The MMQB’s Mega Mock Draft
For weeks, The MMQB staff has been making their best educated guesses on how they think the first round of the 2019 NFL draft will play out. So with just one day left before the start of Round 1, we present a different kind of mock draft.
Here, we compile the picks of our staff’s last five mock drafts—Albert Breer on April 22, Jenny Vrentas on April 17, Conor Orr on April 10, Robert Klemko on April 3 and Kalyn Kahler on March 27—all in one place, allowing the reader to easily see our most recent predictions for every team’s pick(s). The explanations below are pulled from the writer’s mock. Plenty of things have changed since these mocks were published, most notably the Chiefs trading away their 2019 first-round pick and ’20 second-rounder to the Seahawks in exchange for DE Frank Clark, and the draft rumors continue to fly. None of these mocks account for Seattle picking at No. 29, so keep that in mind.
We’ll have one more mock draft tomorrow ahead of the start of the first round. Until then...
1. Arizona Cardinals
ALBERT BREER: Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma
JENNY VRENTAS: Murray
CONOR ORR: Murray
ROBERT KLEMKO: *PROJECTED TRADE* Oakland drafts Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma
KALYN KAHLER: Murray
From Klemko’s mock draft: Arizona would be setting up a rookie QB for failure considering the current state of their offensive line and receivers. Instead, the Cardinals should be trying to get multiple draft picks in the first round, not a replacement for Josh Rosen after just one season. I think the Cardinals have been working overtime to project interest in Murray here, knowing he’s the most dynamic offensive prospect in this draft and that some other team will fall in love with him during this process. That team will be the Raiders, and they’ll give up the No. 4 pick, one of their late first-rounders and another pick down the road to draft Murray.
2. San Francisco 49ers
BREER: Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State
VRENTAS: Bosa
ORR: Bosa
KLEMKO: Bosa
KAHLER: Bosa
Breer: The Niners have done all the requisite work on Nick Bosa—taking him out in Columbus after his pro day, and bringing him to San Francisco for a ‘30’ visit. I also know that they have pretty extensive background on how he’ll fit coordinator Robert Salah’s defense. Remember, Nick’s older brother Joey plays for Salah’s old boss/mentor, Chargers DC Gus Bradley. The affection here for Bosa has been no secret, and he’d amp up an already formidable front.
3. New York Jets
BREER: Ed Oliver, DT, Houston
VRENTAS: Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama
ORR: Josh Allen, DE/OLB, Kentucky
KLEMKO: Allen
KAHLER: *PROJECTED TRADE* Giants draft Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State
Kahler: History shows us that quarterback rise in the draft. Here, we're projecting that the Giants will trade their sixth overall pick to the Jets along with their second-round pick (37th overall) and their 2020 first-round pick to trade up to three spots to ensure they get their guy. (I ran the scenario by a source who said that package of picks would probably get the job done.) I’m not buying the report that the Giants aren’t interested in Haskins. I ran that idea by several scouts from different teams and each thought it was nonsense. New York brought a large contingent to his pro day, had dinner with him the night before and will be bringing him out to New Jersey for a visit. Haskins is more mobile than Eli Manning, and I think it would be crazy for the Giants to pass on him and wait another year to draft a quarterback.
4. Oakland Raiders
BREER: Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama
VRENTAS: Josh Allen, DE/OLB, Kentucky
ORR: Williams
KLEMKO: *PROJECTED TRADE* Arizona drafts Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida
KAHLER: Drew Lock, QB, Missouri
Klemko: Get started on elite protection for Rosen—or whomever the Cardinals draft in 2020 in the event Rosen is a dud in Year 2—by taking the best offensive lineman on the board. Taylor may just be the only offensive tackle in this draft without any major question marks. Snap up your franchise tackle and give Rosen a fighting chance.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
BREER: Devin White, LB, LSU
VRENTAS: White
ORR: White
KLEMKO: Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama
KAHLER: Williams
Orr: I think Todd Bowles would pound the table for a 10-year defensive signal caller who, according to SIS stats, was on the field for significantly more passing downs (450) than run snaps (344) in 2018, but still created QB pressure on almost 25 percent of his straight rushes. He is a player you can build a unit around. If Alvin Kamara and Christian McCaffrey are in your division, you arm yourself appropriately.
