2019 NFL Draft stock report: Winners, losers from March

The 2019 draft season has been a wild one. Several high profile players have seen their stock plummet for one reason or another, and the swift risers quickly rose to take their places. With so much going on, it’s tough to keep everything in order. To combat that, we’re going to take a hard and fast look at who’s moving and in what direction. Just like our stock reports in season, we’re not going to waste time, so let’s dive right in!

Stock Up

Drew Lock, QB, Missouri: Teams meeting with Kyler Murray and Dwayne Haskins are also meeting with Drew Lock, meaning the Missouri signal caller is very much in the mix for QB-needy teams early.

Tyree Jackson, QB, Buffalo: After crushing the NFL Combine, Jackson has seen a ton of buzz, and with the weak QB class, folks are asking themselves what 2018 Bills first-round pick Josh Allen had that Jackson does not. He’s no longer likely to be the late-round project we used to think.

Trayveon Williams, RB, Texas A&M: Williams benefits a little bit from a running back class that saw most of its top players dropping like flies with each 4.65 or greater run. He has only seen his stock rising to the point some have him listed as the top dog and few outside of their top five.

Darrell Henderson, RB, Memphis: His (obviously incorrectly reported) splits saw his name buzzing for a bit, but while we wait for his actual, official times to be confirmed, we’ve seen plenty of folks going back to his tape and realizing that this is a guy who can add playmaking ability to any offense to the point of being possibly the first RB selected.

Miles Sanders, RB, Penn State: It wasn’t long ago that Sanders was considered a probable late-round pick, but there’s now a glut of Day 2 talk after his superb Combine both with metrics and interviews.

Alex Barnes, RB, Kansas State: Barnes crushed the Combine, and since the rest of the class didn’t that was enough to make his name among those benefiting the most from the process.

T.J. Hockenson, TE, Iowa: After knocking the Combine out of the park, Hockenson answered every question about his status as either 1A or 1B in a very strong tight end group.

Noah Fant, TE, Iowa: Fant was able to remind everyone that his preseason status as a possible generational talent wasn’t without merit, and it’s no certainty he goes after his former Iowa teammate.

Deebo Samuel, WR, South Carolina: Samuel seems to have solidified his spot as the top slot option in a class that has a ton of options there.

Darius Slayton, WR, Auburn: Slayton had a strong enough Combine to put his name in the ring for Day 2 selection. The process since then hasn’t seen him drop since that initial bump.

Miles Boykin, WR, Notre Dame: Boykin didn’t just measure out well at the Combine, he posted one of the best performances in Combine history. Any time you put up athleticism that rivals people with names like Andre Johnson or Julio Jones, you’re going to perk some ears up. Since then, I’ve even seen some with him as high as WR2, first round.

Kaleb McGary, OT, Washington: McGary posted elite numbers at the Combine, but he was already getting some level of buzz before that. A probable Day 2 pick, McGary may be the top option to capitalize on some of the other top guys dropping.

Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida: Taylor has been rising for a while, and I see no reason that he won’t continue to. Barring a complete meltdown at his pro day, I would expect Taylor to be the first tackle taken.

Garrett Bradbury, IOL, North Carolina State: Bradbury was already poised to rise at the Combine, but it looks like his stock as a top interior lineman is pretty solidified now. I expect him to be gone by the time the Lions pick in the second round, but if he isn’t, he’d be hard to pass up.

Chris Lindstrom, IOL, Boston College: Lindstrom shouldn’t have really snuck up on anybody, but it really felt that way. Coming from a school known to churn out linemen, Lindstrom is an elite athlete with expert technique who could be a Day 2 option.

Eric McCoy, IOL, Texas A&M: McCoy wasn’t even on the radar of a lot of analysts prior to the Combine. While he had a fantastic showing there, it was primarily his tape that saw people thrusting him right into early Day 2 consideration.

Stock Down

Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State: Most recent reports suggest teams are not as high on Haskins as originally anticipated, meaning a draft day tumble is possible. His pro day was very good, for as much as that’s worth, so maybe it turns around.

Josh Jacobs, RB, Alabama: This RB class, like the QB class, isn’t very strong and Jacobs is often considered the top guy in the group. His pro day was less than impressive, however, and a 4.6 runner of his size will draw more Ameer Abdullah comparisons than Le’Veon Bell.

Devin Singletary, RB, Florida Atlantic: Measuring in at only 5-foot-7 and only 203 pounds, even smaller than expected, Singletary would measure like a power back in speed and agility and like a slot receiver for explosion drills (None of those are good things).

Elijah Holyfield, RB, Georgia: A power back doesn’t need to be fast, but they shouldn’t be extremely slow, nor should they run even worse at their pro day.

