I'll be on the SEC Network this week to help with its coverage of the 2019 NFL draft, my second year joining the crew to break down picks and NFL fits and take a deeper look at how the skill sets of the top prospects in the conference will transition to the next level.
I have done a lot of film preparation, watching every SEC prospect in this draft class. So let me share with you my favorite guys, from the top-tier pass-rushers all the way down to the underrated steals who could make an impact on Day 3. I'm sorting my favorite prospects -- more than 40 this year -- into categories, and you can skip to each section below.
Josh Allen and Quinnen Williams are in here. So is Devin White, Drew Lock, Greedy Williams and Deandre Baker. Let's take a deeper dive into the NFL talent from the country's best conference.
Jump to a section:
Edge rushers | QBs | Interior stars
DBs | Deep-ball WRs | Hit-and-run LBs
RBs | Route runners | Road-graders
Mid-round picks | Day 3 upside picks
Favorite edge rushers
Josh Allen, Kentucky
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 3
Allen racked up 17 sacks last season, including three in Kentucky's Citrus Bowl win over Penn State. He can get to the quarterback with his 4.63 40-yard dash speed off the edge, plus he has the counter moves to set up and defeat offensive tackles at the point of attack. But don't forget about Allen's versatile skill set. You can see him drop into coverage on tape, too. That's freaky stuff for the top-five prospect who can fit into multiple schemes.
Montez Sweat, Mississippi State
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 13
At the combine, Sweat dropped a 4.41 40 at 6-foot-6, 260 pounds. That's ridiculous. Yes, Sweat can eat up grass off the snap to attack the edge, but he also has shown the ability to convert speed to power to rock back offensive tackles. And with 35¾-inch arms, he has the length to separate from blockers on contact. There's a lot of upside here with a prospect who can also set the edge in the run game.
Jachai Polite, Florida
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 66
There are some questions about Polite after he ran a 4.84 40 time at the combine, but I really like his 2018 tape. He has a great first step off the ball that allows him to dip and bend underneath offensive tackles. And the effort level jumps. Polite plays hard. Think of him as a situational pass-rusher who can find a role in sub packages as a rookie.
Christian Miller, Alabama
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 149
Miller might grade out as a late Day 2 or early Day 3 prospect, but with the length to attack offensive tackles (34¼-inch arms) and the vertical speed to push up the field, he can bring value to NFL defenses as a nickel defensive end or outside rush linebacker. Plus, I would have Miller on all my special teams coverage units.
Favorite QBs
Drew Lock, Missouri
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 23
Lock checks off all the boxes at the quarterback position. Size? He has a 6-foot-4, 228-pound frame. Movement skills? He has 4.69 40 speed and the athleticism to move around the pocket. Arm strength? He has a rocket arm to push the ball vertically down the field or outside the numbers. And he can throw from any platform.
I do have concerns about his film and numbers against SEC completion during his college career, however. He completed only 53 percent of his passes and threw 47 touchdown passes to 31 interceptions over four seasons. No, he didn't have great talent around him. But can an NFL team clean up some of the negatives that show in his game? If so, we are talking about a prospect with top-15 traits, and I love his fit in Denver.
Jarrett Stidham, Auburn
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 54
Stidham projects as a Day 2 pick with upside when you study his mechanics, ability to anticipate on middle-of-the-field throws, and his mobility to move outside of the pocket. Though he had better tape in 2017, I see a prospect who can develop quickly with pro coaching in an NFL-style offense with his upside in play-action, movement, and the short-to-intermediate game.
Scheme fit will play a key role in Stidham's development in the league, and New England makes a ton of sense if it can snag him in Round 2 or 3.
Favorite interior game-wreckers
Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 2
Williams creates absolute chaos as a disruptive run defender, and his pass-rush skills are improving. The Bama product lived in the opponent's backfield in 2018, racking up 18.5 tackles for loss. At the combine, Williams posted a 1.67 10-yard split in the 40. That's moving for a big man. And it also meshes with the film -- the first-step quickness, the lateral speed and the technique and power to dominate. It all jumps on the screen. Williams is a top-five talent with an extremely high ceiling.
Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams dominated in 2018, making the most of his one season as a starter at Alabama.
Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi State
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 17
Simmons suffered a torn ACL injury in February, but he could be a steal at the end of Round 1. With a 6-foot-4, 301-pound frame, he has the upper-body power to dominate as a nose tackle or three-technique tackle. Simmons led Mississippi State with 17 tackles for loss this past season and can play in a 40 or 30 front.
Favorite DBs
Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 21
Baker didn't run a blazing 40 time (4.52) but give me a cornerback who can physically challenge receivers, play with technique and tackle. That's Baker. He's the top cornerback I've studied in this class, with the closing speed and play recognition to start in his rookie season. He's a tough, competitive player.
Johnathan Abram, S, Mississippi State
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 25
I'd sign up to coach Abram every day. The energy level jumps on tape. He's a downhill impact player who gives pro coaches some flexibility in the call sheet, too. Abram is a versatile defender who can move around in defensive sub-packages to clean up underneath, match to tight ends or blitz as a secondary rusher from the nickel spot.
Greedy Williams, CB, LSU
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 22
Williams has the best coverage skills in this draft class. He's a true cover corner with a 6-foot-2 frame and 4.37 40 speed. He can close quickly to the hip of wide receivers, and his ball skills will translate to the NFL. At 185 pounds, though, Williams needs to add some size to handle the physical receivers in the NFL, and I would like to see him commit more to the run game as a tackler. Williams has a ton of talent, but he might drop to the end of the first round.
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, S, Florida
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 46
Gardner-Johnson can play over the slot in a big nickel package or patrol the deep middle as a post defender. I see Gardner-Johnson as a free safety in the league, though, with some coverage skills to roll down. The Florida product has 4.48 40 speed, good size at 211 pounds, and he can move around in an NFL scheme.
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson is an athletic defensive back out of Florida who could be used as a slot defender who can blitz.
Deionte Thompson, S, Alabama
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 63
Throw on the Louisville or Ole Miss tape, and Thompson is a first-round pick. But his film was a little inconsistent overall last season. Still, the traits are there for Thompson to find an early role as post safety. He has good range, ball skills and the anticipation to break on the throw. And given how much Cover 3 we see in the NFL, there is a need for free safeties who can protect the deep middle of the field.
Mike Edwards, S, Kentucky
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 152
The more film I watch on Edwards, the more I am intrigued by him. He rolled down often in the Kentucky scheme to play over the No. 2 receiver. He can drop as an underneath defender, match routes or add to the front as a run defender/blitzer. This is an athletic and physical prospect who fits the modern-day NFL defensive packages, and he has tremendous upside as a core special-teams player.
Joejuan Williams, CB, Vanderbilt
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 124
NFL teams could point to Williams' 4.64 40 speed as a concern versus NFL wideouts, but the Vanderbilt product has a monster 6-foot-4 frame and ball skills. Put Williams in a press-man scheme, let him challenge at the line of scrimmage and battle for the rock on contested throws. Williams broke up 14 passes last season to go with four picks. He has the traits to develop into a solid cornerback in the right pro scheme.
Favorite deep-ball wideouts
D.K. Metcalf, Ole Miss
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 16
Metcalf checks the height-weight-speed boxes of a first-round pick with his 6-foot-3, 228 pound frame and 4.33 40 speed. Crazy stuff. Though I have some questions about Metcalf's limited ability to consistently break down and create separation at the top of the routes on intermediate cuts, his combination of straight-line vertical speed and size is a great fit for the boundary X receiver in the NFL.
DK Metcalf has an elite combination of height, weight and speed in addition to long arms and big hands.
Emanuel Hall, Missouri
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 120
Hall's 4.39 40 speed pops on film as an outside deep-ball target. He can get to that top gear in an instant with the body control to adjust to the ball down the field. The go route, post, corner -- Hall will run the top of the route tree in the pro game until he develops more detail in his overall route running in an NFL playbook.
Mecole Hardman, Georgia
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 108
Hardman has a smaller frame at 5-foot-10, 187 pounds, but his ability to stretch the defense from the slot with his 4.33 40 speed -- and produce after the catch on underneath routes -- sells in the NFL. Just watch the corner-post route he ran versus Mizzou. He can fly. Hardman is also one of the nation's top kick returners.
Darius Slayton, Auburn
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 140
Just throw on the tape from Auburn's bowl game win over Purdue to see the electric impact Slayton can have in the NFL. With 4.39 40 speed, he can press down the field to split the top of the secondary or turn on the jets off high-percentage throws/screen concepts. With pro-game reps, Slayton has a shot to develop in three-wide-receiver packages.
