Jordan Katz 2019 Big Board 1.0: Part Two (26-50)
This is part two of my top 50 players for the 2019 NFL Draft. For part one, players 1-25, click the link. (https://draftstock.net/home/https-draftstock-net-2019-01-28-jordan-katz-2019-big-board-1-0-top-50-1-25/)
26) Dexter Lawrence, DT/NT Clemson: Lawrence is a behemoth along the interior. He’s a prototypical one tech, showing the ability to eat blockers and be dominant the run game. Lawrence has some upside as a pass rusher as well. While he wasn’t used that way at Clemson, I think he has the power to collapse the pocket and help out the edge rushers. Lawrence may not have elite upside, but he’s the one true NFL quality nose tackle in this draft.
27) AJ Brown, WR Ole Miss: I know many will think this is a little high for Brown, and I’ll admit this is pending a quality showing in Indianapolis in a month or so. However, Brown has unique ability out of the slot, and I think his quickness and precision in and out of cuts can allow him to separate on the outside as well. If he tests well and proves he’s more than just a slot receiver, and I think he will, Brown will prove to be another reliable target in a strong pass catching class.
28) Mack Wilson, ILB Alabama: Wilson is being a bit undervalued, in my opinion. He’s not Devin White athletically, but Wilson moves fluidly and flips his hips effortlessly in coverage. I think he can mirror TE’s at the next level and he can read in zone very well. Wilson also takes good angles to the ball and plays downhill with poise. He should be a quality linebacker at the next level.
29) Cody Ford, OT/OG Oklahoma: Offensive line in this draft isn’t wonderful, but Cody Ford is one of the bright spots. Ford is a unique athlete for someone with his size and stature (6’3, 340). He’s got quick feet, showing the ability to win in pass protection by beating the edge player to the spot. He needs to improve his hand placement, but I think Ford’s athleticism help him project to be a solid right guard or right tackle.
30) N’Keal Harry, WR Arizona State: Harry’s buzz has cooled recently, but I think that’s because he hasn’t been in the spotlight. He’s explosive with the ball in his hands and he wins with size and athleticism when the ball is in the air. If he tests well in Indianapolis and proves he can outrun NFL corners, Harry could wind up much higher on my board later on in the Draft Season.
31) Josh Jacobs, RB Alabama: I’m not as high on Jacobs as others, but there’s no question he’s the top running back in this draft. He’s slippery through the hole, his pad level is perfect on almost every carry,l and he has a powerful base, allowing him to break a number of arm tackles. Jacobs isn’t the best in pass protection, and since he can be a weapon in the pass game with his soft hands and route quickness, he will have to improve there to hit the evaluation that he’s at on many people’s big boards.
32) Irv Smith Jr, TE Alabama: Much like OJ Howard before him, Irv Smith’s ceiling in the NFL is higher than his usage rate at Alabama. He’s a big time athlete, a precise route runner, and he has good hands. He lines up all over the field and can create separation versus linebackers and safeties. Smith is yet another great tight end in this draft class.
33) Amani Oruwariye, CB Penn State: Oruwariye had a case of the good, the bad and the ugly during Senior Bowl week, but I still trust him as an early day two pick based on his tape. He shows good ball skills and a unique ability to mirror receivers for someone of his size and length. If he can become better at using his hands early in receivers routes, he could have a long, productive career ahead of him.
34) Jawaan Taylor, OT Florida: Taylor is a right tackle all day at the next level. He’s a mauler in the run game, gaining leverage with inside hands and strength in his frame. I know many think he’s an elite prospect, and while I’m not quite on board with that (his footwork in the vertical and 45 degree sets have me concerned against the athletic pass rushers he’ll see in the NFL), I do think he projects as a day two pick at right tackle.
35) Andre Dillard, OT Washington State: Dillard is a bit of a puzzler for me. He’s smart and he’s very good in pass protection, with the ability to counter both a first and second move from opposing edge rushers. He gains leverage with inside hands and even when he is beat physically, he can counter it. Having said that, the latter of that statement is the part that’s concerning. Despite his athleticism and solid footwork, he lacks the upper body strength to play at the next level. He’s often pushed backward and I think he’s susceptible to being long armed be defensive ends. So in short, I’m hedging here by giving him a late first/early second round grade. Dillard is either going to be much better than my evaluation because of his kickslide and ability to stall edge rushers, or his lack of power will have him in the bust category.
36) Kyler Murray, QB Oklahoma: Murray is an interesting prospect. There’s a lot of things he does well. For instance, he shows NFL level anticipation when throwing to receivers, laying the ball on them as they come out of their break. He’s got a pretty big arm as well. Now obviously the go to criticism is going to be his size, and while it’s accurate, it’s not in the way many are portraying. The issue with small quarterbacks is having passes batted at the line of scrimmage, not necessarily them being under 6’2. Guys like Baker Mayfield and Russell Wilson didn’t have that issue, but I think Murray does. Having said all of that, Murray is easily my QB1 this year because he throws into NFL windows and gets aggressive with the football.
37) Dalton Risner, OT/OG Kansas State: Risner was one of the biggest winners from Senior Bowl week. He was significantly better at keeping his hands inside the defender’s shoulder pads and that allowed him to really use his power in order to gain leverage. Risner is a leader too, his competitiveness was evident all week and his energy was infectious from what I saw. I like him as a starting right guard at the next level.
