Draft Rewind: Top two picks stay the same, but shakeups throughout 2019 first round
Draft Rewind: Top two picks stay the same, but shakeups throughout 2019 first round
The 2019 NFL Draft is one of the most difficult to remake in this series simply because the players have a limited body of work to critique. Most of the analysis involves judging how players worked within their team’s system while projecting whether or not that same impact could be attained on another team. Here is my take on redrafting the first round.
No. 1 (Cardinals) Actual pick – Kyler Murray, QB Redraft – Murray
The Draft offered several starter-caliber quarterbacks, but none with the potential of Murray, who was the 2018 Heisman Trophy winner from Oklahoma. Murray showed flashes of greatness throughout his rookie season and he is able to beat you with his arm or his legs. He threw for 3,722 yards and 20 touchdowns, and he finished second behind Lamar Jackson in quarterback rushing yards with 544.
No. 2 (49ers) Actual pick - Nick Bosa, DE Redraft - Bosa
Bosa is the only non-special teams player to make the Pro Bowl as a rookie this season after recording nine sacks. The brother of Chargers star, Joey Bosa, Nick also had 47 tackles, an interception, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. He is expected to join his brother as a Defensive Rookie of the Year recipient when the league holds its annual awards show the day before Super Bowl LIV.
No. 3 (Jets) Actual pick - Quinnen Williams, DT Redraft - D. K. Metcalf, WR
Robbie Anderson and Quincy Enunwa have been decent options at wide receiver, but the Jets haven’t had a true star at the position since the days of Laveranues Coles and Jericho Cotchery around the end of the last decade. That could change with Metcalf, a big, strong presence who finished with 58 catches, 907 yards and seven touchdowns in Seattle this season. He followed that with a solid showing in a Seahawks road win over the Eagles in a Wild Card game (seven receptions, 160 yards, and a score).
No. 4 (Raiders) Actual pick - Clelin Ferrell, DE Redraft - Josh Jacobs, RB
The Raiders don’t really lose out here, since they had three first-round picks and actually took Jacobs with their second one (24th overall). Jacobs had the most rushing yards by a first-year player in team history, and he is the favorite to take home Offensive Rookie of the Year honors after putting up 1,150 yards and seven touchdowns in 2019.
No. 5 (Buccaneers) Actual pick - Devin White, LB Redraft - Devin Bush, LB
While wide receiver offered many potential starting options, linebacker was arguably the deepest defensive position in this Draft. Bush led all drafted players with 109 total tackles and 72 solo stops. He added four fumble recoveries, two interceptions, and a sack while starting 15 games for the Steelers.
No. 6 (Giants) Actual pick - Daniel Jones, QB Redraft - Jones
Dwayne Haskins might have gotten more press on Draft Day and Gardner Minshew stole some headlines during the season, but Jones could be just what the Giants need, a more mobile version of Eli Manning. Jones topped all rookies with 24 touchdowns and ranked third with 3,027 passing yards. He also had 279 yards rushing, but he MUST keep control of the ball (he led the league with 18 fumbles and 11 lost).
No. 7 (Jaguars) Actual pick - Josh Allen, OLB Redraft - Allen
Allen won the Bronko Nagurski Award (best defensive player in college football as given by the Football Writers Association of America) and Bednarik Award (college football defensive player of the year as judged by the Maxwell Football Club). He played every game for Jacksonville primarily in a reserve role, but he led all rookies with 10½ sacks. Allen also totaled 44 sacks and two forced fumbles.
No. 8 (Lions) Actual pick - T. J. Hockenson, TE Redraft - Noah Fant
Hockenson won the John Mackey Award, given to the best tight end in college football as awarded by the Nassau County Sports Commission. Either way, Detroit gets a tight end from Iowa. Fant ended up with more catches (40), yards (562) and touchdowns (three) than his college teammate while working with fellow rookie Drew Lock in Denver.
No. 9 (Bills) Actual pick - Ed Oliver, DT Redraft - Oliver
Several people (including myself) saw Oliver, the 2017 Outland Trophy winner, going to the Giants three spots earlier. Oliver played in all 16 games (starting seven) for the Bills, led all rookie defensive tackles with five sacks and finished second behind Christian Wilkins at the position with 43 tackles.
No. 10 (Steelers) Actual pick - Devin Bush, LB Redraft - Dre Greenlaw, LB
Pittsburgh sent Denver picks 20 and 52, plus a 2020 third-rounder to move up to this spot. With Bush off the board, the Steelers turn to the next-best inside linebacker option in Greenlaw, who finished with 87 tackles, including a game-saving stop against Jacob Hollister on the one-yard-line, preserving San Francisco’s division-clinching victory against Seattle in Week 17.
No. 11 (Bengals) Actual pick - Jonah Williams, T Redraft - Jawaan Taylor, T
Williams missed the entire season after suffering a torn labrum in his left shoulder during organized team activities. Taylor started all 16 games at right tackle and played every offensive snap for Jacksonville.
No. 12 (Packers) Actual picks - Rashan Gary, LB/DE Redraft - Devin White, LB
Gary, a former standout at Michigan, failed to meet expectations after registering 21 tackles and two sacks as a reserve in Green Bay. White was the 2018 Butkus Award winner for best college linebacker. He totaled 91 tackles, four fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles, and 2½ sacks in 13 starts with the Buccaneers. White also led the NFL with 121 yards and two fumbles returned for touchdowns.
