NFL DRAFT RANKINGS 2019 -- RUNNING BACKS

There has been a bit of a renaissance in the running back position in the NFL, with a handful of teams selecting a workhorse back early in the first round. Even with the emphasis on passing, there is still a place for guys who can tote the rock.

While there may not be any Todd Gurleys or Zeke Elliotts or Saquon Barkleys in this draft, there is a pretty deep stable of guys who can contribute. There may even be a couple of All-Pro types listed below.

What follows is a breakdown of the top five runners in this year's draft, each with an assigned Round Grade. The Round Grade is not a projection of where the player will be chosen, but where talent merits he be chosen. After the top five, all quarterbacks projected to be drafted will be listed.

            1. Darrell Henderson/Memphis (ROUND GRADE: 1)

PROS: Excellent vision/recognition, knows when to explode through hole or bounce play outside; Quick feet, excellent ability to throttle down to wait for explosion through hole;  Balance is off the charts, gets pad level low and has an array of spins and cuts to avoid contact; solid receiving threat out the backfield; Very elusive, eye-popping lateral movement and acceleration; High motor and effort, will do everything in his power to pick up extra yardage; Good fit in an outside zone scheme, as ability to get around the corner is excellent

CONS: Probably not a lead back due to his frame; Lacking as a pass blocker, will need to improve if he wants to stay on the field; More of a finesse than power back, goes down a bit too easily on first contact. 

2. Devin Singletary/Florida Atlantic (ROUND GRADE: 1)

PROS: Maybe the most patient runner in this draft, he knows when to explode and when to wait for his blockers; Difficult to knock off balance; Has the look of a power back but can breakaway in the open field; Aggressive on cuts and gets upfield in a hurry; Good wiggle in his hips; Nose for the end zone (59 TDs in 32 games)

CONS: Not a true home run threat; Has been largely ineffective as a pass blocker; Some may feel he’s a product of lesser competition as games against Power 5 teams have not been anything special; Wasn’t used much as a receiver his final season but shows a willingness to catch the ball; Lack of top end quickness could limit his role

3. Josh Jacobs/Alabama (ROUND GRADE: 1)

PROS: Elite vision, can find creases in a hurry; Has some nifty improv skills at the second level, escapability; Loves contact, plays aggressive with pads low; Sheds high tackles well; Solid receiver, can make defenders miss; Change of direction is very good; Does not fumble; Solid in pass protection;

CONS: Not truly elite in the speed department; Shoetop tackles bother him, doesn’t evade low contact as much as you would like to see; Athleticism merely average; Has been nicked up, including missing much of sophomore season

4. David Montgomery/Iowa State (ROUND GRADE: 1-2)

PROS: Good variety of cuts, though not super quick in and out of them; Gets stronger with more work, a real grinder; Low center of gravity makes him difficult to knock off balance; Craves contact; Solid in pass pro; Nice hands out of the backfield; Almost always falls forward; Best suited to a power rush attack

CONS: Vision, often waits too long and sabotages his ability to pick up yardage; Not a ton of burst; Seems to lack natural feel and instincts; Average athleticism; Difficulty getting around the corner; Doesn’t react act to first read being unavailable

5.  Damien Harris/Alabama (ROUND GRADE: 2)

PROS: Excellent anticipation and vision, can run with patience or explosiveness; More physical than anything, low workrate in 2018 should mean he’s fresh and ready to go; Good finisher, not afraid to dip his shoulder for some extra yardage; Falls forward, good in short yardage situations; Does his best work between the tackles; Not a lot of wasted steps

CONS: Effort is there in pass pro, but he doesn’t always succeed in holding up against rushers; Average open field burst; Doesn’t make defenders miss very often; Not fast enough to gain separation in the passing game; Not much in the way of eye-popping cuts; Not a great athlete, which limits his upside

