10 Bold Predictions for the NFL Draft

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2019 NFL Draft Bold Predictions

Who is ready for the 2019 NFL Draft? I am sure by now that you have your final mock draft all finished and you’re just ready for the events to unfold. But even though I hate to be the bearer of bad news, you’re mock is going to be wrong. As is mine, and as is everyone’s. Coaches and teams do unpredictable things when it comes to the draft so I’ve taken on the challenge of creating ten bold predictions to happen on Thursday night. And remember this is my list so I’ll decide how the boldness shakes out!

1. The New York Jets draft DT Quinnen Williams at No. 3

The Jets have come out and claimed that they are “determined” to trade down from the number three pick. However, due to the depth in this draft, the Jets are unable to find a suitor to trade up for that selection thus forcing them to draft the best available player on their board. In this case, it is the defensive tackle from Alabama Quinnen Williams. The Jets need to realize that if they are ever going to dethrone the Patriots they need to create an interior pass-rush to disrupt the timing of Tom Brady and the New England offense. With Williams, it will get them one step closer to achieving that goal.

Other Bold Takes: Latest NFL Mock Draft (2.0)

2. The New York Giants draft TE T.J. Hockenson at No. 6

I can’t take credit for this take entirely after being influenced by Gridiron Experts own Matt Hicks. Essentially Dave Gettleman has shown that he does not care what the media thinks of his decisions and he seems like he values the talent of a player over the value of the position they play. So for that reason, the Giants will take the generational talent at tight end with the sixth overall pick in the draft. From a fantasy standpoint, it seems like it could potentially spell disaster for Evan Engram and Hockenson as they will be competing for targets and playing time. However, based on what we saw at Iowa, Hockenson and Noah Fant (who compares to Engram) were able to thrive. So perhaps Gettleman stays one step ahead by creating a two-tight end offense to help out Eli Manning.

3. The Washington Redskins trade up to No. 5 for QB Daniel Jones

No team had more visits from the quarterback position than the New York Giants. 11 quarterbacks visited the team. Now, this does not tell us for sure when they will take a quarterback, but the interest is still there for sure, and it seems the most interest has been with Duke quarterback Daniel Jones. However, Jones has also shown interest from the Redskins.

NFL Teams Listed by # of Rookie Visits by Position pic.twitter.com/e04X62fgy0

— Scott Barrett (@ScottBarrettDFB) April 21, 2019

So in this bold prediction, we have the Redskins who have nine picks hopping over the Giants to number five by trading with Tampa Bay who has just seven picks. They switch first round picks in 2019, and the Redskins also give up their 46th pick overall and the 173rd pick overall. Daniel Jones could be the perfect fit in Washington as he is coming from a situation where he had a very poor offensive line and very bad wide receivers at Duke. So he should fit in just fine in Washington!

4. Seattle Trades Back So The Raiders Grab WR Marquise Brown at No. 21

The Seahawks gained draft picks in their most recent trade of defensive end Frank Clark to the Kansas City Chiefs. With so many needs and still absent of a 2019 second-round pick, the Seahawks trade the 21st overall pick for the Raiders 27th overall pick and the Raiders 35th overall pick to get the dynamic pass-catcher out of Oklahoma to pair with his cousin Antonio Brown. The Raiders have shown interest in Brown throughout the process, so it could be potential match-made in heaven especially to pair with their new quarterback of the future.

 

 

5. Dwayne Haskins goes No. 4 to the Oakland Raiders

The Raiders have been rumored to take a quarterback since the 2019 Draft process started. That being said, they get the quarterback of the future in Haskins. The Raiders have shown a ton of interest in Haskins as they have met with him at more than one event, (Combine, Private Visit, and Private Workout). It’s also been reported that the Raiders are certainly high on Haskins according to Mike Silver of NFL Network. Surprise!

Read more about Dwayne Haskins Fantasy Profile.

6. Cleveland Browns Package RB Duke Johnson Jr. To Get Back Into the 1st Round

The Browns were the highlight of the offseason, making moves all over the place. But the fear of missing out has John Dorsey fidgeting in his general manager seat. So he decides to get the Browns back into the faction by trading back into the first-round with the Philadelphia Eagles who are in need of a running back. The Eagles send the 25th pick overall to the Browns for Duke Johnson Jr, the 49th overall pick, and the 80th overall pick.

