Now that the first-round draft order has been established for all but the final four teams in the playoffs, ESPN’s Mel Kiper has released his first mock draft of the year. Kiper has the Seahawks selecting pass rusher Oshane Ximines at No. 21 out of Old Dominion. First five picks in my Mock Draft 1.0 for the 2019 class: 1. Cardinals: Nick Bosa, DE 2. 49ers: Josh Allen, OLB 3. Jets: Quinnen Williams, DT 4. Raiders: Greedy Williams, CB 5. Bucs: Jonah Williams, OT/OGhttps://t.co/tMY7AY9uRU — Mel Kiper Jr. (@MelKiperESPN) January 17, 2019 “He is an explosive pass-rusher – 12 sacks in 2018 – who has the versatility to play with his hand in the dirt or standing up on the edge,” Kiper writes. “His game reminds me a little bit of DeMarcus Ware’s, though Ximines has a ways to go. Pete Carroll is always looking for pass-rushers, and the Seahawks could lose Frank Clark in free agency.” Ximines finished his senior season with 11.5 sacks and 32.5 over his college career. Kiper’s is not the first mock to project a pass rusher to Seattle in the first round. The USA TODAY also has a defensive end in the Seahawks’ sights. Until Frank Clark, who just wrapped up the final year of his rookie deal, is locked up to a contract extension, the position will remain one of need for Seattle.<doc-sep>With a record-setting number of early NFL declarations this month and the combine quickly approaching, now more than ever draft hopefuls are trying to paint the best picture possible in the eyes of scouts and franchise front offices before pre-draft grading kicks into full swing. For quarterbacks and skill players, the next few weeks are crucial to their perceived stock from teams penciling in their boards and who to go after later this year in Nashville. NFL.com expert Daniel Jeremiah released his first 2019 NFL Mock Draft 1.0 on Friday and some of his projections have already generated considerable buzz. Who will be the No. 1 pick? Which quarterback will be the first selected? Is Kyler Murray going in the first-round? Jeremiah tries to answer those questions and others with his opening-round early guesses:<doc-sep>Quarterbacks are likely going to be pushed up the board in the 2019 NFL Draft. The demand simply outweighs the supply. In this mock, four signal-callers land inside the top 15, and the Bills take the only receiver in the first half of Round 1. About that prospect, Iowa State wideout Hakeem Butler: I have a feeling he's going to erupt at the combine and fly up boards as a highly athletic 6-foot-6, 225-pound, contested-catch monster. Time for the picks. Stream Sunday's NFC Championship Game on fuboTV, try it for free, and stream the AFC Championship Game on CBS All Access. 1. Arizona Cardinals Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State. Kliff Kingsbury, the best way to get in the good graces of your new defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is by drafting this guy. So do it. Bosa is as polished as they come at the edge-rusher position. 2. San Francisco 49ers Josh Allen, EDGE, Kentucky. Allen is a massive presence at 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds with long arms, plus athletic gifts, and the hard-to-find ability to bend the edge to get to the quarterback. He's what the 49ers need up front. 3. New York Jets Clelin Ferrell, EDGE, Clemson. The Jets are another team that needs more juice on the corner of their defensive line. Ferrell is a calculated outside-rusher with similar athletic talent, size, and length to Allen. 4. Oakland Raiders Quinnen Williams, DL, Alabama. The Raiders need to reconstruct the entire defense -- essentially -- and it starts up front. Williams is a young, insanely developed, powerful defensive tackle who'll pair wonderfully with Maurice Hurst. 5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Greedy Williams, CB, LSU. Before his head-coaching stint with the Jets, new Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles spent time in the same position in Arizona with LSU grad Patrick Peterson. He knows the importance of having a big, lockdown cornerback. Williams is long, athletic, and has plus ball skills. 6. New York Giants Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama. In this scenario, Giants GM Dave Gettleman experiences an awakening after years of fielding below-average offensive lines -- especially on the edges. Williams has the best blend of fine-tuned technique, athleticism, and power of any offensive tackle in this class. 7. Jacksonville Jaguars Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State. This would likely be a departure from the old-school thinking in Jacksonville's front office, led by Tom Coughlin. And I don't think Nick Foles would be out of the question for the Jaguars as a bridge quarterback ... particularly with John DeFilippo in the picture, whom Foles knows well. But the young and inexperienced Haskins put serious franchise signal-caller ability on film in 2018, his lone season as Ohio State's starter. 8. Detroit Lions Zach Allen, EDGE/DL, Boston College. The Lions have to bring in talent on the outside of their defensive line. Allen is a 6-5, 280-ish pound edge-rusher with a vast arsenal of pass-rushing moves and above-average athleticism for his size. 9. Buffalo Bills Hakeem Butler, WR, Iowa State. Hear me out on this one ... in this scenario, Jonah Williams is unavailable. The defensive line class is super deep, and Buffalo needs more downfield speed for Josh Allen. Butler is a huge wideout with a gigantic catch radius who can fly, and he had stellar production at Iowa State. He accounted for 42 percent of the Cyclones' receiving yards -- a very high figure -- in 2018. 