NFL Mock Drafts have Justin Herbert near the top of their boards.

Before the final pick was in in this weekend's NFL Draft, pundits had already began preparing their 2019 draft boards. Several publications released their 'way-too-early' mock drafts on Saturday, and the common thread appears to be love for Duck junior quarterback Justin Herbert.

Herbert was listed among the top five picks of three different boards released on Saturday, with the Land of 10 offering up the most favorable predictions with Duck junior set to be taken second in next year's draft. Similarly, Chat Sports had Herbert going fourth in their mock draft, and Matt Miller of Bleacher Report had him fifth in a tweet he sent out (as seen below).

An unheralded recruit from within the Eugene city limits, Herbert burst onto the scene as a true frosh, replacing grad transfer Dakota Prukop in the starting lineup midway through the 2016 season. He looked the part when healthy a year later as a sophomore, completing 66.5-percent of his passes for 1750 yards, 13 touchdowns and just three picks (although a shoulder injury sidelined him for five games).

Herbert would be eligible after the 2018 season to make the leap to the pros (and if he lives up to the early hype he probably should), but he could also decide to return for his senior season in his hometown — a fact that both Land of 10's Ryan Conners and Chat Sports' Tom Downey acknowledged.

"This one’s more of a guess than most, because there’s a good chance Justin Herbert isn’t even in the draft," Conners explained. "But the 2019 class appears light on QB talent, and Herbert has the chance to finish the season he started before getting injured in 2017."

Oregon had two players selected in the 2018 NFL Draft in running back Royce Freeman and offensive tackle Tyrell Crosby. Neither player went in the opening round, however, Freeman went in the third and Crosby in the fifth, and should Herbert go in the first 32 picks next year he'd become the first Duck to do since DeForest Buckner in 2016.

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