The 2019 NFL Draft is mere days away at this point. With that in mind, everyone analyst is scrambling to make up their mock drafts. Meanwhile, NFL teams are attempting to finish their draft board and get a clear picture of who they want to take.
Round one of the 2019 NFL Draft is set for Thursday. With the first round of the draft comes a lot of surprises. There are trades, and players that fall a lot further than anyone expected (remember those videos of Aaron Rodgers and Brady Quinn waiting to be drafted?)
Of course, there are reaches too. There are players that no one expected to be drafted in the first round that end up being selected on night one.
Here are five such sleeper prospects that might be drafted in round one of the 2019 NFL Draft.
5. Hakeem Butler
Hakeem Butler would definitely be the least surprising of the five to creep his way into the first round. A lot of teams are extremely high on the wide receiver out of Iowa State.
Billed at 6'5″ he has the height to be a major problem in the NFL. Butler also has great athleticism that makes him an intriguing prospect.
The 22-year-old is expected to be gone by the middle of the second round. However, it wouldn't be shocking at all if he was drafted in the first.
A team like the New England Patriots could do wonders with Butler – and they have the last pick of the first round. The Green Bay Packers and Oakland Raiders would also be great destinations for him.
Imagine Butler with Antonio Brown on the other side of him.
4. Parris Campbell
If Butler is “most obvious A” than Parris Campbell is “most obvious B”. Another wide receiver, the Ohio State prospect isn't the size of Butler – listed at just 6'0″. However, he's the elite of the class when it comes to speed, running the 40-yard dash in just over 4.30 seconds.
Campbell's athleticism and ridiculous speed make him a fantastic prospect. He's expected to make an immediate impact on any team he's drafted by. Campbell will be a great deep threat and would be a great pairing with some elite receivers or quarterbacks.
If the Packers are looking at receivers in the first, he would be an excellent compliment to Davante Adams. Aaron Rodgers having someone with the speed of Campbell running routes would be fun too.
Campbell could definitely find himself drafted anywhere from mid-first to somewhere in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft.
3. Tytus Howard
An offensive lineman is never a bad pick. Okay, sometimes offensive linemen are bad picks – but the general theory is never bad.
Teams will always need offensive linemen. Even if you're looking great in your starting rotation, depth at the position is extremely important.
With that in mind, someone like Tytus Howard could absolutely find himself drafted in the first round.
The tackle is an absolute unit, listed at 6'5″, 322 lbs. He's also extremely physical in his play – bully ball.
Although he's rough around the edges, those major positives yield a lot of potential. Potential that some teams might not want to pass up on. No, he probably shouldn't be an immediate starter in the NFL. Due to that, teams with truly desperate needs at the position won't want to take him in the first.
There are a lot of teams with stacked offensive lines that might be intrigued by him though.
A team like the Patriots might not want to risk him not being available by the time their next selection comes around.
2. Justin Layne
Justin Layne is simply really good. Cornerbacks will always have a high stock in the NFL Draft for a few reasons.
First of all, teams can never have too much help in the secondary. It's one of the most important spots on the field and somewhere that having a good core of players at could turn a franchise around.
Second, there isn't exactly an abundance of elite talents at the position. Teams will always be looking for their franchise cornerbacks. At this moment, there are a lot of teams that are searching for just that.
Due to that, a few cornerbacks could see their stock rise on draft night. Some teams might get desperate and decide to reach for someone to fill their need.
Layne is the perfect candidate to get a boost and find himself in the first round. Not just because it's necessary for some teams, but because he's deserving of a first round selection anyways.
The Raiders would be a definite candidate, as would a team like the Philadelphia Eagles.
1. Will Grier
Quarterbacks will always get drafted higher than expected. Well almost always (again – remember Rodgers and Quinn). In general though, teams will reach for a quarterback before anything else.
Will Grier therefore becomes the perfect candidate to find his way into the first round.
What's crazy about Grier is where he's been seen in 2019 NFL draft mocks. At one point, he was a very likely first-rounder. Now he's usually sitting in the third or sometimes even fourth round.
However, now there's the speculation. There's talk that a certain coach is interested in him. Bill Belichick and the Patriots are supposedly infatuated with Grier.
That's important because Tom Brady is approaching retirement. They'll need a prospect to learn under him while they can. Someone like Grier could be a solid candidate.
This also makes you wonder about other teams with aging quarterbacks. Teams like the Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers and San Diego Chargers. Could they be considering Grier?
It's tough when rumblings come out about Belichick. They could all be a smokescreen. Something he said to raise the stock of a player in hopes to have the actual player he wants fade into the shadows and find his way to the Patriots.
No matter what though, Belichick has influence. Even if it's just speculation – his stamp of approval means a lot.
This could be the thing that pushes Grier back into the first round.
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