As well as following the Packers and the NFL, many of us also follow and watch a lot of college football. I therefore thought to help the interest/enjoyment of following the college game that it would be worthwhile creating a 2019 NFL Draft “Top 150 Watch List” of players by school – those players that currently look like the top players who will be available and talked about when it comes to next year’s draft.
Creating the list by school means that when we watch a match-up between two of the teams listed we can not only watch the game “as a game”, but we can also keep an extra eye on certain players as shown on this list.
Remember that having a list of 150 players is a relatively small sample (perhaps 5% of the total players who will be eligible for the 2019 Draft), so as the season goes on, this list will change – perhaps dramatically – and extra players will be added to it and some disappear from it. I will try to provide periodical updates as we go through the season.
Once the NFL season is over in February, the 2019 NFL Draft watch will really take hold and opinions on the top players will evolve further as we go through the Combine and work outs…our own resident NFL Draft guru at UK Packers – Andy Davies – will really be in his element at this time and keeping us all up to speed with his knowledge and views of what is happening.
Three further things to note on the following list:
1. Players have a number in brackets () after their name – this gives a very early indication of where a player is ranked overall. So for example, Nick Bosa (1) is currently the top ranked player.
2. Players that have an asterisk * after their name are underclassmen (e.g. College Juniors, Sophomores) who have yet to declare their intention to enter the draft next year. This means that it is possible that could remain in the college game in 2019.
3. Where a player’s status is subject to injury I’ve done my best to note this. For the time being I have left these players on the list until it becomes clearer as to their status.
Ok, on with the list…
AP PRE-SEASON TOP 25 SCHOOLS
1. Alabama
DL Raekwon Davis* (8), OT Jonah Williams* (9), ILB Anfernee Jennings* (20), RB Damien Harris (33), OC/OG Ross Pierschbacher (49), ILB Mack Wilson* (80), DT Isaiah Buggs (93), Edge Terrell Lewis* (122, torn ACL - return unknown), ILB Christian Miller* (150)
2. Clemson
Edge Clelin Ferrell* (3), DT Dexter Lawrence* (14), DT Christian Wilkins (24), OT Mitch Hyatt (37), DE Austin Bryant (42), ILB Kendall Joseph (48)
3. Georgia
CB DeAndre Baker (7), WR Terry Godwin (129)
4. Wisconsin
ILB T.J. Edwards (26), OG Beau Benzschawel (40), OT David Edwards* (50), OG/OT Michael Deiter (54), NT Olive Sagapolu (134)
5. Ohio State
Edge Nick Bosa* (1), DT Dre’Mont Jones* (17), WR Parris Campbell (38), ILB Tuf Borland* (45, has Achilles injury - return unknown), RB Mike Weber* (94), OT Isaiah Prince (98)
6. Washington
OT Trey Adams (15, recovering from knee surgery), OT Kaleb McGary (63), RB Myles Gaskin (67), QB Jake Browning (86), S Taylor Rapp* (127)
7. Oklahoma
WR Marquise Brown* (44), OG Ben Powers (71), RB Rodney Anderson* (76), OT Bobby Evans* (77)
8. Miami (Fla)
Edge Joe Jackson* (21),WR Ahmmon Richards* (31),FS Jaquan Johnson (68), CB Michael Jackson (82),ILB Shaquille Quarterman* (106), RB Travis Homer* (131)
9. Auburn
QB Jarrett Stidham* (36), OT Prince Tega Wanogho Jr.* (92), WR Darius Slayton* (100), DT Derrick Brown* (113)
10. Penn State
OG/OC Connor McGovern* (47), CB Juwan Johnson* (91), Edge Shareef Miller (107), QB Trace McSorley (126)
11. Michigan State
DT Raequan Williams* (114), TE Matt Sokol (121),S David Dowell* (132)
12. Notre Dame
CB Julian Love* (27), DT Jerry Tillery (39),ILB Te’von Coney (55),OG/OT Alex Bars (109), TE Alize Mack (112), OC Sam Mustipher (133)
13. Stanford
RB Bryce Love (22),OG/OT Nate Herbig* (52), WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside (75),TE Kaden Smith* (79)CB Alijah Holder (81, returning from knee injury)
14. Michigan
DL Rashan Gary* (4), LB Devin Bush Jr.* (64), Chase Winovich (69), CB Lavert Hill* (83), SS Khaleki Hudson* (101), S Tyree Kinnel (120), QB Shea Patterson* (140)
