Jordan Katz 2019 Big Board 1.0 Top 50 (1-25)
A little change to the Big Board style this year. Normally I just list the players in the order I have them, and save my analysis for the mock draft. This year I’m giving you guys the analysis in the Big Boards as well.
This is still just my own individual rankings of players. It does not necessarily line up with where they may be on my most recent mock draft.
The second portion of this is a little more obvious. This is a Top 50 Big Board, but as you can see, I only listed players 1-25. We in the Big J business call this a tease, be on the lookout for part two, aka, 26-50, in the coming days.
1) Nick Bosa, EDGE Ohio State: Bosa is obviously the top player in this class. Little players have his ability to dip and bend around the edge and also beat you with a strong moveset. He has all the tools in his arsenal to be one of the elite pass rushers in the NFL.
2) Jonah Williams, OT Alabama: Okay, say it with me everyone; Jonah Williams is an OFFENSIVE TACKLE! Williams is as technical as they come, showing terrific footwork in all three sets for a left tackle. His kickslide in the vertical set is tremendous, and his pad level is perfect on almost every snap. He often can handle a pass rushers first move, and he wins with inside hands in both the run game and pass protection. While I agree with the experts that say Jonah Williams has all pro potential at guard, the reason they say that is because they question Williams’ length and athleticism. However, the reason I think he also as all pro potential at Left Tackle is because of his excellent technique and his intelligence at the position.
3) DK Metcalf, WR Ole Miss: Metcalf is a big time playmaker. He separates at the line of scrimmage as well as anyone I’ve seen in the last few years. At 6’3 he can win one on ones with his size, but he also can win down the field with his long strides and athleticism. Metcalf never has a double catch on tape and his catch radius is extremely impressive. Assuming he continues to pass medical evaluations (he had a neck injury at Ole Miss and was cleared last week), Metcalf is the golden prize of a strong pass catching class.
4) Brian Burns, EDGE Florida State: Burns is an elite edge rusher. His ability to dip and bend past tackles is second only to that superhuman named Bosa. What catapults Burns to this evaluation for me is he also has a skilled moveset, showing the “Freeney Spin,” as well as the swim move inside and past the tackle. He definitely needs to put on some weight to improve his strength and help him set the edge better in the run game, but he has the frame to do so without losing his explosive first step. I expect Burns to be an elite edge rusher for years to come.
5) Byron Murphy, CB Washington: Murphy was a joy to watch on tape. Murphy can line up outside or in the slot and mirror receivers incredibly well. Any skill you need in man coverage he’s got it, be that press, mirror or trail technique. This is what gets him to be this high on my board. His hips flip fluidly, his backpedal is clean and poised, and he drives out of his T-Step in off coverage. Murphy is easily my top defensive back, and worthy of being selected very highly in this draft.
6) Quinnen Williams, DT Alabama: Williams has become the top interior defensive linemen in a stacked D-Line class because of his pass rushing prowess. He has the arsenal to dominate along the interior with lightning quick hand fighting ability and a lethal first step. Williams is a top 10 lock come April.
7) Ed Oliver, DT Houston: Oliver is going much lower on mock drafts than his talent warrants. He’s an athletic specimen with a unique ability to gain leverage at the point of attack. He is stout against the run and he can win one of one matchups in the pass game. What has scouts concerned is his questionable size and measurables. I’m not in that camp. Oliver is too athletic and too powerful for me to get hung up on arm length and height.
8) Clelin Ferrell, EDGE Clemson: I really liked Ferrell’s tape. He may not have the dip and bend ability of others in the class, but he has a skilled moveset and big time strength off the edge. Ferrell also shows the intelligence to maintain gap control, and the knowledge to counterpunch an offensive tackles first attempt to stonewall him. The edge rushing class not only has the elite athletes off the edge, but it has the more traditional 4-3 defensive ends as well. Ferrell headlines the more traditional group.
9) Montez Sweat, EDGE Mississippi State: Back to back edge rushers here, and it’s also back to back technicians. Sweat is another guy with multiple moves in the tank, including the ability to long arm tackles and rip past them using push-pull technique. Sweat had a monster senior bowl week, and his stock will only continue to rise as the draft process continues.
10) Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, WR Oklahoma: The Tye Dillinger entrant of this big board goes to maybe the most explosive playmaker to enter the draft since Desean Jackson. Hollywood is a burner, creating separation not only with his speed over the top, but with his quickness in and out of cuts. Occasionally he has a few drops and a few double catches, but this dude can make plays with the ball in his hands and he can take the top off of just about any defense.
11) Chris Lindstrom, OG Boston College: Lindstrom is as complete a guard prospect as they come. His footwork is terrific, possessing the ability to pull and jump out of his set with good balance and pad level. What’s most impressive is the lack of weaknesses in his game, both in technique and execution. Lindstrom should be a top 20 lock this year.
12) Kelvin Harmon, WR NC State: I love Harmon’s route running ability. He separates both at the beginning of the route combination as well as the top of the stem. Harmon also has soft hands and a wide catch radius. He’s another skilled pass catcher in this draft class.
