With the turn of the calendar to June and training camps starting next month, the chatter is heating up like an Arizona sidewalk in the summer. Who will be the biggest bust? Who will make the biggest rookie impact? Which player's value is on the rise? Knowledge is power, of course, and knowing which players to draft and when to draft them is paramount to your championship hopes. So is practicing your strategies, and you can do that right here at NFL.com with our .
Before you dive into your own mock draft madness, check out our first NFL.com experts draft for the 2019 season. The draft includes NFL.com folks including myself, Marcas Grant, Graham Barfield, Cynthia Frelund and Michael Florio, and some of our industry pals including Bob Harris (Football Diehards), John Paulsen (4for4), Jake Ciely (The Athletic), Jeff Ratcliffe (Pro Football Focus) and Brandon Marianne Lee (NFL.com, The Athletic). It's a 16-rounder and based on a PPR scoring system that rewards four points for touchdown passes and six points for all other touchdowns.
Starting lineups require one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, one tight end, one flex (RB/WR/TE), one kicker and one defense/special teeams units. There are no positional restrictions on bench players. I've also added a few notes on some of the more interesting picks and trends that I saw during the course of the mock, including some thoughts on my own picks (good or bad). Enjoy!
Round 1
1. Harris:*Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants
2. Paulsen:, RB, Dallas Cowboys
3. Ciely:, RB, Carolina Panthers
4. Frelund:Le'Veon Bell, RB, New York Jets
5. Ratcliffe:, RB, New Orleans Saints
6. Barfield:, RB, Arizona Cardinals
7. Grant:, WR, Houston Texans
8. Fabiano:, RB, Los Angeles Rams
9. Lee:, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
10. Florio:*, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
Notes: This mock shows that the running back position will once again rule the first round of most drafts, as nine of the first 10 picks were backfield heroes. Bell went fourth, which is the highest I've seen him picked in mocks, while Johnson went sixth to Barfield. He's in the first-round conversation, even after a poor 2018. The one notable pick was Gurley, who slid all the way to me at No. 8 overall. I've seen other drafts where he's fallen into the second and third rounds (that's simply like stealing), but I'm not as scared of his projected decline in touches as some others in the business. While I do think Darrell Henderson (who I picked up in the eighth round as insurance) will see work, I doubt a backfield committee will emerge. Instead, I still expect to see Gurley touch the ball 18-22 times a game next season.
Round 2
11. Florio:*, WR, Green Bay Packers
12. Lee:, WR, New Orleans Saints
13. Fabiano:, WR, Atlanta Falcons
14. Grant:, WR, Oakland Raiders
15. Barfield:, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
16. Ratcliffe:, RB, Minnesota Vikings
17. Frelund:Jr., WR, Cleveland Browns
18. Ciely:Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns
19. Paulsen:, TE, Kansas City Chiefs
20. Harris:*, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Notes: The massive run on runners in the first round almost guaranteed that a run on receivers was imminent in Round 2. That's what happened, as the first four picks and six of the 10 players were wideouts. Interestingly, Brown went ahead of OBJ among the two stud wide receivers on new teams. Travis Kelce, who has emerged into a locked-in second rounder in most mocks, was the first tight end off the board.
Round 3
21. Harris:*, TE, Philadelphia Eagles
22. Paulsen:, WR, Indianapolis Colts
23. Ciely:, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
24. Frelund:, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
25. Ratcliffe:, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
26. Barfield:, RB, Atlanta Falcons
27. Grant:, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
28. Fabiano:, WR, Minnesota Vikings
29. Lee:, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
30. Florio:*, WR, Dallas Cowboys
Notes: Ertz was the first player off the board in this round and the second tight end picked in this mock. There's been a lot of glowing reports on second-year tight end Dallas Goedert, but it didn't alter Ertz's stock for Harris. Mahomes was the first quarterback off the board, but I'd argue it's too soon to take him. Regression is a virtual guarantee after his record-breaking 2018 campaign, and Mahomes is almost guaranteed to play at least part of next season without Tyreek Hill. Freeman's stock is on the rise and it showed here, as Barfield took him with the No. 26 pick. The same goes for Williams, who is the favorite for touches in the Chiefs backfield in 2019.
