NFL Draft Big Board: The Pre-Combine Top 50
Rankings are based on the reporting of Kalyn Kahler. Player bios written by Gary Gramling.
1. Nick Bosa, EDGE, Ohio State
Height: 6' 4" | Weight: 265 pounds
He’s flexible and fast enough to dip and bend around the edge, quick and powerful enough to line up inside and shoot gaps as an interior rusher, and has the heavy hands to bully blockers. Bosa is enough of an athlete to make the transition to 3-4 outside linebacker. No one cares about his decision to leave school mid-season. As long as his core muscle injury checks out fine at the combine (as expected), he’s the top overall prospect of the 2019 draft.
2. Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama
Height: 6' 3" | Weight: 295 pounds
There is probably no such thing as a “next Aaron Donald,” but Williams comes close. His initial quickness, flexibility, hand usage and motor make him exceptionally slippery. A first-year starter in 2018, he was facing constant double teams by the second half of the year and was still often unblockable. Despite limited playing time at Alabama, his instincts are exceptional. He has an innate feel for locating the ball—no one trips up quarterbacks trying to escape the front of the pocket more often than Williams does. He should be an immediate quality starter with All-Pro potential.
3. Josh Allen, EDGE, Kentucky
Height: 6' 5" | Weight: 260 pounds
The most improved player among 2019 draft prospects, Allen added weight going into his senior year but didn’t sacrifice any athleticism. He enters the NFL with an advanced array of pass-rush moves to go along with the initial quickness, bendability and closing speed to become a dominant pass-rusher off the edge. He has also proven capable of dropping into coverage. He’d be ideal as a 3-4 outside linebacker, but 4-3 teams will figure out a way to use him because of his pass-rush value.
4. Rashan Gary, EDGE, Michigan
Height: 6' 4" | Weight: 280 pounds
He’s a bit like 2019’s answer to Jadeveon Clowney, an elite talent whose collegiate production doesn’t match up with his traits. Effort is not an issue—Gary is a relentless battler with a motor as good as anyone’s. There’s a lack of refinement in his game though, as he primarily relies on his explosive athleticism to try to go through blockers and little else. He might ultimately be better as an early-down edge defender who reduces inside as a pass-rusher. The bottom line is that there are few prospects with this combination of size, strength and explosive athleticism. It will be up to a coaching staff to get the most out of him at the next level.
5. Ed Oliver, DT, Houston
Height: 6' 3" | Weight: 290 pounds
You wish he was a little bigger, but he moves like a linebacker 50 pounds lighter. Oliver faced three years of double-teams at Houston and has the quickness and athleticism to disrupt as a 3-technique, even if he gives some ground as a run defender. Medicals will be key in regards to the knee injury that cost him a chunk of last season. Teams will have to figure out what they think of the Jacket-Gate scandal with now-former Houston coach Major Applewhite, a proud moment for everyone involved.
6. Devin White, STACK LB, LSU
Height: 6' 1" | Weight: 240 pounds
He doesn’t quite have the instincts of last year’s top linebacker prospect, Bears rising star Roquan Smith, but White is bigger and just as fast. He’s still learning the position—he was considered a top recruit as a running back before moving to defense full-time his freshman year at LSU—and made major strides as a junior. His football character will encourage NFL evaluators, and if he stays on this trajectory White has a chance to be a special player at the next level.
7. Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State
Height: 6' 3" | Weight: 220 pounds
For any viewers of ESPN’s late-morning programming, you could argue Haskins is “more of a runner than a thrower”—between trying to catch the bus, racing friends at recess in second grade, etc., over the course of his nearly 22 years on the planet he probably has run more than he’s thrown things. However, from a quarterbacking standpoint, he’s probably as close to a classic pocket passer as you’ll find among modern-era quarterbacks. Haskins is a power thrower with the willingness to test tight windows, and can get the ball into those tight spots with velocity even after he’s moved off his spot. He’s a quiet mover within the pocket, keeping his eyes downfield and moving through progressions with good tempo. He’s also a serviceable athlete who can pick up yards as an occasional scrambler and can probably be used—sparingly—on read-option plays. There’s always concern with one-year starters, as opponents haven’t had a chance to truly dissect their games and scheme to take away their strengths, but Haskins encouragingly bounced back from a mid-season lull and finished strong. He’s the top QB prospect in this class.
8. Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson
Height: 6' 3" | Weight: 310 pounds
An electric athlete at 300-plus pounds, Wilkins was considered a team leader on a dominant Clemson defense and should immediately provide an interior disruptor who can wreck the backfield. He has some limits against the run, but that’s a trade off most teams can live with.
