What every major NFL mock draft says about Miles Sanders and Penn State’s top prospects
The 2019 NFL draft is now less than three weeks away, and several Penn State players are making moves closer to the top — at least according to a number of mock drafts.
To get a better idea of where Penn State might have players drafted from April 25-27, we looked at every major mock draft since April 1 — and, in rare cases where the mock draft is older, we noted it — to get the best sense of where the Nittany Lions currently stand.
Granted, there’s no Saquon Barkley this season and no top-10 Nittany Lion. But running back Miles Sanders has found a lot of admirers since the NFL Combine, and more than one outlet believes cornerback Amani Oruwariye will hear his name called in the first round.
Take a look:
CB Amani Oruwariye
No. 24 overall (first round) to Oakland Raiders (Pro Football Focus): PFF has been high on Oruwariye for quite some time now. And, last Thursday, it again hyped him up with a first-round grade. The PFF analysis team wrote, ““Positional value makes a reach here for a cornerback … Oruwariye had the best one-on-ones at the Senior Bowl.”
No. 31 overall (first round) to Los Angeles Rams (Athlon Sports): Analyst Clint Lamb does a good job of explaining this pick, so we’ll leave him to it: “The Rams are a candidate to trade out of the first round. At this time, they don’t have a second-round pick where a lot of this draft’s value is at. If they do choose to stay at No. 31, Oruwariye could be a nice selection. Marcus Peters had a rough first season in Los Angeles and Aqib Talib is 33 years old.”
No. 43 overall (second round) to Detroit Lions (Draft Wire): Detroit needs pass-catchers, edge rushers and cornerbacks. After potentially going with an edge-rusher in the first round, the odds are good the Lions look to the secondary with their next pick.
No. 43 overall (second round) to Detroit Lions (San Diego Union-Tribune): Analyst Eddie Brown finds it difficult to argue with Draft Wire’s projection. Oruwariye would fit well here.
No. 48 overall (second round) to Miami Dolphins (Draft Site): DB is a position of need for the Dolphins so, if they go with the offensive line or defensive line in the first round, picking Oruwariye in the second makes a lot of sense.
No. 49 overall (second round) to Cleveland Browns (WalterFootball): Cleveland certainly seems set in terms of offensive playmakers, so analyst Walter Cherepinsky believes the Browns will aim to strengthen up their secondary early on. “The Browns hit a home run with Denzel Ward last year,” Cherepinsky wrote. “They’ll need to find a solid starter to play across from him.”
No. 53 overall (second round) to Philadelphia Eagles (247 Sports): Cornerback isn’t the Eagles’ biggest need, but it might be hard to pass up Oruwariye’s talent. Especially considering the fact Philadelphia could use some young blood in the defensive backfield.
No. 54 overall (second round) to Houston Texans (Draft Tek): Houston’s biggest need is offensive tackle but, with back-to-back picks in the second round, the Texans can seek out value. And that’s exactly what Oruwariye provides.
No. 59 overall (second round) to Indianapolis Colts (CBS Sports): This isn’t necessarily a need-based pick. But, analyst Ryan Wilson writes, “He’s only going to get better and the Colts add secondary depth in Round 2.”
RB Miles Sanders
No. 31 overall (first round) to Los Angeles Rams (NFL.com’s Peter Schrager): This is the oldest mock draft we’ve included, as it dates back to March 26. But we thought we’d include this for two reasons: One, it’s obviously an incredibly respected outlet and, two, nobody seems higher on Sanders than Schrager. He writes: “Sanders isn’t getting the same pre-draft buzz as other running backs in this class, but his combine performance turned heads around the league. His pass-catching ability — SEE: the Indiana game, when he hauled in six catches for 54 yards — helps him.” In this projection, Sanders would back up Todd Gurley and try to keep his legs fresh.
No. 53 overall (second round) to Philadelphia Eagles (ESPN’s Todd McShay): Sanders may not have gotten many receptions at Penn State, but McShay still believes his pass-catching ability allows him to sneak into the second round. McShay writes: “As a change-of-pace back behind Jordan Howard, Sanders provides reliable pass-catching out of the backfield.”
No. 74 overall (third round) to Buffalo Bills (WalterFootball): LeSean McCoy isn’t getting any younger, and the Bills need someone to share the load immediately — while maybe even grooming a starter for the future. Writes analyst Walter Cherepinsky: “Miles Sanders had a great combine performance, running a 4.49 and leaping 10-foot-4 on the broad jump. He was great in the drills as well.”
No 81 overall (third round) to Minnesota Vikings (247 Sports): Dalvin Cook isn’t exactly the healthiest of running backs and, with Latavius Murray leaving in the offseason, there’s definitely a role for Sanders here. He may not be the bell-cow, but he’d still be in line to see significant time.
No. 86 overall (third round) to Houston Texans (Athlon Sports): Bill O’Brien needs better blocking, and he needs more weapons on offense. Sanders could split time in the backfield and be a contributor from Day 1. If he’s still here, he might be too hard to pass up.
No. 87 overall (third round) to Chicago Bears (San Diego Union-Tribune): More offensive firepower certainly isn’t a bad thing. Writes analyst Eddie Brown: “Sanders will pair nicely with Tarik Cohen, giving Matt Nagy two dynamic running backs who will contribute in both the run and pass game.”
No. 87 overall (third round) to Chicago Bears (Draft Wire): Barring a trade, this will be the Bears’ first pick of the NFL draft — after getting Khalil Mack last year in a blockbuster trade involving picks. Running back is one position the Bears are eyeing, although there are more pressing needs in the short term.