Round 4
31. Florio:*, TE, San Francisco 49ers
32. Lee:, WR, Minnesota Vikings
33. Fabiano:Sony Michel, RB, New England Patriots
34. Grant:, RB, Indianapolis Colts
35. Barfield:, WR, New England Patriots
36. Ratcliffe:, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
37. Frelund:, RB, Green Bay Packers
38. Ciely:, RB, Oakland Raiders
39. Paulsen:Kerryon Johnson, RB, Detroit Lions
40. Harris:*, RB, Tennessee Titans
Notes: A tight end was the first pick of the second straight round, as Kittle went to Florio at No. 31 overall. I love the dude, especially because he's also into WWE, but are we drafting him based on his ceiling ... or can he reach those statistical heights once again? Time will tell. Six of the other nine picks were running backs, a list that includes Michel, Mack, Jones and the first rookie off the board, Jacobs. Harris landed Henry, who isn't going to do much in the passing game but is still a top-40 PPR pick because of his projected workhorse role in Tennessee. Green could be a huge bargain for Ratcliffe, as he fell out of the top 30 in this mock draft.
Round 5
41. Harris:*, WR, Los Angeles Rams
42. Paulsen:, RB, Miami Dolphins
43. Ciely:, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
44. Frelund:, RB, New England Patriots
45. Ratcliffe:, RB, Chicago Bears
46. Barfield:, WR, Detroit Lions
47. Grant:, WR, Los Angles Rams
48. Fabiano:, RB, Baltimore Ravens
49. Lee:, RB, Denver Broncos
50. Florio:Derrius Guice*, RB, Washington Redskins
Notes: This round began with the first of two Rams wideouts to be picked, and neither was Robert Woods. Instead, Harris landed Cooks and Grant grabbed Kupp. We also saw a former Rams wide receiver, Sammy Watkins, come off the board at No. 43. Of course, his value has risen due to questions about Hill's status for 2019. Ratcliffe took the second rookie in this mock, Montgomery, as his No. 3 fantasy runner. I'm pretty high on Ingram in his new digs, so I was pleased to grab him as the third back for my roster. He could post top-20 numbers among runners in PPR leagues in 2019.
Round 6
51. Florio:*, WR, Los Angeles Rams
52. Lee:, WR, Seattle Seahawks
53. Fabiano:, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
54. Grant:, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
55. Barfield:, TE, New York Giants
56. Ratcliffe:, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
57. Frelund:, RB, Chicago Bears
58. Ciely:D.J. Moore, WR, Carolina Panthers
59. Paulsen:, WR, Chicago Bears
60. Harris:*, WR, New York Jets
Notes: Florio led the round off with the selection of Woods, who was the third of three Rams wideouts to be picked in the last 11 selections. I actually have Woods ranked first out of that trio. In all, this round saw eight wideouts come off the board. I liked getting Godwin as a No. 3 wideout. One of my favorite breakout players, he should see a ton of targets in the Bucs pass attack. I also like Moore, who went to Ciely at No. 58. If Cam Newton is on the field, Moore should bust out. Anderson, who went to Harris at No. 60, is moving up in recent mock drafts.
Round 7
61. Harris:*, RB, San Francisco 49ers
62. Paulsen:, WR, Cleveland Browns
63. Ciely:, TE, Los Angeles Chargers
64. Frelund:Calvin Ridley, WR, Atlanta Falcons
65. Ratcliffe:, RB, Seattle Seahawks
66. Barfield:, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
67. Grant:, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
68. Fabiano:, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
69. Lee:, WR, Tennessee Titans
70. Florio:Dante Pettis*, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Notes: Harris led the round with the selection of Coleman, who figures to lead the Niners backfield committee. Landry's value has fallen with the addition of Beckham Jr. and the high number of impact players now in the Browns offense, but he could be a nice value for Paulsen as his third wideout. This round saw a pair of potential breakout tight ends, Henry and Howard, in addition to the third rookie, Sanders. The round started and ended with a 49er, as Pettis was picked at No. 70. He's a low-end breakout candidate after showing flashes of brilliance as a rookie.