9. Josh Jacobs, RB, Alabama
Height: 5' 10" | Weight: 215 pounds
Jacobs has the blend of speed and power you look for in an early-down workhorse. He’s also a natural as a pass-catcher, solid in the screen game and showing the ability to pluck it away from his frame like a receiver when working downfield. He logged only 299 touches in his three seasons at Alabama—there’s plenty of tread left on the tires—though a workhorse load could be an adjustment after just one 20-carry game in his collegiate career.
10. T.J. Hockenson, TE, Iowa
Height: 6' 5" | Weight: 250 pounds
An athletic tight end who also blocks people? It’s true! Hockenson has a blend of athleticism and physicality rarely seen in collegiate tight ends. He’s going to be a plus in the run game, and he’s a pass-catching threat too, a fluid mover with the ability to create separation and tough to bring down with the ball in his hands.
11. Montez Sweat, EDGE, Mississippi State
Height: 6' 6" | Weight: 250 pounds
He’s still a work-in-progress, and Sweat’s lack of ideal bend and limited hand use too often lead to him getting pushed past the pocket. But his combination of length (nearly 36-inch arms at the Senior Bowl weigh-in!), explosive athleticism and high motor add up to the makings of an impact edge rusher.
12. Greedy Williams, CB, LSU
Height: 6' 2" | Weight: 182 pounds
A long, fluid and fast cover corner, Williams has the physical traits and ball skills to be a dominant “Seattle-style” corner. Though opponents are going to test his willingness to tackle early on.
13. Jonah Williams, OT/G, Alabama
Height: 6' 5" | Weight: 300 pounds
Williams’s combination of good physical traits and great understanding of angles and technique should allow him to hold up at tackle in the NFL. A team might prefer to try him inside, where he has the traits and toughness to become a star, and where his lack of ideal length and top-end athleticism will be mitigated.
14. Jachai Polite, EDGE, Florida
Height: 6' 2" | Weight: 240 pounds
An absolute burner off the edge, Polite is a twitched-up mover and absolutely frenetic as a pass rusher, highlighted by a Freeney-esque spin move. The question is finding an ideal weight to play at, as he profiles as more of a third-down specialist at his current size but might be sacrificing that tremendous speed if he bulks up.
15. Kyler Murray, QB/CF, Oklahoma
Height: 5' 10" | Weight: 195 pounds
Murray is an electrifying talent, not only breathtaking with the ball in his hands but a strong-armed, cerebral passer who was able to negotiate throwing lanes within the pocket at the college level and torch defenses downfield when extending plays outside the pocket. He was aided by an outstanding collegiate system, and the geometry of the NFL is different—space is at a premium due to the centered hashmarks and the speed of defenders (not to mention a more evenly dispersed talent pool). Vision from the pocket, the most efficient and effective launching point for pass designs, will be an issue. Of the 37 quarterbacks 6' 1" or shorter to finish top-10 in Heisman voting since Doug Flutie in 1984 and not be moved off the position before the draft, only nine became NFL starters, and the number who became stars (or are on a trajectory to become stars) can be counted on one hand (Vick, Brees, Wilson, Mayfield). Murray will have to protect himself even more aggressively than Russell Wilson does as his build is not as sturdy. But Murray’s out-of-structure playmaking ability makes him capable of busting the most well-schemed defenses. If he (likely with the help of a strong interior offensive line) is also a quality player within the pocket at the next level, he’ll be special.
16. Jawaan Taylor, OT/G, Florida
Height: 6' 5" | Weight: 335 pounds
A massive right tackle who dropped weight over the course of his collegiate career, Taylor is a very good mover for his size, capable of holding up on the outside. He also packs the kind of power to dominate in the run game. He could have a future at guard, where he could be a star if he can adjust to the cerebral requirements of the position.
17. Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia
Height: 5' 11" | Weight: 180 pounds
An undersized but ultra-competitive press corner, Baker can stay with anyone underneath. But his average speed and below-average size could make him a liability covering downfield—he might be relegated to Cover-2 defenses where he has help over the top.
18. Marquise Brown, WR, Oklahoma
Height: 5' 9" | Weight: 160 pounds
One of the fastest players in this draft class, Brown will at least be capable of taking the top off a defense. He is also dangerous as a RAC threat in space, capable of delivering big plays when the ball gets into his hands early. Those two attributes alone make him a high-floor prospect in a class full of boom-or-bust receiver prospects. But he’s small with a thin frame that can’t carry much more weight—that could preclude him from being a more complete receiver at the next level.