10. Denver Broncos Daniel Jones, QB, Duke. New Broncos offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello spent the past two seasons with the 49ers and Jimmy Garoppolo. Jones works the underneath portion of the field well and is quick through his progressions ... similar to Jimmy G. He wouldn't be forced into the Week 1 lineup, either, with Case Keenum still on the roster. 11. Cincinnati Bengals Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida. Taylor is massive at 6-5 and around 325 pounds, but he carries his weight amazingly well thanks to light feet, the ability to sink at the knees to not get out-leveraged, and a powerful upper body that allows him to control most defensive linemen. Cincinnati got good returns from Cordy Glenn in 2018 and can play Taylor opposite him at his natural right tackle position. 12. Green Bay Packers Jachai Polite, EDGE, Florida. Polite's going to fly up boards over the next few months. There. I wrote it. I just get a strong sense he's going to breeze through the combine and be the trendy, pass-rushing specialist who lands in the top 15. Green Bay needs that exact type of player. 13. Miami Dolphins Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma. Biggest enigma in this draft? That'd be Kyler Murray. Why not have him land with a team that, right now, does not officially have a head coach? Miami's expected to hire soon-to-be-38-year-old Brian Flores, New England's defensive coordinator. I don't think it's nuts to assume the young coach could warm to the idea of starting his tenure with the Dolphins with Murray in the shotgun. 14. Atlanta Falcons Ed Oliver, DT, Houston. Wooo boy. Ed Oliver and Grady Jarrett together. Well, that'd be the case if Jarrett is re-signed in March. Let's hope it happens, because that duo would be ridiculous on the inside. 15. Washington Redskins Drew Lock, QB, Missouri. The Redskins would presumably be ecstatic to land Lock, a big, experienced, strong-armed quarterback, without having to move up to get him. 16. Carolina Panthers Cody Ford, OT/G, Oklahoma. Carolina's offensive line needs work. A lot of it. Ford has just enough athleticism to play on the outside but could be a mauler at guard. Either way, he'd instantly improve the Panthers' ability to control the line of scrimmage. 17. Cleveland Browns D.K. Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss. If Metcalf's neck checks out, he could go higher than this. But in this mock, the 6-4, 225-pound monster with big-play potential lands with Baker Mayfield. Awesome prospect-team pairing. 18. Minnesota Vikings Dalton Risner, OT, Kansas State. Risner would start immediately at right tackle for the Vikings, and after three years of dominating at that spot, I'm confident when I write he can be an instant-impact pro. Kirk Cousins would be pleased with this pick.<doc-sep>Senior Bowl week is here, and this is typically when draft rumors really start to fly. What was assumed about the 2019 NFL Draft will change as word gets out on what teams really think about players. This week’s mock draft takes a look at things before the rumor mill takes off and players start moving all around the place. There are also a couple quarterbacks who could sneak into the top 10 if they impress in the Senior Bowl. 1. Arizona Cardinals: Nick Bosa , DE, Ohio State Bosa remains the player likely to be taken first overall in the draft. It’s hard to see that changing unless Arizona trades the pick. Whether or not that should happen will be debated over the next few months. 2. San Francisco 49ers: Josh Allen , OLB/DE, Kentucky It’s difficult to move off this pick if Bosa is gone. Allen announced last week that he was pulling out of the Senior Bowl. The last top-five edge rusher to do that was Khalil Mack in 2014. That’s probably Allen’s best comparison too. Like Mack, he can impact the game with his ability to pressure the quarterback and play three downs. 3. New York Jets: Quinnen Williams , DT, Alabama As much as the Jets need offensive line help, there are legitimate concerns about whether there is one good enough for the third overall pick in the draft. If the Jets doubt there is, they should take the best player available, which is Williams. He didn’t have the best national title game against Clemson, but he can still dominate games. 4. Oakland Raiders: Rashan Gary , DE, Michigan The Raiders would love to see Allen or Williams available with their first pick. So much so, you have to wonder if they’ll consider moving one of their extra first-round picks this year to get an elite pressure defender. If they can’t move up, holding at four could lead them to Gary. He’s as talented as players like Williams or Allen, but he never fully put it together at Michigan. 5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jonah Williams , OT, Alabama Two distinct narratives about Williams have already formed early in the draft process. One is that Williams is the best offensive tackle in the draft and a true technician. The other is that he’s not particularly athletic and more likely to play guard in the NFL. If the latter ends up being true, he won’t be taken in the first five picks. 6. New York Giants: Dwayne Haskins , QB, Ohio State Presumably, Giants general manager Dave Gettleman is currently in the process of deciding if he wants to draft a quarterback in the first round this year. It’s a decision that will make or break Gettleman as New York’s top football executive. Haskins is the best quarterback in this draft, but he could give Gettleman pause. He’s not overly experienced, and who knows how he’ll handle the drama of New York. But if Gettleman wants a rookie quarterback this offseason, he may as well take the best one available. 