Teammates offer insight on the biggest names in the 2019 NFL draft

Being in a place like Mobile, Alabama during Senior Bowl week will give you great intel, especially from fellow players who find it easier to talk about others than themselves. Throughout the week, we used our unique access as a chance to now only learn about the players there, but also some of the players who were not there.

We start with Ohio State wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who is the only WR to have caught passes from almost all the top quarterbacks in the 2019 draft.

Not only did McLaurin play with Dwayne Haskins—the consensus top QB in the class—he had a week with Drew Lock and Daniel Jones in Mobile, two of the other first-round contenders in 2019. Here is what McLaurin, a two-time team captain for the Buckeyes had to say on all three.

“[Haskins] is a very elite passer, he can make all the throws, he’s a competitor, and he’s also really grown as a leader. I used to always kind of get irritated with people when they said, ‘Well, how are his throws?’ I mean, his throws are always going to be great, but at that position where he’s going into being a top-10 pick, he needs to be a great leader. The maturation that he had from the TCU game—where he was kind of unsure when we struggled on offense—to the ‘team up North’ and the Maryland game, where we were in some dogfights, he was taking over our offense and I was deferring to him. That’s what you want to see out of your quarterback.”

“They’re very comparable,” he added of how the two Senior Bowl QBs stacked up. “Obviously, I have more of that camaraderie with Dwayne, so it’s different in that aspect but all the quarterbacks on my team can make the throws. Drew Lock has a lot of touch on his passes, the deep ball that he threw to me was right in stride and we’ve really formed a connection, I’ve gravitated to him. I’ve trained with Trace McSorely he can make all the throws, and I’ve made some plays with Daniel Jones as well. I haven’t quite got with our other quarterback as much. All those quarterbacks are NFL-style QBs.”

It didn’t stop there as the Buckeyes receiver created some buzz when he told reporters about his interview with the Arizona Cardinals who hold the first pick in the 2019 draft and asked him about teammate Nick Bosa.

“Yes, I spoke with Arizona, and they asked, ‘Would you take Nick Bosa?’ and I said, ‘Yes for the No. 1 pick.’”

“He’s a great teammate, he’s always pushing the younger guys, he’s a very fierce competitor,” he added of Bosa. “Sometimes our coaches had to pull him back because of how hard he goes. He’s probably one of the best players I’ve ever played with.”

Bosa’s situation this season at Ohio State was unique, as he decided to forego most of his junior season after suffering a core muscle injury, deciding instead to focus on the draft. Many were interested to know how that decision was perceived inside the locker room.

“To be honest, I understood,” McLaurin explained. “You know he has a life-changing opportunity ahead of him, and while we missed him and wished we could’ve had him, we understood. People couldn’t appreciate how serious his injury was, even if he could’ve possibly come back, it may not have been until the Big Ten championship game, and he wouldn’t have been 100-percent healthy. So for him to put himself in that situation and not healthy, a 50-percent Nick Bosa is not good enough, we need a 100-percent, so we understood. We didn’t take any offense to it but we did miss him.”

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Alabama center Ross Pierschbacher, a four-year starter who has the rare distinction of starting every year in the College Football Playoffs and always reaching the final, had a large list of players to pick from when asked who the best player he’d ever faced was. Making his answer particularly interesting.

“Quinnen Williams,” said Pierschbacher with a laugh. “Yeah, in practice—just his get off, the type of defense that we play, he’s at nose and crowds the ball. As soon as I move the ball I’m trying to get back and he’s already on my shoulder swimming and doing the hand swiping, so that’s tough.”

Williams is an interesting case as he emerged as a top prospect after only starting for a season at Alabama. How he emerged out of the blue was a big topic of interest.

“He took a jump,” explained Pierschbacher. “Having Daron Payne at nose last year, obviously a great talent and first-round draft pick, as well, but Quinnen took a huge jump in his game. We always knew he had talent, but he really burst onto the scene this year. He owned that nose guard spot.”

Pierschbacher also explained the differences between Payne—the 13th pick in the 2018 draft—and Williams, who is seen as a lock to go in the top five this year.

“They’re both great players in their own respective way,” he said. “I think Daron is more of a strike-sit but he’s got some quickness in his moves as well and really good hips. Quinnen has more of the get-off, more of the Aaron-Donald-type get-off, and he’s slippery.”

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NC State quarterback Ryan Finley played with two of the top prospects in the country with receiver Kelvin Harmon and Rimington award winner Garrett Bradbury.

Bradbury’s story is particularly interesting, having come to NC State as a tight end and developing into the best center in the country. Finley explained how that transition occurred.

“He’s freakishly athletic for his size, he’s competitive, he’s kind of a team-first guy and has a really good build,” the QB said. “He’s an impressive, impressive guy, he’s extremely intelligent. He’s my roommate and one of my best friends, so it’s been fun going on this journey with him, and it’s cool that we’re both here… I think he could play all three positions inside, he’s that smart and that strong, he’s doing really good things here so that’s exciting to see.”

The bond with Harmon might not be as strong, but Finley had glowing words for his No. 1 target, as well.

“They’re getting an extremely hard worker who loves the game a lot,” he said. “He’s a very-focused man on a mission. He came in with a mission that he was going to play three years, he was going to ball out in college and then go to the NFL, and that’s exactly what he did. He works extremely hard, he’s a big body—very physical—he’s got a knack for going up to get balls in the air.”

Stay tuned to BSN Denver for more insights throughout the entire draft process.