19. Cody Ford, OT/G, Oklahoma
Height: 6' 4" | Weight: 335 pounds
Ford dropped weight and delivered a breakout season stepping in for Orlando Brown at left tackle last year. His future might be inside, where he made his seven starts as a freshman and sophomore. He’s exceptionally nimble for his size, but offers more value as a mauling run-blocker than pass protector, where he could be exposed by NFL speed on the edge.
20. Dre’Mont Jones, DT, Ohio State
Height: 6' 3" | Weight: 285 pounds
He continues to grow from pure athlete to football player, putting together a breakout year as a junior. Jones is purely an upfield penetrator who will be restricted to playing 3-technique in a 4-3 defense, but interior disruptors are in demand in the modern NFL. He’ll be a nice consolation prize for anyone who had their heart set on Ed Oliver.
21. Drew Lock, QB, Missouri
Height: 6' 33⁄4" | Weight: 225 pounds
His arm talent is as good as anyone’s in this class; he’ll stress defenses vertically and horizontally with his arm and has the athleticism to threaten with his legs, extending plays as a passer and picking up yardage as a runner (867 yards and 6.1 per-rushing attempt for his collegiate career). Shaky receiver play cut into his completion percentage early in his career (54.5% as a freshman through junior, 62.9% last year), but Lock is also streaky due to some bad habits that keep popping up. He has a Flacco/Cutler-like habit to drift back for no particular reason and rely solely on that arm talent. A career 52.5 completion percentage and 13-to-14 TD/INT ratio over 10 career games against ranked opponents is concerning as well.
22. Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson
Height: 6' 4" | Weight: 350 pounds
A rare athlete at 350 pounds, Lawrence dominates as a run defender—a decade ago, he would have been a top-10 lock. He flashes as a pass-rusher but his development in that area seemed to stagnate (6.5 sacks as a freshman, 3.5 combined as a sophomore and junior). At worse, he’s an early-down force who comes off the field on obvious passing downs, but an NFL position coach might be able to unlock some more third-down value.
23. Clelin Ferrell, EDGE, Clemson
Height: 6' 4" | Weight: 265 pounds
He has good size, good athleticism, good power—he’s a good player with enough bend to threaten the edge. Ferrell is not an elite athlete and it’s fair to wonder how much playing alongside Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence helped, but he would seem to be a safe pick, likely to become a quality No. 2 edge player with a chance to emerge as a star in his own right.
24. Devin Bush, STACK LB, Michigan
Height: 5' 10" | Weight: 230 pounds
His father (and namesake) was a 1995 first-round pick of Atlanta and member of the 1999 Super Bowl champion Rams as a safety, and Bush is a similar kind of athlete (including the defensive back size). He’s an instinctive, rangy inside linebacker who also brings value on third downs in coverage and as a blitzer. He’ll just need to be covered up due to the lack of size.
25. Nasir Adderley, S, Delaware
Height: 5' 117⁄8" | Weight: 195 pounds
The cousin of Hall of Fame defensive back Herb Adderley, Nasir Adderley played cornerback and safety at Delaware. He is fluid, rangy ball hawk in centerfield, and capable of matching up in man coverage with most slot receivers. He also has a physical edge despite being on the small side for a safety. His instincts are good, though he got away with the occasional misstep against FCS offenses—teams might worry about having him as the last line of defense early in his career.
26. Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State
Height: 6' 47⁄8" | Weight: 310 pounds
The closest thing to a classic “left tackle” prospect in this class, Dillard has the requisite length and athleticism to mirror speed on the outside. The question is functional strength. He’ll appeal to pass-happy offenses (i.e. 90% of the current NFL).
27. Brian Burns, EDGE, Florida State
Height: 6' 5" | Weight: 225 pounds
A long, lanky and flexible edge bender, Burns should make an immediate impact as a pass-rusher. However, his lack of bulk limits him as a run defender.
28. D.K. Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss
Height: 6' 4" | Weight: 225 pounds
Medicals (a foot injury as a freshman and a season-ending neck injury last year) are the only thing keeping Metcalf from being the consensus No. 1 receiver in this draft. He’s built like a linebacker and runs like a track star, but he also has the kind of short-area quickness rare in an athlete this long. He was limited to 21 games in his collegiate career and will need some developmental time, but at the very least he’ll take the top off a defense and make some plays on manufactured touches. (And in case it comes up on trivia night: He’s the son of long-time Bears offensive lineman Terrence Metcalf and nephew of former all-purpose back and all-time kickoff return yardage leader Eric Metcalf.)
