffitt, Durham, and Levingston flamed out quickly. But the achievements of the other players far outweigh their lack of impact for the organization.

Carpenter, helped pave the way for running back Marshawn Lynch, who was the focal point of the Seahawks offense at this point in time. Further adding to the offense was the undrafted free agent acquisition of Doug Baldwin. Baldwin, fought his way up the depth chart, starting over half the season in 2013 and has provided Russel Wilson with a reliable target ever since.

On the defensive side of the ball, this was the draft class that put the team over the top and gave us the Legion of Boom. Sherman, hit the ground running and picked off four passes as a rookie. Maxwell, like Baldwin, worked his way into the starting lineup and would eventually start in Super Bowl XLIX, opposite Sherman, before departing to sign with Philadelphia for $63 million.

Among the linebacking corps, Wright and Smith adapted quickly. Wright, took over a starting spot and hasn’t given it up nearly a decade on. As for Smith, he was a part-time starter, but one of those starts would come in the Super Bowl and he would go on become MVP after racking up nine tackles, recovering a fumble, and scoring a pick-six. Not too shabby.

2012 Indianapolis Colts
1.) Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
2.) Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford
3.) Dwayne Allen, TE, Clemson
3.) T.Y. Hilton, WR, Florida International
5.) Josh Chapman, DT, Alabama
5b.) Vick Ballard, RB, Mississippi St.
6.) LaVon Brazil, WR, Ohio
6b.) Justin Anderson, OG, Georgia
7.) Tim Fugger, DE, Vanderbilt
7b.) Chandler Harnish, QB, NIU

Now, on first look this not a stellar draft class, as there was little to no impact from half of this draft class. Those that did contribute, however, did so in a big way, that being in transitioning the franchise to life after Peyton Manning.

Remember, back in the spring of 2012, the Indianans Colts released legendary quarterback Peyton Manning after he missed all of the 2011 season due to a neck injury. The team cratered that year and was awarded the top pick in the draft, which couldn’t have happened at a better time as the Colts had the option of choosing two generational quarterback talents in Stanford’s Andrew Luck and Baylor’s, Heisman winning, Robert Griffin III.

Ryan Grigson, the newly promoted first-year general manager, made the (rare) right choice in selecting Luck to be the new face of the franchise and landed quality weapons to surround him with in Fleener, Allen, Hilton, and Ballard.

While Fleener and Allen have left the organization, and Ballard’s promising career was cut short due to injury, Luck and Hilton have made a combined eight Pro Bowls.

2014 Oakland Raiders
1.) Khalil Mack, DE, Buffalo
2.) Derek Carr, QB, Fresno St.
3.) Gabe Jackson, OG, Mississippi St.
4.) Justin Ellis, DT, Louisiana Tech
4b.) Keith McGill, CB, Utah
7.) TJ Carrie, CB, Ohio
7b.) Shelby Harris, DE, Illinois St.
7c.) Jonathan Dowling, S, Western Kentucky

Apologies in advance to any Oakland Raiders fans out there. I know this hurts to look at, but this is a damn good draft class. Granted current head coach Jon Gruden is in the midst of destroying it, this is what a franchise altering draft looks like.

The Raiders landed a future hall-of-famer in Mack, a Pro Bowl quarterback in Carr, and a pair of stalwarts along the trenches in Jackson and Ellis. It’s actually hard to believe that Jackson hasn’t made a Pro Bowl yet, but that’s a topic for another time.

The real impressive feat, after acquiring all that superstar talent, was that Raiders then-GM Reggie McKenzie landed quality depth pieces late in McGill, Carrie, and Harris. While, McGill hung around for a few years, Carrie emerged as a valuable nickleback before emerging as a starter, and Harris has developed into a quality rotation lineman albeit for the divisional rival Broncos.

Again, apologies to Raiders fans. But look at the bright side, you have Antonio Brown, and what is more Raider football than this…

2015 New England Patriots
1.) Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
2.) Jordan Richards, S, Rutgers
3.) Geno Grissom, DE, Rutgers
4.) Trey Flowers, DE, Arkansas
4b.) Tre Jackson, OG, Florida St.
4c.) Shaq Mason, OG, Georgia Tech
5.) Joe Cardona, LS, Navy
6.) Matthew Wells, LB, Mississippi St.
6b.) A.J. Derby, TE, Arkansas
7.) Darryl Roberts, CB, Marshall
7b.) Xzavier Dickson, LB, Alabama
UD.) Brandon King, S, Auburn

Now, a lot of the talent has left from this draft, we know, but this is a great example of how Belichick built a second franchise. In 2010, they began to build the foundation of what would be this current Patriots dynasty (Devin McCourty, Rob Gronkowski) and they would win a Super Bowl with that group of players.

