2019 NFL Draft - Pro Football Rumors

Extra Points: 2019 NFL Draft, Stidham, Lock, Redskins, Phillips, Seahawks, Fluker, Sweezy

January 25th, 2019 at 9:54pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The NFL combine is right around the corner, and the draft isn’t too far away. With that in mind, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report spoke to some league talent evaluators, and had a few interesting nuggets on the quarterbacks in this year’s class. A “lead AFC personnel man” told Miller that Missouri quarterback Drew Lock “really helped himself” during this week’s Senior Bowl practices, and could be the top quarterback selected this April.

The same personnel guy told Miller that Duke quarterback Daniel Jones helped himself as well, and that his mechanics looked good in practice. Miller writes that Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham also boosted his stock this week, and that three scouts told him Stidham could even climb into the end of the first round. Stidham has been projected as a Day 2 guy in most mock drafts, so that would be a pretty significant leap for him.

Here’s more from around the league this Friday night:

The Redskins made a coaching move this evening, and it could end up impacting the Rams. Washington hired Brian Angelichio to be their tight ends coach, the team announced in a tweet, and he’ll be replacing Wes Phillips on Jay Gruden’s staff. Phillips is the son of NFL-lifer and current Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets that Phillips is a “potential fit” in Los Angeles. Rapsheet notes that the Rams will be in need of a quarterbacks coach when Zac Taylor officially departs to become the Bengals’ new head coach, and notes that Phillips will be “one to watch.” Wade has become one of the funniest and most personable coordinators in the league the past couple of years, and a Phillips family reunion would be a lot of fun.
The Seahawks’ offensive line was a big part of their success this year, as they helped pave the way for their first productive ground game in years. Now Seattle will have to make some decisions on whether they want to keep last year’s line intact. Starting guards D.J. Fluker and J.R Sweezy are both scheduled to be unrestricted free agents this spring, and Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times writes that the team “would like to keep both and will work to get that done.” Both players received below average grades from Pro Football Focus, but Seattle was apparently happy enough with their play.
In case you missed it, an update on the latest assistant coaching moves.

Latest On Ole Miss WR D.K. Metcalf

January 25th, 2019 at 12:51pm CST by Zachary Links

Ole Miss wide receiver D.K. Metcalf has been cleared for all football activity with no limitations, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The projected first-round pick underwent neck surgery last October, but it sounds like his issue will not hinder his draft stock.

Already, Metcalf has begun training for the draft combine and he will participate in all activities once he arrives in Indianapolis. There may be some rust to shake off, but he has roughly one month before things get underway on Feb. 26.

Metcalf’s true freshman season ended after just two games thanks to a broken foot, but he returned in 2017 to average 16.6 yards per catch and score seven touchdowns. In 2018, he was averaging 21.9 yards per grab and notched five TDs in seven games before he was shut down for the season. His injury history will be a concern, but he’s still expected to be among this year’s top draft prospects.

“He’s raw, but there’s a lot of upside because he’s so big and talented,” an NFL scout told Yahoo Sports last year. “He’ll probably go in the second round because he’s so talented. He’s going to kill workouts, and he’s a good kid and football is important to him. I’d be shocked if the health checks out if he lasts past the second round.”

NFL Announces Early Entries For Draft

January 18th, 2019 at 12:20pm CST by Zachary Links

This year, 103 underclassmen have been granted eligibility for the 2019 NFL Draft, the league announced. It’s a near record-setter – last year, 106 players declared early entry for the 2018 draft.

Click below for the full rundown, in alphabetical order:

Kyler Murray Enters NFL Draft

January 14th, 2019 at 2:45pm CST by Zachary Links

The reigning Heisman Trophy winner says he wants to play in the NFL. On Monday, Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray announced that he has entered the 2019 NFL Draft, which likely means forgoing an opportunity to play professional baseball and join the Oakland A’s.

In theory, Murray can still alter his plans and join up with the A’s, who may be willing to rework his contract in order to match his potential earning power in the NFL. But, if Murray can convince teams that he is absolutely serious about playing football, he may be able to put himself in the first-round mix, which would result in a hefty four-year guarantee.

Right now, NFL scouts estimate that he’ll be a second- or third-round pick, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. But, given his tremendous athleticism and upside, it’s not hard to see him as a Day 1 selection.

Most evaluators have also told Albert Breer of The MMQB (on Twitter) that Murray projects as a Friday pick, meaning Round 2 or 3. However, QBs tend to inch up the board as the draft draws near, which is why we’ve had 13 first-round QBs taken in the last four years versus just two second-round signal callers in the second round.

In his first season as a starter, Murray threw for 4,361 yards and 42 touchdowns and ran for another 1,001 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Sooners. Oklahoma reached the College Football Playoff semifinals with Murray at the helm but fell to Alabama 45-34.

Alabama’s Mack Wilson To Enter Draft

January 14th, 2019 at 12:35pm CST by Zachary Links

Alabama linebacker Mack Wilson will enter the NFL Draft, according to Matt Zenitz of AL.com. Wilson joins fellow Crimson Tide standouts Jonah Williams, Quinnen Williams, Josh Jacobs, Irv Smith, Saivion Smith, and Deionte Thompson in this year’s class, leaving the program with lots of big shoes to fill.

Wilson finished with 71 tackles, five tackles for a loss, one sack, and two interceptions in his junior season. He’s widely considered to be one of the best inside linebackers in this year’s class and has a real shot at becoming a first-round pick.

“It has been an amazing three years at the University of Alabama, competing for three national championships and winning one,” Wilson wrote on social media.

ESPN’s Todd McShay lists Wilson as the No. 3 inside linebacker in the draft. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report has him in the same place – he sees him at the third best ILB in this year’s crop behind only LSU’s Devin White and Michigan’s Devin Bush and believes him to be the best run-stopping LB of the whole group.

