This section highlights which players have improved or worsened their 2019 NFL Draft stock as the draft approaches.
By Charlie Campbell.
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2019 NFL Draft Stock Up
Cody Ford, OT/G, Oklahoma Last week in the Hot Press, we wrote about how Ford was creating a serious buzz in the scouting community. Ford is the starting right tackle for the Sooners, but sources say that he projects to being a guard in the NFL. The 6-foot-5, 335-pounder is thick blocker with good bulk for the next level. Scouts who have been through Oklahoma say that Ford is an outstanding athlete for his size.
Ford earned a starting spot in 2016 before a broken leg ended his season early. He played banged up in 2017, but was still an effective blocker for Baker Mayfield and Rodney Anderson during the Sooners’ run to the college football playoff. As a senior, Ford is taking his play to another level. Sources say that, right now, they could see him being a high second-rounder, although moving up and grading out in the first round is possible.
Mack Wilson, LB, Alabama Wilson may not get the hype of other recent Alabama linebackers like Rashaan Evans, Reuben Foster or C.J. Mosley, but Wilson is an excellent pro prospect in his own right. What really gets NFL evaluators excited about Wilson is his excellent pass-coverage skills. They love his instincts in coverage, which is a very hard trait to find for pro linebacker prospects. Wilson stands a good shot at being a second-round pick next April in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Justice Hill, RB, Oklahoma State Hill is a smaller back, but team sources feel that he has legit running ability for the NFL. They like his speed and burst to accelerate into the second level. This season, Hill has been on a tear, including last Saturday when he totaled 189 yards and a touchdown on 31 carries. The 5-foot-10, 190-pounder may not have the size to be a three-down starter in the NFL, but he could interest some teams as a rotational back and contributor in the passing game. Hill had 31 receptions in 2017.
If Hill tops 1,000 yards this season, that will mark three straight years of that for the Cowboys, and that track record could help to offset the durability concerns that come with smaller running backs. Hill could end up being a second-round candidate in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Chris Lindstrom, G, Boston College In speaking two multiple sources, Lindstrom has impressed them with from seeing him in person and on tape. They feel he has the look of a NFL starter. Lindstrom goes under the radar, but he is a really good blocker and quickly one can tell that he is a pro offensive lineman. Lindstrom plays with good leverage and shows some heavy hands to manipulate defenders. While he looks well put together, he shows some quickness to the second level and is more athletic than one would expect via the eye ball test. In the pass rush, Lindstrom uses his hands well with good placement and sustains his block. He reminds me of Chicago Bears’ Cody Whitehair as a player. In the second or third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Lindstrom would be a good fit and maybe a plug-and-play starter.
Zach Allen, DE, Boston College Already the 2019 NFL Draft is known to be a class that is loaded with good defensive line talent. A lot of attention gets paid to prospects like Ed Oliver, Nick Bosa, Derrick Brown, Raekwon Davis and the Clemson defensive line; however, team sources say that Allen is a sleeper because he is really good and deserving of a lot of attention. Last year, some scouts told me they were grading Allen in the first round before he decided to return to Boston College.
Allen is a quick pass-rusher who can get upfield and uses his strength to shed blocks. He shows a nice ability to fight off blockers and get pressure on the quarterback. Allen is also very tough in the ground game, making a lot of tackles and being tough at the point of attack. For the NFL, Allen should have the ability to be a 4-3 left defensive end to provide a mismatch versus the right tackle or serve as a five-technique in a 3-4 defense. Allen looks like he could be on his way to being a top-20 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State Dillard has been excellent in pass protection this season. On the edge, he is a good athlete with quick feet to get depth in his drop. Dillard is adept at heading off speed rushers and keeping them from getting turned to the quarterback. Dillard plays with good leverage, as he is a knee bender and does not bend at the waist. There have been a few plays on which Dillard allowed rushers to get speed upfield, but he showed nice recoverability to push the rushers deep and around the pocket to protect his tackle. In the ground game, Dillard is not a bull who will knock defensive linemen off the ball, but he could still be a functional blocker.
With Dillard’s quickness and athleticism, he could be a starting left tackle in the NFL. He probably won’t ever be a forceful run blocker, but the NFL is a passing-driven league, so he does not have to be a bull in the ground game to be a valuable starter. In a pass-first offense, Dillard could be a real asset as a blind-side protector who helps to neutralize speed rushers. He has second-day potential for the 2019 NFL Draft.
Erik McCoy, C, Texas A&M The Aggies center has received some third-round grades from some team sources, who say they think he has starting potential for the NFL. While McCoy is not a powerful pile mover who generates a ton of movement in the run game, he has strong hands and is able to control defenders when he latches onto them. McCoy is athletic with decent feel and awareness, and would be a very good fit with a pro team that does a lot with zone-blocking schemes in the run game. Depending on the team that drafts him, sources say that McCoy could be a plug-and-play starter, although it would probably be good for him to serve as a backup while growing stronger for the NFL. Still, McCoy is having a solid season and has impressed some scouts.
Marcus Norman, OT, USF In speaking to team sources, Norman has created a buzz in the scouting community. The redshirt junior offensive tackle is the starting right tackle for the Bulls and has played really well for South Florida this season. Evaluators like the length on the 6-foot-6 Norman and feel that he has nice athleticism for an edge blocker. Norman had a solid sophomore season in 2017 as well. With another strong year, he is putting his draft stock on the map.
2019 NFL Draft Stock Down
Dru Samia, G, Oklahoma While Cody Ford broken out this year, team sources say they are not high on his teammate Samia. They feel that Samia lacks power and is not overly athletic. To have any shot at sticking in the NFL, he will have to move to center, but even there he may not translate. Samia was on teams’ preseason watch list for having potential to go in the top half of the 2019 NFL Draft, but sources have been disappointed in his play and are projecting him to the late rounds or undrafted ranks.
Chris Johnson, S, North Alabama In speaking to multiple sources, Johnson is emerging as somewhat of a love/hate prospect among scouts. Some are very high on him, while others don’t like him at all. The ones who like him point toward his ball skills and ability to contribute in pass coverage on the back end. Those who don’t like him think he is a very bad tackler and lacks the necessary physicality for the NFL. It will be important for Johnson to produce some good tape while also impressing at a all-star game like the East-West Shrine or Senior Bowl after this season.
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