But it was the additions of Brown, Flowers, Mason, Cardona, and King that would build the foundation to win two more Super Bowls.

The Patriots effectively whiffed on their first three selections in Brown, Richards, and Grissom. Brown, was a quality rotational defender, but you always want more out of your first-round pick. Richards and Grissom were part-time special teamers.

It’s the fourth-round that shows how good drafting pays off. Flowers and Mason, have developed into premier players at their positions. While, neither has made the Pro Bowl (astonishingly), Flowers landed a $90 million contract with Detroit this offseason and Mason was graded as the fourth best of ALL lineman in 2018, according to Pro Football Focus.

Oh, and there was maybe the greatest draft choice of Belichick’s entire tenure, when he drafted Cardona out of Navy…the highest a long snapper has ever been drafted.

2016 Atlanta Falcons
1.) Keanu Neal, S, Florida
2.) Deion Jones, LB, LSU
3.) Austin Hooper, TE, Stanford
4.) De’Vondre Campbell, LB, Minnesota
6.) Wes Schweitzer, OG, San Jose St.
7.) Devin Fuller, WR, UCLA

This is a wildly impressive draft class. It’s easy to forget how good these players are, because most were hurt last season. Hitting on four of your six draft picks is just tremendous, especially when considering they take the New England Patriots down to the wire in the Super Bowl as rookies.

Neal and Jones were injured all of last season and that really sucked the heart out of the defensive. The pair have already made the Pro Bowl and set the tone of the defense, something head coach Gus Bradley relies on.

Hooper, broke out for a career year in 2018, posting 71 receptions for 660 yards and four touchdowns. More will be expected of him in 2019. Campbell, remained healthy for the campaign and had another productive year flying sideline to sideline.

2016 Dallas Cowboys
1.) Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio St.
2.) Jaylon Smith, LB, Notre Dame
3.) Maliek Collins, DT, Nebraska
4.) Charles Tapper, DE, Oklahoma
4b.) Dak Prescott, QB, Mississippi St.
6.) Anthony Brown, CB, Purdue
6b.) Kavon Frazier, S, Central Michigan
6c.) Darius Jackson, RB, Eastern Michigan
6d.) Rico Gathers, TE, Baylor

Talk about franchise altering drafts. Landing the spine of your offense in one swing is impressive, landing Pro Bowl talent at those positions is even more impressive. Elliott and Prescott, have the ability to get the Cowboys back to the Super Bowl. That takes a lot of pressure off the front office, especially when the offensive line is already intact to boot.

One of the real bright spots here is Smith. Smith, was a Top 10 talent before suffering a devastating knee injury in his final collegiate game. The Cowboys gambled and Smith sat out the entire 2016 season to get healthy. In his two years back playing, he has proven to be the force he was originally considered.

Collins, emerged as a starter from the get-go. While he only appeared in thirteen games last year, he should be fully ready for the 2019 season. Brown, was another big hit for the Cowboys, who has taken the mantle of starter since his rookie season.

2017 New Orleans Saints
1.) Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio St.
1b.) Ryan Ramczyk, OT, Wisconsin
2.) Marcus Williams, S, Utah
3.) Alvin Kamara, RB, Tennessee
3b.) Alex Anzalone, LB, Florida
3c.) Trey Hendrickson, DE, Florida Atlantic
6.) Al-Quadin Muhammad, DE, Miami
UD.) Taysom Hill, QB, BYU

Remember two second ago when we mentioned a franchise altering draft? Here’s another one. The Saints went all in on this draft class and it payed off immediately. Lattimore and Kamara are already Pro Bowlers and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Ramczyk and Williams join them in those ranks soon.

Lattimore and Ramczyk, solved big questions for the franchise. At the time cornerback had been a mess for years, and along the offensive line, trusted veteran Zach Strief had recently retired. Adding the pair of first-rounders when they did couldn’t be a greater success.

