Which NFL Draft prospects are most likely to hear their names called in the first round, earlier than experts might suspect, on Draft Day?
Thousands upon thousands or articles are written every year about the NFL Draft. Still hundreds more people and experts complete mock drafts leading up to the late April event. And despite the time and money invested in these prognostications, there are still always surprises on draft day.
Some notable examples come to mind. The first one that comes to mind is when the NFL world was shocked when the Oakland Raiders took Darrius Heyward-Bey at seventh-overall in 2009. Of course, we can all probably think of examples for our own teams where we thought they reached in the first round, or where they drafted a player we’d never heard of.
In the 2019 NFL Draft, we are again, likely to be stunned by a selection, or several, during the course of the first round. Does a strong class of Defensive Line prospects push second round prospects in to the first round? Does an early run on quarterbacks push weak prospects in to the late first by a team in need of a backup?
Only time will tell, of course. But here is a list of the five draft prospects who are most likely to rise up draft boards during the NFL Draft.
5) N’Keal Harry, Wide Receiver, Arizona State
In October, when the Dallas Cowboys traded their first-round pick to the Raiders for Amari Cooper, many felt they understood Dallas’ premise. If the Cowboys wanted a young receiver with upside, it wasn’t coming in the weak 2019 class.
However, draft history would suggest that this could mean that we see a run of receivers in the late first or early second round. And if that does occur, Arizona State’s N’Keal Harry is primed to be a top target of teams looking to improve their receiving corps.
Measured at 6-foot-2 and 228 pounds at the combine, Harry has the physical size to be an imposing force on defensive backs. With a 4.53 40-yard dash, combined with an impressive 27 reps on the bench at the combine – he also has speed and strength to match his size. He could truly be a matchup nightmare at the next level.
Still, others have speculated that the class is a strength of the draft, not a weakness. If NFL general managers agree with such an assessment, that too could improve Harry’s stock on draft day.
Whichever side of the coin you fall on – don’t be surprised to here the Sun Devil wideout’s name called on Day 1.