Ohio State pass-rusher Nick Bosa stays at No. 1 in my updated rankings for the 2019 NFL draft, but there's plenty of movement in the rest of the top 25. I have only one quarterback, but there are five new prospects overall, including two who jumped into the top 20. And eight of my top 10 prospects are defenders.
A few notes before I get started, same as always:
These aren't detailed scouting reports. I still have a lot of work to do on these prospects, and what they do from now until January matters a lot.
Height and weight are based on what we have from schools. We don't get official numbers until the 2019 NFL combine.
Note: One asterisk denotes the player is a junior, and two asterisks denote the player is a redshirt sophomore in 2018.
1. Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State*
Height: 6-foot-4 | Weight: 263 pounds | Previously: 1
Bosa won't be back at Ohio State, as his core muscle injury will keep him out until December, and he decided to train for the draft instead of trying to return for a bowl game. It's the right decision. Think about it this way: Now Bosa's next injury will come after he's a multimillionaire, not before. I don't expect the injury or decision to affect his draft stock. He is an elite pass-rusher who is advanced for his age in his technique -- you can probably thank his brother, Joey, and dad, John, both former first-round picks. He'll finish his Buckeyes career with 17.5 sacks in two-plus seasons, most of which was in a loaded line rotation.
2. Ed Oliver, DT, Houston*
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 292 | Previously: 2
Oliver wrecked East Carolina two weeks ago with five tackles for loss. He was unblockable. On tape, Oliver is just relentless. He never quits. He's the best interior pass-rusher in this class, though he's not quite Aaron Donald. Those are the comps Oliver is going to get until April, but that's not fair to him at this point. He has room to grow in his technique. Oliver uses a quick first step to wreck plays before they can even begin -- he had 39 tackles for loss in his first two seasons.