29. Deionte Thompson, S, Alabama
Height: 6' 2" | Weight: 190 pounds
He became the leader of Alabama’s secondary in his only full season as a starter, and Thompson’s length and range as a centerfielder translates to the pros (even after the Tide’s shaky finish to last season). He might be an adventure early on, but more reps should lead to more consistency in his reads.
30. Daniel Jones, QB, Duke
Height: 6' 51⁄4" | Weight: 220 pounds
He probably has the lowest ceiling of the consensus top four QBs in this class—Jones has size, good athleticism, accuracy (including as a deep-ball thrower) and toughness in the pocket, but his arm strength is middling for an NFL starter. His pedigree as a David Cutcliffe product and connection to the Manning brothers will make teams feel good about his floor. He has some similarities to Mitchell Trubisky, capable of creating with his legs but increasingly inaccurate when moving on to second and third reads and picking up a lot of statistical production on RPOs and screens.
31. Noah Fant, TE, Iowa
Height: 6' 5" | Weight: 240 pounds
Fant is more of a super-sized wide receiver, occasionally (but not often) showing up as a run-blocker but consistently threatening as a receiving option. He’s a bit raw and needs to add some more physicality to his game at the catch point, but his speed allows him to run away from defenders on crossers and vertical routes, and he’s a threat to pick up chunks after the catch.
32. Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi State
Height: 6' 4" | Weight: 300 pounds
A torn ACL during draft prep will likely cost him his rookie year, but until the injury Simmons was a top-five prospect in this class. He has tree trunks for legs, overwhelming quickness and is an absolute maestro with his hands, a terror on twists and stunts up front. He has the tools to develop into a dominant player lining up at 3-technique or as a nose shade. Teams will have to look into a 2016 incident during which Simmons repeatedly struck a woman who was in a physical altercation with his sister (he pleaded no contest to simple assault).
33. Jerry Tillery, DT, Notre Dame
Height: 6' 6" | Weight: 305 pounds
An athletic and uniquely long interior line prospect, Tillery could be molded in a number of different ways, as a nose shade or 3-technique in an even front, or as a 3-4 end. Originally recruited as an offensive lineman, he’s still a work-in-progress on the defensive side of the ball. But when it clicked for him, he was dominant (see the wreckage he left in his wake against Stanford last September).
34. Byron Murphy, CB, Washington
Height: 5' 11" | Weight: 180 pounds
An undersized ball hawk who thrives in off coverage, Murphy played a lot of boundary corner despite his size at Washington. His instincts and quickness transitioning out of his backpedal allow him to get his hands on a lot of passes (a la former UW corner Marcus Peters). He’s also aggressive and physical as a tackler despite the lack of size. The question will be whether he has enough of a size/speed combination to play the boundary in the NFL, or if he’ll be relegated to the slot where his safety help is built in.
35. Irv Smith Jr., TE, Alabama
Height: 6' 4" | Weight: 240 pounds
The son of the former Saints first-round tight end of the same name, Smith has the speed to threaten up the seam and make plays running after the catch, and enough strength to play in-line and hold his own as a run blocker. He needs to become a little more nuanced as a receiver, as he made plays on contested catches but didn’t create a lot of separation against collegiate defenders. Still, his well-rounded game gives him a good chance to become a quality starter.
36. Greg Little, OT, Ole Miss
Height: 6' 6" | Weight: 320 pounds
He has the requisite combination of length, size and quickness to play tackle in the NFL, but Little plays with occasionally poor balance and an overall lack of functional strength. With more consistency, he’ll be a quality starter in the NFL.
37. N’Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State
Height: 6' 2" | Weight: 225 pounds
It’s tricky to project contested-catch specialists from college to the NFL, and Harry lacks the kind of explosive speed to play any other way at the next level. But it’s also hard to ignore the strength, body control and knack for making late adjustments downfield that made Harry a force at the collegiate level.
38. Mack Wilson, STACK LB, Alabama
Height: 6' 2" | Weight: 240 pounds
He’s a three-down inside linebacker, with the size and strength to thump on early downs and very good instincts when dropping into zone coverage with his eyes on the quarterback. He can be hesitant against misdirection and was too often late as a run defender last season. He has the physical traits to become a star, but has some work to do.
