Jordan Katz 2019 NFL Mock Draft 4.0: Pre-Combine

Posted on February 28, 2019 Updated on March 1, 2019

The NFL Combine gets underway today, which means it’s a great time for another installment of my Mock Drafts for 2019 (not exactly, but #MockLyfe never sleeps and neither does content). Obviously much will change once the Combine numbers come in, and I will not only churn out a prediction Mock Draft of what I think will happen on Draft Day, but also a follow up to this Mock Draft of what I would do if I had control of all 32 teams.

This Mock Draft goes three rounds deep with compensatory picks and, as always, includes trades. The rules for trades stay the same, it needs to make sense for both teams. All trades that were made by me in this mock are denoted by an asterisk next to the team.

ROUND ONE

1) Arizona Cardinals: Nick Bosa, EDGE Ohio State- As previously stated, this is not a prediction mock draft. This is what I would do if I was in charge of all 32 teams. So this will not be Kyler Murray, nor will this be a trade. This will be Nick Bosa, and that is that.

2) San Francisco 49ers: Quinnen Williams, DT Alabama- The Niners may not be the obvious choice for Quinnen Williams, but they make sense. Yes, Arik Armstead could kick inside and the Niners could grab an edge player. However, the opportunity to put Williams next to DeForest Buckner could create one of the most dominant interior pass rushing attacks in the NFL.

3) New York Jets: DK Metcalf, WR Ole Miss- Metcalf is about to tear it up in Indianapolis and make himself a top ten lock in this draft. Word on the street is that he will measure in at 6’4 and run a sub 4.5, which is insane. If the Jets opt to address their pass rushing needs in free agency, O-Line and pass catchers will be in play for them early in this draft.

4) Oakland Raiders: Ed Oliver, DT Houston- This is the first time Ed Oliver has found himself back in the top five picks in quite some time, and that’s 100% because Quinnen Williams went in the top three. The Raiders need talent at every selection, and Oliver is extremely talented. Not to mention, he’s pound for pound the best athlete in the draft.

5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jonah Williams, OT Alabama- Tampa Bay needs help at multiple positions along their offensive line. The best offensive lineman in the draft is an easy selection here.

6) New York Giants: Byron Murphy, CB Washington- Murphy is still CB1 on my board, and his man cover skills should be a perfect fit in James Bettcher’s aggressive defense.

7) *Green Bay Packers via Jacksonville Jaguars: Brian Burns, EDGE Florida State- The Packers have some ammo in this draft to trade up a few spots from either the 12 or the 30 and land a guy they covet. Burns is one of my top five players in the draft and would have been selected by Detroit at eight. Therefore, Green Bay uses some draft capital and comes up a few spots to land one of the elite edge rushers in this draft.

8) Detroit Lions: Clelin Ferrell, EDGE Clemson- Detroit just got jumped by Green Bay for Burns, so they turn to the next best edge rusher on the board. The Clelin Ferrell bandwagon is getting smaller, but his technique and move-set should keep him in the first 15-20 picks of the draft.

9) *Washington Redskins via Buffalo Bills: Kyler Murray, QB Oklahoma- It feels a little dirty for me to have a QB in a top 10 of a personal mock draft. However, because Washington, Cincinnati and Miami all make a ton of sense to try to land my QB1, the three engage in a bidding war to trade up for Murray.

Washington is desperate for a franchise QB, and they need a week one starter because Alex Smith’s career may be over. This seems like a perfect scenario to take Murray. If it works, they still have the roster to compete right away in 2019.Washington puts together the best offer and lands the former Oklahoma standout.

10) Denver Broncos: Devin White, ILB LSU- I think Vic Fangio would love to have White captain the middle of their 3-4 defense. He’s a strong tackler, he shoots gaps well, and he can play on all three downs because of his cover skills.

11) Cincinnati Bengals: Chris Lindstrom, OG Boston College- Lindstrom is one of the most complete offensive line prospects in this draft and easily worthy of a top 15 selection this year. 

12) *Jacksonville Jaguars via Green Bay Packers: Jawaan Taylor, OT Florida- The Jaguars power blocking scheme is a perfect fit for Jawaan Taylor. He can start at right tackle from day one and make an immediate impact in the Jags run heavy offense.

