Draft Rewind: A new face at quarterback at the top of the 2016 first round
Draft Rewind: A new face at quarterback at the top of the 2016 first round
The leadup to the 2016 draft included not only what player would be drafted first, but also who would be making the selection. With quarterbacks ranked as the top two players available, the Titans traded out of the top spot since they had drafted Marcus Mariota in 2015. Cleveland held the second pick, but they had recently signed Robert Griffin III, who had been cut by the Redskins, so the Browns traded down as well.
Since this is a look back at what could have been, the Rams and Eagles have another player to evaluate, one who wasn’t taken until much later in the original Draft.
No. 1 (Rams) Actual pick – Jared Goff, QB Redraft – Dak Prescott, QB
Los Angeles sends picks 15, 43, 45 and 76, plus first- and third-rounders in 2017 to Super Bowl XXXIV opponent Tennessee for this selection, along with 113 and 177. The 2017 Draft class has played 62 games so far, and the best record among quarterbacks is 39-20. The mark is not held by highly touted Cal passer Jared Goff or former North Dakota State star Carson Wentz, who went 1-2 in the actual draft. The owner of that record is Prescott, a Mississippi State product who went from being drafted by the Cowboys with a fourth-round compensatory selection to being the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year. The two-time Pro Bowler ironically did not get selected this season despite reaching 4,000 yards for the first time and leading the league in passing for a good part of the season. Now, all he needs is to lead the Cowboys to some playoff success.
No. 2 (Eagles) Actual pick - Carson Wentz, QB Redraft - Wentz
Philadelphia jumped up to this spot after sending picks 8, 77 and 100, along with a first-rounder in 2017 and a second-rounder in 2018, to Cleveland. The Browns also sent a conditional 2017 fifth-round pick back to the Eagles. Wentz has thrown for 3,000 or more yards in each of his first four seasons and made the Pro Bowl after throwing 33 touchdowns in 2017. However, after an 11-2 start, Wentz tore his ACL and missed the rest of the season. Behind Nick Foles, the Eagles beat the Patriots in Super Bowl LII.
No. 3 (Chargers) Actual pick - Joey Bosa, DE Redraft - Bosa
Bosa was the last first-round pick by the Chargers when they were based in San Diego, and he posted 10½ sacks to be named the Defensive Rookie of the Year. He made the Pro Bowl the following year after 12½ more. A foot injury limited Bosa in 2018, but he has 10½ sacks in 14 games so far this season, giving him a draft-high 39 in total.
No. 4 (Cowboys) Actual pick - Ezekiel Elliott, RB Redraft - Elliott
The strongest case for someone other than Prescott as the top offensive rookie came from Elliott, who was a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro after registering a league-high 1,631 yards to go along with 15 touchdowns in 2016. A domestic violence suspension cost him six games in 2017, but he has gone over 1,000 yards in the past two years, including an NFL-leading 1,434 last season. Elliott was just named to his third Pro Bowl this week.
No. 5 (Jaguars) Actual pick - Jalen Ramsey, CB Redraft - Ramsey
The brash, opinionated Ramsey has amassed nine interceptions while becoming one of the best cover corners in the NFL. He made the Pro Bowl and was named an All-Pro after a four-interception season in 2017, and he picked off three passes and made the Pro Bowl again last year. He demanded to be traded early in the 2019 season and the Jaguars obliged, sending him to the Rams in a deal that brought back two first-round picks.
No. 6 (Ravens) Actual pick - Ronnie Stanley, T Redraft - Stanley
Stanley missed four games with a foot injury during his rookie season, but has been solid since. He has played around 90 percent of Baltimore’s offensive plays since and is one of the best pass blocking tackles in the NFL. Stanley earned his first Pro Bowl nod in 2019 while helping Lamar Jackson put up MVP-caliber stats.
No. 7 (49ers) Actual pick - DeForest Buckner, DE Redraft - Buckner
Buckner had six sacks and made the All-Rookie Team in 2016. He was named to his first Pro Bowl two years later after posting a career-high 12. His 27½ sacks rank fourth among drafted players.