The third round here is particularly impressive. Landing one of the most dynamic and dangerous players in the entire league in the third round is just unheard of. Kamara, is a versatile threat that has left teams kicking themselves for not selecting him earlier.

2018 Cleveland Browns
1.) Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
1b.) Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio St.
2.) Austin Corbett, OL, Nevada
2b.) Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia
3.) Chad Thomas, DE, Miami
4.) Antonio Callaway, WR, Florida
5.) Genard Avery, LB, Memphis
6.) Damion Ratley, WR, Texas A&M
6b.) Simeon Thomas, CB, Louisiana

You knew it was coming at some point, right? How could we not mention last year’s stellar Cleveland Browns draft class. We keep mentioning franchise altering draft classes, and this has the makeup to be another one.

The first rounders were overall surprising. Mayfield, isn’t you’re typical franchise quarterback, but he is one helluva leader. We all know what Mayfield is, and if anyone is going to turn around the misfortunes of the Dawg Pound it’s Mayfield. The diminutive Ward was also a surprising selection. There were so many questions about his size leading into the draft and Ward answered them by putting in a Pro Bowl season.

The additions in the trenches in (Corbett and Thomas) still need developing, but the future is still bright for those two. The skill positions in Chubb and Callaway, were big hits. Chubb, proved that he shouldn’t have fallen into the second round and Callaway will be moved to the slot in 2019, allowing even greater utilization of his speed.

The really interesting pick, though? Avery. The former-Memphis Tiger, appeared in all 16 games and started five of them. He finished the season with 40 tackles and 4.5 sacks. Not to mention he broke up four passes and forced a fumble. The team was so convinced by his play that they cut veteran Jamie Collins.

Overall, it will be incredibly exciting to see where this draft class goes.

2019 NFL Mock Draft: 2.0

We are just a few weeks away from the NFL Draft live from Nashville and things…aren’t really getting that much clearer.

Typically things begin to crystallize at this point, with the combine being done and most pro days being completed, but that’s not the case. Maybe things will get clearer as players now visit teams and conduct private workouts. Just the other day we saw the Oakland Raiders tweet out that Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray was in for a sit down.

But what are we are crying for? We live for mock draft season. The trickier the better. Speaking of which, lets launch into our second mock draft and of course it’s a two rounder…

1.) Arizona Cardinals: Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma
(Rd 2: Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama)
At this point Murray is still the top guy. With Josh Rosen being linked with Washington, this pick is starting to come in to focus. And once they have their man under center it makes sense to protect him, right? Williams is battle tested and versatile.

2.) San Francisco 49ers: Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio St.
(Rd 2: A.J. Brown, WR, Ole Miss)
Nothing changes from our first mock draft. Bosa is arguably the best prospect in the draft and the Niners have a need at defensive end.

3.) New York Jets: Josh Allen, LB, Kentucky
This is where things get interesting. The Jets have made it very well known that they would like to move down and it might happen, but it also might not and if not than Allen is a pretty damn good consolation prize.

4.) Oakland Raiders: Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio St.
(Rd 2: DeAndre Baker, CB, Georgia)
A big shakeup here from our first mock draft. Haskins is a throwback quarterback prospect and with a throwback head coach in Jon Gruden, what better match could there be?

5.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama
(Rd 2: Nasir Adderley, S, Delaware)
New head coach Bruce Arians knows the value in having a dynamic 5-technique on defense. He worked with Calais Campbell while in Arizona. Williams is as disruptive as they come and a quality building block.

6.) New York Giants: Rashan Gary, DE, Michigan
(Rd 2: Daniel Jones, QB, Duke)
The Giants defensive coordinator is James Bettcher. He worked under Bruce Arians during his entire tenure in Arizona. See above. As for Jones, his ties to the Manning family and coach David Cutcliffe makes this all too obvious.

7.) Jacksonville Jaguars: Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida
(Rd 2: Riley Ridley, WR, Georgia)
The Jaguars invested $88 million ($50 million guaranteed) in veteran quarterback Nick Foles. They also don’t have a right tackle. They need to protect their investment. It’s that simple.

8.) Detroit Lions: Montez Sweat, DE, Mississippit St.
(Rd 2: Irv Smith Jr, TE, Alabama)
Sweat is an interesting prospect suddenly. He crushed it at the Senior Bowl and at the combine, however it was revealed that he has a heart condition. The same one that sent defensive tackle Maurice Hurst from the fringe of the first round all the way down to the fifth round. Does Sweat fall as precipitously?

