2019 NFL Mock Draft, 2.0: Post-free agency edition
By Bryan Perez
I’m feeling more and more confident that this pick will come to fruition on draft day. I just don’t think Haskins will come off the board as high as some draft analysts are projecting right now and there might not be a better fit for him in the first round than the Bengals. New coach Zac Taylor will get his guy to begin his regime while Andy Dalton auditions for another franchise in 2019.
The Packers went all-in on defense in free agency, so they’ll turn their attention to more weapons for Aaron Rodgers in the NFL Draft and it starts int he first round with TE Noah Fant. The athletic pass-catcher will give Rodgers the kind of three-level weapon he hasn’t had at the position in many, many years.
The Dolphins, much like the Giants, are a near-impossible team to project. The entire team is being blown up, which means every position is up for grabs. As a result, Miami will go with the best pass rusher left on the board, Florida State’s Brian Burns. He’s a twitchy and explosive athlete off the edge and he’ll be a good building block for Miami’s defense.
Rashan Gary slides a bit in this mock draft, and there are some analysts who think he has a chance to be a top-five pick. And he could end up in that range when it’s all said and done. But in this mock, Gary takes a bit of a fall and ends up in Atlanta, where they’ll gladly welcome and athletic edge defender with double-digit sack potential.
Washington signed Landon Collins and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in free agency and still could choose to go with LSU’s Greedy Williams here, but they have a chance to add a monster target at WR in Iowa State’s Hakeem Butler. This may seem a bit rich for his draft projection, but he’s a solid first-round player.