No. 8 (Titans) Actual pick - Jack Conklin, T Redraft - Laremy Tunsil, T
The pick originally belonged to Miami, who traded it to Philadelphia for linebacker Kiko Alonso and the 13th pick. The Eagles moved the selection to the Browns, who then sent it on to the Titans (along with 176) for picks 15 and 76. Tunsil’s draft stock was hurt when a picture of him in a gas mask smoking something from a bong appeared on his (allegedly hacked) Instagram account ten minutes before the Draft. He started at left guard as a rookie before moving over to tackle in 2017. After 44 starts in Miami, he and receiver Kenny Still were sent to Houston as the Dolphins purged their roster.
No. 9 (Bears) Actual pick - Leonard Floyd, LB Redraft - Blake Martinez, LB
Chicago acquired this selection from Tampa Bay for picks 11 and 106. Floyd has 18½ sacks, including seven as a rookie, but Martinez is the more solid option. After losing time as a rookie to an MCL sprain, Martinez, originally a fourth-round pick, has at least 140 tackles in each of the past three years (he leads the NFL with 140 so far this season).
No. 10 (Giants) Actual pick - Eli Apple, CB Redraft - Michael Thomas, WR
Apple was a starter throughout his first two years with the Giants, but he got into arguments with coaches and had conflicts with teammates late in the 2017 season that led to his trade to the Saints the following year. Thomas, originally a second-round pick by New Orleans, has four 1,000-yard seasons, and his 5,339 total is by far the most in this draft. He also has 31 touchdowns and leads the NFL in both receptions and yards this season, with his 133 catches threatening the all-time mark of 143 set by Marvin Harrison in 2002. He was just selected to his third Pro Bowl and was an All-Pro in 2018.
No. 11 (Buccaneers) Actual pick - Vernon Hargreaves, CB Redraft - Xavien Howard, CB
After dropping three spots, the Buccaneers took Hargreaves, who started all 16 games and registered 76 tackles as a rookie. However, he missed quite a bit of the next two seasons with hamstring and shoulder injuries. Despite starting the first nine games in 2019, Tampa Bay waived him and he was claimed by Houston in mid-November. Howard’s 12 interceptions rank second among drafted players. He had four picks in 2017, then made the Pro Bowl the following year after leading the league with seven.
No. 12 (Saints) Actual pick - Sheldon Rankins, DT Redraft - Chris Jones, DT
Rankins has 16 sacks but missed time as a rookie (broken fibula) and in 2019 (ankle injury). Jones, an early second-round pick by the Chiefs, ranks third among drafted players with 31 career sacks. He had 15½ last season and made his first Pro Bowl this year despite dropping to seven.
No. 13 (Dolphins) Actual pick - Laremy Tunsil, T Redraft – Derrick Henry, RB
The Dolphins traded out of the top 10 and selected Tunsil, who is off the board at this point in the redraft. Instead, Miami takes Henry, who will replace third-round pick, Kenyon Drake. The bruising back nicknamed “Tractorcito” has combined for nearly 2,500 yards and 25 touchdowns over the past two seasons and was selected to his first Pro Bowl in 2019.
No. 14 (Raiders) Actual pick - Karl Joseph, S Redraft - Kevin Byard, S
Despite missing four games with a toe injury, Joseph was named to the All-Rookie Team, then followed with another strong season in 2017. He is currently nursing a foot injury and will be a free agent after the season. Byard earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors after an NFL-high eight interceptions in 2017, and his 16 picks are the most in the Draft.
No. 15 (Browns) Actual pick - Corey Coleman, WR Redraft - Tyreek Hill, WR
This pick was originally owned by the Rams, who sent it to the Titans in the trade involving the top spot. Tennessee moved the pick to Cleveland in the deal for the eighth selection. Coleman had a few bright moments on the injury-depleted Browns early in his career, but he was more useful as a kick returner with the Giants in 2018 and he lost all of this season after tearing his ACL. Hill is the second-best receiver behind Thomas from this draft class. The two-time All-Pro was just selected to his fourth Pro Bowl (the only player from this Draft to earn that honor in every season so far). Hill set career highs with 87 catches, 1,479 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2018. He was investigated for child abuse allegations before this season, but was not punished by the league or the Chiefs.
