25. Minnesota (10-6) — Josh Jones, OT, Houston
The defense is getting old and needs a youthful injection, but Jones is too tempting as a potential starter at tackle, where the Vikings need help. Jones had a really solid Senior Bowl, and could supplant either incumbent starter at tackle in year-one.
26. Miami from Houston (10-6) — Yetur Gross-Matos, EDGE, Penn State
Now what? A third tackle? (For those keeping score, I’ve already got the Dolphins taking two. Ridiculous, I know. But, hey, it’s a pre-combine mock draft.) No, let’s give the Dolphins a presence on the edge. Gross-Matos has the size, speed, strength and game film to project to be a three-down contributor. Coach Brian Flores, a former linebackers coach, will appreciate a blue chip defender.
27. Seattle (11-5) — Austin Jackson, OT, USC
You’d think that after four tackles, the market would be dry. But here’s a fifth coming off the board. This draft seems to have an impressive level of depth at a usually thin position. The Seahawks really need help on the edge, with Jadeveon Clowney and Ezekiel Ansah set to enter free agency. But there’s no obvious player for them at this spot with Gross-Matos off the board.
28. Baltimore (14-2) — Tee Higgins, Clemson, WR
The Ravens have their small burner in Hollwood Brown. Higgins is 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds. And though he’s got a thing or two to learn about getting off press coverage — a typical problem for a young wideout — he uses every inch of his frame to make acrobatic catches. This would be a scary receiver combo in Baltimore.
29. Tennessee (9-7) — Hunter Bryant, TE, Washington
Not much of a blocker, which could prove problematic for the Titans’ run-heavy scheme. But he’s a unique pass-catcher who should impress with measurables at the combine to add to an impressive season with 52 catches, 825 yards, three touchdowns (15.9 yards per attempt). That said, if Bryant’s times are slow, he might just slip into the second or third round.
LOOK MA, ONE HAND.
Hunter Bryant with the 🔥🔥🔥 catch.
📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/mjwaSRHSGr
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) January 2, 2019
30. Green Bay (13-3) — Laviska Shenault, Jr, WR, Colorado
No receiver stands to gain more at the combine than Shenault. He had a really impressive 2018 season, but suffered injuries in 2019 that have teams worried about durability. Good medicals and a good set of measurements could reaffirm that he’s worth consideration in the top half of the first round. He’s an extremely impressive athlete.
31. San Francisco (13-3) — Grant Delpit, S, LSU
Perhaps he’s such a well-known player in college football circles that he’s hit his devaluation period. Delpit was First-Team All-SEC honors in his final two seasons. He also won the 2019 Jim Thorpe award for the nation’s top defensive back. The combine could swing the hype back in Delpit’s favor.
32. Kansas City (12-4) — Solomon Kindley, OL, Georgia
There’s got to be an interior blocker who goes in this year’s first round, right? Let’s have the Chiefs, whose starter (Stefen Wisniewski) is a pending free agent, grab this SEC mauler “who lives in scrap mode, looking for fights inside a relatively small phone booth where he’s most comfortable.” per NFL.com. Who wouldn’t want that guy?
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