NFL Draft 2019

NFL Draft 2019

The NFL Draft has come and gone. Finally. Already it’s a month later than it used to be, and it’s now spread out over three days. Anyway, I survived it, and here is my stellar analysis.

Although the early part of the draft was chock full of surprises, the first three picks were anything but. As was predicted for weeks, the Cardinals took Kyler Murray first, the 49ers took Joey Bosa second, and Quinnen Williams went third to the Jets.

Day 1:

Murray to Arizona was a terribly kept secret, considering they removed all signs of Josh Rosen from the team’s promotional material. Rosen, the tenth overall pick last year, is now headed to Miami, leaving the coast clear for Murray. Murray did unbelievable things at Oklahoma last year, but he only started one season. Hard to hold that against him however, since the guy starting ahead of him was last years’ first pick Baker Mayfield. Murray has a combo of arm strength and running ability not seen since Colin Kaepernick, albeit with a much smaller frame. He’s closest thing we’ve seen to Michael Vick, and the fact that he’s the same height as Russell Wilson made his small size less of an issue. It’s a huge risk, but none of the other quarterbacks in the draft were can’t miss prospects. So even if he’s a bust, Murray will help the Cards sell tickets.

The 49ers taking Bosa was an obvious choice as well. Although the team used three consecutive first round picks on edge rushers (before taking T Mike McGlinchy last year), those guys cannot actually rush the edge. Arik Armstead, DeForrest Buckner, and Solomon Thomas all are good interior linemen, but teams are able to get outside on them frequently. Bosa is a little undersized for a defensive end, but his versatility is why he’s so valuable. He can play outside linebacker as well, and his pure pass rush ability is off the charts. He also has a strong bloodline, as his brother is a star for the Chargers and his dad was a former first round pick. There is also significant injury history in his family, and he suffered a big injury last year. Hopefully that isn’t an issue moving forward.

Quinnen Williams was considered by many to be the best d-lineman in a stacked class, so this was a good value pick for the Jets at #3. He may not be the pure outside rusher Bosa is, but he is stronger and is a far better interior run stopper. San Francisco had enough inside guys, so Willians filled more of a need for New York. Leonard Williams has underachieved since going sixth four years ago, so Quinnen should take pressure off of him. He is a pure competitor, a quality Leonard allegedly lacks. He played for Nick Saban at Alabama, a program known for producing stellar defensive picks. All in all, Williams was by far the best available player here, so no complaints with the pick.

The Raiders taking Clelin Ferrell fourth was somewhat surprising, considering there were many pass rushers ranked ahead of him. Jon Gruden could have taken Khalil Mack’s replacement in Josh Allen, who is a similar prototype. But they took Ferrell, seemingly due to his character. He was raised by two military parents, and is known as an extremely hard worker. I’m sure playing for the recent Clemson dynasty helped too. I cannot kill the pick, but I do have one concern; Ferrell needs to be developed, and dysfunctional organizations tend to struggle with that. Not to mention how little they got back from the Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper trades. Mack is a superstar and Cooper is elite, yet they yielded the 24th and 27th picks respectively. They used those picks on Bama RB Josh Jacobs and Mississippi St. safety Johnathan Abram. Considering how low those picks were, it is really hard to justify the trades.

Devin White was the first linebacker taken, going to Tampa at 5. This was an obvious one, as well as when the next LB Devin Bush went to the Steelers at #10. Both were drafted to replace superstars. Tampa lost Kwon Alexander to the 49ers in free agency, and Pittsburgh still needed to replace Ryan Shazier since he suffered near paralysis in 2017. White is an elite blitzer, who should fit well in new DC Todd Bowles’ system. He also also more than competent in coverage, a skill that should continue to develop. Many believe he may already be better in coverage than Alexander was. They surprisingly passed on some elite edge rushing defensive ends, but they probably felt the linebacker market was more sparse.
The Steelers wanted Bush all along, evident by the fact they traded up ten spots to get him. Bush is the son of a former NFL safety, he ran a 4.4 at the combine, and he has a remarkably high motor. Expect to see him on the field a great deal as a rookie.