No. 102 overall (third round) to Baltimore Ravens (Draft Site): Running back isn’t a huge need for Baltimore right now. But sometimes talent trumps need — and Sanders could be a good one.
No. 127 overall (fourth round) to Philadelphia Eagles (Draft Tek): Philadelphia is going to target a running back in the NFL draft, especially with Jay Ajayi and Darren Sproles both set to become free agents. The only question is whether they’ll wait this long to draft one.
OL Connor McGovern
No. 68 overall (third round) to New York Jets (San Diego Union-Tribune): Analyst Eddie Brown has McGovern going as the fourth pick in the third round. Although he doesn’t explain his pick, it’s no secret the Jets need help on the offensive line to protect second-year QB Sam Darnold.
No. 72 overall (third round) to Cincinnati Bengals (Draft Tek): The Bengals are in serious need of help at offensive guard so, after drafting a linebacker, odds are this is a position of priority.
No. 76 overall (third round) to Washington Redskins (WalterFootball): McGovern’s versatility has piqued a lot of teams’ interest. Writes analyst Walter Cherepinsky: “The Redskins have one of the worst centers in the NFL, so that’s a position they’ll sorely need to upgrade. They also need help at guard, so why not draft a player who can play all three interior offensive line positions?”
No. 78 overall (third round) to Miami Dolphins (Athlon Sports): Both the offensive and defensive lines are priorities for Miami. And McGovern would fit in nicely.
No. 82 overall (third round) to Tennessee Titans (Pro Football Focus): Tennessee should be looking for a second defensive tackle in this NFL draft. But, by the third round, eyes could shift to the interior offensive line.
No. 85 overall (third round) to Baltimore Ravens (Draft Site): There are plenty of holes on the Ravens’ roster and, while OL is a need, it’s not as much of a priority as finding a pass-rusher or receiver. That means Baltimore could focus elsewhere the first two rounds before looking to shore up the offensive line in the third.
No. 149 (fifth round) to Cincinnati Bengals (Draft Wire): The Bengals make sense as a landing spot but, with McGovern’s versatility, it’d be a surprise — and a huge boost to Cincinnati — if McGovern fell this far.
DL Shareef Miller
No. 149 overall (fifth round) to Cincinnati Bengals (Draft Site): The Bengals’ defense was straight-up awful in 2018, so it’s in major need of an upgrade. Finding another linebacker and a solid pass-rusher should be high up on the list, so finding Miller in the fifth would be a nice play for coach Zac Taylor.
No. 153 overall (fifth round) to Washington Redskins (Draft Wire): Washington is in need of an edge rusher and some explosive playmakers. Miller should add depth to a position of need.
No. 171 overall (fifth round) to New York Giants (Draft Tek): This isn’t a top position of need for the Giants but, this late in the NFL draft, it’s all about finding value. And Saquon Barkley probably wouldn’t mind having a fellow Penn Stater on the roster either.
No. 201 overall (sixth round) to Kansas City Chiefs (WalterFootball): There’s no doubt the Chiefs are in search of some defensive linemen. Writes analyst Walter Cherepinsky: “The Chiefs need a new edge rusher with Justin Houston gone, so up to three picks could be used on edge rushers.”
OL Ryan Bates
No. 148 overall (fifth round) to Denver Broncos (WalterFootball): This is a position of need, and Bates provides some good value here. Writes analyst Walter Cherepinsky: “The Broncos could stand to add multiple offensive linemen, even in the wake of the Ja’Wuan James acquisition.”
No. 205 overall (sixth round) to New England Patriots (Draft Wire): Bill Belichick likes to draft not based on need but based on talent. That being said, the offensive line is still one of their top-5 needs this draft.
Undrafted (Draft Tek): He’s listed as the site’s No. 459 overall draft prospect ... which seems pretty, uh, what’s a good word for “boneheaded”?
Undrafted (Draft Site): Among the other Big Ten offensive guards who won’t be drafted, per Draft Site, include Notre Dame’s Alex Bars and Michigan’s Jon Runyan.
DT Kevin Givens
No. 164 overall (fifth round) to Indianapolis Colts (WalterFootball): Two words: Pass. Rush. Writes analyst Walter Cherepinsky: “The Colts need to find multiple pieces in an attempt to improve their lackluster pass rush.”
No. 248 overall (seventh round) to Arizona Cardinals (Draft Wire): Givens may not be a polished product, but he obviously boasts potential. That could lead to several NFL teams wanting to take a late flier on him.
Undrafted (Draft Tek): He was put right behind Trace McSorley in terms of overall player rankings, coming in at No. 314 to McSorley’s No. 310.
Undrafted (Draft Site): Among the other Big Ten defensive tackles who won’t be drafted, per Draft Site, include Michigan’s Kenny Bigelow Jr., Maryland’s Byron Cowart, Nebraska’s Darrion Daniels and Purdue’s Lorenzo Neal.
QB Trace McSorley
Undrafted (Draft Tek): If the NFL had 10-round drafts, based upon the rankings, it looks as if Draft Tek would have him going in the equivalent of the ninth round. As it stands, he’s a projected priority free agent.
Undrafted (Draft Wire): He’s the only top Penn State player on the outside looking in for the NFL draft, at least according to Draft Wire.
Undrafted (Draft Site): Other quarterbacks who will not be drafted, per Draft Site, include Washington State’s Gardner Minshew and Mississippi State’s Nick Fitzgerald.