NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah updated his top 50 prospects for the 2019 NFL Draft on Monday, and also took part in a national conference call to talk about this week's start of the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Here are some of the highlights from that call:
1. Mississippi State defensive end Montez Sweat (6-6, 252) was really impressive at the Senior Bowl last month, and can further impress teams this week at the Combine.
Jeremiah thinks the conversation about where Sweat might be drafted starts with the Detroit Lions at No. 8. He also mentioned Green Bay at 12 and Carolina at 16.
"That's how you want to draw up a defensive end," Jeremiah said of Sweat. "That's what you want him to look like. He is tall, long and explosive. He has a unique ability to be able to bend and wrap at the top of his rush."
View photos of Detroit Lions players at the NFL Combine.
Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford runs a football drill at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Northern Illinois wide receiver Kenny Golladay runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 4, 2017. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Mississippi State defensive back Darius Slay runs a drill during the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
University of California Berkeley wide receiver wide receiver Marvin Jones runs up the field during the NFL Scouting Combine on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Ben Liebenberg)
Arkansas defensive lineman Trey Flowers participates in the broad jump during the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday, February 22, 2015 in Indianapolis, IN. (AP Photo/Ben Liebenberg)
Auburn running back Kerryon Johnson runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Friday, March 2, 2018. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Rick Wagner, Wisconsin, 2013
Christian Jones, Florida State, 2014
Taylor Decker, Ohio State, 2016
Tracy Walker, Louisiana-Lafayette, 2018
A'Shawn Robinson, Alabama, 2016
Da'Shawn Hand, Alabama, 2018
Graham Glasgow, Michigan, 2016
Romeo Okwara, Notre Dame, 2016
Miles Killebrew, Southern Utah, 2016
Joe Dahl, Washington State, 2016
Steve Longa, Rutgers, 2016
Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Tennessee, 2017
Frank Ragnow, Arkansas, 2018
Tyrell Crosby, Oregon, 2018
Nick Bawden, San Diego State, 2018
Chris Lacy, Oklahoma State, 2018
USC linebacker Devon Kennard runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Monday, Feb. 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Danny Amendola of Texas Tech runs a drill at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2008. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
John Atkins, Georgia, 2018
Tennessee defensive back Justin Coleman runs the 40-yard dash at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Monday, Feb. 23, 2015. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Penn State defensive back Amani Oruwariye runs the 40-yard dash during the NFL football scouting combine, Monday, March 4, 2019, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Boston College defensive back Will Harris runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Monday, March 4, 2019. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Miami defensive back Michael Jackson Sr. runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Monday, March 4, 2019. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Clemson defensive lineman Austin Bryant poses for a headshot during the 2019 Scouting Combine,Friday, Mar. 1, 2019 in Indianapolis. (Logan Bowles via AP)
Old Dominion wide receiver Travis Fulgham runs a drill during the NFL football scouting combine, Saturday, March 2, 2019, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Georgia tight end Isaac Nauta participates in the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Alabama running back Bo Scarbrough runs during a drill at the NFL football scouting combine on Friday, March 2, 2018 in Indianapolis. (Aaron M. Sprecher via AP)
Wisconsin offensive lineman Beau Benzschawel runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Friday, March 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Georgia defensive lineman John Atkins runs a drill during the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine on Sunday, March 4, 2018 in Indianapolis. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
UCLA offensive lineman Caleb Benenoch runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine, Friday, Feb. 26, 2016, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)
Virginia offensive lineman Oday Aboushi goes through a drill during the NFL Combine in Indianapolis Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
Penn State tight end Jesse James runs the 40-yard dash at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Friday, Feb. 20, 2015. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas throws during a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Penn State linebacker Jason Cabinda poses for a headshot during the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine on Friday, March 2, 2018 in Indianapolis. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
2. Another edge rusher who could interest the Lions at No. 8 is Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell. When asked about Ferrell, Jeremiah said he's more effort than he is pure explosion, but that Ferrell's a player who can stay on the field every down because of his ability to rush and also set the edge and play well in the run game. Jeremiah loves Ferrell's motor and tenacity. He thinks he can be a 10-12 sack player, who never has to come off the field.
3. The Lions have been linked to Iowa tight end T.J. Hockenson with the No. 8 pick in some mock drafts. It makes sense. The Lions obviously have a need at the position, but if they skip tight end at No. 8 and look to bolster the position Day 2 of the draft, who might be a couple names that fit?
Jeremiah raved about the potential of San Diego State's Kahale Warring, who he says is going to impress at the Combine. Warring was late to football, but has a ton of athletic ability and upside. He could be a second-round pick.
Another name mentioned for Day 2 was Stanford's Kaden Smith, who Jeremiah said made the most contested catches of any tight end last year. Smith can play in-line and off the line of scrimmage.
4. Staying with tight ends, Jeremiah called Hockenson "the safest player in the draft," for his ability to help right away as a pass catcher and blocker in the run game.
5. LSU cornerback Greedy Williams has been one of the tougher evaluations for Jeremiah in this class. Jeremiah loves his height, length and ball skills, but questions his short area quickness and feistiness. He called Williams a liability in the run game because he doesn't play with an edge or physicality. Jeremiah said teams are all over the board with their evaluations of Williams.
6. The 2019 NFL Draft is all about the big guys along the defensive line, Jeremiah said in his opening statement of the conference call. He loves this class of defensive linemen, both on the interior and the edge.
7. He also talked about the tight end position being very strong. Hockenson (Iowa), Irv Smith Jr. (Alabama) and Noah Fant (Iowa) could all be first-round selections.
"One of the better tight end drafts we've had in a while with premier top-end guys as well as a lot of depth all the way through," he said.
8. Where is this draft light? Jeremiah believes it to be at the linebacker position, especially inside linebackers.
9. Theo Riddick is entering the final year of his contract. Could the Lions look to add depth to their backfield with a pass-catching runner? Three names that could make sense in the middle rounds of the draft, according to Jeremiah, are James Williams (Washington State), Miles Sanders (Penn State) and Bryce Love (Stanford).
10. Jeremiah sees Marquise Brown (Oklahoma) and D.K. Metcalf (Ole Miss) as the only receivers likely to be drafted in the first round.