Undoubtedly the most shocking pick of the draft was the Giants selecting Duke QB Daniel Jones at #6. It’s funny because GM Dave Gettleman found a way to do what the fan base wanted while ticking them off at the same time. According to Pro Football Focus, Jones was the fifth best QB available, and the 70th prospect overall. Jones is a big athletic kid with potential for sure. With that said, it is hard to justify taking him at #6. Especially considering they most likely could have gotten him at #17. This paved the way for Jacksonville to get Josh Allen, a beast of a pass rusher, at #7. The Giants could have had Jones and arguably the pass rusher in the draft. Instead, they took Dexter Lawrence, an enormous d-tackle who can clog the middle but not much else. Gettleman got the QB he wanted, but he better be right. Not to mention their hated rivals in Washington got Dwayne Haskins, the guy New York should have picked in my opinion. I mean he threw 50 touchdowns last year for God’s sake. Jones is a better runner than Haskins, but last time I checked the quarterback is supposed to throw the ball.

The top of this draft was chock full of linemen, both on offense and defense. Of the 32 first round picks, 19 were big boys. Ed Oliver to Buffalo at #9 made perfect sense. He had a great career at Houston, and was expected by many to be drafted higher. He has an incredibly high motor, which should rub off on his teammates. Considering that star defensive tackle Kyle Williams just retired, Oliver will fit in seamlessly.

Cincinnati got a steal in OT Jonah Williams at #11, who many considered the best offensive lineman in the draft. The Alabama product was knocked for having short arms, but that does not seem to hinder his ability. Ereck Flowers had short arms too, but he couldn’t play in general. It still may be true that he’s a better fit at guard, but the teams felt he was too good to pass up. They think they can make it work.

DT Christian Wilkins went #13 to Miami. He can play in multiple minutes packages, as he is the perfect blend of size and athleticism. Also, he showed how ballsy he is by roughing up the commissioner on stage. His Clemson pedigree clearly raised his value, considering three d-linemen from that school got picked in the first round. It is hard to justify not filling the QB hole by taking Haskins, but they very well could tank for Tua Tagovailoa next year.

Atlanta and Minnesota took Chris Lindstrom and Garrett Bradbury respectively, a guard and a center. Both teams had other needs, but they ultimately viewed protecting their franchise QBs as the biggest priority. Philly and Houston did the same thing (for the same reason) by taking tackles Andre Dillard and Tytus Howard back-to-back at 22 and 23. Both of those teams have QBs who could be one hit away from being done. Offensive linemen are not sexy picks, but they can be very substantive.

It looks like the Redskins got their QB of the future in Dwayne Haskins at #15. His fall was confounding, especially considering what the Giants did. Haskins had an unbelievable season last year at Ohio State, but was still unpolished. He would have greatly benefited by staying an extra year, but everyone thought he would be a top ten pick. Despite his mediocre footwork and below average athleticism, he throws a laser beam. His throwing arm is elite, so he will be fine in this league. The other stuff can be taught. Washington May have had the best first round out of anyone, as they traded back in and got Montez Sweat at #26. He was another elite edge rusher in this draft, who only fell because of a heart condition. This was a great job to get him this late, and they would not have had the picks to make the trade had they moved up to draft Haskins.

Baltimore made a gutsy pick at #25, taking Oklahoma receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown. Brown possesses lightning speed, and could be the most explosive pass catcher this team has had in awhile. He also happens to be the cousin of superstar Antonio Brown. The biggest potential problem here is style of play. Brown is known for taking the top off of defenses, but Lamar Jackson has not yet developed the ability to throw the deep ball. Since they are both so young, they could very well both develop together and adapt their games. If not, people will look back at this pick and wonder if the Ravens forgot they traded Joe Flacco to Denver.

The last pick of round one was also a receiver, ASU’s N’Keal Harry. This is the first time ever that Bill Belichick drafted a receiver in the first round. He also passed on some bigger names at that position, including physical freak D.K. Metcalf. Harry’s tape does not exactly wow the viewer, but he is known for being able to pluck balls out of the air. His hands are great, and he has good size. Yet he was not an effective red zone target for some reason. His is a raw prospect, but everyone knows the Pats will figure it out.