15. Southern California (USC)
ILB Cameron Smith (46), SS Marvell Tell III (51), TE Tyler Petite* (56),CB Iman Marshall (62),Edge Porter Gustin* (73, recovering from knee surgery)
16. Texas Christian (TCU)
WR Kavontae Turpin (84)
17. West Virginia
QB Will Grier* (57), WR Gary Jennings Jr. (119), WR David Sills V (95)
18. Mississippi State
Edge Montez Sweat (32)DT Jeffery Simmons* (43), QB Nick Fitzgerald (58, returning from broken ankle)
19. Florida State
Edge Brian Burns* (25), DT Demarcus Christmas (65),RB Jacques Patrick (123)
20. Virginia Tech
DT Ricky Walker (111)
21. Central Florida
None
22. Boise State
QB Brett Rypien (108)
23. Texas
WR Collin Johnson* (60),OLB Breckyn Hager (149)
24. Oregon
QB Justin Herbert* (13),Edge Jalen Jelks (130)
25. Louisiana State (LSU)
CB Andraez “Greedy” Williams* (6)LB Devin White* (18), OG Garrett Brumfield (87) AP
PRESEASON POLL – OTHER SCHOOLS WHO RECEIVED VOTES, LISTED ALPHABETICALLY
Boston College – DL Zach Allen (30), S Lukas Dennis (34), Tommy Sweeney (72)
Florida - OT Martez Ivey (61), Edge Jabari Zuniga (124), DE Cece Jefferson (128)
Florida Atlantic - RB Devin Singletary* (88)
Houston - DT Ed Oliver* (2)Iowa - TE Noah Fant* (12)
Iowa State - RB David Montgomery* (29), WR Hakeem Butler* (116)
Kansas State - OT Dalton Risner (28)
Kentucky - Edge Josh Allen (16), TE C.J. Conrad (70), CB Derrick Baity* (125)
North Carolina State - QB Ryan Finley (19), WR Kelvin Harmon* (103)
Northwestern - QB Clayton Thorson (78, torn ACL – return unknown)
Oklahoma State - RB Justice Hill* (59)
South Carolina - WR Deebo Samuel (41), WR Bryan Edwards* (74)
Texas A&M - ILB Otaro Alaka (142)Troy - WR Deondre Douglas (136)
Utah - SS Chase Hansen (141)
The following schools received votes but currently have no players on this 2019 NFL Draft “Top 150 Watch List” – Arizona, Arkansas State, Fresno State, Memphis
OTHER FBS SCHOOLS (ALPHABETICALLY)
Arizona State – WR N’Keal Harry* (23)
Arkansas – ILB Dre Greenlaw (143)
Brigham Young (BYU) – DT Corbin Kaufusi (117)
Buffalo – WR Anthony Johnson (10), ILB Khalil Hodge (96), QB Tyree Jackson* (115)
California-Los Angeles (UCLA) – TE Caleb Wilson* (66, returning from foot injury)
Cincinnati – Edge Marquise Copeland (53)
Kansas – LB Joe Dineen Jr. (104)
Louisiana Tech – Edge Jaylon Ferguson (137)
Maryland – OG Damien Prince (118)
Mississippi – WR A.J. Brown* (5), OT Greg Little* (35)
Missouri – QB Drew Lock (11), DT Terry Beckner Jr. (99)
Nebraska – WR Stanley Morgan Jr.* (85)
North Carolina – TE Brandon Fritts (89, torn ACL – return unknown)
Northern Illinois – Edge Sutton Smith* (91), OT Max Scharping (105)
South Florida – TE Mitchell Wilcox* (138)
Temple – S Delvon Randall* (144)
Texas-El Paso (UTEP) – FB Winston Dimel (145)
Texas Tech – ILB Dakota Allen (110)
Wake Forest – FS Cameron Glenn (146)
Washington State – S Jalen Thompson* (135)
Wyoming – Edge Carl Granderson (102)
The following FBS Schools currently have no players on this 2019 NFL Draft “Top 150 Watch List” – Air Force, Akron, Alabama-Birmingham, Appalachian State, Army, Ball State, Baylor, Bowling Green, California, Central Michigan, Coastal California, Colorado, Colorado State, Connecticut, Duke, East Carolina, Eastern Michigan, Florida International, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Kent State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, Louisville, Marshall, Massachusetts, Miami (Ohio), Middle Tennessee State, Minnesota, Navy, Nevada, Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV), New Mexico, New Mexico State, North Carolina-Charlotte, North Texas, Ohio, Old Dominion, Oregon State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Rice, Rutgers, San Diego State, San Jose State, South Alabama, Southern Methodist (SMU), Southern Mississippi, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas-San Antonio (UTSA), Texas State, Toledo, Tulane, Tulsa, Utah State, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Western Kentucky, Western Michigan
MISCELLANEOUS FCS SCHOOLS
Cal-Davis – WR Keelan Doss (147)
James Madison – CB Rashad Robinson (139)
North Dakota State – QB Easton Stick (148)
Find Peter on twitter here: @The_IT_Hedgehog