This is the fourth annual Rayonsports mock NFL draft, and once again we’ll produce three rounds of selections for all 32 teams. Every year there are trades that affect the choices of some of the teams, but we will make our choices with the team’s standing in the draft as of today. Here are our predictions of how the first three rounds will go:
Round One
Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray
1. Arizona Cardinals – Kyler Murray (QB, Oklahoma) – there are very few experts who don’t think this will happen, and we agree with the majority. Murray is too dynamic of a talent and too good of a match for new Cardinal coach Kliff Kingsbury.
2. San Francisco 49ers – Nick Bosa (Edge, Ohio State) – if Arizona does follow through and pick Murray, the Niners will race to the stage with their pick of the Buckeye defender.
3. New York Jets – Josh Allen (Edge, Kentucky) – “edge rusher” is the new position that’s in vogue in the NFL now. The Jets grab a good one, who they hope will harass his namesake in Buffalo, along with the rest of the AFC East, for years to come.
4. Oakland Raiders – Quinnen Williams (DT, Alabama) – the Raider defense was a sieve in their lost season of 2018 and coach Jon Gruden chooses a stout interior lineman to help shore up that unit.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Devin White (LB, LSU) – new head man Bruce Arians is an offensive-minded coach, but decides to shore up his defense with his top pick, seeing the need to compete in a division featuring Drew Brees, Matt Ryan and Cam Newton.
6. New York Giants – Jawaan Taylor (T, Florida) – although they need to consider a future quarterback, with a pair of first round picks the G-men go with the best tackle in the draft, to help protect the immobile and aging Eli Manning as well as whoever succeeds him in the future.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars – T.J. Hockenson (TE, Iowa) – Jags get their new QB Nick Foles a shiny new weapon, who has been compared in some circles to Rob Gronkowski.
8. Detroit Lions – Rashan Gary (DT, Michigan) – defensive guru Matt Patricia stays in-state to grab a solid interior lineman.
9. Buffalo Bills – Ed Oliver (DT, Houston) – in a draft that’s heavy in defensive linemen, Buffalo picks one of the most talented of the group who slides down somewhat because of attitude issues. Because he wore a jacket on the sideline?
10. Denver Broncos – Drew Lock (QB, Missouri) – realizing that newly-acquired Joe Flacco is not a long term solution, GM John Elway picks his understudy.
11. Cincinnati Bengals – Dwayne Haskins (QB, Ohio State) – a surprise pick by Cinci as they elect to look to the future with Andy Dalton getting older, a third QB comes off the board and the Giants start to get nervous.
12. Green Bay Packers – Jonah Williams (T, Alabama) – although new coach Matt Lafleur’s club needs defensive help, they can’t pass up the opportunity to draft a stud offensive tackle who should help Aaron Rodgers stay upright.
13. Miami Dolphins – Clelin Ferrell (Edge, Clemson) – the first member of the national championship team comes off the board, as the Fish need to replace departed starters Cameron Wake and Robert Quinn.
14. Atlanta Falcons – Andre Dillard (T, Washington State) – this draft is deep in linemen on both sides of the ball, and the Falcons are thrilled to get a solid tackle with their pick.
15. Washington Redskins – Daniel Jones (QB, Duke) – with Alex Smith’s future in doubt, the Redskins ruin the Giants’ plans and pull another top signal caller off the board.
16. Carolina Panthers – Dalton Risner (G, Kansas State) – Panthers see a need for more protection for Cam Newton and draft a solid interior lineman, who may be a bit of a reach at this point of the draft.
17. New York Giants – Montez Sweat (Edge, Mississippi State) – their QB plans up in smoke, New York switches gears and makes a good “best player available” choice instead.
18. Minnesota Vikings – Christian Wilkins (DT, Clemson) – defensive line help isn’t a big need for the Vikings, but in this deep DL draft they choose a stud from the national champs who will harden an already stout group.
19. Tennessee Titans – Garrett Bradbury (C/G, North Carolina State) – Coach Mike Vrabel adds some beef to his front line to make Marcus Mariota’s life a little easier.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers – DK Metcalf (WR, Mississippi) – Antonio Brown is gone, leaving a gaping hole in the club’s receiving corps. Although Metcalf is not the same style of receiver as AB, he will fit nicely into Pittsburgh’s passing attack.
21. Seattle Seahawks – Greedy Williams (CB, LSU) – the first corner comes off the board and the Hawks are glad to get him, filling a need in their undermanned secondary.
22. Baltimore Ravens – N’Keal Harry (WR, Arizona State) – some experts don’t see much first round talent among this year’s receivers, but Harry is a top notch player who will help lift their offense in 2019.
23. Houston Texans – Byron Murphy (CB, Washington) – this is a win/win for coach Bill O’Brien. Possibly the best available CB in the draft falls to them at this pick, and fills one of their top needs.
24. Oakland Raiders – Brian Burns (Edge, Florida State) – using the second of their 3 first round picks, the Raiders go defense again and corral a top edge rusher, hopefully improving their feeble pass rush.