7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Drew Lock , QB, Missouri There is no player who needs a bigger Senior Bowl week than Lock, the talented but inconsistent Missouri quarterback. Lock has a big arm and athleticism, though he completed just 56.9 percent of his throws in four seasons for the Tigers. If he has a great week in Mobile, he could elevate inside the top 10. 8. Detroit Lions: Greedy Williams , CB, LSU It seems like this pick should be a defensive end or a cornerback. If the Lions use free agency to address end, taking Williams at No. 8 makes sense. He’s a ballhawk of a cornerback who makes a lot of plays. Darius Slay is an excellent cornerback for Detroit, but the Lions need help in the secondary. 9. Buffalo Bills: Ed Oliver , DT, Houston The Bills need to add talent to both sides of the line, so this pick will likely be a player like Oliver, Mississippi State defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, or Oklahoma offensive tackle Cody Ford. Oliver gets the highest grade out of the three. 10. Denver Broncos: Daniel Jones , QB, Duke Jones, like Lock, needs a great week at the Senior Bowl to get quite this high. Is this too high for him and Lock? Maybe. But teams can press to get a quarterback, especially at the low price on a rookie contract for five years. 11. Cincinnati Bengals: Cody Ford, OT, Oklahoma Right tackle is sneakily a big need for the Bengals. This pick has often been LSU linebacker Devin White, but the truth is, an offensive tackle has much greater roster value than a linebacker. Ford is a powerful blocker who will open up holes in the run game and help keep Andy Dalton clean. 12. Green Bay Packers: Jachai Polite , DE/OLB, Florida Polite is the player the Packers need to get in the first round. He’s just behind Allen in terms of versatile edge rushers in this draft. Polite is speed and aggression around the corner, which is the type of player the Packers sorely lack. 13. Miami Dolphins: Kyler Murray , QB, Oklahoma Murray landing here is less about his ability, and more about the teams drafting ahead of Miami that need a quarterback. Would Tom Coughlin in Jacksonville, John Elway in Denver, and Gettleman in New York really consider an undersized and athletic quarterback over a traditional pocket thrower? Maybe not. That could lead Murray to Miami. 14. Atlanta Falcons: Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi State If Oliver is gone, the Falcons will have plenty of good options at defensive tackle. Simmons has the strength to bull rush his way through the offensive line. But he also possesses a decent array of moves so he’s not always relying on his power. 15. Washington: Byron Murphy , CB, Washington There are a number areas Washington could address with the No. 15 pick. Cornerback is one of them, and Murphy is pro-ready corner thanks to his instincts and ability to play the ball in the air. 16.<doc-sep>
MIAMI, FL - OCTOBER 06: Brian Burns #99 of the Florida State Seminoles causes a fumble by N'Kosi Perry #5 of the Miami Hurricanes in the first half at Hard Rock Stadium on October 6, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)-Seahawks Now that the playoffs are winding down, mock drafts are beginning to appear everywhere. And the Seahawks are clearly in need along the defensive line. The Seahawks always seem in need of an upgrade at two units, the offensive and defensive lines. But in 2019, Seattle has a much bigger need on defense than on offense. And several mock drafts are predicting that Seattle tries to fix the issue. Even if Seattle does the clear and right thing and extend defensive end Frank Clark to a long-term contract, Seattle still needs at least two other players who can get to the opposing quarterback. Jarran Reed was good this year from his defensive tackle position, but Reed and Clark should not be expected to get pressure by themselves. They need help. Mel Kiper, Jr. of ESPN thinks that Seattle chooses defensive end Oshane Ximines with the 21st pick in the NFL draft. According to Kiper, Ximines has excellent versatility and explosiveness. My only concern with the pick is that Ximines hasn’t faced a lot of top-end talent in his college career while playing at Old Dominion. Seattle may need a more proven player to help right away. USA Today (which is still a thing, I promise) has Seattle selecting defensive end Brian Burns of Florida State with their first-round choice. Burns had 10 sacks this season for a mediocre Seminoles team. Burns is an early-entry in the NFL draft and played three seasons at FSU. FanSided’s NFL Spin Zone, though, thinks the Seahawks get cornerback Deandre Baker of Georgia with their first pick. The only issue with this, and NFL Spin Zone’s take could be a lot better than mine, is that John Schneider and Pete Carroll are loathe to pick a cornerback so early – they haven’t chosen a cornerback so soon in the draft in their nine years in Seattle. Plus, picking Baker means Seattle might be thinking of giving up on Shaquill Griffin or Tre Flowers and they haven’t. Still, nearly every mock draft has the Seahawks picking a defensive player with their first pick in the 2019 NFL draft. This is different than most recent years when everyone assumes Seattle will choose an offensive tackle. This is a nice change. Yet, we all know Seattle is going to trade down out of the first round to pick up more picks. Seattle only has four right now in the entire draft. That number will probably end up closer to 8 or 9.