38) DeAndre Baker, CB Georgia: Baker has some athletic questions to answer, but technique wise he’s very solid. Press coverage is where he excels, and he can open it up and mirror receivers as well. My question is his straight line speed, and if he can improve his footwork out of his T-Step. Overall, Baker is a smart player that can play in multiple schemes and be an effective starter.
39) Joejuan Williams, CB Vanderbilt: Williams is a massive cornerback (6’2, 205) with the ability to press up on receivers and get them off their route combinations using his hands. I like Williams’ ball skills as well; he posted 13 PBU’s and 4 picks this season. He’s a good athlete as well, he’s got long strides and can run with receivers down the field. Williams can move up this board if his footwork improves out of his T-Step and he becomes quicker, although the latter is tough to do at this position for someone of his size.
40) Yodny Cajuste, OT West Virginia: I’m willing to go down with the ship on Cajuste. His draft buzz has cooled because scouts question his athleticism, but I think he has the capability to be a starting left tackle. I don’t think he’s refined to one scheme in particular, although he shows big time strength in the run game, with the ability to wall off defenders and gain leverage by keeping his hands high. However, I think he’s a better athlete in space than he’s given credit for, and his kickslide improved drastically in 2018. I see a lot of upside in whoever lands Cajuste in April.
41) Charles Omenihu, DL Texas: Omenihu was someone who came across my twitter feed because of others in the draft community that I follow. They talked about how he had an extremely quick first step and won with his hands in many different ways, and boy were they right. He can long arm guards and push the pocket back, and he can rip past guards as well. Omenihu has plenty of moves in his arsenal, which makes him another coveted commodity along the defensive line in this draft.
42) Jonathan Abram, SS Mississippi State: Abram is a quality player, but his best role is when he plays close to the line of scrimmage. He’s a big hitter with good instincts and a feel for shooting gaps. Sometimes he’s over aggressive, and he does miss plays. But for the most part, he flies to the ball and levies some punishing hits. In coverage, he plays a solid cover two, and has decent instincts in the back. Overally, Abram is a very quality strong safety prospect at the next level.
43) Trayvon Mullen, CB Clemson: Mullen is a weird study on tape. On the one hand, he has elite ball skills and he’s solid in man-to-man coverage. On the other hand, he should read and react better in off coverage, but he seems to be a step slow most of the time. Now it is true that he’s rarely challenged on tape, because he’s far and away the best secondary player on Clemson’s defense. The lack of targets does show his prowess in man coverage, but I still think there’s technical aspects he needs to work on to excel at the next level.
44) David Edwards, OT Wisconsin: There’s not a lot of buzz around David Edwards because his feet are not particularly quick. However, I think his intelligence at the position is second to none in this draft. Edwards is a converted tight end, and he played quarterback in high school as well. He’s become a quick study at tackle over the last few years, understanding who to pick up in blitzes and stunts. I would take Edwards over the majority of offensive linemen in this draft because his technique will continue to get better, and he’s smart.
45) Jerry Tillery, DL Notre Dame: Tillery put together a really good season at Notre Dame this past year. Despite some inconsistencies in his performances from game to game, I thought his size and length was apparent in each game. With a quick first step and the ability to beat one on one blocks along the interior, Tillery could be a nice fit for a team looking for a pass rushing three technique, either in a 4-3 at defensive tackle, or as a 3-4 defensive end.
46) Devin Bush, ILB Michigan: Bush surprised me when I broke him down on film. He’s a much better cover guy than I expected, showing the ability to flip his hips and recover with speed (Ohio State game has a great example of this). His strength is in the run game, he’s a punishing tackler and he fills gaps well. Despite this, it’s his inability to get off blocks that has him graded out in round two rather than round one.
47) Damien Harris, RB Alabama: The second Alabama running back on here is yet another potential three down back. Harris is a smart, patient runner and he’s a solid blocker as well. He’s not the most explosive runner, but he keeps his pads low and he excels in short yardage areas. I think Harris has the effectiveness similar to Mark Ingram at the next level, and in a weak running back class that puts him near the top of the list at the position.
48) Kaden Smith, TE Stanford: For those scoring at home, this is my fourth tight end in my top 50. Smith is an impressive athlete, winning with his size when the ball is in the air. He high points the ball extremely well, which makes him a big time red zone threat at 6’5. Smith needs to improve his route running, particularly his ability to separate out of the break, to really be a big time player at the next level. If Smith becomes better at the top of the stem, the sky’s the limit.
49) Deebo Samuel, WR South Carolina: Shoutout to my brother Justin with this one. For months we debated whether Samuel was a quality day two wide receiver, with the ability to separate with quickness and precision at the top of the stem, or if his double catches and lack of a catch radius would hamper his ability to win plays at the next level. After watching his highlights throughout Senior Bowl week, it’s safe to say I was wrong, and Justin was right. Samuel even showed the ability to high point the ball and grab passes outside what I thought was his range. He’s a solid day two pass catching option.
50) Oshane Ximines, EDGE/OLB Old Dominion: Ximines has big time ability off the edge. He’s technical in his pass rush, winning reps with his hands and quality moveset. He can counter a first punch from an offensive lineman, and he can long arm tackles as well. Ximines does gets bodied in the run game, and he’s not the most fluid athlete around the edge. Despite this, there’s some real upside here if he can improve his get off at the line and continue to refine his pass rushing moveset.
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