6. Trayveon Williams/Texas A&M (ROUND GRADE: 2)

7.  Miles Sanders/Penn State (ROUND GRADE: 2-3)

8.  Benny Snell Jr./Kentucky (ROUND GRADE: 2-3)

9.  Rodney Anderson/Oklahoma (ROUND GRADE: 2-3)

10. Darwin Thompson/Utah State (ROUND GRADE: 2-3)

11. Miles Gaskin/Washington (ROUND GRADE: 3)

12. Justice Hill/Oklahoma State (ROUND GRADE: 3)

13. Elijah Holyfield/Georgia (ROUND GRADE: 3)

14. Bryce Love/Stanford (ROUND GRADE: 3-4)

15. Mike Weber Jr/Ohio State (ROUND GRADE: 3-4)

16. Devine Ozigbo/Nebraska (ROUND GRADE: 4)

17. Dexter Williams/Notre Dame (ROUND GRADE: 4)

18. Bruce Anderson/North Dakota State (ROUND GRADE: 4-5)

19. James Williams/Washington State (ROUND GRADE: 4-5)

20. Travis Homer/Miami (ROUND GRADE: 4-5)

21. Ryquell Armstead/Temple (ROUND GRADE: 4-5)

22. Nick Brossette/LSU (ROUND GRADE: 4-5)

23. Qadree Ollison/Pittsburgh (ROUND GRADE: 5)

24. Karan Higdon/Michigan (ROUND GRADE: 5)

25. Jordan Scarlett/Florida (ROUND GRADE: 5-6)

26. Jalin Moore/Appalachian State (ROUND GRADE: 5-6)

27. Alexander Mattison/Boise State (ROUND GRADE: 6)

28. Ty Johnson/Maryland (ROUND GRADE: 6)

29. Marquis Young/UMass (ROUND GRADE: 6)

30. LJ Scott/Michigan State (ROUND GRADE: 7)

31. Demarea Crockett/Missouri (ROUND GRADE: 7)

32. Tony Pollard/Memphis (ROUND GRADE: 7)

33. Wes Hills/Slippery Rock (ROUND GRADE: 7)

NFL DRAFT RANKINGS 2019 -- QUARTERBACKS

Most pundits believe that this year's crop of signal-callers pales in comparison to last year's highly-praised passers -- five of whom were drafted in the first round.

While there may not be the instant savior/franchise type in this year's draft, there are a handful who can become reliable starters and have long careers at the next level.

What follows is a breakdown of the top five quarterbacks in this year's draft, each with an assigned Round Grade. The Round Grade is not a projection of where the player will be chosen, but where talent merits he be chosen. After the top five, all quarterbacks projected to be drafted will be listed.

             1. Dwayne Haskins/Ohio State (ROUND GRADE: TOP 20 OVERALL)

PROS: Excellent placement on short to intermediate throws; Ball gets out in a hurry and has a ton of zip, especially on crossing and out routes; Will kill a soft zone or off man scheme; Can make tight window throws; Very good at going through progressions, has the patience to wait for second and third receivers to come open; Operates best in a quick rhythm attack; Surgical in late game situations; Can make tight window throws; Deep ball down the hash and to the sideline is excellent.

CONS: Not particularly mobile; Sometimes slides into pressure instead of away from it; Can sail his deep middle passes; Was rattled by pressure, especially early in the season; Eyes don’t always stay downfield; Inconsistent footwork, which will cause him to sometimes miss on easy out of the backfield; Doesn’t flourish outside of the pocket; Solid mechanics that sometimes waver the longer the play takes to develop; Lack of experience (one-year starter) could be a concern as the NFL trash heap is littered with talented guys with limited reps under center.

               2. Daniel Jones/Duke (ROUND GRADE: 1)

PROS: Strongest arm in the draft, yet also exhibits great touch; Excellent tutelage from HC David Cutcliffe, who has a track record of success; Very good deep thrower; Not a dynamic runner, but nifty enough with his legs to keep plays alive; Excellent on short and intermediate seam routes; Can throw receivers open; Consistent ball placement; Footwork very good, nice pocket presence.

