2019 NFL Draft News & Rumors

Duke QB Daniel Jones Declares For Draft

December 31st, 2018 at 2:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Shortly after Justin Herbert declared he was not going to be part of the 2019 NFL prospect pool, another big-name junior said he would.

Duke quarterback Daniel Jones declared for the 2019 draft on Monday, forgoing his senior season. He is expected to be a first- or, at the latest, second-round pick.

Having begun his Duke career as a walk-on, the 6-foot-5 passer now projects as a key component in the upcoming draft. With Herbert out of the mix and Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins yet to declare (though, he’s expected to), Jones will be a much-studied player by teams desperate for a long-term solution at sports’ marquee position.

Jones played under former Peyton Manning mentor David Cutcliffe with the Blue Devils, throwing a career-high 22 touchdown passes this season. He threw for between 2,650 and 2,850 yards in each of his three seasons as Duke’s starter. He was the Blue Devils’ first-stringer throughout his career.

Extra Points: Murray, NFL Draft, Brown, Giants, Butler, Raiders

December 30th, 2018 at 8:43pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Kyler Murray’s Oklahoma Sooners were eliminated from the College Football Playoff last night, and the watch is officially on to see whether or not he’ll enter the NFL Draft. Murray is a two-sport athlete who was drafted ninth overall by the A’s to play baseball. The A’s gave him a nearly $5MM signing bonus to play baseball, but his Heisman winning season has left open the possibility that he’ll decide to play football instead.

Speaking before the game against Alabama, Murray didn’t shut the door on an NFL career even though his baseball agent has insisted he’ll be playing pro baseball, saying “it’s never bad to have options” according to Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com.. It’s unclear where Murray might go in the draft if he declares, and reports have him going anywhere from early in the first round to late on Day 2. With spring training for MLB teams set to begin in just a couple of months, we should know more about his intentions very soon.

Here’s more from around the league:

Speaking of the draft, today’s Week 17 slate gave us some much anticipated clarity about the 2019 NFL draft order. The top 18 is officially set, per ESPN, with the Cardinals picking first overall. The 49ers, Jets, Raiders, and Buccaneers will round out the top five. The Cardinals will likely have a new coach and possibly new front office making the decision, and plenty of the top teams could be looking to trade down with teams more in need of a quarterback.
Guard Jamon Brown has played well for the Giants since being claimed off waivers from the Rams earlier this year, but New York hasn’t tried to negotiate a new contract with him yet, a source told Matt Lombardo of NJ.com. Brown is set to be a free agent this offseason, and could land a decent sized payday. He’s been a solid starter in his career, but was waived by the Rams shortly after returning from a two game suspension.
Raiders tight end Paul Butler has been inactive for both games he’s been on the 53-man roster, but the team apparently thinks highly of him. Oakland promoted him from the practice squad because the Lions were trying to sign him away, a source told Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (Twitter link). Butler is a rookie UDFA from tiny school California University of Pennsylvania.

Justin Herbert To Return To Oregon

December 26th, 2018 at 12:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Long rumored to be heading back to Oregon for the 2019 season, Justin Herbert confirmed (via Twitter) he will do so on Wednesday.

Perhaps the top quarterback prospect who could have been part of April’s draft, Herbert will instead stay with the Ducks and then be part of the 2020 class. This further depletes the quarterback talent pool in the 2019 draft. Herbert almost certainly would have been a top-10 pick. He rated sixth overall on Mel Kiper Jr.’s big board.

NFL teams in need of a quarterback have scouted Herbert this season, the Broncos and Giants among them. The Dolphins, too, were high on the junior Ducks passer. Instead, Herbert will be part of what is, as of now viewed as a stronger quarterback crop in 2020. Georgia’s Jake Fromm and Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa are eligible to enter that draft. Herbert’s decision could have key ramifications for teams this year.

The respective values of other passing prospects, such as Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins (who has yet to declare himself but is expected to do so after receiving a first-round grade) and Missouri’s Drew Lock, will be inflated because of Herbert’s choice. Although, Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller categorizes West Virginia’s Will Grier and Duke junior Daniel Jones — who also has not declared yet, though he’s expected to do so — as the top non-Haskins passers who could be available (Twitter link).