No. 16 (Lions) Actual pick - Taylor Decker, T Redraft - Jack Conklin, T
The choice between Decker and Conklin is a difficult one, but Conklin has a slight edge. Despite missing time with a torn ACL in 2018, Conklin has started 55 games, played every Titans offensive snap in his first two seasons and was an All-Pro as a rookie.
No. 17 (Falcons) Actual pick - Keanu Neal, S Redraft - Neal
Neal is possibly the hardest hit by injuries in this entire draft. He started 30 games, had more than 100 tackles in each of his first two seasons and made the Pro Bowl in 2017. Neal has only played four games since, missing 15 games in 2018 with a torn ACL and most of this season with a torn Achilles tendon.
No. 18 (Colts) Actual pick - Ryan Kelly, C Redraft - Cody Whitehair C/G
Kelly is solid, but missed time in 2017 due to a broken bone in his foot and a late-season concussion. Whitehair has started all 62 games and made the Pro Bowl in 2018.
No. 19 (Bills) Actual pick - Shaq Lawson, DE Redraft - Yannick Ngakoue, DE
Lawson is having his best season in 2019 with 6½ sacks, but he has mostly been a bench player for Buffalo. Ngakoue has at least eight sacks in all four seasons, and his 37½ rank second behind Bosa. He made the Pro Bowl with the Jaguars in 2017 after posting 12 sacks and a league-leading six fumbles recovered.
No. 20 (Jets) Actual pick - Darron Lee, LB Redraft - Cory Littleton, LB
Lee’s tenure in New York ended with a four-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs in 2018, and he signed with Kansas City this season. Littleton is the lone player in this list who originally went undrafted. After spending most of his first two seasons on special teams, Littleton got the chance to start with the Rams. He made the Pro Bowl after posting 125 tackles, four sacks, and three interceptions, and has similar numbers with Lost Angeles this season.
No. 21 (Texans) Actual pick - Will Fuller, WR Redraft - Fuller
Houston gave up a 2017 sixth-round pick to swap spots 21 and 22 with Washington. While Fuller is not yet in the elite receiver category, he is slowly working his way there, despite being behind DeAndre Hopkins on Houston’s depth chart. His 659 yards this season is a career-high, and 47 catches are tied for the best mark of his young career.
No. 22 (Redskins) Actual pick - Josh Doctson, WR Redraft - Austin Hooper, TE
Doctson has just 1,100 yards in four seasons and is currently a free agent. Hooper could learn under the injury-prone Washington tight end tandem of Vernon Davis and Jordan Reed. Despite being overshadowed by George Kittle and Zach Ertz in the NVC, Hooper made the Pro Bowl in 2018 and is on pace for even better numbers this season.
No. 23 (Vikings) Actual pick - Laquon Treadwell, WR Redraft - Pharoh Cooper, WR
Like Doctson, Treadwell is another receiver who has not lived up to expectations. He has just 65 catches in four seasons behind Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen in Minnesota. Cooper, a fourth-round pick originally, could play a role similar to Treadwell’s as a third or fourth option in the Vikings offense while providing dangerous return skills (he was a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 2017).
No. 24 (Bengals) Actual pick - William Jackson, CB Redraft - Deion Jones, LB
Jackson missed all of his rookie season with a torn pectoral muscle and has been inconsistent since, despite starting all 16 games in 2018. Jones’ 401 tackles rank second (behind Martinez with 491), and he has eight interceptions with three returned for scores. Jones has eclipsed the 100-tackle mark three times, including 2017, when he made the Pro Bowl after a career-high 138.