CONS: Decision making isn’t always sound, especially on throws over the middle; Will miss easy throws, especially out of the backfield; Durability has been an issue; Accuracy has hovered right around 60 percent, not a great portent of NFL success; Tight window success is lacking, and you would think someone with his size would have more velocity on his sideline throws.

         3. Kyler Murray/Oklahoma (ROUND GRADE: 1-2)

PROS: Maybe the best arm talent in the draft; Comfortable throwing on the run; Can hit the deep ball consistently; Dynamic runner; Throws a catchable ball; Loves chaos, operates very well outside of the play scheme; Will typically be the best athlete on the field; Excellent on out breaking routes, good anticipation for where the receiver will be; Has the velocity you like to see, the ball leaves his hand with a lot of zip.

CONS: Took off if primary receiver was covered; One read and run player, didn’t often go through progressions; Many of his deep strikes were to open receivers – they won’t be that open the NFL; Processing from the pocket; Footwork spotty, will sometimes jump into his throws; Locks on to receivers; Doesn’t see receivers over the middle of the field, maybe a byproduct of his height; Could do better about keeping his eyes up; Slight frame, durability concerns at the next level as he won’t be able to outrun everyone.

    4. Drew Lock/Missouri (ROUND GRADE: 2)

PROS: Big-time arm, has the velocity to make most NFL throws; Gunslinger mentality; Can make tight window throws; Good anticipation, especially on corner routes; Good with his eyes, can force safeties to commit before going elsewhere; Sneaky good athlete; Had a good week at the Senior Bowl, showed that he wasn’t merely a system quarterback; Stands tall in the face of pressure;

CONS: Needs to improve footwork and set up; Accuracy has been an issue though did improve as a senior; Decision-making hasn’t been the best, will make a few WTF throws every game; Was not asked to go through progressions, so that could be an issue; Gunslinger mentality; Missouri went through a lot of turnover on the offensive coaching staff, so he is missing some of the basic things you like to see in a quarterback; Has maybe too much confidence in his arm, which results in too many forced throws.

           5. Will Grier/West Virginia (ROUND GRADE: 2-3)

PROS: Very good accuracy; Nice touch on short and deep passes; Timing and anticipation are among the best of any QB in this year’s draft; Good composure in the pocket, doesn’t get rattled by chaos; Has a fiery personality that many top-level signal-callers possess; Has innate pocket sense, can move his feet and reset in the pocket; Can throw receivers open; Good on pre-snap reads and decision making on quick strike plays; Is at his very best in an uptempo offense, and when he is in a rhythm few are better; Hangs tough in the pocket; Adept at extending plays and avoiding initial pass rusher

CONS: Footwork is inconsistent and really affects accuracy on deep ball; Deep passes down the middle have a tendency to die if he doesn’t set his base properly; Arm strength is good but not elite; Field vision just average; Misses open receivers; Could be a product of a quarterback-friendly system at WVU; Doesn’t drive the ball, lacks velocity on sideline routes; Had a poor week at the Senior Bowl, where he looked like a system quarterback; Doesn’t do well if he is flushed out of the pocket; Turns his back to the play against secondary pass rushers, resulting in too many negative plays; Longer developing plays tend to lead to mistakes; Teams will examine his personality and ask about his PED usage at Florida, which resulted in dismissal.

        6.   Brett Rypien/Boise State (ROUND GRADE: 2-3)

        7.   Ryan Finley/NC State (ROUND GRADE: 3)

        8.   Jarrett Stidham/Auburn (ROUND GRADE: 3-4)

        9.   Tyree Jackson/Buffalo (ROUND GRADE: 4-5) 

      10.   Jordan Ta'amu/Ole Miss (ROUND GRADE: 4-5)

      11.   Easton Stick/North Dakota State (ROUND GRADE: 5)

      12.   Kyle Shurmur/Vanderbilt (ROUND GRADE: 5-6)

      13.   Gardner Minshew/Washington State (ROUND GRADE: 6-7)

      14.   Clayton Thorson/Northwestern (ROUND GRADE: 6-7)

      15.   Trace McSorley/Penn State (ROUND GRADE: 7)