Day 2:

I will admit, I am not a college football junkie like most draft analysts. I am an NFL fan primarily, but I have an eye for the game in general. So with that said, here is a relatively quick recap of the best pick throughout the rest of the draft.

Jacksonville made the first second round splash by taking Florida tackle Jawaan Taylor #35. His had great game film in college, and should really help bolster their line. After him, there was a long stretch of receivers picked. Deebo Samuel went #36 to the Niners, A.J. Brown went #51 to Tennessee, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside went #57 to Philly, Parris Campbell went #59 to Indy, Andy Isabella went #62 to Arizona, and the aforementioned D.K. Metcalf went #64 to Seattle.

Samuel is a bit of a project, but his upside is huge. His college numbers were underwhelming, but he has shown ability in the red zone. He is smart for his age, and can run many different routes. This is the perfect fit for Coach Shanahan, who loves cerebral players. Brown is a pure slot receiver who put up way better numbers than his Ole Miss teammate Metcalf. He averaged over 100 yards per game this past season. The Titans still need a deep threat, but Brown was too talented to pass up.

Arcega-Whiteside is the son of two professional basketball players, and he plays football like it. He has great hands, and is a beast in the red zone. Due to the aggressive style of QB Carson Wentz, J.J. will have plenty of opportunities to catch touchdowns. Considering Philly already has a top red zone threat in Zach Ertz, this pick could be a match made in heaven, especially after losing Golden Tate.

Indy finally got a true big play threat in Campbell. The Ohio State product ran a blazing 4.31 40-yard dash in the combine. Most of his big plays came on short passes where he did work after the catch. He is the perfect fit for Frank Reich’s quick hitter offense, and he could easily develop into a good deep threat.

Andy Isabella from UMass also ran a 4.31, causing teams to take note of the small school product. He is small, but could be deadly in open space. Expect to seem he and Kyler Murray develop a connection very quickly.

Nasir Adderley went #60 to the Chargers, adding to their already incredible defensive backfield. The fact that he played at Delaware likely hurt his stock, but most believe he is an unbelievable talent. He is a great playmaker, and has coveted position versatility. He can play either safety position, and can play even play slot corner when he needs to. His athleticism and energy will be a great addition in LA. The Chargers has a rookie safety do spectacular thing last year in Derwin James, so that pairing could be truly scary.

The Pats got Michigan edge Chase Winovich at #77. He fell because he was viewed as a system player, but his numbers certainly suggest he can play. The Patriots know how to develop players, so this kid will likely be a star eventually.

Michigan State CB Justin Layne went 83rd to Pittsburgh, and he may be the biggest steal of the draft. He was rarely targeted, a sign of a shutdown corner. He does not possess elite straight line speed, but he is ideal for a cover 3 defense. He is tall for a corner (6’2”), and the fact he’s was converted from receiver made him more in-tune to what they are doing. He is elite at pass recognition, so he can potential turn into a great slot corner. Learning from veteran Joe Haden should definitely speed up Jo’s growth.

The Chiefs picked a potential steal in DT Khalen Saunders at #84, which is great third round value. He is atypical for a 320 plus pound lineman, since he can penetrate as opposed to just clogging his hole. The man can do a freaking backflip at that size, so it is hard to question his athleticism. He has a great first step, making in very hard to block down on him. He ate first rounder Chris Lindstrom up in the senior bowl. He is yet another small school guy that fell, but he will get playing time immediately for a Chiefs team that only has one other d-tackle under contract.

So there you have it. Every team has their rookies in place, and now we have the privilege of waiting four months for the regular season. I will do a recap of day three eventually, but all this reading about the draft was making me dizzy. The AAF briefly relieved my football withdrawals, but that league died. So I guess it’s NBA/NHL playoffs and baseball for now. Hang in there, fellow football fans. It’ll be her before you know it.