Round 8
71. Florio:*, RB, Houston Texans
72. Lee:, TE, Indianapolis Colts
73. Fabiano:, RB, Los Angeles Rams
74. Grant:, TE, Cleveland Browns
75. Barfield:, WR, Houston Texans
76. Ratcliffe:, TE, New Orleans Saints
77. Frelund:, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
78. Ciely:, WR, New York Giants
79. Paulsen:, RB, New Orleans Saints
80. Harris:*, WR, Arizona Cardinals
Notes: This round saw three tight ends selected, Ebron, Njoku and Cook, in the first six picks. If you don't draft a tight end by Round 8, you're probably better off waiting a few more rounds to fill the position because it gets pretty thin. I took Henderson as insurance for Gurley with the No. 73 selection. Frelund decided to take a chance on Hill in this round, and that's right around where he's going to go in mocks until we have a better idea of how many games he'll be suspended (seems imminent).
Round 9
81. Harris:*, QB, Indianapolis Colts
82. Paulsen:, QB, Green Bay Packers
83. Ciely:, QB, Houston Texans
84. Frelund:, TE, Atlanta Falcons
85. Ratcliffe:, WR, Detroit Lions
86. Barfield:Rashaad Penny, RB, Seattle Seahawks
87. Grant:Christian Kirk, WR, Arizona Cardinals
88. Fabiano:, WR, New York Giants
89. Lee:, QB, Seattle Seahawks
90. Florio:James Washington*, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Notes: It took 81 picks, but we finally saw another quarterback, Luck, come off the board. Rodgers, Watson, and Wilson followed in the round, as a small run on signal-callers began. When you consider how productive this quartet was last season, it shows just how long you can wait on the position if you're in a league with like-minded owners who de-value quarterbacks. The selection that was the biggest eye-opener might have been Washington, who went to Florio at No. 90 overall. He does have a lot of upside in the Steelers pass attack, and his sleeper stock is clearly on the rise.
Round 10
91. Florio:*Ronald Jones, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
92. Lee:, WR, Denver Broncos
93. Fabiano:, RB, Buffalo Bills
94. Grant:Baker Mayfield, QB, Cleveland Browns
95. Barfield:, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
96. Ratcliffe:, QB, Atlanta Falcons
97. Frelund:, TE, Minnesota Vikings
98. Ciely:DaeSean Hamilton, WR, Denver Broncos
99. Paulsen:Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos
100. Harris:*, WR, Buffalo Bills
Notes: Florio led the round with another sleeper, Jones, who will battle Peyton Barber for backfield touches in Tampa Bay. Sanders has slid in recent mocks, and this one was no different as he returns from an Achilles ailment. Still, he was the first of the Broncos wideouts to be drafted. Oddly, all three of their top wide receivers were picked in this round ... and Sutton was the last of them. Mayfield, who almost everyone is expecting to break out next season, lasted until the 10th round. Ryan, the second-best fantasy quarterback in 2018, landed with Ratcliffe at No. 96.
Round 11
101. Harris:*Royce Freeman, RB, Denver Broncos
102. Paulsen:, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
103. Ciely:, WR, Carolina Panthers
104. Frelund:, K, Los Angeles Rams
105. Ratcliffe:, WR, Indianapolis Colts
106. Barfield:N'Keal Harry, WR, New England Patriots
107. Grant:, RB, Cleveland Browns
108. Fabiano:, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
109. Lee:, RB, San Francisco 49ers
110. Florio:*, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Notes: Frelund took for the first kicker of this mock, Zuerlein, was the No. 104 pick. This round also saw the first rookie wide receiver, Harry, to come off the board. The Arizona State product has moved up some draft board with Josh Gordon's status with the Patriots still in question. In the category of "oh, how the mighty have fallen," Hunt landed at No. 107 and Howard at No. 108 in this round.
