It's time for my annual list of favorite prospects, the guys I really like at each position in the NFL draft.
This is neither a list of the best players in the draft overall, nor a list of the guys I consider the best at each position. They're all good, and they're all going to be drafted, but they fit into a few separate categories. These are prospects whom I've:
Often rated higher than other evaluators within the draft media or than team evaluators with whom I discuss prospects, or ...
Ranked higher in close debates within position groups, or ...
Just liked the way they play the game
Here's the Class of 2019, with projections on the round in which each will be drafted:
Quarterback
Daniel Jones, Duke
Todd McShay keeps saying Jones is my guy, so let's make it official. There's a lot to like about Jones, my fourth-ranked quarterback and No. 23 overall on my board. He has experience (36 starts). He's athletic (4.81 40 with a 33 ½-inch vertical). He's a leader (two-year captain). He's tough (he missed only two games after breaking his collarbone). He can be a starter in the NFL.
Now, you'd like to see him be more accurate -- he completed just 59.9 percent of his passes in his career -- but he improved every year under Duke coach David Cutcliffe. Just turn on the film from last season, and you'll see a quarterback who can play. And sorry, Todd; Jones is going in Round 1.
Projection: First round
Running back
Miles Sanders, Penn State
There's a chance -- a chance -- Sanders is the first running back off the board next week. He has been rising since he tested extremely well at the combine. After sitting behind Saquon Barkley for two seasons -- Sanders had just 64 total offensive touches in 2016 and 2017 -- he shouldered a heavy workload last season, averaging 5.8 yards per carry on 220 rushes. He also showed some juice as a receiver, catching 24 passes.
Sanders isn't Barkley -- there aren't many backs like Barkley -- but he's going to be a good player. And teams are going to like that he has limited mileage on his body compared to some of the other backs in this class.
Projection: Second round
H-back
Trevon Wesco, West Virginia
Wesco played as an undersized tight end for the Mountaineers, and he's already advanced as a blocker. He just buries defenders in the run game. Wesco isn't much of a receiving threat, but he has a chance to be a Day 2 pick based on his blocking ability. Teams want an extra edge blocker they can use in the run game, and Wesco could be a No. 2 tight end/H-back at the next level.
Projection: Third or fourth round
Wide receiver
JJ Arcega-Whiteside, Stanford
I almost went with UMass' Andy Isabella here, but Arcega-Whiteside, who had 28 career touchdowns at Stanford, could be a red zone monster in the NFL. He just boxes out cornerbacks and rises to make grabs. There might be a reason for that, as both of his parents played professional basketball in Europe.
Running a 4.49 40 at his pro day also opened some eyes across the league. He's more than just a big threat, and he can run every route. Arcega-Whiteside could be a steal on Day 2.
Projection: Second round
Tight end
Kahale Warring, San Diego State
I just like Warring's story. This is a kid who stepped onto a football field for the first time as a high school senior. He then walked on at San Diego State before going on scholarship prior to the 2017 season and caught 49 total passes in 2017 and 2018.
The 6-foot-5 Warring has a high ceiling; he's not close to his potential yet. That's why we'll likely see him go off the board on Day 2.
Projection: Day 2
Offensive tackle
Dalton Risner, Kansas State
Turn on Risner's 2018 film, and he just destroys defensive ends. He's so tough in the run game, and his feet are underrated. Risner, who started 50 games for the Wildcats, including a handful at center, is my fifth-ranked tackle, but he could also play guard in the NFL.
Projection: Day 2
Oshane Ximines is a defensive end from Old Dominion who was first-team Conference USA in 2018.
Guard
Chris Lindstrom, Boston College
Lindstrom is extremely consistent. That's what I like about him on film. After starting 49 career games for Boston College, he ran a 4.91 40 and had a 117-inch broad jump at the combine, both of which ranked second best among offensive linemen. So it's the consistency on the field and great measurables off the field that make Lindstrom a Round 1 prospect.
Projection: Top 40 picks
Center
Erik McCoy, Texas A&M
McCoy is another offensive lineman rising after the combine, where he ran a 4.89 40, which was best among offensive linemen. His 29 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press tied for sixth-most. McCoy, who started 39 games for the Aggies, is my clear top-ranked center in this class.
Projection: Top 40 picks
Defensive end
Oshane Ximines, Old Dominion
I wrote about Ximines in September, after Old Dominion upset Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. He had two sacks and was dominant in the run game. After finishing the season with 12 sacks -- and 33 for his career -- I thought he might be in the first-round discussion. But Ximines didn't have a great week of practice at the Senior Bowl, and he underwhelmed at the combine, which means he's likely going to be picked somewhere in Round 3.
Bobby Okereke is an outside linebacker out of Stanford who made 52 solo tackles last season for the Cardinal.
I like the value there. He can be a good edge player in a 4-3 defense, and he has some upside. Ximines will become the first prospect from Old Dominion to be picked in the NFL draft -- ever. That's someone to root for.
Projection: Third round
Defensive tackle
Khalen Saunders, Western Illinois
You might remember Saunders from this story in January, when he decided to stay at the Senior Bowl while his fiancée gave birth. But he was making waves long before that story, and the four-year starter is quietly rising up draft boards. This is a 324-pound defensive tackle who played running back in high school -- at 275 pounds. He's a great athlete. Just watch.
Though he might not be a prolific pass-rusher in the NFL, he's going to be solid in the run game. And he has the traits that make you think he can add some sacks to his game.
Projection: Second or third round
Inside linebacker
Bobby Okereke, Stanford
You don't hear much about Okereke because the top two inside linebackers -- Devin White and Devin Bush -- are so unbelievably athletic. But Okereke is in the next tier as an inside 'backer who could be a three-down player in the NFL. He has long arms and bats down passes. He's a good tackler. He's smart -- he once interned in the office of Condoleezza Rice.
I think Okereke is underrated in this class.
Projection: Second or third round
Outside linebacker
Chase Winovich, Michigan
Don't let McShay tell you he was the only guy all-in on Winovich. This is a pass-rusher who outproduced potential top-five pick Rashan Gary the past two seasons. You turn on the film to watch Gary, and it's Winovich making plays, wreaking havoc in the backfield. Winovich showed his athleticism at the combine, running a 4.59 40 and putting up a solid 3-cone drill time (6.94).
He's likely going to go to a team that plays a 3-4 defense, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him produce as a rookie.
Projection: Second round
Cornerback
Lonnie Johnson Jr., Kentucky
There are some big corners in this class. I count six in my top 10 who are at least 6-foot-1. And Johnson, who spent three years at junior colleges before coming to Kentucky in 2017, is right there with the best of the best. My sixth-ranked corner, Johnson is long and athletic, and he's not afraid to tackle. He also blocked two kicks for the Wildcats.
There could be a run on corners in the second round. Johnson could make an immediate impact for the team that picks him.
Projection: Second round
Safety
Juan Thornhill, Virginia
What do NFL teams love most in a prospect? Athleticism and versatility. Thornhill has both. He played cornerback and safety for the Cavaliers, picking off 13 passes in his career. And he finished first among safeties in the vertical leap (44 inches) and broad jump (141 inches) at the combine, where he also ran a 4.42 40. He has tremendous upside.
Projection: Second round
Punter
Jake Bailey, Stanford
Bailey might be the only punter drafted this year. He is Stanford's career leader in gross punting average (43.8 yards). He's also a few hours short of getting his pilot's license.
Projection: Fifth or sixth round
Kicker
John Baron II, San Diego State
The lefty is the top kicker in this class, though Utah's Matt Gay could also get drafted. Baron has a strong leg.
Projection: Sixth or seventh round