And with their return to the first round, the Browns leapfrog the Indianapolis Colts so that they can draft defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. Although the Browns signed free agent defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson to pair alongside Larry Ogunjobi earlier this offseason, depth along their defensive line is one of the team’s biggest needs.

7. Josh Rosen Gets Traded To the Miami Dolphins

Turn back the clock to the 2018 NFL Draft. Oakland traded a first-round selection (10th) to Arizona in exchange for Arizona’s first, third, and fifth-round selections (15th, 79th, and 152nd). This resulted in the Cardinals drafting Rosen. But the key to point out in this situation is the team they jumped in front of to move from 15 to 10: The Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins showed interest in Rosen throughout the process last season as well. And now reports are coming out that the Dolphins are doing extensive work on Rosen if they can acquire him for the right price. First reported by Peter King, “No team in the league, from what I’ve heard, has spent more time researching Josh Rosen in recent weeks than Miami.”

The Dolphins will not only hold onto their first-round pick at 13th overall as they will trade just the 48th overall pick to acquire Rosen. With that first-round pick, they will acquire the best linemen (offensive or defensive) in the draft which could most likely be tackle from Alabama Jonah Williams to protect their new franchise quarterback.

8. No Running Back is Drafted in the First Round

Poor Josh Jacobs. After being hyped up to be drafted by either the Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles, or Oakland Raiders, all those teams figure out that value can be found later at the running back position. I project a wide receiver run from rounds 20-32, and teams will not see the value in drafting a guy like Jacobs that early on. Smart choice. Besides, Jacobs first-round lock could easily be a fabricated value that we as fantasy Twitter have created because we need an RB1 to target in rookie drafts!

Besides these teams don’t have any indication they would reach on a running back and have invested in the position in previous drafts. The Colts have spent a fourth-round pick on a running back the last two seasons, and the Eagles in the Howie Roseman era (dating back to 2010) have never drafted a running back higher than the fourth round. If it happens, it will be Oakland, because they are the ultimate wild card in this draft.

 

 

9. Ed Oliver Goes Eight Overall – To the New York Giants

Originally, I had the Falcons trading up for Ed Oliver in this case. I figured the offense is fine in Atlanta, but the defense needs help. There were all banged up last year, and this could potentially be Dan Quinn’s last chance to make it happen in Atlanta. With the re-signing Grady Jarrett to the franchise tag, they need to be proactive if a deal can’t be made long-term. And in the meantime, absolutely wreak havoc on the defensive front. The Lions trade the 8th overall pick for the Falcons 14th overall pick and 79th pick. Sounds good in theory right? Well, Dave Gettleman is here to blow it all up.

Evan Silva of Rotoworld has identified a lot of trends that the Giants general manager has made over the past; he likes to trade up, but never trade back.  With 12 total picks in the draft, the Giants will most certainly trade up at some point. And here is where it happens. Giants swap first-round picks with the Lions and the Giants throw in the 37th pick to the mix. They then get the top defensive lineman on their board. Gettleman through this process has stressed how winning in the trenches is his approach. He loves his big guys or as he calls them his “hog mollies.”

10. Drew Lock Get Drafted By The Denver Broncos With the 31st Pick

Now the Broncos hold the 10th overall pick in the NFL Draft, which many have mocked Lock going to Denver. However, with three quarterbacks off the board already (Murray, Haskins, and Jones), the Broncos make the smart decision to avoid the QB of the future and draft the best player available on the board. The Los Angeles Rams have a lot of needs to fill across their roster and are missing a second-round pick. So the Broncos package the 41st and the 71st selections to move up and get their franchise quarterback. Or perhaps instead of picks, the Broncos move cornerback Chris Harris Jr. who has reportedly demanded a new contract or a trade.

Bonus: Montez Sweat Falls All The Way To The Raiders at No. 24

It’s been reported that Montez Sweat will no longer be in attendance of the 2019 NFL Draft. His draft stock is falling because of heart condition reported by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Because of his enlarged heart, teams have taken him completely off their draft boards. But not the Raiders, I would predict. The Raiders were the one team that took on a similar risk last year when they drafted Maurice Hurst who had a comparable condition. Sweat visited the Raiders during the draft process and was one of the last players that ended up visiting Oakland. What are you up to Jon Gruden?