In an at-the-buzzer NFL mock draft the day of the 2019 NFL Draft, teams get aggressive trading up and quarterbacks go fast.
The 2019 NFL Draft is here. At 8:00 p.m. ET on Thursday night, the festivities in Nashville will kick off and the 32 first round picks will be made over the ensuing several hours. This class — perhaps even more than most — has the potential to get absolutely wild. And that has made the exercise of doing a mock draft all the more impossible.
As the buzzer is about to sound on the pre-draft process, though, it’s a necessary evil to look at what we have in the 2019 NFL Draft in regards to information and try to weed through potential smokescreens and deception to come out with a mock draft that gives at least a realistic picture as to what could happen in Nashville.
Thus, that’s what we’re going to do here. It’s draft day, and to get into the mood, we’re going Vontae Mack no matter what…wait, that’s not right. There’s no Kevin Costner here. Just me, a ton of rumors to sift through and one final 2019 NFL mock draft before the real thing gets underway.
1. Arizona Cardinals: Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma
There are two camps of fans and analysts regarding the 2019 NFL Draft: those that think Kyler Murray is going to be the top pick and those that think it’s all smoke. I fall in the former. It’s a befuddling front office decision to move on from Josh Rosen after just one season on an awful overall roster, but it’s one that just seems on brand for a team that has been dysfunctional under Steve Keim.
Murray is the ultimate boom-or-bust prospect. His path to stardom with his athleticism, raw arm talent and ability to make plays is apparent, but so too is his path to being a whiff by the Cardinals given his size, limited time as a starter and still-needed progression in regards to his decision-making outside of Oklahoma’s structure. The Cards take the risk, though, and make the 2018 Heisman Trophy winner the first-overall pick.
2. San Francisco 49ers: Nick Bosa, EDGE, Ohio State
With Murray coming off the board with the top pick, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch is left licking his lips at the possibility. That means that he has the opportunity to select Nick Bosa, which he should waste little time turning the card in to do. The Ohio State pass rusher is exactly the player that the 49ers defense needs.
After heavily investing on the defensive front in recent years, the Niners have still lacked consistent pressure on quarterbacks from their edge rushers. Bosa changes that instantly. The former Buckeye is as polished of a pass-rushing prospect as you’ll find, but is also a player that can be a force against the run as well. He’s a stud and as close to a can’t-miss prospect as you’ll find, one who also fits like a glove with the 49ers’ needs.