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Mel Kiper's favorite 2019 NFL draft prospects at every position

It's time for my annual list of favorite prospects, the guys I really like at each position in the NFL draft.

This is neither a list of the best players in the draft overall, nor a list of the guys I consider the best at each position. They're all good, and they're all going to be drafted, but they fit into a few separate categories. These are prospects whom I've:

  • Often rated higher than other evaluators within the draft media or than team evaluators with whom I discuss prospects, or ...

  • Ranked higher in close debates within position groups, or ...

  • Just liked the way they play the game

Here's the Class of 2019, with projections on the round in which each will be drafted:


Quarterback

Daniel Jones, Duke

Todd McShay keeps saying Jones is my guy, so let's make it official. There's a lot to like about Jones, my fourth-ranked quarterback and No. 23 overall on my board. He has experience (36 starts). He's athletic (4.81 40 with a 33 ½-inch vertical). He's a leader (two-year captain). He's tough (he missed only two games after breaking his collarbone). He can be a starter in the NFL.

Now, you'd like to see him be more accurate -- he completed just 59.9 percent of his passes in his career -- but he improved every year under Duke coach David Cutcliffe. Just turn on the film from last season, and you'll see a quarterback who can play. And sorry, Todd; Jones is going in Round 1.

Projection: First round


Running back