13) Miami Dolphins: Montez Sweat, EDGE Mississippi State- With Murray off the board, Miami goes to their next biggest need; replacing Cameron Wake. Charles Harris is not coming along fast enough, so the Dolphins turn to Montez Sweat. Sweat is another technician up front, with the ability to long arm tackles and win at the line with multiple pass rushing moves.

14) Atlanta Falcons: Jeffery Simmons, DT Mississippi State- My guess is that Atlanta chooses to re-sign Vic Beasley this offseason instead of Grady Jarrett, which means they need to find Jarrett’s replacement in this draft. Simmons may not be the prototypical Dan Quinn pick, but he has an explosive first step and multiple moves to get to the passer.

Editor’s Note: The ACL injury doesn’t concern me if I’m a team picking in this area. Simmons is a player that will dominate on the field from day one, whenever day one winds up being.

15) *Buffalo Bills via Washington Redskins: Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, WR Oklahoma- Hollywood Brown won’t work out this weekend, but he’s still one of my top playmakers in this draft. He’s explosive with the ball in his hands and he’s more than just a deep threat. Buffalo needs to find playmakers this offseason for Josh Allen, so with DK Metcalf off the board to the Jets at three, the Bills trade down and still snag WR2.

16) Carolina Panthers: Rashan Gary, DE Michigan- I still would rather see Gary as a 3-tech in a 3-4 scheme, but the Panthers look for bigger players on the edge. Since the scheme fit makes sense, the Panthers scoop up a talented player who fell a bit.

17) Cleveland Browns: Christian Wilkins, DT Clemson- The Browns are in a perfect position to grab a difference maker along the defensive line. The tandem of Larry Ogunjobi and Trevon Coley played well enough last year, but they’re not game changers. Wilkins would give the Browns one of the best defensive fronts in the NFL.

18) Minnesota Vikings: Cody Ford, OG/OT Oklahoma- Because Ford, Andre Dillard and Yodny Cajuste are so close in my rankings, the Vikings go with the player better served for their scheme. Ford is easily the best in the run game of the three and the most versatile in terms of where he can play.

19) Tennessee Titans: Noah Fant, TE Iowa- I still have Fant ahead of TJ Hockenson, albeit not by much. Fant has a big time catch radius and he’s a very good blocker in his own right. Tennessee needs to find more playmakers for Marcus Mariota this offseason, and they also need to work on replacing Delanie Walker. As they say, two birds with one stone here.

20) Pittsburgh Steelers: Mack Wilson, ILB Alabama- The linebacking class is so much weaker than the cornerback class, which is why the Steelers go with Wilson in round one and wait for a cornerback in round two.

21) Seattle Seahawks: Greedy Williams, CB LSU- Seattle loves long, athletic corners with big time ball skills. Playing Williams opposite Shaq Griffin would be a dynamic duo and the start of LOB 2.0.

22) Baltimore Ravens: Kelvin Harmon, WR NC State- I know Ravens fans will want Josh Jacobs here, but I think Harmon is the better selection. Baltimore doesn’t need to draft a running back early because the threat of Lamar Jackson will alleviate pressure off of whomever the Ravens start at running back.

What the Ravens need is a playmaker along the outside that separates well at the top of the route and can win in the red zone. That is Kelvin Harmon.

23) Houston Texans: Andre Dillard, OT Washington State- For the 1,261st time this draft season, allow me to reiterate how the Texans need to select the best offensive lineman on the board with their first round pick.

24) Oakland Raiders via Chicago Bears: Josh Jacobs, RB Alabama- As I said in my previous mock draft, Jacobs isn’t Jon Gruden’s prototypical running back in terms of size. However, he is tough between the tackles and he’s the only true three down running back in the draft class.

25) Philadelphia Eagles: Rock Ya-Sin, CB Temple- The Eagles are going to lose Ronald Darby in free agency, making cornerback a need because Sidney Jones and Rasul Douglas both have injury histories. Rock Ya-Sin has big time ball skills and he’s extremely good at mirroring receivers in man coverage.