Prospective free agent passers Teddy Bridgewater and Tyrod Taylor may be more popular commodities in March as a result of this as well. Joe Flacco is now going to be available via trade; perhaps the Ravens’ price will rise. Herbert not being available will take a key option off the board for teams lacking a long-term answer.

Herbert’s decision coincides with younger brother Patrick Herbert’s Oregon signing. The class of 2019 tight end will join the Ducks next season. This year, Justin Herbert has thrown for 2,985 yards, 28 touchdowns and eight interceptions. While his completion percentage dropped to 59.6 percent, down from 67.5 percent in 2017, the 20-year-old quarterback intrigued teams in a way the other 2019 QBs have yet to.

Extra Points: Keenum, Broncos, Steelers, Conner, Clemson, 2019 NFL Draft

December 25th, 2018 at 12:44pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Case Keenum was the best story of the 2017 NFL season, and parlayed his magical run with the Vikings into a two year $36MM contract with the Broncos. While Keenum has had some nice moments this year, he’s mostly been a big disappointment. The Broncos clinched a losing season with their loss last night to the Raiders, and Keenum threw a pair of awful interceptions. With Vance Joseph a near lock to be fired at the end of the season, Denver will have an entirely new coaching staff next year with no ties to Keenum.

Only $7MM of his salary is guaranteed for next season, so the Broncos could realistically cut him this spring. Denver’s decision on whether to keep him “may have more to do with who else is available” than anything else, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic. Jhabvala notes that there may not be a Kirk Cousins-esque surefire starter available in free agency, and that could ensure that Keenum stays another year. Even if he is still on the team in 2019, he’ll likely be competing with a highly drafted rookie.

The Steelers are on the brink of being eliminated from playoff contention, and need a win over the Bengals and a Browns victory over the Ravens in Week 17 to win the AFC North and sneak into the postseason. They’ll need all hands on deck, and could be getting a big boost on offense for the must-win game. James Conner has missed the last few weeks with a high ankle sprain, but has a “realistic chance” to play this week, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Jaylen Samuels has filled in admirably in the backfield, but getting Conner back would still be huge.
A trio of Clemson players have failed drug tests ahead of the College Football Playoff, per Jori Epstein of USA Today. The most notable of the group is defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, who has been projected by many as a first round pick in the 2019 NFL draft. While any incident like this could hurt a player’s draft stock, it should be noted that Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is standing firmly behind his players and denying they used any performance enhancing substances, “saying the test results revealed ‘a sliver, a trace, a fraction’ of a drug he’d never heard of before.” We should know more details soon, but teams will surely be asking Lawrence about this at the combine.
In case you missed it, former Chiefs and Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis is reportedly eyeing a return to the NFL.

Extra Points: Wilks, Cardinals, Goodell, Haskins, Draft

December 24th, 2018 at 10:09pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

As the season has gone on, it’s become clear that Steve Wilks faces increasingly long odds of being retained by the Cardinals for a second season. Wilks drew rave reviews during his one season as Panthers defensive coordinator, but Arizona’s season has been disastrous right from the get-go, and it was reported by Adam Schefter yesterday that the team was planning to move on. Larry Fitzgerald and other players have expressed support for the embattled coach, but it doesn’t look like it’ll be enough. In an interesting piece, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN recently took a look at the arguments both for and against firing Wilks.

Weinfuss lists the concerning lack of progress from Josh Rosen as one compelling reason to make him a one and done, as it doesn’t appear Wilks and his staff have done a good job developing him or putting him in position to succeed. As far as reasons for keeping him, Weinfuss lists some injuries, bad offensive coaching from the fired Mike McCoy, and the summer suspension of GM Steve Keim that kept the two from collaborating on the roster. Mike McCarthy is reportedly interested in the job, and it will be very interesting to see how this all plays out. We should know Wilks’ fate for certain by next Monday.