Favorite run-and-hit LBs
Devin White, LSU
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 4
White fits the mold of former LSU linebacker Deion Jones in the pros as a second-level impact defender. With 4.40 40 speed, White can get sideline-to-sideline in an instant to close on the ball. And he will come downhill to fit up on the run game. He's a top-10 talent with the three-down playmaking skill set to fit in the modern NFL game.
Todd McShay raves about former LSU LB Devin White and his abilities to make plays all over the field.
Mack Wilson, Alabama
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 75
Wilson doesn't have the same upper-level athletic traits of White, but he still brings three-down ability to the NFL. He can match in coverage, track the ball carrier and play in space. This is a solid Day 2 prospect in a weak off-ball linebacker class.
Favorite three-down RBs
Josh Jacobs, Alabama
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 26
Jacobs is my top-ranked running back in this class. The explosive traits are there to make defenders miss, and that violent running style shows up when Jacobs drops the pads. Plus, you can see his pass-game upside as a receiver out of the backfield. Jacobs has short-area speed and power, as well as the body to handle an uptick in volume in the NFL.
Damien Harris, Alabama
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 82
Don't sleep on Harris. He's a decisive, downhill runner with enough wiggle to shake defenders and the strength to run through contact. Harris can also square up second-level blitzers in pass protection, and he has soft hands as a receiver. This is a three-down player with old-school traits, a pro frame and the toughness to log 12-15 carries a game in the NFL as a Day 2 pick. Harris is a classic Bama runner.
Trayveon Williams, Texas A&M
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 76
At 5-foot-8, 206 pounds, Williams has a smaller frame than Jacobs and Harris. But Williams rushed for over 1,500 yards in 2018, and he brings value to the pro game with his traits on third down. Williams can step up in pass protection, and I like his ability to produce on screens and underneath throws. He could produce as a rookie.
Favorite route runners
A.J. Brown, WR, Ole Miss
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 34
Brown can play as the boundary X receiver, but I see more upside with the Ole Miss product as a big slot target with his 6-foot, 225-pound frame. A detailed and controlled route runner, Brown can work the middle of the field and make plays in traffic. Plus, he turns into a running back after the catch. He's a physical guy, and he has 4.49 40 speed.
Deebo Samuel, WR, South Carolina
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 42
At 5-foot-11, 214 pounds, Samuel has the route savvy to win from the slot. Plus, he is explosive after the catch and ultra-competitive in the open field. Samuel will challenge defenders with the ball in his hands. He had a great week at Senior Bowl practices in January, and he fits as a second-round pick with even more upside as a returner in the kicking game.
Irv Smith Jr., TE, Alabama
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 33
Smith could sneak into the back end of the first round, but I see a solid Day 2 pick here with the versatility to play tight end or H-back. Smith ran the entire tight end route tree in Alabama's offense. And with 4.63 40 speed, he can create matchups against linebackers.
Irv Smith Jr. is a tight end out of Alabama who caught seven touchdowns for the Crimson Tide during his final season.
Riley Ridley, WR, Georgia
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 73
It's the film with Ridley. That's how I look at the Georgia wide receiver in the short-to-intermediate passing game. He can set up defensive backs to create leverage while ripping off clean breaks at the top of the route. With 4.58 40 speed, Ridley isn't going to challenge NFL defenses vertically, but he can find a role as a No. 3 wideout who can make contested catches in traffic.
Dawson Knox, TE, Ole Miss
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 90
I'm putting Knox here because I see a tight end who can flex from the formation in an NFL offense. He had only 15 catches last season, but he averaged a whopping 18.9 yards on those receptions. Think of the Ole Miss product as a slot tight end who can work the seams and run after the catch with his big, 254-pound frame.
Favorite road-graders
Jonah Williams, OT/G, Alabama
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 14
As a coach, this is a guy I would want in the O-line room. Williams has a deep toolbox of skills to play outside as an offensive tackle or to slide down to the guard spot. Yes, there are questions about his arm length (33⅝ inches) to play the tackle spot. But I see a fundamentally sound prospect on film with the movement skills and toughness to upgrade a pro offensive line as a top-15 pick.