No. 25 (Steelers) Actual pick - Artie Burns, CB Redraft - James Bradberry, CB
Burns has played 58 games for the Steelers, primarily in a reserve role. Bradberry was a late second-round pick originally. He has 276 tackles, eight interceptions, and three sacks and has started 58 games for the Panthers.
No. 26 (Broncos) Actual pick - Paxton Lynch, QB Redraft - Jared Goff, QB
Denver gave up picks 31 and 94 to move into this spot and draft Lynch, who ended up behind Trevor Siemian, Brock Osweiler and Case Keenum over the next three seasons. He currently is the backup to Devlin “Duck” Hodges in Pittsburgh. Goff has three straight 3,000-yard seasons to go with two Pro Bowl selections. His totals of 13,577 yards and 82 touchdowns both rank third in the draft.
No. 27 (Packers) Actual pick - Kenny Clark, DT Redraft - Clark
After spending his rookie season coming off the bench, Clark has amassed 15½ sacks and 183 tackles while making 42 starts for the Packers.
No. 28 (49ers) Actual pick - Joshua Garnett, G Redraft - Sterling Shepard, WR
Kansas City traded selections 28 and 249 to San Francisco for picks 37, 105 and 178. Garnett played 15 games as a rookie, then lost then entire 2017 season after having knee surgery. Last year was marred by a dislocated toe and broken thumb, and the 49ers released him before the 2019 season began. Although the 49ers didn’t draft a wideout until the sixth round in the real Draft, Shepard would have helped fill out a receiving corps that included Jeremy Kerley, Quinton Patton, and Torrey Smith. Shepard was an early second-round pick by the Giants originally. He has totaled 2,747 yards in his career and he made the All-Rookie Team after catching eight touchdown passes in 2016.
No. 29 (Patriots) Pick forfeited due to Deflategate Redraft – Joe Schobert, LB
For the first time in these redrafts, a first-round pick was taken for nefarious reasons. In this case, the Patriots were punished for illegally deflating footballs before the 2014 AFC Championship Game against the Colts. Since these redrafts are a big “what if” anyway, I will make this pick as well. Schobert has made 100 or more tackles in each of the past three years, and he made the Pro Bowl after a career-high 142 in 2017 (he was also among the list of top players snubbed from this year’s selections).
No. 30 (Cardinals) Actual pick - Robert Nkemdiche, DT Redraft - Hunter Henry, TE
Nkemdiche has played just 29 games over four seasons with the Cardinals and Dolphins. He has been plagued by a failed physical and knee surgery. Henry would be an upgrade over Jermaine Gresham at tight end in Arizona. The original second-round pick missed all of 2018 with a torn ACL, but he has totaled 126 catches, 1,622 yards and 16 touchdowns in his three healthy seasons.
No. 31 (Panthers) Actual pick – Vernon Butler, DT Redraft – Matthew Judon, DE/LB
Butler is having his best season in 2019 with a career-high six sacks, but he has started just eight games (all this year). Judon has 27½ sacks with the Ravens, including a career-high 8½ in 2019 that resulted in his first Pro Bowl selection.
No. 32 (Seahawks) Actual pick - Germain Ifedi, T Redraft - Jordan Howard, RB
After moving down five spots, the Seahawks originally drafted Ifedi, who has started 58 games. Seattle drafted C.J. Prosise, Alex Collins, and Zac Brooks, none of whom made significant contributions. Feature backs Christine Michael and Thomas Rawls were not much better in 2016. Howard would have been an upgrade over all of them. He ranks second behind Elliott with 3,895 yards and third with 30 touchdowns. Howard hit the 1,000-yard mark in his first two seasons and was a Pro Bowler with the Bears as a rookie. He now is behind Miles Sanders on the depth chart in Philadelphia.
Other draft picks to make Pro Bowl that weren’t in the redraft: Will Lutz, K (undrafted, signed by the Ravens, Pro Bowler in 2019 with the Saints).
Next: Offensive stars shake up the top of the 2017 Draft.
-By: Kevin Rakas
