Speculation ahead of the 2018 NFL Draft has been constant, team needs have been well-documented and mock drafts have been aplenty.
But we here at WFAA Sports decided to throw out some names you haven’t seen on any big boards this draft season – high schoolers.
North Texas is a hot bed for talent on the gridiron, and many of its players go on to play college and pro ball. So, we took a crack at what the draft board might look like if it consisted only of North Texas high school student-athletes. Only 2018-19 seniors were considered. Huge thanks to the Star-Telegram's prospect rankings for an assist on this project.
Now, we’re not in the business of projecting any of the following players as NFL talents. But we’ve paired some of the area’s top high school football talent with NFL teams based on their ranking among other players in the area and the NFL team’s needs.
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1. Brown: Brian Williams, S, Bishop Dunne
247Sports’ top high school prospect in Dallas-Fort Worth goes No. 1 overall to the Cleveland Browns, who draft by best player available with a lack of generational quarterback talent in this draft.
2. Giants: Theo Wease, WR, Allen
Another team drafting best-available due to a lack of a quarterback run that mirrors the NFL draft board, the Giants take stud Allen wideout Theo Wease. The nation’s No. 3 player and top WR prospect is a welcome addition, regardless of the future of Odell Beckham Jr. It also takes a shot at the idea of former Cowboy Dez Bryant signing with New York.
3. Jets: Grant Tisdale, QB, Allen
The state champion Eagles land two players in the top three picks, with Tisdale going to the Jets. He adds another young QB to the lineup of standouts at a lower level behind Josh McCown: Teddy Bridgewater, Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty.
4. Browns: NaNa Osafo-Mensah, DE, Nolan Catholic
The Browns take rising star NaNa Osafo-Mensah, the sixth-ranked defensive end in the country, to give what top overall pick Myles Garrett left to be desired in 2017-18.
5. Broncos: Jeffery Carter, CB, Aledo
The Broncos fill the hole left by Aqib Talib in what has been a vaunted secondary with Aledo cornerback Jeffery Carter, who is also a threat in the return game and considered an “athlete” prospect by some outlets.
6. Colts: E.J. Ndoma-Ogar, OG, Allen
Indianapolis needs to bolster an offensive line that struggled to find consistency at the guard position. They find the help they need with the area’s top offensive line prospect E.J. Ndoma-Ogar.
7. Buccaneers: Lewis Cine, S, Cedar Hill Trinity Christian
Three NFL.com pundits have the Bucs filling a position of need with a standout safety with the No. 7 pick. In our draft, they grab the third-ranked safety in all of high school football, Lewis Cine.
8. Bears: Marquez Beason, WR/CB, Bishop Dunne
The Bears find Beason, one of the top players in DFW and a two-way talent, on the board at No. 10 and hope he can be their third cornerback. Beason can also be a factor in gadget offensive schemes or the return game.
9. 49ers: Marcel Brooks, LB, Flower Mound Marcus
The 49ers finished near the bottom of the league in sacks last year, and look to address that with the sixth-ranked linebacker in the country who’s known for getting to the QB.
10. Raiders: Demani Richardson, S, Waxahachie
Oakland adds ball-hawking safety Demani Richardson to a secondary that needs playmakers. Richardson is the 7th-ranked safety in the nation according to 247Sports and the 21st overall player in Texas.
11. Dolphins: Austin Stogner, TE, Plano Prestonwood Christian Academy
The Dolphins have several needs, including an eventual successor to Ryan Tannehill, but with the 6-foot-6 Stogner on the board at 11 they fill the tight end hole left by Julius Thomas – who underwhelmed in Miami before his release – with the No. 2 tight end in the country.
12. Bills: Trejan Bridges, WR, Hebron
Buffalo gets a steal at No. 12 with the Star-Telegram’s No. 5 prospect in DFW. Bridges serves as an immediate boon to whomever is under center for the Bills in 2018.
13. Redskins: Hunter Spears, DT, Sachse
Washington’s search for a stopper on the defensive line brings them to Spears, the Star-Telegram’s top-rated interior D-lineman in this class and 19th DT prospect in the nation.
14. Packers: Anfernee Orji, OLB/S, Rockwall
The Pack could use an addition alongside Ha Ha Clinton-Dix at safety and an injection of speed at linebacker. Orji, who can play both positions, may be the answer.