26) Indianapolis Colts: Josh Allen, EDGE Kentucky- As you know by now, I have Allen lower on my personal board than the media does. It’s not that I don’t like the prospect, I just don’t see Allen as a can’t miss edge player. Whil he’s excellent at bending around the edge and running the arch, I question his ankle flexibility. He doesn’t really have an elite move-set either.

Having said that, he’s still a terrific pass rusher and the Colts would love to have him at this selection.

27) Oakland Raiders via Dallas Cowboys: TJ Hockenson, TE Iowa- I have no idea how this happened, but here we are and here’s the easiest selection of all time. The Raiders need pass catchers and Hockenson is an elite level prospect.

28) Los Angeles Chargers: Dexter Lawrence, NT Clemson- This stays the same from my previous mock draft. Lawrence’s athleticism and ability to stop the run make him an easy pick for a team that’s desperate for a nose tackle in the middle of their 3-4 defense.

29) Kansas City Chiefs: Deionte Thompson, FS Alabama- The Chiefs need playmakers in the secondary, be that at cornerback or safety. As a single high free safety, Thompson in the back would allow Eric Berry to be used more as a chess piece and create big impact plays.

30) Green Bay Packers via New Orleans Saints: Dalton Risner, OG/OT Kansas State- The Packers offensive line not only needs depth, but they need better players in the run game up front. Risner’s nastiness and power combined with his ability to maintain inside hands out of the jump set should fit nicely for a team that will look to run the ball more in 2019.

31) Los Angeles Rams: Jachai Polite, EDGE Florida- Los Angeles has a fair amount of needs for a team that is coming off of a Super Bowl appearance, and one of them is replacing Dante Fowler off the edge. Polite isn’t the best against the run, but he’s lethal around the edge, running the arch with precision and showing terrific flexibility in the hips and the ankles.

32) *New York Giants via New England Patriots: Dwayne Haskins, QB Ohio State- I love this idea from my previous mock draft, so it stays in this one as well. The Giants can trade up for Haskins to ensure a fifth year option on him, they can sit him for a year or two to help him work out kinks in his mechanics, and he can take the reigns once Eli Manning calls it a career.

TRADES IN ROUND ONE

1) Green Bay Packers trade the #12, the #44 and a 2020 3rd Round Pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for the #7 and #98.

2) Washington Redskins trade the #15, #46 and a 2020 2nd Round Pick to the Buffalo Bills for the #9 and #113.

3) New York Giants trade #37 and a 2020 3rd Round Pick to the New England Patriots for the #32 and a 2020 5th Round Pick

ROUND TWO

33) Arizona Cardinals: Yodny Cajuste, OT West Virginia- Same idea as my previous mock draft, but Cajuste is higher on my personal board than David Edwards, so he becomes the pick.

34) Indianapolis Colts via New York Jets- AJ Brown, WR Ole Miss- For all the years the Colts drafted offense, you would think they would have a compliment to T.Y Hilton on the roster. Brown working the short and intermediate passing areas would be a nice balance to the deep ball ability of Hilton.

35) Oakland Raiders: Amani Oruwariye, CB Penn State- What a home run of a draft the Raiders have had so far. Oakland needs difference makers in the secondary, and Oruwariye has the ball skills and length to be that guy.

36) San Francisco 49ers: N’Keal Harry, WR Arizona State- If the 49ers miss on acquiring a wide receiver via a trade, Harry at the top of round two would be a terrific consolation prize.

37) New England Patriots via New York Giants: Devin Bush, ILB Michigan- Kyle Van Noy is entering the final year of his contract and Dont’a Hightower is a possible cap cut. New England trades down and selects an off ball linebacker to give them more flexibility at the position.

38) Jacksonville Jaguars: Irv Smith Jr., TE Alabama- Irv Smith would be a perfect third down and red zone target for whoever the QB is for the Jaguars on opening day.

39) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Joejuan Williams, CB Vanderbilt- New Defensive Coordinator Todd Bowles loves physical man-to-man cornerbacks, which is Joejuan Williams in a nutshell.

