New NFL.com mock draft projects 3 QBs in top 4 picks
By Bryan Perez
NFL.com’s latest 2019 NFL mock draft features three quarterbacks in the first four picks, a projection that seems highly unlikely to come true on draft day.
The 2019 NFL draft isn’t blessed with elite quarterback prospects, and even the two who are jockeying to be the first passer drafted — Kyler Murray (Oklahoma) and Dwayne Haskins (Ohio State) — aren’t without some warts.
Players like Drew Lock (Missouri), Daniel Jones (Kentucky) and Will Grier (West Virginia) all have upside but are far from sure things.
But the NFL is a quarterback league and there are more than a handful of teams searching for a new one at the top of the first round.
According to NFL.com’s latest (and shocking) mock draft, three of the first four picks will be quarterbacks: Murray to the Cardinals at No. 1, Haskins to the Giants at No. 3, and the biggest surprise of all, Lock to the Raiders at No. 4.
"With the buzz about Oakland’s interest in shaking up the QB room lingering, particularly when it comes to Kyler Murray, I would not be surprised if they took a quarterback here, even if Murray is off the board. After all, Jon Gruden coached Drew Lock at the Senior Bowl and praised him for his play that week."
With all due respect to Chad Reuter (the mock’s author), there’s no chance Lock is coming off the board in the top five. In fact, I’m not convinced Haskins will be a top-five pick, either.
Lock’s accuracy leaves a lot to be desired and his decision-making isn’t on par with what’s expected from an elite prospect. Yes, he has a live arm and yes, he possesses some appealing natural traits. But great quarterbacks are built from a foundation of accuracy, and I don’t know if Lock will ever get there.
As for Haskins, his chances of becoming a legitimate franchise quarterback are better than Lock’s because he simply hits his targets with more consistency and predictability. That said, he’s one of the worst athletes at the position to come out in recent years and with today’s NFL featuring lightning-quick pass-rushers, his upside could be limited.