Round 12
111. Florio:*, WR, Green Bay Packers
112. Lee:, WR, Baltimore Ravens
113. Fabiano:Keke Coutee, WR, Houston Texans
114. Grant:, WR, Indianapolis Colts
115. Barfield:, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
116. Ratcliffe:, TE, Carolina Panthers
117. Frelund:defense
118. Ciely:, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
119. Paulsen:, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
120. Harris:*, WR, Miami Dolphins
Notes: There's been a lot of questions about which Packers wideout should go after Adams in drafts and Florio answered with the selection of Allison. Brown was the second rookie wideout selected, followed closely by Campbell. Two tight ends were picked including McDonald, who is considered a prime sleeper at the position. Frelund took the first defense of the draft, the Bears, which Ciely took a flier on Armstead in the Jaguars backfield. Ekeler could end up being a nice value for Paulsen here.
Round 13
121. Harris:*, TE, Tennessee Titans
122. Paulsen:, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
123. Ciely:Michael Gallup, WR, Dallas Cowboys
124. Frelund:, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
125. Ratcliffe:, QB, Carolina Panthers
126. Barfield:, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
127. Grant:Anthony Miller, WR, Chicago Bears
128. Fabiano:, QB, Los Angeles Rams
129. Lee:, TE, Cincinnati Bengals
130. Florio:*, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Notes: A total of four quarterbacks were picked in this round, and three of them (Newton, Wentz, Goff) have been top-10 players at their position in the last two years. Winston, who was the last pick in this round, is widely considered a breakout candidate under new coach Bruce Arians. Again, it's more evidence that you can wait on a quarterback. A pair of veteran tight ends coming off injuries, Walker and Eifert, were also picked. Neither was drafted as their team's No. 1 option, however.
Round 14
131. Florio:*defense
132. Lee:defense
133. Fabiano:, QB, New Orleans Saints
134. Grant:, WR, Buffalo Bills
135. Barfield: Tre'Quon Smith, WR, New Orleans Saints
136. Ratcliffe:defense
137. Frelund:, QB, Dallas Cowboys
138. Ciely:defense
139. Paulsen:, QB, Arizona Cardinals
140. Harris:*defense
Notes: With three rounds left in this mock draft, our analysts began the process of filling out their starting lineups ... that means getting a kicker (sorry, Ciely) and a defense. Five of the latter were picked, including the Jaguars, who struggled a season ago but are widely expected to rebound. I wanted to pull the trigger on Murray, who I absolutely love, but instead I paired my first quarterback (Goff) with Brees in this round. Of course, Murray went to Paulsen a few picks later. He'll be the lone rookie field general to be selected in most re-drafts.
Round 15
141. Harris:*, QB, Los Angeles Chargers
142. Paulsen:defense
143. Ciely:, RB, San Francisco 49ers
144. Frelund:, QB, New England Patriots
145. Ratcliffe:, K, Baltimore Ravens
146. Barfield:, K, New Orleans Saints
147. Grant:defense
148. Fabiano:, K, New England Patriots
149. Lee:, K, Carolina Panthers
150. Florio:*, K, Kansas City Chiefs
Notes: Isn't it strange to see Brady drafted in the 15th round? But that's the world we live in, folks. He'll serve as Frelund's backup behind Mahomes. Again, so strange! Rivers, who had 32 touchdown passes a year ago, was also picked as a backup. McKinnon was the third of the Niners backfield trio to come off the board, which says a lot about his stock heading into 2019 fantasy drafts. The next to last round also saw a combined five kickers selected, including Tucker, Gostkowski and Butker.
Round 16
151. Florio:*, WR, Seattle Seahawks
152. Lee:, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
153. Fabiano:defense
154. Grant:Ka'imi Fairbairn, K, Houston Texans
155. Barfield:defense
156. Ratcliffe:, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
157. Frelund:, TE, Detroit Lions
158. Ciely:, K, San Francisco 49ers
159. Paulsen:, K, Green Bay Packers
160. Harris:*, K, Philadelphia Eagles
Notes: This round featured a bunch of kickers and a pair of interesting rookies in Metcalf and Hockenson. The targets will be there in Seattle for the former, making him well worth a flier for Florio at this point in the draft. Hockenson was the third of three tight ends for Frelund, who is going with a committee approach at the position. Rookie tight ends don't typcially make a major fantasy impact, but the Iowa product is still well worth a late-round look in all re-draft leagues.
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning analyst on NFL.com and ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷ÍøNetwork and a member of the Sports Writers Association (FSWA) . You can follow Michael on , , and for the latest news and analysis!