Ross Pierschbacher is a guard/center out of Alabama who earned second team All-American honors and first team All-SEC honors during his senior year.
Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 9
You can see the athletic traits on the film with Taylor. He's an easy mover with the length to wash pass-rushers up the field, and he has the footwork to win in the run game. Taylor has a high ceiling as a right tackle. Put him in a zone-based run scheme and let him develop his technique. He's a first-round talent.
Erik McCoy, C/G, Texas A&M
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 38
McCoy grades out as one of the top centers in this class with the ability to mirror/match in pass protection, and the movement skills to climb in the run game. Plus, with a 6-foot-4, 303-pound frame, McCoy can set the anchor in the run front. He might be the first center drafted.
Greg Little, OT, Ole Miss
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 102
It's about the projected ceiling with Little. At 6-foot-5, 310 pounds, he has the athleticism to play left tackle, the length to battle with pro defensive ends and the footwork to play in space. But I was hoping to see him play with more of a nasty streak on film. There are a lot of traits here with Little, and he has upside given his size and athleticism.
Favorite midround value prospects
Benny Snell Jr., RB, Kentucky
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 212
Snell rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his three seasons at Kentucky, and he can find the end zone, scoring 14 touchdowns last season. While he has some limitations as a passing-game threat, his downhill style and red zone production will allow him to find a role in the league. Snell is a physical back at 233 pounds who can locate daylight between the tackles.
D'Andre Walker, OLB, Georgia
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 125
The Georgia product posted 7.5 sacks last season, and he has good burst off the edge. There is some tightness in his movements, and I wanted to see him take over more matchups given his length and play speed. Walker, however, has the traits to compete for a sub-package role.
Lonnie Johnson Jr., CB, Kentucky
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 61
I wanted to see more on-the-ball production from Johnson, but he has the size and coverage skills that NFL teams want at the position. At 6-foot-2, 213 pounds, Johnson could fit in a zone-heavy scheme, and his special-teams upside is legit. Johnson is a physical corner who can tackle in space.
Jamel Dean, CB, Auburn
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 69
Dean dealt with some injuries at Auburn, but his 6-foot-1 frame and blistering 4.30 40 time will put him in the mix as a Day 2 pick who can compete for the No. 3 corner spot. I wanted to see more aggressive play as a run defender, but the speed and ability to locate the ball at the point of attack will sell with pro scouts.
Kingsley Keke, DL, Texas A&M
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 167
Keke flashed some pass-rush ability for the Aggies as he posted 7.5 sacks last season, but I think his best fit in the pros is on the interior of the defensive line. I'm thinking as a defensive tackle in a 40 front where he can impact the run game and play a rotational role in sub-packages.
Favorite Day 3 upside prospects
Foster Moreau, TE, LSU
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 241
Moreau caught only 22 passes for 272 yards last season, but his testing numbers made me go back and watch more film. He ran a 4.66 40 at 253 pounds at the combine. And while I don't envision Moreau becoming a true pass-game threat in the pros, his versatility as a blocker from multiple alignments will earn him a role in the league.
Elijah Holyfield, RB, Georgia
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 134
Holyfield's 4.78 40 time at the combine impacted his draft stock, and he is tight-hipped as a runner. But I still like his physical style of play. He finishes runs. If Holyfield can show the ability to improve his pass-blocking, he projects as a backup who can find early-down touches in a rotational role.
Ross Pierschbacher, G/C, Alabama
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 132
This is a true technician on the offensive line with the versatility to play both guard and center in the pros. Pierschbacher might not have top-tier traits, but he brings a ton of game experience from Alabama, as he started 57 college games. Don't be surprised if he carves out a role early in his career.
Daylon Mack, DT, Texas A&M
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 183
At 6-foot-1, 336 pounds with legit play strength, Mack can compete for playing time as a nose tackle as a rookie in base packages. I like his quickness to gain leverage on blockers, and he will toss some guys around. He'll never be a huge sack guy, but he can find a role as a two-down player.
Deshaun Davis, LB, Auburn
Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 234
Davis doesn't flash the high-end athletic traits of a three-down linebacker in today's NFL, but I love his play recognition and downhill physicality versus the run. A late-round pick, or undrafted rookie free agent, I would want to give Davis a shot to make my squad and contribute on special teams.