40) Buffalo Bills: David Edwards, OT Wisconsin- Edwards has the intelligence level to start at right tackle at the next level. If he improves his footwork, he may be able to slide to the left side in the future.

41) Denver Broncos: Erik McCoy, OC Texas A&M- McCoy has a powerful base and he’s very agile in space. With Matt Paradis most likely leaving in free agency, the Broncos find his replacement with the top center in the draft.

42) Cincinnati Bengals: Daniel Jones, QB Duke- This is a bit of a reach for me, but Jones is my last quarterback with a grade higher than the fourth round. Cincinnati takes Jones in hopes of having him be their QB of the future.

43) Detroit Lions: Trayvon Mullen, CB Clemson- Detroit grabs a man cover corner with good ball skills to compliment Darius Slay’s skill set.

44) *Jacksonville Jaguars via Green Bay Packers: Deebo Samuel, WR South Carolina- The Jaguars continue the makeover on offense in this draft by adding another pass catcher that can make a big impact on third downs.

45) *Dallas Cowboys via Atlanta Falcons: Anthony Nelson, EDGE Iowa- In a weird draft move, the Cowboys come up with limited picks in this draft because Anthony Nelson fell way too far. Nelson would be a cheaper alternative to paying Demarcus Lawrence, and he can provide big time production at the next level.

46) *Buffalo Bills via Washington Redskins: Justin Layne, CB Michigan State- Layne is going to have a big combine, showing he has the athleticism to match his size and length.

47) Carolina Panthers: Nasir Adderley, FS Delaware- The Panthers need a ball hawk in the back; it has been quite some time since they had a difference maker at the safety position.

48) Miami Dolphins: Greg Little, OT Ole Miss- Little should be a solid right tackle in a power blocking scheme at the next level. He needs to improve his footwork, but there’s traits to work with.

49) Cleveland Browns: Tytus Howard, OT Alabama State- This is a bit of a reach but I love Howard’s size and athleticism. I think he can start at right tackle early in his career and develop into one of the better starters in the NFL.

50) Minnesota Vikings: Charles Omenihu, DL Texas- If the Vikings are looking for an athletic, pass rushing interior defensive lineman to compliment Linval Joseph, there aren’t many better players they can grab in round two than Omenihu.

51) *New England Patriots via Tennessee Titans- Khalen Saunders, DT Western Illinois- The Patriots continue to shuffle up and down the draft board. Saunders has unique athleticism for someone of his size. Bill Belichick will love him in the middle of the defense.

52) Pittsburgh Steelers: DeAndre Baker, CB Georgia- The Steelers get a solid corner in off coverage who will help solidify their secondary.

53) Philadelphia Eagles via Baltimore Ravens: Damien Harris, RB Alabama- Philadelphia missed out on Josh Jacobs by one pick in round one. Luckily for them, they scoop up his teammate in round two.

54) Houston Texans via Seattle Seahawks: Garrett Bradbury, OG/C NC State– I think Bradbury has the athleticism to play guard or center at the next level, a trait that should be very attractive to a team desperate for Offensive Linemen.

55) *Arizona Cardinals via Houston Texans: Riley Ridley, WR Georgia- The Cardinals trade up to land a big receiver that separates nicely at the top of route combinations.

56) New England Patriots via Chicago Bears: Jace Sternberger, TE Texas A&M- This is a classic case of scheme rules all in a mock draft. Sternberger does some dynamic things in the pass game, and I expect him to show some elite athleticism this weekend.

57) Philadelphia Eagles: Damarkus Lodge, WR Ole Miss- Lodge has some drops, but he’s capable of making some ridiculous catches and explosive plays.

58) *Atlanta Falcons via Dallas Cowboys: Elgton Jenkins, OG/C Mississippi State– The Falcons need to improve in the trenches this offseason to get back to the playoffs in 2019.

59) Indianapolis Colts: Jonathan Abram, SS Mississippi State- Abram is a strong player close to the line of scrimmage. He’d be an excellent compliment to the single high skills of Malik Hooker.

60) Los Angeles Chargers: Jordan Brown, CB South Dakota State- The Chargers need a second corner to play opposite Casey Hayward.