15. Cardinals: Kameron Brown, WR, Colleyville Heritage
Arizona is widely thought to be targeting a receiver in the draft, and the Cardinals take the third wideout in this make-believe draft. Brown, a 4-star recruit, is the No. 9 prospect in DFW according to the Star-Telegram and 247Sports.
16. Ravens: Branson Bragg, OL, Crandall
Baltimore takes the third-ranked center in the country off the board at No. 16 to beef up an offensive line that lost 16-game starter Ryan Jensen from last year.
17. Chargers: Jalen Catalon, S, Mansfield Legacy
Veteran Tre Boston’s unemployment means Los Angeles looks for a safety to succeed him and find great value in the No. 9 safety in the country and 23rd-ranked player in Texas. Catalon is a playmaker at safety who picked off 12 passes, and can also add a threat on special teams.
18. Seahawks: Steven Parker, DE, South Oak Cliff
The Seahawks find their replacement for Michael Bennett in South Oak Cliff pass-rusher Steven Parker, who checks in as a top-20 recruit in DFW.
19. Cowboys: Dylan Wright, WR, West Mesquite
So long, Dez Bryant. Hello, Dylan Wright. Wright is a both a big body and a deep threat, which the Cowboys need after Bryant’s departure. He’s the Star-Telegram’s No. 14 recruit in DFW.
20. Lions: Titus Swen, RB, Haslet Eaton
After two seasons of a floundering Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick in the backfield, Detroit takes the top-rated running back recruit in DFW in Titus Swen. Swen recorded more than 3,000 yards and 39 TDs over the last two seasons at Eaton.
21. Bengals: Gabriel Murphy, LB, Bishop Lynch
Cincy needs an upgrade at linebacker, and Murphy – who totaled 93 tackles and 9.5 sacks last year – covers the field well enough to be the guy.
22. Bills: Jacob Clark, QB, Rockwall
With the addition of Clark, Buffalo gets its QB to throw to top pick Trejan Bridges. Clark, the No. 22 pro-style quarterback in the country, threw for 3,000 yards and 36 TDs last year.
23. Patriots: Wyatt Harris, DB/LB, Aledo
Harris, the Star-Telegram’s 45th-ranked 2019 player, may be a slight reach here, but what screams “Patriots” more than an experienced, undervalued and versatile player who can do it all? Harris has played safety and linebacker for Aledo in four years as a varsity player.
24. Panthers: Nnamdi Adim-Madumere, WR, Fort Worth Southwest
The Panthers need a weapon through the air, and Adim-Madumere is a big-bodied wideout actually listed in some places as a tight end. He averaged more than 30 yards per catch and score every other play during his senior season.
25. Titans: Colt Ellison, DE, Aledo
Ellison, slotted appropriately here as the Star-Telegram’s 25th-overall player in DFW, can provide the rush off the edge that the Titans have lacked.
26. Falcons: Enoch Jackson, DT, Mansfield
With Dontari Poe leaving this offseason, the Falcons fill in the vacancy with one of the area’s most dominant interior lineman in Enoch Jackson, the 49th-ranked DT in the country.
27. Saints: Baylor Cupp, TE, Brock
Long past are the days when Drew Brees and the Saints had a top-level tight end in their arsenal. The Coby Fleener era ends with the selection of Brock’s Baylor Cupp.
28. Steelers: Jonathan McGill, S, Coppell
McGill falls a bit in the first round due to his slight frame, but one thing is for certain: He can make plays. McGill totaled 80 tackles (seven for loss) and 10 pass deflections in 2017.
29. Jaguars: La’Vontae Shenault, WR, DeSoto
The Jags take advantage of a wide receiver-heavy class to grab a potential replacement for the departed Allen Hurns. Shenault is 247Sports’ 77th-ranked player in Texas.
30. Vikings: Donavann Collins, CB, Cedar Hill
With Terence Newman – the oldest NFL defender to see regular playing time in 2017 – hitting free agency after three seasons with Minnesota, the Vikings look to inject youth into the secondary with Collins, the No. 28 player in DFW according to the Star-Telegram.
31. Patriots: William Jones, CB, Mansfield Summit
Jones makes up for a lack of size with top-notch speed and would add a ball hawk to the secondary for the Super Bowl runners-up.
32. Eagles: Qualan Jones, RB, Trinity Christian Cedar Hill
The 5-foot-10 Jones, who scored 18 rushing touchdowns in 2017, adds depth to the Eagles’ running back corps.