2019 NFL Draft Big Board 2.0: Justin Herbert Moves Into Top 10
With bowl season about to get underway, an update of our NFL draft rankings, with the help of evaluators from around the NFL...
1. Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State
Height: 6' 4" | Weight: 265 pounds
He was the best player in college football over the season’s first three weeks. And his core muscle injury hasn’t changed the way evaluators see his trajectory into the pros.
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2. Quinnen Williams, DL, Alabama
Height: 6' 3" | Weight: 295 pounds
A great example of the Tide machine at work. Williams wasn’t even a starter last year, and now he faces a decision on whether to go pro or not. It really shouldn’t even be much of a decision, because he has played his way into the Top 5.
3. Rashan Gary, DL, Michigan
Height: 6' 4" | Weight: 280 pounds
Gary is still really raw, but the expectation that he could run around 4.6 at 280 pounds is enough to make NFL teams think that, with a little refinement, he could be a foundation piece on a really good defense for a long time to come.
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4. Ed Oliver, DT, Houston
Height: 6' 2" | Weight: 290 pounds
Will he come in at 280 pounds? How will he interview? Coming into 2018, Oliver looked like a sure thing to go atop the draft, maybe even in front of Bosa. But as scouts have taken a closer look, questions have arisen, as has a feeling that Oliver’s not for everyone.
5. Devin White, Stack LB, LSU
Height: 6' 0" | Weight: 240 pounds
He’s not as instinctive as Roquan Smith and may not be quite the college player Smith was, but his athletic traits are superior to Smith’s, which is really saying something. And that’s why White is seen as a potential Pro Bowler as a middle linebacker.
6. Jeffrey Simmons, DT, Mississippi State
Height: 6' 3" | Weight: 300 pounds
Simmons’s assault of a woman when he was in high school was caught on video, and will be a big part of his story in the spring. The other side of it? The staff in Starkville swears by him, and he has become an elite player.
7. Josh Allen, OLB/DE, Kentucky
Height: 6' 4" | Weight: 255 pounds
He’s a good example of a kid who benefitted big-time from staying in school. Allen has grown into the kind of linebacker who can play both on and off the line of scrimmage and (like Tremaine Edmunds last year); teams will have to figure out just what he is as a pro.
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8. Greedy Williams, CB, LSU
Height: 6' 3" | Weight: 185 pounds
Williams is tall and talented, which would make him a fit for Seattle-style defenses. But he’s also not the most physical corner; there will probably be varying opinions here.
9. Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon
Height: 6' 5" | Weight: 230 pounds
Will he stay? Will he go? I tend to think the fact that it may be easier to be the first quarterback taken this year than it will be next year could affect his decision, and drive him to go pro. For right now, Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins would be chasing Herbert, if both come out.
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10. Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson
Height: 6' 4" | Weight: 265 pounds
He’s not outrageously talented, but he has good enough physical traits. Ferrell is just a really good player with great instincts as a pass rusher.
11. Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia
Height: 5' 11" | Weight: 185 pounds
Like Greedy, Baker is not for everyone, but for different reasons. He’s tough, and savvy, and a ballhawk who will likely be ready to play right away. The drawback? He’s short.
12. Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson
Height: 6' 3" | Weight: 315 pounds
Wilkins is an athletic freak who some evaluators believe could actually pitch in on offense, too (he plays some goal-line tailback—not fullback, tailback). Most of the questions on him surround how he plays the run. But he can certainly wreak havoc in the passing game.
13. Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama
Height: 6' 5" | Weight: 300 pounds
There’s a legit question of what position he’ll play in the pros, with a bunch answers on the table—he’s a college left tackle who might project to right tackle or inside. Whether Williams can man the left side or not, there’ll be a place for him in the league.
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14. Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn
Height: 6' 4" | Weight: 325 pounds
Another big run-stuffing type that has the athletic potential to become more than that.
15. Raekwon Davis, DL, Alabama
Height: 6' 6" | Weight: 315 pounds
Where Quinnen Williams is the man creating the havoc inside, Davis is the probably more experienced and complete player, stout against the run and capable of disruption as a rusher. His ceiling may not be as high, but he should be a very solid pro.
16. Dre’Mont Jones, DT, Ohio State
Height: 6' 2" | Weight: 290 pounds
A classic 3-technique with a ton of upside, Jones plays his tail off and has his best football ahead of him. He should evolve into a disruptive force on someone’s defensive line pretty quickly.
17. Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson
Height: 6' 3" | Weight: 350 pounds
Lawrence is probably the best run defender in the draft, and an absolute mountain of a man. So why is he so far down the list, despite being on the national radar since his true freshman season? The feeling is that might be all he is—and, as such, maybe a two-down player.
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18. Greg Little, OT, Ole Miss
Height: 6' 6" | Weight: 320 pounds
A five-star recruit coming out of high school, Little is a giant who looks like he was put on earth to play left tackle. His tape, to those high expectations, is more up and down than scouts would like. But the supply/demand dynamic for linemen in the NFL will help Little big-time.
19. Devin Bush, Stack LB, Michigan
Height: 5' 11" | Weight: 230 pounds
Bush’s performance, motor, leadership, athleticism … none of that is questioned. If he was bigger, we might be putting him in the same category as Devin White, as a three-down linebacker. As it is, he’s listed at 5' 11" and 230 pounds, and the suspicion is he’s smaller than that.
20. Noah Fant, TE, Iowa
Height: 6' 5" | Weight: 240 pounds
Fant’s talent is hard to deny, and as a receiver it really is all there. If it was just about that, he’d be a slam-dunk first-round pick. But he clashed some with coaches, and hasn’t always been the most enthusiastic blocker.
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