6. New York Giants
BREER: Josh Allen, DE/OLB, Kentucky
VRENTAS: Rashan Gary, EDGE, Michigan
ORR: Montez Sweat, EDGE, Mississippi State
KLEMKO: Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State
KAHLER: *PROJECTED TRADE* Jets draft Josh Allen, EDGE, Kentucky
Kahler: The Jets are badly in need of some defensive playmakers, especially in the pass rush. They failed to get Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr in free agency, so this need is still very much a priority. Allen improved more than any prospect during the 2018 college football season, and has the ability to step in and make an impact right away in Gregg Williams defense.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars
BREER: Jonah Williams, OT/OG, Alabama
VRENTAS: Williams
ORR: T.J. Hockenson, TE, Iowa
KLEMKO: Hockenson
KAHLER: Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida
Breer: This is where most teams expect the run on the three top tackles (Jonah Williams, Jawaan Taylor, Andre Dillard) to begin. And I’d heard it would be Taylor in this spot for forever—until the last few days. It’s been pointed out to me by a couple people how, after last year’s mess, Tom Coughlin plans to emphasize culture, and how Jonah Williams, even if he’s not a tackle, best works for that. Iowa TE T.J. Hockenson wouldn’t shock me here either. And early on, there was talk the Jags could be the surprise quarterback team. But I’ve heard a lot less of that lately.
8. Detroit Lions
BREER: T.J. Hockenson, TE, Iowa
VRENTAS: Hockenson
ORR: Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia
KLEMKO: Ed Oliver, DT, Houston
KAHLER: Montez Sweat, EDGE, Mississippi State
Vrentas: Lions fans still salty over Eric Ebron and Brandon Pettigrew will groan, but Hockenson is the do-it-all tight end that’s rare nowadays, able to contribute as both a blocker and a receiver. Offensive line could also be an option here, or a trade down, but Hockenson is one of the best player’s in this year’s draft. Scouts say he is more athletic on the field than his testing numbers indicate, plus, he comes with the endorsement of FOBT (Friend of the Belichick Tree) Kirk Ferentz.
9. Buffalo Bills
BREER: Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State
VRENTAS: Ed Oliver, DT, Houston
ORR: *PROJECTED TRADE*: Washington drafts Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State
KLEMKO: Jonah Williams, OT/OG, Alabama
KAHLER: Rashan Gary, DL, Michigan
Orr: After the Giants pass on Haskins, Washington makes a move. Fearing the Broncos and John Elway steal their man, they play it safe and take the kid who played his high school ball in nearby Potomac, Md. I don’t think they’re going to find themselves bad enough to get a top QB soon, but also not good enough to legitimize a rotating series of replacements behind Alex Smith.
10. Denver Broncos
BREER: Devin Bush, LB, Michigan
VRENTAS: Bush
ORR: Drew Lock, QB, Missouri
KLEMKO: Lock
KAHLER: Daniel Jones, QB, Duke
Vrentas: The Broncos don’t have to force anything at QB after trading for Joe Flacco. They have a glaring need at interior offensive line, so they could look to trade back in the first round for someone like NC State’s Garrett Bradbury. If they stay here, it would be hard to ignore Bush, whom some evaluators see as being neck and neck with White as the top linebackers in the class. Linebacker is a need for Denver, and behind White and Bush there’s a drop-off at the position, so it makes sense for the Broncos to address the spot early.
11. Cincinnati Bengals
BREER: Dwayne Haskins, QB Ohio State
VRENTAS: Daniel Jones, QB, Duke
ORR: Ed Oliver, DT, Houston
KLEMKO: Devin White, ILB, LSU
KAHLER: White
Kahler: The Bengals released linebacker Vontaze Burfict and didn’t do much to address the position in free agency. While his instincts at the position are still coming along (White was thought to be a better prospect at running back when he arrived at LSU), White has a chance to be a star at the next level.
12. Green Bay Packers
BREER: Noah Fant, TE, Iowa
VRENTAS: Jawaan Taylor, T, Florida
ORR: Brian Burns, EDGE, Florida State
KLEMKO: Fant
KAHLER: T.J. Hockenson, TE, Iowa
Klemko: With Jimmy Graham (32 years old) entering the home stretch of his career, adding a player like Fant to an already explosive offense could be the move that puts the Packers over the hump and back in the Super Bowl conversation.
13. Miami Dolphins
BREER: Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson
VRENTAS: Wilkins
ORR: Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State
KLEMKO: Montez Sweat, EDGE, Mississippi State
KAHLER: Ed Oliver, DT, Houston
Breer: The Dolphins are wide open here, and building with the long-term in mind. That said, an offensive or defensive lineman makes sense. And I’ve been told that finding a cultural fit will be a priority for new coach Brian Flores. Good thing there’s a guy who really fits that here. This is another trade down possibility, and maybe a spot where someone comes up for an offensive tackle, but we’ve got Miami making the pick…
14. Atlanta Falcons
BREER: Brian Burns, DE, Florida State
VRENTAS: Montez Sweat, EDGE, Mississippi State
ORR: Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson
KLEMKO: Burns
KAHLER: Wilkins
Orr: Wilkins fits well in a defense that conceptualizes itself as a 4–3 scheme. For years, I’ve had the perpetual feeling that Atlanta’s defense is one more special player away from unlocking it completely. Wilkins adds that extra ingredient.