Here’s more from around the league on Christmas Eve:

It’s been rumored that Roger Goodell’s latest contract extension, signed in December of 2017, could be his last, and now we have news of a possible successor. The league recently “created a new title for rising executive Christopher Halpin”, and he’s considered “a frontrunner to take over as commissioner” once Goodell eventually steps down by many within the league, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Goodell faced some rare public criticism from owners in the wake of the anthem controversy and other issues, but has always managed to maintain a tight grip on the league.
Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins has been one of the fastest rising NFL draft prospects this season, and he recently received a first round projection from the NFL’s college personnel advisory board, league sources told Chris Mortensen of ESPN (Twitter link). Haskins finished third in the Heisman voting after a sensational first year as a starter, and has a very good chance to be the first quarterback taken this April, if not the first overall pick. He hasn’t formally announced one way or the other, but Haskins is widely expected to declare for the draft following the Buckeyes’ bowl game.
Speaking of the draft, Wake Forest wide receiver Greg Dortch announced he was leaving school early and declaring for the draft via Twitter. Dortch caught 89 passes for 1,078 yards and eight touchdowns this year, and was one of the best players in the ACC. In addition to being a very talented receiver, he was also a first team All-American as a punt returner. While he’s a bit undersized at only 5’9, he should have a good shot to go early in the draft if he tests well in Indianapolis.

Mississippi State DT Jeffery Simmons Enters 2019 NFL Draft

December 21st, 2018 at 10:49am CST by Dallas Robinson

Mississippi State defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons will forgo his final season of collegiate eligibility in order to enter the 2019 NFL draft, as Simmons announced on Twitter.

Simmons, who stands 6’4″, 300 pounds, appeared in 37 total games in his three-year career with the Bulldogs, managing 159 tackles (30.5 for loss), six sacks, and five forced fumbles during that time. He was named first-team All-SEC in both 2017 and 2018, and this season won the Conerly Trophy as the top college football player in the state of Mississippi.

Simmons is widely expected to become an early first-round selection, and CBSSports.com ranks him as the draft’s No. 7 overall prospect. From a scouting report perspective, The Draft Network says Simmons has effective hand usage and a “hot motor,” but “lacks a consistent anchor” and struggles with two-gap responsibilities.

Talent aside, Simmons has an off-field red flag on his record, as he was arrested for simple assault in 2016 after repeatedly striking a woman. The incident — during which Simmons says he was attempting to stop said woman from assaulting his sister — occurred the spring before Simmons began his collegiate career, but he was allowed to enter MSU while completing counseling programs.

Michigan LB Devin Bush To Enter NFL Draft

December 19th, 2018 at 11:59am CST by Zachary Links

Michigan’s Devin Bush is going pro. On Wednesday, the linebacker announced that he will enter the 2019 NFL Draft.

Bush is widely projected as a late first-round or early second-round selection. His landing spot will largely hinge on his health. Bush suffered a hip injury in a November loss to Ohio State and could not get cleared in time for the upcoming Peach Bowl.

Bush finished out the 2018 season with 66 tackles, including 8.5 for a loss, and 4.5 sacks. Last year, he had 95 tackles in total, 10 tackles for a loss, 5.5 sacks, and an interception. He’s been on the NFL radar for some time, particularly since he’s the son of Falcons 1995 first-round pick Devin Bush Sr.

Presently, Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller has him ranked as the No. 29 overall prospect in the draft the second-best linebacker in the entire class. Teammate Rashan Gary is likely to receive more attention in the buildup to the draft, but Bush won’t be far behind if he can show that he is healthy.

West Notes: Chubb, 49ers, Raiders

December 15th, 2018 at 4:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

A matchup between two of this rookie class’ top players will occur tonight, when Bradley Chubb and Nick Chubb share the field in a do-or-die Broncos-Browns tilt. But Denver attempted to make the second cousins teammates on draft weekend. The Broncos attempted to trade up and select Nick Chubb, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic writes (subscription required). Bradley Chubb alerted Nick of the possibility they could be teammates, but the Browns held onto their pick and selected the Georgia-developed running back. And Nick Chubb looks like Cleveland’s best backfield option in years.

Courtland Sutton soon went to Denver at No. 41, and that allowed the Broncos to collect a 2019 draft choice for Demaryius Thomas. While that trade (and the season-ending Achilles injury Emmanuel Sanders suffered) leaves the Broncos as thin at wideout as they’ve been in ages, Sutton does have an opportunity to make an impression in the Broncos’ final three games as their No. 1 target. Had the Nick Chubb-to-Denver scenario played out, third-round pick Royce Freeman likely would be elsewhere.

