Full 2019 NFL Mock Draft: Raiders and 49ers land defensive studs
By Justin Fried
36. . Safety/Cornerback. Seattle Seahawks. Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. 29. player
After addressing their edge rush with their first first-round pick, the Seahawks elect to continue rebuilding the once menacing Legion of Boom with the selection of Chauncey Gardner-Johnson here at pick No. 29. Versatility is the name of the game for the former Florida defender as he could be used in seemingly any role in the secondary and succeed.
Need him to play in the slot? He’s got you covered. Want him as a box safety? No problem. Need to put him as a single-high safety? Absolutely no concerns. Gardner-Johnson is yet another late-riser in this NFL draft and would be an exciting chess piece for Pete Carroll to play with in Seattle.
Tight End. Green Bay Packers. Noah Fant. 30. player. 49.
This is probably the surprise of the entire mock draft that tight end Noah Fant is still available, but that’s just the way things worked out. Either way, the Green Bay Packers are unlikely to be the ones complaining.
Jimmy Graham isn’t getting any younger and it’s not as if he’s been lighting up the stat sheet either. Fant is part of the new breed of NFL tight ends who are essentially glorified wide receivers. The Iowa product has exceptional athleticism and while he struggles with blocking, he more than makes up for it with his receiving ability. If Fant is on the board here at No. 30, Green Bay is sprinting to the podium.
Los Angeles Rams. Erik McCoy. 31. player. 51. . Center
Don’t look now, but the Rams interior offensive line has quickly fallen apart over the past few months. Left guard Rodger Saffold and center John Sullivan have both departed via free agency and while right guard Austin Blythe surprised many with his play in 2018, it’s fair to wonder whether he’ll play at the same level in 2019.
That’s why Texas A&M’s Erik McCoy is the safe pick that the Rams need to make. McCoy would step in and likely be the Week 1 starter at center while last year’s third-round pick Joseph Noteboom could compete with Brian Allen for the starting left guard spot. It wouldn’t be a flashy pick, but it’s not as if the Rams need any more flash anyway.
47. . Tight End. New England Patriots. Irv Smith Jr.. 32. player
With the final pick in the first round of this 2019 NFL Mock Draft, the New England Patriots select tight end Irv Smith Jr. Rob Gronkowski has retired — for now — and the Patriots suddenly find themselves with a major hole at the tight end position.
Next. Power ranking the Oakland Raiders biggest 2019 NFL Draft needs. dark
The team signed former Jacksonville Jaguar Austin Seferian-Jenkins in free agency but it’s safe to assume they’ll still address the position in the draft. Smith Jr. is a well-rounded tight end prospect who will enter the league as an excellent route runner and very reliable blocker. He isn’t the athletic freak that Gronk was, but who is? The Patriots could do much worse with finding Gronk’s ultimate replacement than the son of former Notre Dame standout Irv Smith.