15. Washington Redskins
BREER: Drew Lock, QB, Missouri
VRENTAS: Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State
ORR: *PROJECTED TRADE*: Buffalo (from Washington) drafts Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida
KLEMKO: D.K. Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss
KAHLER: Brian Burns, DE, Florida State
Kahler: With Case Keenum coming in, there’s less pressure to draft a quarterback in Washington (though I think they could be in the running if Josh Rosen is traded). After losing Preston Smith in free agency to the Packers, Washington needs an edge rushing replacement, and they’ll get that with Burns.
16. Carolina Panthers
BREER: Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida
VRENTAS: Brian Burns, EDGE, Florida State
ORR: D.K. Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss
KLEMKO: Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State
KAHLER: Clelin Ferrell, EDGE, Clemson
Orr: Personally, a pick that scares me a little bit given his tendency to run so many deep routes. Still, the Panthers have preferred to pair Cam Newton with large, physical receivers through the years. Metcalf is a game-changer in that he uses his size better than any of their previous options.
17. New York Giants (from Cleveland)
BREER: Daniel Jones, QB, Duke
VRENTAS: Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State
ORR: Clelin Ferrell, EDGE, Clemson
KLEMKO: Rashan Gary, DL, Michigan
KAHLER: D.K. Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss
Vrentas: We know how Dave Gettleman loves hog mollies. After going with an edge rusher early in the round, he could address the opposite front here. Dillard played left tackle at Washington, but NFL evaluators had him try out the right side during Senior Bowl practices.
18. Minnesota Vikings
BREER: Chris Lindstrom, OG, Boston College
VRENTAS: Garrett Bradbury, C, N.C. State
ORR: Jonah Williams, OT/G, Alabama
KLEMKO: Cody Ford, OL, Oklahoma
KAHLER: Williams
Breer: I really think Mike Zimmer would love to see the Vikings tap into the defensive talent available in this draft here, and address the offensive line later. I just think, based on the way this seems to be going, they won’t be able to afford to wait to take one. And there’s one here who would work well for them.
19. Tenessee Titans
BREER: Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson
VRENTAS: Irv Smith, Jr., TE, Alabama
ORR: Marquise Brown, WR, Oklahoma
KLEMKO: Ferrell
KAHLER: Devin Bush, LB, Michigan
Klemko: The Titans and their pedestrian pass rush benefit from a tremendously deep class of edge rushers.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers
BREER: Rock Ya-Sin, CB, Temple
VRENTAS: Greedy Williams, CB, LSU
ORR: Williams
KLEMKO: Williams
KAHLER: Williams
Vrentas:This might seem late for the first cornerback to go in today’s pass-happy NFL, but as one GM put it, “if you want a corner high, it’s not an ideal spot to be in.” In other words, the value for cornerbacks is in the second half of the first round. Williams is a lanky guy who some believe has the best chance in this class to be a shut-down guy, though his lack of physicality may be what keeps him on the board this long.
21. Seattle Seahawks
BREER: Rashan Gary, DE, Michigan
VRENTAS: Clelin Ferrell, EDGE, Clemson
ORR: N’Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State
KLEMKO: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, S, Florida
KAHLER: Taylor Rapp, S, Washington
Breer: The potential trade of Frank Clark
would push a need to re-stock the defensive line, and there’s opportunity here for GM John Schneider to roll the dice on a couple guys who are seen as risky. He’s never been shy about doing that, so I’ll see him swinging for the fences on this one.
22. Baltimore Ravens
BREER: Cody Ford, OG, Oklahoma
VRENTAS: D.K. Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss
ORR: Devin Bush, LB, Michigan
KLEMKO: Bush
KAHLER: Garrett Bradbury, C, NC State
Klemko: If he's still around at this point, the Ravens get a sideline-to-sideline linebacker to build around as they move on from C.J. Mosley and Eric Weddle and become a more traditional defense less reliant on zone blitzes improvised on the fly.
23. Houston Texans
BREER: Eric McCoy, C/G, Texas A&M
VRENTAS: Cody Ford, OT/G, Oklahoma
ORR: Ford
KLEMKO: Garrett Bradbury, C/G, NC State
KAHLER: Ford
Vrentas: This one’s simple: Best available offensive lineman, for the love of Deshaun Watson.
24. Oakland Raiders (from Chicago)
BREER: Josh Jacobs, RB, Alabama
VRENTAS: Noah Fant, TE, Iowa
ORR: Jacobs
KLEMKO: *PROJECTED TRADE* Arizona drafts Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson
KAHLER: Jacobs
Orr: Long term, Oakland is going to need to establish a running game identity beyond Marshawn Lynch. Courtesy of Sports Info Solutions, some stats Jon Gruden might like: Jacobs averaged almost seven yards per carry on inside carries each of the last two years. And more than 30 broken tackles per season at Alabama.