39. Taylor Rapp, S, Washington
Height: 6' 0" | Weight: 200 pounds
He’s not the rangiest free safety, but Rapp is instinctive and as sure an open-field tackler as you’ll find among this year’s DB prospects, playing bigger than his size. He might not be ideal as a single-high safety or an in-the-box thumper, but with his well-rounded skillset and football character he should be an early starter in a defense that utilizes split safeties and moves him around.
40. Trayvon Mullen, CB, Clemson
Height: 6' 1" | Weight: 185 pounds
Mullen is a long, Seattle-style corner who is physical at the line of scrimmage. He can be a little stiff when flipping his hips and had good-not-great long speed, putting him at risk of getting beat deep. It’s fair to wonder how much he was aided playing behind college football’s best front four last season. Still, he has a good blend of length and athleticism, and teams that emphasize length in their corners will see him as a fairly high-ceiling prospect.
41. A.J. Brown, WR, Ole Miss
Height: 6' 1" | Weight: 230 pounds
A big slot receiver at Ole Miss, Brown is a catch-and-run specialist who walls off defenders with his frame and picks up chunks of yards after the catch. He’s a fairly one-dimensional player, and some NFL teams will be scared off due to the struggles of Laquon Treadwell, a first-round bust from Ole Miss, but Brown’s blend of explosiveness and size are very appealing.
42. Rock Ya-Sin, CB, Temple
Height: 5' 113⁄4" | Weight: 190 pounds
A transfer from Presbyterian, Ya-Sin starred in his lone season at the FBS level. He’s at his best in off-coverage, where he shows good quickness and instincts, and he has enough speed and the long arms (323⁄8-inch arms at the Senior Bowl) to play press coverage as well. He brings scheme versatility and should be a starter early on in his career.
43. Kelvin Harmon, WR, N.C. State
Height: 6' 2" | Weight: 215 pounds
A contested-catch specialist, Harmon bullied defensive backs at the collegiate level. He has the size and physical nature (he’s aggressive with his hands at the catch point, sometimes to the point of daring officials to flag him), to become a force in the pros as he adds some nuance to his route running.
44. Johnathan Abram, S, Mississippi State
Height: 5' 111⁄2" | Weight: 205 pounds
More of an undersized linebacker, Abram will make an immediate impact playing the run as a box safety and as an open-field tackler. The question is whether or not he’ll hold up in coverage—he might be relegated to more of a sub-package linebacker role on third downs.
45. Joejuan Williams, CB, Vanderbilt
Height: 6' 3" | Weight: 210 pounds
He’s raw, and he has some of the problems typical of tall corners (chance-of-direction issues). But Williams is a fluid athlete with the long arms and play strength to dominate as a press corner. His ceiling is high if coached up properly.
46. Garrett Bradbury, C, N.C. State
Height: 6' 27⁄8" | Weight: 305 pounds
He’s on the small side and a bit underpowered—massive NFL nose tackles will give him problems. But Bradbury is an outstanding athlete and thrives on reach blocks. Along with his high football IQ, he has star potential in a scheme heavy on outside-zone runs.
47. Julian Love, CB, Notre Dame
Height: 5' 11" | Weight: 190 pounds
Undersized but quick-footed and competitive, Love was one of the best cover corners in college football last year. He got run by a couple times in college and might not have the long speed to play outside at his size, but he could become one of the league’s better slot corners in coverage and is much better in run support than his size suggests.
48. Jaylon Ferguson, EDGE, Louisiana Tech
Height: 6' 43⁄8" | Weight: 255 pounds
He broke Terrell Suggs’s FBS career sacks record, and Ferguson has the speed, power and length to become a quality pass-rusher in the NFL. He converts speed to power and effectively uses his length to keep blockers out of his frame. He doesn’t have elite athletic traits and might be a bit undersized to play with his hand in the dirt as a 4-3 end, but should develop into at least a quality No. 2 edge rusher.
49. Damien Harris, RB, Alabama
Height: 5' 10" | Weight: 215 pounds
He got lost a bit in Alabama’s overcrowded backfield, but Harris has a solid all-around skillset. He runs with proper patience and tempo, good balance and consistently falls forward. He’s a reliable check-down option and excellent in pass protection. He’s not a foundational back, but he can be a workhorse and reliable cog in an offense.
50. Dalton Risner, G/C, Kansas State
Height: 6' 45⁄8" | Weight: 310 pounds
Risner started his career at center before moving to right tackle for the past three seasons. He’s an average athlete, but his toughness, strong base, heavy hands and recognition skills would translate well inside, where he’s more likely to become a quality starter.
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