A lot has happened since my first 2019 NFL mock draft in mid-January. The first-round draft order was set after the Patriots beat the Rams in Super Bowl LIII. We've seen the nation's best senior prospects perform against each other at the Senior Bowl. And Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray has spurned baseball and committed to playing football.
That means it's the perfect time for another shot at projecting the first round of this draft, going 1-32 and explaining my thoughts on each pick.
With the NFL combine in Indianapolis coming at the end of the month, we'll know much more about medical evaluations and true height/weight on every prospect. That matters. And as always, I'm predicting the top 32 picks here based on a combination of my Big Board rankings, each team's needs right now and my view on positions that could be upgraded. Here we go:
QUICK LINKS
Kiper's Mock 1.0 | McShay's Mock 2.0
Big Board | Top 32 | Draft order
1. Arizona Cardinals
Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State
No change at the top here -- Bosa is the top prospect in this class. He can be an elite pass-rusher at the next level, just like his brother Joey. His workouts at the combine will be closely watched to see if he's back at full strength after his core muscle injury. As far as the fit in a 3-4 defense in Arizona, this quote last week from new defensive coordinator Vance Joseph stood out: "4-3 college ends, they grow to be outside 'backers. It's a learned ability." Joseph's former team in Denver used a top-five pick on Bradley Chubb last year, and Joseph converted him to outside linebacker -- opposite Von Miller -- and he had 12 sacks as a rookie. The 6-foot-4, 263-pound Bosa would have a good edge-rushing partner in Chandler Jones.
2. San Francisco 49ers
Josh Allen, OLB, Kentucky
If the Niners don't trade down to add more picks, I expect them to take an edge rusher here. And Allen (6-5, 250) is just a step behind Bosa on my board. Two former first-round picks along the defensive line (Arik Armstead and Solomon Thomas) have struggled in San Francisco, but neither has the pure pass-rushing ability of Allen, who had 17 sacks and five forced fumbles last season. Allen would fill a glaring need.
