Did you watch the 2019 NFL Nation Mock Draft on ESPN Tuesday night? I did and I thought they really did a great job with the presentation of it. In case you missed it, each of the ESPN NFL Nation reporters played general manager for the teams they cover and executed a first-round mock, complete with each one announcing their respective pick at a podium and the reason why they selected the player. Trades, however were not allowed.
Jeremy Fowler made the pick for the Steelers and he chose Washington cornerback Byron Murphy at No. 20 overall. Below is what Fowler wrote about his selection of Murphy for the Steelers.
The Steelers say goodbye to Antonio Brown and hello to Odell Beckham Jr. twice a year. Beefing up the secondary in the first round is a real possibility for Pittsburgh, which needs inside linebacker help but might not have Michigan’s Devin Bush available at No. 20 overall. And with the top pass-rushers off the board, the Steelers can select from the premier cornerbacks. LSU’s Greedy Williams is appealing, but questions persist about his work ethic. Many NFL evaluators call Murphy the best corner in this field. Murphy is the surest bet for this spot, knowing the Steelers can get a receiver on Day 2.
Murphy obviously has been a popular mock draft selection for the Steelers the last several months so Fowler choosing him for Pittsburgh Tuesday night wasn’t a big surprise. Murphy was also the first cornerback chosen in that mock draft as you can see in the full results below. LSU’s Greedy Williams was the next cornerback to come off the board at No. 23 overall to the Houston Texans and Temple’s Rock Ya-Sin was the third and final cornerback selected in the mock draft at 27 overall and by the Oakland Raiders.
When Michigan linebacker Devin Bush made past the Cincinnati Bengals and the Green Bay Packers Tuesday night, I was pretty sure he might continue to fall all the way down to the Steelers. That fall, however, ended at No. 15 overall when he was selected by the NFL Nation reporter who covers the Washington Redskins. If Bush were to make such a tumble Thursday night during the real draft, you have to wonder if the Steelers would look to trade up with the Redskins. Would a third and fifth-round offering be enough to entice the Redskins to move down five spots in the first-round? Maybe we’ll find out, maybe we won’t.
ESPN 2019 NFL Nation Mock Draft Results
1. Arizona Cardinals – Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma
2. San Francisco 49ers – Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State
3. New York Jets – Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama
4. Oakland Raiders – Ed Oliver, DT, Houston
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Josh Allen, OLB, Kentucky
6. New York Giants – Devin White, ILB, LSU
7. Jacksonville Jaguars – Montez Sweat, DE, Mississippi State
8. Detroit Lions – T.J. Hockenson, TE, Iowa
9. Buffalo Bills – Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida
10. Denver Broncos – Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State
11. Cincinnati Bengals – Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama
12. Green Bay Packers – Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State
13. Miami Dolphins – Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson
14. Atlanta Falcons – Cody Ford, OL, Oklahoma
15. Washington Redskins – Devin Bush, ILB, Michigan
16. Carolina Panthers – Brian Burns, OLB, Florida State
17. New York Giants – Drew Lock, QB, Missouri
18. Minnesota VIkings – Garrett Bradbury, G/C, NC State
19. Tennessee Titans – Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson
20. Pittsburgh Steelers – Byron Murphy, CB, Washington
21. Seattle Seahawks – Rashan Gary, DE, Michigan
22. Baltimore Ravens – Erik McCoy, G/C, Texas A&M
23. Houston Texans – Greedy Williams, CB, LSU
24. Oakland Raiders – Noah Fant, TE, Iowa
25. Philadelphia Eagles – Marquise Brown, WR, Oklahoma
26. Indianapolis Colts – Johnathan Abram, S, Mississippi State
27. Oakland Raiders – Rock Ya-Sin, CB, Temple
28. Los Angeles Chargers – Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson
29. Seattle Seahawks – Parris Campbell, WR, Ohio State
30. Green Bay Packers – Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi State
31. Los Angeles Rams – Chris Lindstrom, G, Boston College
32. New England Patriots – Daniel Jones, QB, Duke
