2019 First-round mock draft with Miami Dolphins trade
18. Minnesota Vikings – Garrett Bradbury, OL, NC State
After signing Kirk Cousins to a fully guaranteed contract, the Vikings underachieved in 2018. Some of the blame can be put on Cousins himself, but his protection was subpar. As a Kirk Cousins‘ fantasy owner in a league where sacks count against you, I should know.
Minnesota has a terrific pair of wide receivers and a strong defense. It’s now time to build their offensive line to become one of the best all-around teams. Garrett Bradbury is a guy whose draft stock skyrocketed after an impressive combine performance.
Bradbury is now very likely to go in the first round. The Vikings are a good spot for him as he can move along the interior wherever he is needed most.
19. Tennessee Titans – Cody Ford, OL, Oklahoma
Tennessee is probably a team that really likes T.J. Hockenson too, but with him off the board, they’re likely to look at a player on either side of the front line. Pass rusher is a possibility, but I have the feeling that the Titans have Cody Ford ahead on their board.
Ford is another versatile player that can play multiple positions along the line. He could pop out at tackle for Tennessee or move inside to guard. The Oklahoma Sooners were voted as the best offensive line in 2018. It shows how gifted Ford is for his name to be mentioned first in coming off the board amongst that talented group.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers – Greedy Williams, CB, LSU
Pittsburgh is a team rumored to be looking to trade up. I don’t really see it as it is not their normal strategy nor do their needs warrant a trade up. Of course, they did trade up back in 2003 to grab Troy Polamalu. I think it’s safe to say that was a smart move.
If there is a player in this draft class that the Steelers could move up for it’s Greedy Williams. Williams is expected to be the first cornerback taken off the board. Pittsburgh may not want to take the chance that he falls.
Many people are on the fence when it comes to Williams at the NFL level. Some believe that he is a sure thing, while others consider him boom-or-bust. If the Steelers move up to get him you’ll know where they stand.
21. Kansas City (Trade via Seattle) – Clelin Ferrell, EDGE, Clemson
KC receives: First-round pick (21)
SEA receives: First-round pick (29), Third-round pick (92), Sixth-round pick (201)
The Seattle Seahawks have just four total picks in 2019. They are more than willing to move down in order to pick up some additional selections. Moving down eight spots to get two more picks sounds like fair compensation. Thankfully, they won’t need to use any of their picks on a QB after officially extending Russell Wilson.
The Chiefs are in win-now mode, and after smelling the Super Bowl in 2018, they are ready to do whatever it takes to make it happen. Most importantly, it’s going to require getting better on defense. The defensive side of the ball was their weakest link last year, and it proved critical in the AFC Conference championship against New England.
What Kansas City needs most is a pass rusher, and Clelin Ferrell would fit right in. Ferrell comes from a winner at Clemson so it’s natural that he goes to a winner in the NFL as well. Despite falling on a lot of people’s boards, he remains one of the premier pass rushers in this class.
22. Oakland Raiders (Trade via Baltimore) – Montez Sweat, EDGE, Miss St.
OAK receives: First-round pick (22)
BAL receives: First-round pick (24), Fifth-round pick (140)
Once viewed as a top 10 talent, there are growing concerns over the heart condition of Montez Sweat. Sweat’s condition was made apparent during the combine, but as the draft gets closer it’s been made clear that some teams are nervous.
As a result, Sweat is expected to fall similar to the way Maurice Hurst did last year. Hurst fell all the way to the fifth round. It’s possible that Sweat could fall out of the first. I don’t believe that he will though. Oakland makes the move here to jump ahead of Miami to grab him. Getting elite players like Williams and Sweat could transition the Raiders’ defense almost instantly.