25. Philadelphia Eagles – Dexter Lawrence (DT, Clemson) – already strong up front on defense, the Eagles can’t resist taking another run stuffer for their D-line.
26. Indianapolis Colts – AJ Brown (WR, Mississippi) – the Colts have a glaring need for outside receiving help, and make the wise choice of drafting another weapon for Andrew Luck, the second Ole Miss receiver off the board in the opening round.
27. Oakland Raiders – Noah Fant (TE, Iowa) – after taking defensive studs with their first 2 selections, the Raiders switch gears and pick a replacement for departed free agent Jared Cook. Right after a second WR from Ole Miss is selected, a second Hawkeye TE comes off the board.
28. Los Angeles Chargers – Devin Bush (LB, Michigan) – the “other Devin” comes off the board, giving the Chargers another young star addition to their defense, joining Joey Bosa and Derwin James.
29. Kansas City Chiefs – Jaylon Ferguson (Edge, Louisiana Tech) – a lot of losses on the defensive front for Andy Reid’s club forces a bit of a reach to pick an edge rusher.
30. Green Bay Packers – Deionte Thompson (S, Alabama) – Packers fill a big hole on defense by choosing this Crimson Tide stud, the first safety off the board.
31. Los Angeles Rams – Cody Ford (G, Oklahoma) – the defending NFC champs have gaping holes to fill on both lines, and they start with the O-line with their top pick.
32. New England Patriots – Irv Smith Jr. (TE, Alabama) – the Evil Empire of the NFL never drafts for need, and in a lot of instances would trade down out of this pick, but with plenty of selections already in hand and a top replacement for Gronk on the board, they snatch him up.
Round Two
33. Arizona Cardinals – Marquise Brown (WR, Oklahoma) – “Hollywood” Brown is perfect choice to pair with his college QB, Murray.
34. Indianapolis Colts – Zach Allen (DE, Boston College) – Indy grabs a first round-type talent to add more toughness to an already formidable defense.
35. Oakland Raiders – Josh Jacobs (RB, Alabama) – the first running back comes off the board as the Raiders hedge their bets against an uncertain future of Marshawn Lynch.
36. San Francisco 49ers – Parris Campbell (WR, Ohio State) – John Lynch adds a speedy pass catching option for his returning QB, Jimmy Garoppolo.
37. New York Giants – Deebo Samuel (WR, South Carolina) – it’s a deep draft for receivers and the Giants need one, although he’s certainly not another Odell Beckham.
38. Jacksonville Jaguars – Greg Little (T, Mississippi) – after gifting Nick Foles with a stud tight end in round one, the Jags add a top pass blocker for him with their second pick.
39. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Jeffrey Simmons (DT, Mississippi State) – he’s coming off a major injury and may not play right away, but he’s too good of a talent to pass up for coach Arians, who drafts his second defensive player despite his offensive background.
40. Buffalo Bills – Hakeem Butler (WR, Iowa State) – the towering and speedy receiver with a big catch radius is a perfect second round present to emerging QB Josh Allen.
41. Denver Broncos – DeAndre Baker (CB, Georgia) – Broncos begin to shore up their defense after picking their future franchise quarterback in round one.
42. Cincinnati Bengals – Juan Thornhill (S, Virginia) – the Bengals are always a team that pulls surprises in the draft, but picking a QB in round one was their head scratcher in this draft. In round 2 they pick a solid addition to their defensive secondary.
43. Detroit Lions – Mack Wilson (LB, Alabama) – the ‘Bama studs just keep coming off the board.
44. Green Bay Packers – Jerry Tillery (DE, Notre Dame) – the first Golden Domer to come off the board, the Packers get themselves some more solid defensive help.
45. Atlanta Falcons – Darnell Savage Jr. (S, Maryland) – although a bit of a reach to be picked this high, Atlanta gets themselves a guy who projects to be a future starter in their secondary.
46. Washington Redskins – Andy Isabella (WR, Massachusetts) – after drafting their QB of the future in round one, the ‘Skins get him some receiving help with this small school slot receiver.
47. Carolina Panthers – Kelvin Harmon (WR, North Carolina State) – coach Ron Rivera fills a void with a replacement for departed free agent Devin Funchess.
48. Miami Dolphins – Will Grier (QB, West Virginia) – a controversial choice as this guy is all over the board with the experts’ evaluations, but hey, aren’t the Fish tanking for Tua anyway?
49. Cleveland Browns – Justin Layne (CB, Michigan State) – the Browns’ first pick of the draft due to the Odell Beckham trade, and they decide to strengthen an area of need at cornerback.
50. Minnesota Vikings – Kaleb McGary (T, Washington) – they added a strong piece to their defensive line in the opening round, and now draft a big man to add toughness to the O-line.
51. Tennessee Titans – J.J. Arcega-Whiteside (WR, Stanford) – the Titans add to their receiving corps with another stud in a deep receiver class.