Shifting to other West-division teams’ plans:

Although the 49ers have many needs entering the offseason, wide receiver is clearly one of them. Marquise Goodwin and Dante Pettis will be part of next year’s core, but Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area expects San Francisco to release Pierre Garcon. Two underwhelming years have included just 16 total Garcon games (and one touchdown). This would be an interesting move because the 49ers would only save $1MM in cap space by cutting Garcon after two years; they would incur more than $7MM in dead money.
Expected to land a high draft pick again, the 49ers will not take a wideout with their first pick, Maiocco notes. But one may be available in Round 2, and Maiocco expects the draft to be the 49ers’ primary avenue to upgrade this position. Ole Miss talents D.K. Metcalf and A.J. Brown could be available. Kyle Shanahan said this offseason the 49ers were did not aggressively pursue Sammy Watkins or Allen Robinson, due to the escalating markets for those solid starters but players who don’t profile as true No. 1s.
Jon Gruden has shown no such hesitancy regarding free agency, having signed numerous older free agents this offseason. The Raiders should be expected to go after at least one veteran wide receiver, likely to replace Jordy Nelson, Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area notes. Bair expects neither Nelson nor Seth Roberts to be on the 2019 Raiders. Neither prospective release would tag the Raiders with any dead money, though both are under contract through 2019. As for whom the Raiders could target, Golden Tate, Tyrell Williams, Randall Cobb, Jamison Crowder and John Brown may be among the players on the market.

OSU’s Dre’Mont Jones To Enter NFL Draft

December 13th, 2018 at 9:14am CST by Zachary Links

Dre’Mont Jones is going pro. The Ohio State defensive lineman announced that he will forgo his final year of eligibility in order to enter the 2019 NFL Draft.

The redshirt junior has been on the NFL radar for some time now and could have turned pro last year. However, he decided to return to the Buckeyes for another year of seasoning, and he believes that was the right call.

“I think it was a great decision for me to come back,” said Jones, who tallied 40 tackles, nine sacks, and two defensive touchdowns in his All-Big Ten season. “I kind of proved myself.”

Unlike other top prospects, Jones says that he will play in his team’s bowl game. So, for now, his focus is on the Jan. 1 Rose Bowl against No. 9 ranked Washington. After that, he’ll set his sights on gearing up for workouts.

“My thing with injuries is that they’re a part of the game,” Jones said. “You have to just play with it. As much as you think about it the more it can affect you.”

Most draft prognosticators see Jones as a first round talent – ESPN.com’s Todd McShay has Jones as the No. 21 ranked player on his board while Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller has him 19th. His pass rushing technique is said to need work, but he offers serious potential and his 6’3″, 286 pound frame looks to be NFL-ready.

FAU RB Devin Singletary To Enter NFL Draft

December 12th, 2018 at 9:44am CST by Zachary Links

Florida Atlantic running back Devin Singletary announced that he will enter the 2019 NFL Draft. The 5’9″ tailback could be in the first or second round mix, so it’s a logical move from his perspective.

“I hope I left a lasting impression on The University, football program, and the entire community,” Singletary said. “As I take the next step in to my career I will continue to represent FAU in the right way and you will forever be in my heart.”

Singletary, 20, ran for 1,920 yards and an FBS-leading 32 rushing touchdowns in 2017. This year, he had 22 touchdowns and 1,348 rushing yards, but the drop in production could be attributed to the team’s overall step back. In 2017, the team’s first year with Lane Kiffin at the helm, the Owls went 11-3 and defeated Akron in the Boca Raton Bowl. This year, they finished out 5-7 and did not qualify for a bowl game.

On his latest big board, Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller has Singletary ranked as the No. 10 overall running back behind David Montgomery (Iowa State), Damien Harris (Alabama), Darrell Henderson (Memphis), Benny Snell Jr. (Kentucky), Rodney Anderson (Oklahoma), Bryce Love (Stanford), Justice Hill (Oklahoma State), Karan Higdon (Michigan), and Mike Weber (Ohio State). However, he has Singletary pegged as the biggest sleeper of the bunch, and he could vault up draft boards with a strong showing in workouts.

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