2019 NFL Draft: 2nd round mock draft
By Joe Romano
Picks 33-36
33. Arizona Cardinals—Byron Murphy, CB, Washington
With Kyler Murray under center with the first pick in the NFL Draft, the Cardinals have to fill out the rest of their roster. Currently they are in a standoff with shut down corner Patrick Peterson. Adam Schefter of ESPN is speculating that is one reason why Byron Murphy of Washington will be the pick to kick off Friday’s coverage. Even if Peterson remains, Arizona needs to find a player opposite him and Murphy is a smart choice. Graded by many to be the draft’s best corner, he’s a bit undersized but superior in coverage. Not having to handle top options will do him wonders and could elevate his play as he learns the NFL game. Murphy is a great cover man but Arizona needs to look past the testing to see how great he can be.
34. Indianapolis Colts—A.J. Brown WR Ole Miss
Clearly Chris Ballard loves the second round. Last year he had four picks in the round, two of which turned into stellar selections in Darius Leonard and Braden Smith. This year he enters day two with three picks. With the first of those picks he adds another weapon for his offense in Ole Miss receiver A.J. Brown. He may have been a slot player with the Rebels but he has the skill set to be a dynamic receiver regardless of where he lines up. A crisp route runner with excellent ability after the catch, Brown will be a perfect compliment to T.Y. Hilton, Eric Ebron, Jack Doyle and Devin Funchess.
35. Oakland Raiders—Greedy Williams CB LSU
Oakland shocked many with their first selection of Clelin Ferrell with the fourth pick. Overall they came away with an impressive haul of Ferrell, running back Josh Jacobs and safety Johnathan Abram. Those are high-floor prospects who fill big needs. With their fourth pick they would be wise to get my top-ranked corner in LSU’s Greedy Williams, despite some of the risks he brings. A traits player who did not improve much in 2018, Williams has the makings of a lock down corner to pair with former first rounder Gareon Conley and give Oakland a young talented secondary moving forward. Williams likely played banged up last season and his stock took a hit when he did not do a single team visit prior to the NFL Draft. Still he’s an elite cover corner who before the season was a top 10 player for most.
36. San Francisco 49ers—Deebo Samuel, WR, South Carolina
San Francisco made the smart decision in grabbing Ohio State’s Nick Bosa with the second overall pick. It not only filled a major need, but gave them the top-ranked player at an extremely important position. Now coach Kyle Shanahan gets a player who fits his offensive system to a “T” with Deebo Samuel of South Carolina. Samuel is probably not the highest-ranked receiver left for most (that would be D.K. Metcalf) but he gives the 49ers an explosive athlete on the outside. He’s may not have a single trump card but he can win all over the field and is a monster with the ball in his hands. Pairing Samuel with Marquise Goodwin and Dante Pettis gives Jimmy Garropolo a talented trio of receivers and a replacement for Pierre Garcon.