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
Daniel Jones, QB, Duke Last week, Jones had an impressive pro day to help solidify his standing as a first-round pick. He drew positive reviews for his arm strength, accuracy, and athleticism. With good grooming for the NFL under David Cutfliffe, Jones could continue to rise during the pre-draft visits. There are multiple quarterback-needy teams with top-16 picks, so Jones should be in good shape to go in the top half of the first round.
Ed Oliver, DT, Houston Oliver created a lot of headlines after a tremendous pro day performance. The 6-foot-1, 281-pounder ran the 40-yard dash in 4.73 seconds, a very fast time for an interior defensive lineman. That pro day caused NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks to write an article that made the case for Oliver to be the first pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. While team sources don’t hold Oliver in that high of regard, he definitely helped himself, and Oliver stands a good shot of going in the top 10 in a few weeks.
Erik McCoy, C/G, Texas A&M Sources said that McCoy had a very good pro day and picked up where he left off after a superb combine performance. McCoy continues to illustrate that he is an excellent athlete with speed and agility for the inside of the offensive line. Some evaluators say they like McCoy more than Billy Price and Frank Ragnow, who were top-25 picks last year. McCoy could end up getting selected higher than expected.
Kaleb McGary, OT, Washington McGary had a strong senior season that ended with a quality performance at the Senior Bowl. At the combine, some team sources said they had concerns about McGary’s football I.Q., but he has continued to rise in projections, with some at NFL.com mocking him in the first round. In speaking with a handful of team sources, a few had him in the second round and one thought he could go late in the first. A couple others had him in the third round, but between those teams it looks the consensus belief is that McGary has a good shot at going in the first couple of rounds this April, with the second round being a likely landing spot.
Chris Westry, CB, Kentucky Kentucky cornerbacks Lonnie Johnson and Derrick Baity are expected to be selected in the 2019 NFL Draft, but Westry could make it three Wildcats corners drafted. Westry might go late on the third day, or most likely, he would be a priority undrafted free agent. The big cornerback ran a fast 40 and did well in the jumps, showing a combination of size, speed, and explosion. Westry could be an undrafted free agent who ends up sticking with his pro team.
Anree Saint-Amour, DE, Georgia Tech Some small-school players stand out on the pro day circuit, and Saint-Amour is one of them this year. He has met with the Cincinnati Bengals, and more teams are showing interest in him. Saint-Amour totaled 10.5 sacks over the past three seasons at Georgia Tech. He could be a late-round pick or priority free agent who surprises.
Tim Ward, DE, Old Dominion Prior to an injury in his last game, some league sources say there were teams that had Ward as a mid-round pick, but now he is more of a third-day candidate. However, Ward continues to impress teams with his skill set. The 6-foot-5, 265-pounder has length with a 7-foot wing span and speed. Ward has met with the Saints, and other teams are showing more interest. He is a sleeper on the rise.
2019 NFL Draft Stock Down
DeAndre Baker, CB, Georgia Entering the pre-draft process, Baker was the consensus top cornerback prospect among scouts. However, Baker has hurt himself in the leadup to the 2019 NFL Draft. He had a slow 40 at the combine before running better at his pro day, but his interviews with teams have not gone that well. It was known that Baker had some makeup issues and some character concerns. Those issues have not been addressed well, so some team sources believe that Baker is in store for a bit of slide lower than where his play says he should go.
Jachai Polite, DE, Florida The pre-draft process has been an utter disaster for Polite. After the season, he was viewed as being a pick to go in the early teens, but now he would be fortunate to be selected during the second day of the 2019 NFL Draft. WalterFootball.com was first to report that teams had significant off-the-field and makeup concerns about Polite, with some teams being close to drop him off their board. Then at the NFL Scouting Combine, Polite bombed in the team meetings before taking himself out of the workout.
Polite then had an ugly pro day last week. Here is what one team source said about Polite at the Gators pro day, “Sluggish and heavy, running a 5.02 40 and tweaked his right hamstring. Lazy not to finish in the DE/LB drills too and wasn’t staring. It’s who he is and the slide continues.” After this colossal failure in the pre-draft process, Polite would be lucky to get selected in the third round. The first or second round seems like a tragic lost opportunity.
Mack Wilson, LB, Alabama Last week in the Hot Press, we reported how Wilson hurt himself at the NFL Scouting Combine with some poor interviews because teams have some makeup concerns with him. The issues aren’t said to be major, but sources at four different teams thought that Wilson could have a bit of a slide in the 2019 NFL Draft because of those concerns. Teams express reservations about Wilson’s character, his personal makeup, and how he will fit in the locker room.
A few sources thought that Wilson would still go in the second round, while some felt that his range was middle of the second round to the middle of the third round. Once the drafting starts, these kind of slides can go longer than expected, and that was the case last year with former teammate Ronnie Harrison. The hard-hitting safety was thought to be a likely second-rounder heading into the 2018 NFL Draft because of makeup and character concerns, but Harrison slid to late in the third round before he was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Teams don’t believe that Wilson is in store for as long of a slide as Harrison had, but Wilson’s makeup is definitely something that teams are considering after some poor interview sessions at the combine. If Wilson does have a slide into the third round like Harrison, it will be the character concerns as the catalyst.
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