Stanford RB Bryce Love Tore ACL In Final Game

January 11th, 2019 at 9:06pm CST by Micah Powell

Though it was not reported at the time, Stanford running back and NFL draft hopeful Bryce Love tore his ACL during his final regular season game, Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel writes.

Thamel reports the star back underwent surgery to repair the injury on Dec. 18 with Dr. James Andrews and is expected to make a full recovery. He will be at the NFL Draft Combine in February, but will obviously be extremely limited. He is also too early in the rehab process to have a return date set.

“I’m very grateful to Dr. Andrews and his team for making the surgery a seamless process,” Love said in a statement to Yahoo Sports. “Obviously, there’s no such thing as an ideal injury, but I’m on the path to recovery, and my goal remains the same — getting drafted by an NFL team and being the ultimate professional. I’ll be back better than I’ve ever been.”

Love burst on the scene as a junior, taking over for the departed Christian McCaffrey in Stanford’s backfield and rushing for 2,118 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2017. The breakout season helped him finish second in the Heisman Trophy balloting, behind only Baker Mayfield. His senior campaign was not as impressive, however, as Love logged just 739 yards on 166 carries in 10 games.

According to WalterFootball.com, Love is tabbed as the No. 5 running back prospect in the upcoming draft, with a projected draft spot coming in Round 2 or 3. That is likely to take a plunge following the news of the serious knee injury.

Clemson DL Dexter Lawrence Declares For Draft

January 9th, 2019 at 4:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Clemson’s loaded defensive line did not have Dexter Lawrence during the Tigers’ two College Football Playoff games, and the defending national champions will say goodbye to the junior interior defender early.

A projected first-round pick, Lawrence will forgo his final season and enter the 2019 draft, announcing his decision on Twitter.

Lawrence and multiple other Tigers were suspended because of failed drug tests ahead of the Clemson-Notre Dame game. Nevertheless, Lawrence will likely join teammates Clelin Ferrell and Christian Wilkins as first-round picks come April.

Ranked 13th in Todd McShay’s most recent prospect hierarchy, Lawrence finished his career with 10 sacks and 18 tackles for loss. He played for two national championship teams and will be part of a loaded 2019 glut of defensive linemen expected to go off the board early.

David Montgomery To Enter NFL Draft

January 8th, 2019 at 9:47am CST by Zachary Links

Iowa State’s David Montgomery is going pro. This week, the running back announced that he’ll forgo his remaining eligibility and enter the NFL Draft.

Montgomery rushed for 1,216 yards and 13 touchdowns for the Cyclones in 2018. The early belief is that he could be in the mix for the first round, depending on how things shake out. At the moment, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Montgomery as the No. 4 RB in draft while Todd McShay has him ranked third. Meanwhile, Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller sees Montgomery as the most NFL-ready of any RB prospect and has him ranked first ahead of Alabama’s Damien Harris and Florida Atlantic’s Devin Singletary.

Montgomery’s work ethic may also propel him to the first round.

“People will judge David by what he does on the football field, but there’s another part of him that’s pretty darn impressive,” coach Matt Campbell said. “David is relentless at his craft. We have to almost literally get him out of this (football) facility at night, because he wants to be here constantly.”

Ohio State QB Dwayne Haskins Declares For Draft

January 7th, 2019 at 2:56pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The 2019 draft class got a big addition today when Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins announced in a tweet he would forego his senior season and enter the draft.

We heard last month that Haskins had received a first round grade from the draft’s advisory board, and this move had been widely expected for a while now. At this point Haskins seems like a lock for the first round, and unless something goes wrong, is a heavy favorite to be the first quarterback taken this April.

Haskins went from a relative unknown to one of the biggest players in college football during his lone season as the Buckeyes’ starter. He seamlessly took over for longtime quarterback J.T. Barrett with a sensational junior season, and ended up finishing third in the Heisman voting. His path to being the top signal caller selected in the draft got a lot easier a couple of weeks ago when Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert, long thought to be the class’ top quarterback, announced he would return to school next year.

While Haskins is “probably top-ranked QB of this year’s NFL draft class”, the “early assessment is that he’s not necessarily a plug and play”, meaning he could use some time developing on an NFL bench, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (Twitter link). For the first time in a while, not a ton of teams picking at the very top of the draft will be in the market for a quarterback, with top picking teams like the Cardinals, 49ers, Jets, and Raiders already having young quarterbacks, so a surprise team could end up trading up and taking Haskins.

Oklahoma’s Cody Ford To Enter NFL Draft

January 2nd, 2019 at 10:27am CST by Zachary Links

Oklahoma junior offensive lineman Cody Ford announced that he will forego his final year on campus in order to enter the NFL draft. Ford ranks as one of the best guards in this year’s class and may wind up as a first round pick.

Ford was a first-team All-Big 12 selection in 2018 and helped Oklahoma win Joe Moore Award, given to the country’s best offensive line. Clearly, Ford has a chance to lock in NFL riches, and coach Lincoln Riley recently explained that he understood the desire of Ford and other top OU prospects who wanted to jumpstart their pro careers.

“I mean, you see guys do it different ways,” Riley said. “I would never agree with somebody going to be a free agent. I mean, that’s [foolish]. But some guys do, and so I think the best thing we can do is we be proactive. We don’t make it like the elephant in the room that nobody talks about. We try to be proactive with them, talk about them, educate them and their families. We have a lot of talks with NFL GM’s, NFL coaches, the people that are [in the know].”

Ford played at left guard in 2016 and 2017 but shifted to right tackle this past season. At the pro level, the 6’4″, 337-pound Ford is projected to play on the interior, but his versatility will work to his advantage.

2019 NFL Draft News & Rumors