9.) Buffalo Bills: Ed Oliver, DT, Houston
(Rd 2: Kelvin Harmon, WR, NC State)
Another holdover from the last mock draft. This just seems to make too much sense. Head coach Sean McDermott is a defensive minded guy and he needs to bolster the trenches. Oliver lives in the opposition’s backfield.

10.) Denver Broncos: Drew Lock, QB, Missouri
(Rd 2: Dalton Risner, OT, Kansas St.)
Of course General Manager John Elway is going to draft a quarterback, he is General Manager John Elway. In the second round, Risner gives the team versatility upfront and a bookend to former first-round pick Garrett Bolles.

11.) Cincinnati Bengals: Devin White, LB, LSU
(Rd 2: Tytus Howard, OT, Alabama St.)
The Bengals still don’t have any linebackers, so this is the most obvious selection to mock out. However, White is an ascending talent with some believing he is a Top 5 candidate. White may not be available when the Bengals are selecting.

12.) Green Bay Packers: Brian Burns, OLB, Florida St.
(Rd 2: Kaden Smith, TE, Stanford)
In our first mock draft we talked about how the Packers picked up two veterans in free agency and how that would dissuade them from addressing the position further. Well, we were wrong. You can never have enough of a pass rush in an increasingly talented division.

13.) Miami Dolphins: Jaylon Ferguson, DE, Louisiana Tech
(Rd 2: Kaleb McGary, OT, Washington)
A reach? Who knows. But Ferguson brings something to Miami that they currently don’t have, a pass rush threat. A new comer to our mock draft, Ferguson is as disruptive and coming off a 17.5 sack season.

14.) Atlanta Falcons: Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson
(Rd 2: Greedy Williams, CB, LSU)
Once again Wilkins is the best defensive tackle on the board in this scenario and once again the Falcons get the three-technique they’re looking for. Williams, in Round 2 gives them an instant player in the nickle and (potentially) a future starter.

15.) Washington Redskins: Devin Bush, LB, Michigan
(Rd 2: Will Grier, QB, West Virginia)
The defense in Washington has been pedestrian in perpetuity. Bush can change that. A sideline to sideline defender who plays with passion is exactly what Washington needs. Grier, in the second, gives them something to mold for the future.

16.) Carolina Panthers: Greg Little, OT, Ole Miss
(Rd 2: Dre’Mont, DT, Ohio St.)
Long time center Ryan Kalil finally retired and finding someone to fill his shoes is of major importance, however six years ago another former stalwart retired– left tackle Jordan Gross. The position still hasn’t been addressed. Now it has.

17.) New York Giants: Cody Ford, OT, Oklahoma
The Giants don’t have a right tackle. It’s that simple. With a 38 year old quarterback and an all-world talent at running back, that offensive line has to be in prime condition. With Ford in the mix, the Giants may be able to boost that 24th ranked rushing offense.

18.) Minnesota Vikings: Noah Fant, TE, Iowa
(Rd 2: Bobby Evans, OT, Oklahoma)
Minnesota thinks they have the talent to make a Super Bowl run right now, alas it hasn’t happened. So what do you do with a loaded roster? Keep adding weapons. Fant would provide an excellent weapon for Kirk Cousins.

19.) Tennessee Titans: Jerry Tillery, DT, Notre Dame
(Rd 2: D’Andre Walker, OLB, Georgia)
Tillery is a monster and would give the Titans a quality bookend to Jurrell Casey. The Titans finished the year with a Top 10 defense, however their rushing defense came in at 18th. Tillery can help boost the Titans into a true terror.

20.) Pittsburgh Steelers: Jachai Polite, OLB, Florida
(Rd 2: Deebo Samuel, WR, South Carolina)
The Steelers continually fail to add pieces to their defense. Yes, they hit with TJ Watt, but they have whiffed on multiple top picks. Polite gives the Steelers a bookend threat to terrorize quarterbacks.

21.) Seattle Seahawks: Jace Sternberger, TE, Texas A&M
Sternberger has been rocketing up draft boards over the course of events and has now landed in our mock draft. Sternberger had to wait until 2018 to get his chance and he came through big time posting over 800 yards and 10 touchdowns. A team with no tight end like Seattle will welcome production like that.

