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
Ed Oliver, DT, Houston Prior to Jeffery Simmons’ torn ACL, Oliver probably would have been the third interior defensive lineman drafted. Simmons’ injury, however, could bump Oliver up and will also help to improve his chances of being a top-10 pick. Oliver needs to have some solid weigh-in numbers at the combine because teams have size concerns with him. If Oliver is carrying quality weight and works out well at that weight, that would be great for his draft stock, but he still is a direct beneficiary of Simmons’ injury.
Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson Wilkins is the other potential first-round defensive tackle who really benefits from Jeffery Simmons’ injury. In speaking to numerous team sources, they saw Wilkins as a potential pick late in the first round, but with Simmons getting injured, that could help push Wilkins up closer to the middle of the first round. Wilkins has a lot of versatility as a player, and his personal makeup could also help him to rise. It would not be surprising if Wilkins ends up rising throughout the leadup to the 2019 NFL Draft.
Riley Ridley, WR, Georgia Similar to Oliver and Simmons, some wide receivers are going to benefit from the injury to Marquise Brown. One of those receivers could be Ridley. Team sources have said that Ridley has impressed them during their tape study, and they think he could go in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. If Ridley works out well at the combine, he could rise.
Devin White, LB, LSU In speaking with an AFC general manager, they thought that White would steadily rise during the leadup to the 2019 NFL Draft. They said outside of some defensive line talent, this is not a very good draft, and believe White is a pure football player who will continue to win admirers as the coaching staffs get involved in the draft process. White looks like a lock to go in the first 16 choices right now, and he could easily end up being a top-10 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Julian Love, CB, Notre Dame The 2019 NFL Draft is not all that talented or deep at the cornerback position, but one corner who has a lot of evaluators liking him is Love. He is viewed as having a quality skill set with polish. Teams see him as a solid second-rounder, but if he does well at the combine, he could rise. Love has gone under the radar, but he could be a sought-after prospect this April.
2019 NFL Draft Stock Down
Nasir Adderley, S, Delaware In the Hot Press last week, we reported the results from speaking to sources at seven different NFL teams, and none of them had Adderley going in the first round. Leading up to the 2019 Senior Bowl and since then, there have been some mock drafts that have projected Adderley to be a first-round pick. Team sources, however, did not see Adderley as a Thursday night prospect. The biggest issue for Adderley that was mentioned independently was size. When scouts measured Adderley in the spring of 2018, he checked in at 5-foot-11, 197-pounds and those numbers were duplicated in Mobile at the Senior Bowl.
All seven team sources thought that Adderley should, and would, go on the second day of the 2019 NFL Draft. They liked him as a player, but felt that he has some size and athletic limitations that keep him from being a transcendent talent who belongs on the opening night of the draft.
Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi State Entering the draft season, Simmons was one of the best prospects for the 2019 NFL Draft and had the potential to be a top-10 pick. Unfortunately for Simmons, he tore an ACL during combine-preparation workouts. That injury will knock him out of workouts leading up the 2019 NFL Draft and could cause him to miss some or all of his rookie season. As a result, Simmons will probably slide in the 2019 NFL Draft and end up being a selection in the back half of the first round or early on Day 2.
Marquise Brown, WR, Oklahoma Similarly to Simmons, an injury has put Brown in the “Stock Down” section. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Brown had a Lisfranc injury that caused him to have surgery in January. The injury will knock Brown out of the combine, pro-day, and pre-draft workouts. Brown is expected to be ready to play in his rookie season, but losing the leadup to the 2019 NFL Draft is a devastating blow. Brown has elite speed and running the 40-yard dash in the low 4.4s or 4.3s could have caused teams to move him up their draft boards. The injury denies Brown the ability to light a fire under his draft stock with strong workouts, and it also could cause some teams to have more thoughts of passing on him considering he already has a serious injury in combination with being a small receiver who could face durability issues in the NFL.
Zach Allen, DE, Boston College At the Senior Bowl, Allen showed that he is a strong and tough defender at the point of attack. However, he also illustrated that he has some limitations in terms of speed and athleticism. Allen also needs to work on developing more pass-rushing moves. Some teams think Allen would be a better fit as a second-round pick rather than a first-rounder, and many feel that he would be best as a five-technique defensive end in a 3-4 scheme.
Erik McCoy, C/G, Texas A&M McCoy is one of the rare players who probably hurt himself by playing at the Senior Bowl. In speaking to team sources, they said that his tape was much better than his performance in Mobile. Evaluators really liked what they saw out of McCoy in his game performance during 2018, including his tapes against Alabama and Clemson, where he looked good against a lot of early-round draft talent. McCoy did not play that way in Mobile. As a result, some team sources think that it’s possible that McCoy slips to the third round during the 2019 NFL Draft.
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