2019 NFL Draft big board: Wild Card-round edition
Niner Noise Big Board: Nos. 15 to 11
No. 15: Deionte Thompson, Safety, Alabama
Fast and physical, Deionte Thompson is the best player in a draft class that looks to feature Alabama heavily in the first few rounds.
Thompson loves to hit hard, causing three fumbles this season and adding two interceptions to this tally. The 2019 NFL Draft isn’t big on talent in the secondary, but Thompson is a definite first-round candidate.
No. 14: Zach Allen, Defensive End, Boston College
A solid prospect, there might be some surprised to see Zach Allen only 15th on the board, but there is an important reason we’ll get into shortly.
Allen has a good football IQ and has a relentless motor. He’s aggressive in his play and has the ability to beat offensive linemen with some good rush moves.
On the negative side, he does play rather stiff and could have trouble beating NFL-caliber tackles outside. He could have more luck inside right away, but then there are questions of him defending the run against stout interior linemen.
Allen is in a delicate situation right now, and could be lost in the shuffle if defensive linemen below him catch fire in the draft process.
No. 13: A.J. Brown, Wide Receiver, Ole Miss
My favorite offensive skill player, A.J. Brown is the favorite currently to be the first receiver off the board.
Some have Metcalf as the best Ole Miss player, but I’m firmly in the Brown camp as a solid, dependable receiver. He’s a tough, dependable route runner, who reels in the catch, and is a possession receiver that projects, at worst, to be a good No. 2 receiver for a team.
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There are concerns on speed and burst, and he could fall if those concerns worsen. But right now, Brown seems like a safe prospect to be productive at the next level.
No. 12: Clelin Ferrell, Defensive End, Clemson
There’s a lot to like about Clelin Ferrell, unfortunately with so many impressive defensive standouts the smallest thing can knock someone down.
This has happened here with this report:
"Another player who could end up going lower than expected is Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell. From his performance this year, one general manager said they thought Ferrell would go in the mid- to late first round. A director of college scouting also said they also projected Ferrell to the mid- to late portion of the opening night of the 2019 NFL Draft. Ferrell improved his run defense this year and looks stronger at the point of attack, but teams do not view him as an explosive edge rusher in the mold of a Myles Garrett or Von Miller."
Ferrell is talented, and a definite trade-down target for the 49ers, but he may not be picked as high as some think, which includes…
No. 11: Greedy Williams, Cornerback, LSU
Oh yes, get out your torches and pitchforks because this big board does not have Greedy Williams in the top 10!
To put simply, some prospects are over-hyped by the media and not valued as highly by scouts, per this Walter Football report:
"Another prospect who multiple team sources feel is very overrated is LSU cornerback Greedy Williams. “He’s extremely overrated, just watch the Georgia tape,” said one general manager. In speaking to a director of college scouting, they said this about Williams, “I have him late [in Round 1]. I like him, but he doesn’t have the speed to get an elite grade.” There are some draft sites that project Williams going in the top-five picks, but team sources aren’t nearly as high on Williams as the larger media believes."
Namely, the issue is speed and effort, per this scouting report also. There’s a reason why some are in love with him, namely his ball skills and flash plays, but there’s certainly a lot of reasons teams could stay away.