22.) Baltimore Ravens: Marquise Brown, WR, Oklahoma
The Ravens don’t have a wide receiver. Any. That can’t happen in 21st century football. Quarterback Lamar Jackson has a cannon and they need someone who can get open deep when he uncorks it, that man is Brown.

23.) Houston Texans: Joejuan Williams, CB, Vanderbilt
(Rd 2: Brandon Hitner, OT, Villanova; Parris Campbell, WR, Ohio St.)
The first corner is off the board! Williams has impressive size for the position and had 28 pass breakups over the past two seasons, to go along with four interceptions.

24.) Oakland Raiders: Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson
You have to at least try to replace Khalil Mack, right? Ferrell isn’t the pass rushing threat that Mack is (few are), but Ferrell can cause pressure and set the edge. He’s a little bit of everything that the Raiders don’t have.

25.) Philadelphia Eagles: Andre Dillard, OT, Washington St.
(Rd 2: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, S, Florida; L.J. Collier, DE, Michigan St.)
Quite a precipitous fall from our first mock draft, but Dillard winds up in a good situation. Dillard, would sit for a year and study behind future hall-of-famer Jason Peters, who is nearly 40 years old at this point. An understudy is needed.

26.) Indianapolis Colts: D.K. Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss
(Rd 2: Rock Ya-Sin, CB, Temple; Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi St.)
Andrew Luck was impressive in first season back from injury and even more impressive when you consider who he was throwing the ball to. Outside of T.Y. Hilton and tight end Eric Ebron, there weren’t a lot of choices. Metcalf can take the top off a defense.

27.) Oakland Raiders: T.J. Hockenson, TE, Iowa
The Raiders brought in all the weaponry they could need via free agency, however they failed to replace tight end Jared Cook. Hockenson, could provide a reliable target for whoever is throwing the ball.

28.) LA Chargers: Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson
(Rd 2: Deionte Thompson, S, Alabama)
The Chargers are pretty set with much of their roster, but age and a lack of depth sticks out along the interior of their defensive line. While they hit on Justin Jones last year, Brandon Mebane isn’t getting any younger.

29.) Kansas City Chiefs: Byron Murphy, CB, Washington
(Rd 2: Joe Jackson, DE, Miami; Miles Sanders, RB, Penn St.)
There’s no easy way to put this…the Chiefs defensive secondary was hot garbage last year, and not much was done to address it over free agency. Murphy could step in to help. While he is on the smaller side, Murphy has the ball skills to excel, proven by his 27 pass breakups and seven interceptions over the last two years.

30.) Green Bay Packers: Jonathan Abram, S, Mississippi St.
The organization has spent a lot of draft capitol on the secondary in the past few years and have failed to come up with anything except cornerback Jaire Alexander. Abram is a tone setter and maybe, hopefully, a successful pick.

31.) LA Rams: Garrett Bradburry, C, NC State
Bradburry is the start of a youth movement along the Rams offensive line. The reigning Rimington Trophy winner can be a Day One starter for the Rams.

32.) New England Patriots: N’Keal Harry, WR, Arizona St.
(Rd 2: Isaac Nauta, TE, Georgia; Oshane Ximines, DE, Old Dominion)
The Patriots have a surprising amount of holes in their roster for a team that just won the Super Bowl. Harry, was very productive at Arizona State and provides a lot of versatility, a key attribute for any Patriots player. He can play special teams and work the jet sweeps that are becoming increasingly popular throughout the league.

49.) Cleveland Browns: Taylor Rapp, S, Washington
Remember, it’s a two round mock draft which means we have some new teams to talk about! First up the Browns. Maybe the most trendy team entering 2019. Rapp helps fill the void in the secondary that was created in order to acquire OBJ.

58.) Dallas Cowboys: Josh Jacobs, RB, Alabama
This may seem strange, but what is the backup plan if Ezekiel Elliott goes down with an injury? That’s right there isn’t one. Jacobs is used to working in a tandem and can help preserve the Cowboys most valuable asset.

62.) New Orleans Saints: Hakeem Butler, WR, Iowa St.
Don’t forget that the Saints were in such dire needs at receiver that they signed Dez Bryant midseason. Butler gives the Saints a massive threat to pair with Michael Thomas and help take some attention off the Pro Bowler.