61) Kansas City Chiefs: Rodney Anderson, RB Oklahoma- Anderson not being ready to workout in Indy is a concern, but he wouldn’t be the first player to come back from knee surgery and return to form.

62) New Orleans Saints: Isaac Nauta, TE Georgia- I still love the idea of Saints taking a tight end to replace Ben Watson with their first selection of the 2019 NFL Draft.

63) Kansas City Chiefs via Los Angeles Rams: Oshane Ximines, EDGE Old Dominion- If the Chiefs move on from Justin Houston, Ximines in round two would be a perfect scheme fit. He’s not the best athlete, but he wins with physicality and technique.

64) *Tennessee Titans via New England Patriots: JJ Arcega-Whiteside, WR Stanford- “JJAW” is a physical receiver, a willing blocker, and a red zone threat. If that doesn’t scream scheme fit for the Titans, I’m not sure what does.

TRADES IN ROUND TWO

1) Dallas Cowboys trade the #58, #90 and a 2020 5th Round Pick to the Atlanta Falcons for the #45 and #230.

2) New England Patriots trade the #64, #97 and #205 to the Tennessee Titans for the #51.

3) Arizona Cardinals trade the #65, #103 and #139 to the Houston Texans for the #55 and #161.

ROUND THREE

65) *Houston Texans via Arizona Cardinals: Amani Hooker, FS Iowa

66) Oakland Raiders: Jaylon Ferguson, EDGE Louisiana Tech

67) San Francisco 49ers: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, CB/FS Florida

68) New York Jets: Dennis Daley, OT South Carolina

69) Jacksonville Jaguars: Renell Wren, DT/NT Arizona State

70) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Germaine Pratt, ILB NC State

71) Denver Broncos: Drew Lock, QB Missouri

72) Cincinnati Bengals: Dawson Knox, TE Ole Miss

73) New England Patriots via Detroit Lions: Andy Isabella, WR UMASS

74) Buffalo Bills: Bobby Evans, OT/OG Oklahoma

75) Green Bay Packers: Vosean Joseph, ILB Florida

76) Washington Redskins: Christian Miller, EDGE/OLB Alabama

77) Carolina Panthers: Jerry Tillery, DT Notre Dame

78) Miami Dolphins: Hakeem Butler, WR Iowa State

79) Atlanta Falcons: Oli Udoh, OT Elon

80) Cleveland Browns: Kendall Sheffield, CB Ohio State

81) Minnesota Vikings: Dax Raymond, TE Utah State

82) Tennessee Titans: Gerald Willis, DL Miami

83) Pittsburgh Steelers: Jazz Ferguson, WR Northwestern State

84) Seattle Seahawks: Mike Bell, S Fresno State

85) Baltimore Ravens: LJ Collier, EDGE TCU

86) Houston Texans: David Long, CB Michigan

87) Chicago Bears: Mike Edwards, SS Kentucky

88) Detroit Lions via Philadelphia Eagles: Antoine Wesley, WR Texas Tech

89) Indianapolis Colts: Zach Allen, DL Boston College

90) *Atlanta Falcons via Dallas Cowboys: Elijah Holyfield, RB Georgia

91) Los Angeles Chargers: Te’Von Coney, LB Notre Dame

92) Kansas City Chiefs: David Long, CB Michigan

93) New York Jets via New Orleans Saints: Dre’Mont Jones, DL Ohio State

94) Los Angeles Rams: Nate Davis, OG Charlotte

95) Cleveland Browns via New England Patriots: Sutton Smith, EDGE/OLB Southern Illinois

96) Washington Redskins: Kaden Smith, TE Stanford

97) *Tennessee Titans via New England Patriots: Michael Dieter, OL Wisconsin

98) Jacksonville Jaguars via Los Angeles Rams: Taylor Rapp, SS Washington

99) Los Angeles Rams: Julian Love, CB Notre Dame

100) Carolina Panthers: Keelan Doss, WR UC Davis

101) New England Patriots: Ross Pierschbacher, OG/C Alabama

102) Baltimore Ravens: David Montgomery, RB Iowa State