David Montgomery, RB, Iowa State: One of several rotating through as top back early in the process, Montgomery had a poor Combine that was followed by near absolute silence. That’s never a good sign for a prospect, as it means he has few fighting for his tape.

Irv Smith Jr., TE, Alabama: Smith came in smaller than any tight ends at the Combine. That would have been fine if he came in as an the elite athlete he was projected to, but instead he came in as one of the lowest-rated athletes in the class. In a strong position group, that could be a killer.

Jace Sternberger, TE, Texas A&M: Sternberger is a receiving tight end only, with next to nil ability as a blocker. After a poor Combine overall, he’s seen his name drop behind the likes of Kahale Warring, Josh Oliver, and Foster Moreau in many rankings. It has been a pretty steep drop.

D.K. Metcalf, WR, Mississippi: Whaaat? Look, Metcalf is still going to be drafted very highly and may even still be the first WR drafted. A funny thing, though, is that after a pretty insane Combine showing by Metcalf and many experts throwing his poor agility times away, I saw OTHER receivers rising in response. That’s odd, and hints to me that he may not be as highly regarded as it seems.

Marquise Brown, WR, Oklahoma: Brown suffered a serious injury early on in the process, but unlike players in the past who have had similar injuries early in the process I don’t see many pushing for his status as a top player at his position anymore, which likely means a drop.

Andy Isabella, WR, Massachusetts: Despite a strong Combine, I’ve heard very little about Isabella while other slot receivers and speedy guys continue to rise. This one may shift the other way, however, as talk of his pro day was very positive.

Parris Campbell, WR, Ohio State: Campbell had a good Combine and was looking good at his pro day before going down injured. Any time a player goes down it’s bad news, and though we don’t know if it’s serious or not, you don’t like to see a guy’s momentum get blunted that way.

Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama: After a disappointing Combine, many came to the defense of Williams’ tape. It’s okay, they say, you can just move him to right guard—A position he’s never played and expressed reservation at being able to play. Sounds like a top-10 worthy risk to me!

Cody Ford, IOL, Oklahoma: After a so-so Combine, talk of Ford as a possible Day 1 talent almost completely ceased, and it became a talk of at what point on Day 2 he belongs.

Beau Benzschawel, IOL, Wisconsin: Beau Goodluckpronouncinghisname was once considered a top interior line prospect in the class. That had largely cooled before the Combine even kicked off, but after underwhelming there, his name is barely mentioned anymore. Even after Wisconsin’s pro day, a time we’re always finding stock rise, there was nothing.

Hjalte Froholdt, IOL, Arkansas: Look, I really liked Froholdt prior to the Combine. And he did awesome at the Combine, measuring out in elite territory. But when I went back to tape, I was amazed to see just how soft he was as a blocker. It was jarring especially on an Arkansas line. Still worth taking a look at late, but his NFL learning curve won’t be a short one.

Deep Sleepers

Nick Fitzgerald, QB, Mississippi State: Possessing a rare combination of size and speed at quarterback, Fitzgerald has plenty of holes to his game that will keep him out of the first few rounds. Not a polished passer by any stretch, Fitzgerald is a dual threat that a team like the Lions could look to pick up to add a more dynamic element to their offense after some work.

Ryquell Armstead, RB, Temple: Armstead is mainly considered a late-round type, but he’s one I expect to rise further and further as the draft approaches. He’s also one I expect the Lions to show interest in throughout the process.

Kahale Warring, TE, San Diego State: Not much of a sleeper anymore after a strong Combine, but I still see many placing Warring outside of Day 2, and that’s just crazy to me. An elite athlete in the vein of George Kittle, Warring may take a year or two to get going, but he’s going to make an offense very happy.

Jazz Ferguson, WR, Northwestern State: If you haven’t heard Ferguson’s name, be prepared to see someone stanning him as the top receiver in the class, even though he’s more of a mid-to-late round guy. Ferguson is a very large, uber athletic receiving threat that is going to need some development, but he’s certainly a name to watch.

Trey Pipkins, OT, Sioux Falls: Pipkins is a guy few, including myself, had even heard of prior to the Combine. He wrecked the measurements there, which piqued my interest. There’s a lot of technical work to be done, but he’s exactly the type of developmental prospect you look for in a later round pick with great size and a full toolset.

Ross Pierschbacher, IOL, Alabama: It’s weird talking about an Alabama lineman as a sleeper, but it’s not the first time we’ve brought up Pierschbacher as a sleeper. He measured out pretty average at the Combine, but his tape is certainly worth a watch, and he’s one I expect to get picked up by someone willing to develop him on Day 3.