52. Pittsburgh Steelers – Kaden Smith (TE, Stanford) – another weapon for Big Ben as Arcega-Whiteside’s teammate comes off the board right behind him.
53. Philadelphia Eagles – Elgton Jenkins (C, Mississippi State) – it’s a deep draft for big men on both sides of the ball and the Eagles add a future piece here.
54. Houston Texans – Taylor Rapp (S, Washington) – determined to improve their defensive secondary in 2019, the Texans add another player for that unit after drafting a CB in round one.
55. Houston Texans – Jace Sternberger (TE, Texas A&M) – a second consecutive pick for this club, and they get a nice security blanket outlet receiver for Deshaun Watson.
56. New England Patriots – Chris Lindstrom (G, Boston College) – after suffering free agent losses along the offensive line, the Pats stay in-state to pick a solid future starter.
57. Philadelphia Eagles – Riley Ridley (WR, Georgia) – they didn’t re-sign Golden Tate, so the Eagles use this extra second round pick to draft a replacement.
58. Dallas Cowboys – Nassir Adderley (S, Delaware) – the ‘Boys finally enter the fray with their first selection of the draft, and eagerly grab a nice piece to add to their weak secondary.
59. Indianapolis Colts – Julian Love (CB, Notre Dame) – another team taking advantage of multiple second round picks, the Colts pick up a good add to their young, aggressive defensive unit.
60. Los Angeles Chargers – Jachai Polite (Edge, Florida) – a first round talent who has plunged down many teams’ boards after a bad combine, Polite finds a home with a great group of young defensive talent in L.A.
61. Kansas City Chiefs – Rock Ya’Sin (CB, Temple) – a solid pickup for the Chiefs who was impressive at the Senior Bowl. K.C. gets more help where they most need it – on defense.
62. New Orleans Saints – Charles Omenihu (DT, Texas) – first pick of the draft for the Who Dat Nation and they decide to add some beef to their defensive line.
63. Kansas City Chiefs – Erik McCoy (C, Texas) – the departure of Mitch Morse leaves a gaping hole in the middle of K.C.’s offensive line, and they fill it with an immediate starter here.
64. New England Patriots – Yodny Cajuste (T, West Virginia) – with multiple picks like they always seem to have, the Pats get more help for their depleted O-line.
Round Three
65. Arizona Cardinals – Damien Harris (RB, Alabama)
66. Pittsburgh Steelers – Vosean Joseph (LB, Florida)
67. San Francisco 49ers – Michael Deiter (T, Wisconsin)
68. New York Jets – Emmanuel Hall (WR, Missouri)
69. Jacksonville Jaguars – Jalen Jelks (Edge, Oregon)
70. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Martez Ivey (T, Florida)
71. Denver Broncos – Dre’Mont Jones (DE, Ohio State)
72. Cincinnati Bengals – Oshane Ximines (Edge, Old Dominion)
73. New England Patriots – Amani Oruwariye (CB, Penn State)
74. Buffalo Bills – Chase Winovich (Edge, Michigan)
75. Green Bay Packers – Khalil Hodge (LB, Buffalo)
76. Washington Redskins – Johnathan Abram (S, Mississippi State)
77. Carolina Panthers – Cameron Smith (LB, USC)
78. Miami Dolphins – Kendall Joseph (LB, Clemson)
79. Atlanta Falcons – Trayvon Mullen (CB, Clemson)
80. Cleveland Browns – Bobby Evans (G, Oklahoma)
81. Minnesota Vikings – Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (S, Florida)
82. Tennessee Titans – Joe Giles-Harris (LB, Duke)
83. Pittsburgh Steelers – Gerald Willis III (DE, Miami (Fla)
84. Seattle Seahawks – Josh Oliver (TE, San Jose State)
85. Baltimore Ravens – Khalen Saunders (DT, Western Illinois)
86. Houston Texans – Te’Von Coney (LB, Notre Dame)
87. Chicago Bears – David Edwards (T, Wisconsin)
88. Detroit Lions – Germaine Pratt (LB, North Carolina State)
89. Indianapolis Colts – Max Scharping (T, Northern Illinois)
90. Dallas Cowboys – David Sills (WR, West Virginia)
91. Los Angeles Chargers – Joe Jackson (Edge, Miami, Fl.)
92. Kansas City Chiefs – Anthony Johnson (WR, Buffalo)
93. New York Jets – Isiah Prince (T, Ohio State)
94. Carolina Panthers – Ross Pierschbacher (C, Alabama)
95. New York Giants – Tyree Jackson (QB, Buffalo)
96. Washington Redskins – Devin Singletary (RB, Florida Atlantic)
97. New England Patriots – Connor McGovern (G, Penn State)
98. Jacksonville Jaguars – Michael Jordan (C, Ohio State)
99. Los Angeles Rams – Daniel Wise (DT, Kansas)
100. Carolina Panthers – Ricky Walker (DE, Virginia Tech)
101. New England Patriots – Foster Moreau (TE, LSU)
102. Baltimore Ravens – Dakota Allen (LB, Texas Tech)