25. Philadelphia Eagles
BREER: Montez Sweat, DE, Mississippi State
VRENTAS: Marquise Brown, WR, Oklahoma
ORR: Byron Murphy, CB, Washington
KLEMKO: Nasir Adderley, S, Delaware
KAHLER: Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia
Kahler: The Eagles secondary was hurt by injuries in 2018, so I expect them to target cornerback depth as a major need. Scouts love Baker’s instincts in coverage.
26. Indianapolis Colts
BREER: Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi State
VRENTAS: Simmons
ORR: Rashan Gary, EDGE, Michigan
KLEMKO: N’Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State
KAHLER: Marquise Brown, WR, Oklahoma
Breer: Chris Ballard is coming off a generational draft in 2018, and was able to effectively patch up the team’s biggest needs in free agency—adding Devin Funchess at receiver and Justin Houston as an edge rusher—which allows the team to go get a guy who would be, perhaps, right there with Bosa and Quinnen Williams on tape alone. But an ugly incident in high school and torn ACL are part of the file here, of course.
27. Oakland Raiders (from Dallas)
BREER: Irv Smith, TE, Alabama
VRENTAS: *PROJECTED TRADE* Denver drafts Drew Lock, QB, Missouri
ORR: *PROJECTED TRADE*: N.Y. Giants draft Daniel Jones, QB, Duke
KLEMKO: Byron Murphy, CB, Washington
KAHLER: Jaylon Ferguson, EDGE, Louisiana Tech
Orr: His collegiate coach, David Cutcliffe, promised Sports Illustrated Jones is going in the first round. Jones doubled down by confirming he’d be in the green room on draft day. I think if the Giants see him hanging around, they use their stockpile of picks to slide ahead of another team with an aging QB who might also be in the market.
28. Los Angeles Chargers
BREER: Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson
VRENTAS: Rock Ya-Sin, CB, Temple
ORR: Garrett Bradbury, C, NC State
KLEMKO: Dalton Risner, OL, Kansas State
KAHLER: Will Grier, QB, West Virginia
Vrentas: His name only recently began appearing in first-round mock drafts, but I think teams like him more than the media does. While some of the other corners in play in the first round have question marks in various areas, Ya-Sin is solid across the board.
29. Kansas City Chiefs*
*The Chiefs traded the No. 29 pick to the Seahawks as part of the Frank Clark trade.
BREER: Garrett Bradbury, C, NC State
VRENTAS: Byron Murphy, CB, Washington
ORR: Johnathan Abram, S, Mississippi State
KLEMKO: Jeffrey Simmons, DT, Mississippi State
KAHLER: Lonnie Johnson, CB, Kentucky
Orr: One touchdown allowed in 2018, has experience at both safety spots and would theoretically complement Tyrann Mathieu well in Kansas City. This is a defense that needs smart, quick-thinkers in the secondary.
30. Green Bay Packers (from New Orleans)
BREER: Marquise Brown, WR, Oklahoma
VRENTAS: A.J. Brown, WR, Ole Miss
ORR: Terry McLaurin, WR, Ohio State
KLEMKO: Johnathan Abram, S, Mississippi State
KAHLER: Jeffrey Simmons, DT, Mississippi State
Breer:Again, I think they’ll address the offensive line at some point. And this may well be that point. But I also know that Matt LaFleur’s offense needs a burner, like he had in Taylor Gabriel in Atlanta, and Sammy Watkins in L.A. And Hollywood is still on the board here.
31. Los Angeles Rams
BREER: Elgton Jenkins, G/C, Mississippi State
VRENTAS: Chris Lindstrom, G, Boston College
ORR: Jerry Tillery, DT, Notre Dame
KLEMKO: Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia
KAHLER: Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson
Kahler: Lawrence is primarily an early-down run-stuffer, but he has a rare combination of size and athleticism and has flashed upside in the pass-rush. His gargantuan body type is really hard to find (6' 4", 350 lbs.), and if Ndamukong Suh doesn’t return, Lawrence could fill a hole on the interior.
32. New England Patriots
BREER: Joejuan Williams, DB, Vanderbilt
VRENTAS: Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson
ORR: Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi State
KLEMKO: Daniel Jones, QB, Duke
KAHLER: Noah Fant, TE, Iowa
Breer: Bill Belichick is always looking ahead, and he mentioned in his pre-draft press conference the need to match up with bigger receivers and athletic tight ends. The Patriots have had Patrick Chung in that role for a while. They could find another, bigger version of him. And I think that’s what they’ll see in this guy, rather than just lining up as a corner like most are doing.
Question or comment? Email us at talkback@themmqb.com.