13) Noah Fant, TE Iowa: His counterpart TJ Hockenson mav have all the buzz, but I’ll still take Fant as the top TE this year. Fant is a more explosive playmaker than Hockenson, he’s quicker in and out of cuts and he has a better ability to high point the ball. Not to mention, Fant is still a strong blocker in his own right. I think he was used improperly at Iowa and will be the better of the two at the next level.
14) Rashan Gary, DE Michigan: I really like Gary’s fit as a 3-4 Defensive End. He’s a bully in the run game with elite strength and the ability to maintain gap control. I don’t see him as a dip and bend edge guy, but he can long arm tackles from a 4-3 end position. Having said that, I think he’d be better served along the interior because his quick first step and athleticism.
15) Rock Ya-Sin, CB Temple: Temple is a culture of competition, and Rock Ya-Sin competes on every down. He’s another excellent man cover corner in this draft, with the ability to mirror and trail receivers, plus he excels once the ball gets into his radius His footwork is excellent, which is what has me excited about what he could be at the next level. I think Ya-Sin has extreme upside if he can improve his ability to keep his hands on receivers at the start of route combinations.
16) Devin White, LB LSU: White has very good sideline to sideline range, but it’s his ability to shoot gaps and play fast downhill that has me excited about his NFL future. Right now, he is being a bit overvalued in mock drafts, but that’s because the off ball linebacking class is very weak. Having said that, White is still a quality prospect and will be the captain of a NFL defense sooner rather than later.
17) Deionte Thompson, FS Alabama: I’m sticking with a first round evaluation of Thompson. He’s fell on big boards because of his National Championship performance, but Thompson’s body of work was impressive throughout the 2018 season. He’s a single high ball hawking safety who isn’t afraid to come into the box and make tackles. I think his technique and instincts in the back should have him as an NFL starter for many years to come.
18) Josh Allen, EDGE Kentucky: As I’ve said in my mock drafts, I don’t have Allen as high as many, because he doesn’t play the run at an elite level. However, I still like Josh Allen quite a bit. He has great dip and bend ability and maintains the arch very well. There’s also something to be said for hunting the ball at all times, and Allen loves to swipe at the ball as he’s running the arch. In a league where turnovers and sacks are king on defense because of the rules and how the offenses are favored, Allen could be a big time player in a 3-4 defense.
19) Anthony Nelson, EDGE Iowa: Nelson is a Clelin Ferrell clone. He long arms offensive tackles and executes multiple moves, including push-pull and counterpunching the offensive tackles first attempt to gain leverage. Nelson may not have the dip and bend of guys like Josh Allen or Brian Burns, but he has good ankle flexibility and uses his frame to get to the quarterback. At 6’7, Nelson is a unique prospect for a 4-3 scheme.
20) Jeffery Simmons, DT Mississippi State: Simmons has some off the field questions, but on the field he’s an elite pass rusher from the interior, using a quick first step and some elite level hand-fighting to get to the QB. I think Simmons is a make or break candidate at the combine. If he tests well and he interviews well, because teams will most definitely challenge him on his off the field issues, he could find himself in the middle of round one. If he doesn’t, he could fall outside the top 40.
21) Christian Wilkins, DT Clemson: Wilkins isn’t the pass rushing extraordinaire that Simmons or Quinnen Williams are, but he’s technically sound and stout in gap control. He uses his first step to win on running plays, and his quickness on the backside of the play means that he is able to come across and stop plays from becoming big gains. I don’t see the upside as an elite pass rusher because he plays high at times and he doesn’t possess the elite strength of other guys in this class. However, there’s little doubt that Wilkins will be a solid pro.
22) Greedy Williams, CB LSU: Williams is probably the safest defensive back prospect in this class, because his measurables and man skills make his floor the highest. He excels in mirror and trail techniques because his strides are so long. Greedy Williams is a perfect fit for a team that plays primarily cover 1 and cover 3.
23) TJ Hockenson, TE Iowa: Hockenson is the darling of many in this draft class, and there’s no question he’s talented. Hock is an elite blocker, he walls off defenders in the run game and he can even go one on one with rushers off the edge. He separates at the top of the stem with his size and he wins down the field the same way. I still prefer Fant, but there’s no question Hockenson has big time potential at the next level.
24) Nasir Adderley, FS Delaware: Adderley is a converted cornerback, and those ball skills are prevalent on tape in the backend. At the single high safety spot he ranges well sideline to sideline, and makes clean plays on the ball. Adderley’s hips flip fluidly and he’s also fluid out of his backpedal. More importantly, he’s a good tackler in the open field and he can come up and play the run if needed. Free Safeties need to be able to do more than just hawk the ball, and Adderley’s complete game should allow him to be a quality starter at the next level.
25) Jachai Polite, EDGE Florida: Polite is a little undersized (6’2, 245), but what he lacks in measurables he makes up for in athletic ability. He dips around the edge and explodes off the line with a quick initial burst. Polite, like Allen and Burns, loves hunting the football as he’s running the arch. As previously stated with Allen, someone with playmaking ability on defense is heavily valued at the next. And as previously stated with Allen, if Polite improves in setting the edge against the run, he could be a star.
Part Two, players 26-50, will be coming soon.
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