No. 13 (Dolphins) Actual pick - Christian Wilkins, DT Redraft - Miles Sanders, RB
Wilkins led all defensive tackles with 56 total tackles, but the Dolphins have too many needs on offense. The most glaring deficit was at running back, as quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick led Miami in rushing (243 yards) and the team traded Kenyan Drake to the Cardinals during the season. Sanders finished third among rookies with 818 yards on the ground and led all running backs with 50 catches and 509 receiving yards for the Eagles.
No. 14 (Falcons) Actual pick - Chris Lindstrom, G Redraft - Kaleb McGary, T
Much like the Raiders, the Falcons drafted a player they eventually took later in the first round. McGary started every game and played in 95 percent of Atlanta’s offensive snaps at right tackle opposite 2018 Pro Bowler Jake Mathews.
No. 15 (Redskins) Actual pick - Dwayne Haskins, QB Redraft - Gardner Minshew, QB
Haskins debuted by throwing three interceptions after replacing Case Keenum during a Week 4 loss to the Giants, but he ended up with a decent rookie season despite his 2-7 record. Instead, Washington could have taken Minshew and his iconic mustache. “Minshew Mania” started when much-hyped quarterback Nick Foles got injured in his first game with the Jaguars. Minshew, who was originally taken with pick 178, led Jacksonville to a 6-6 record and posted 3,271 yards and 21 touchdowns in 14 games.
No. 16 (Panthers) Actual pick - Brian Burns, DE Redraft - Maxx Crosby, DE
Crosby was originally a fourth-round choice of the Raiders (pick 106), but finished second behind Allen among rookies with 10 sacks, including four in a win over the Bengals in Week 11. He also had 46 tackles and four forced fumbles.
No. 17 (Giants) Actual pick - Dexter Lawrence, DT Redraft - Lawrence
The Giants acquired this selection, along with a third-rounder, safety Jabrill Peppers and guard Kevin Zeitler from the Browns for wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. and defensive end Olivier Vernon. New York’s second selection in the first round was a solid presence on the defensive line, starting 16 games and registering 38 tackles and 2½ sacks.
No. 18 (Vikings) Actual pick - Garrett Bradbury, C Redraft - Bradbury
Bradbury was the Dave Rimington Trophy winner, which is given to the best center in college football. He started all 16 games and played in 97 percent of offensive snaps for Minnesota, but he did have five holding penalties.
No. 19 (Titans) Actual pick - Jeffery Simmons, DT Redraft - A. J. Brown, WR
Simmons had 32 tackles and two sacks in nine games, but the Titans could use this opportunity to grab Brown, who the team originally took with pick 51. Brown was the top receiver from this Draft, leading all rookies with 1,051 yards and eight touchdowns and finishing fifth with 52 catches.
No. 20 (Broncos) Actual pick - Noah Fant, TE Redraft - Drew Lock, QB
After getting this pick in a trade, the Broncos selected Lock, who was their second-round pick (42) in the original Draft. Lock averaged 204 yards in five starts at the end of the season, and he threw for 309 yards and three scores in a win at Houston in Week 14.
No. 21 (Packers) Actual pick - Darnell Savage, S Redraft – Juan Thornhill, S
Green Bay picked up this selection from Seattle for picks 30, 114 and 118. Thornhill was originally taken by the Chiefs late in the second round. He had started all 16 games and totaled 57 tackles and three interceptions, which tied for the most among drafted players.
No. 22 (Eagles) Actual pick - Andre Dillard, T Redraft - Max Scharping, T
Baltimore traded this pick to Philadelphia for 25, 127 and 197. Scharping was drafted 55th overall by the Texans in the original Draft and started the final 14 games at right tackle for Houston.
No. 23 (Texans) Actual pick - Tytus Howard, T Redraft – Dalton Risner, T
Howard started eight of the Texans’ first 12 games before ending the season on injured reserve with a torn MCL. Risner was a second-round pick by the Broncos (41). He started All 16 games and played 97 percent of Denver’s offensive snaps as the right-side protection for Joe Flacco and Dre Lock
No. 24 (Raiders) Actual pick - Josh Jacobs, RB Redraft - Montez Sweat, DE
This pick was worth it for the Bears, who gave up 24, 196 and first- and third-rounders in 2020 for Pro Bowl linebacker Khalil Mack, plus 2020 second- and fifth-round selections. The Raiders switched positions on their first two selections in this redraft, taking a defensive end second. Sweat is a high-upside player who registered 50 tackles and seven sacks while starting all 16 games for the Redskins.
No. 25 (Ravens) Actual pick - Marquise Brown, WR Redraft - Mecole Hardman, WR
After dropping down three spots, the Ravens pass on taking their original pick, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown (cousin of NFL All-Pro Antonio Brown) and instead pick Hardman. The two have similar offensive numbers (45 receptions, 584 yards and seven touchdowns for Brown to 26-538-6 for Hardman), but the original second-round pick to Kansas City gets the nod here because of his return skills. He had 704 kick return yards, including an NFL season-best 104-yard touchdown return.
No. 26 (Redskins) Actual pick - Montez Sweat, DE Redraft - Brian Burns, DE
Washington moved into this spot by sending pick 46 in 2019 and a second-rounder in 2020 to Indianapolis. With Sweat gone (maybe because of Von Miller’s Old Spice commercial), the Redskins take Burns, an edge rusher who ranks fourth among drafted players (behind Allen, Crosby, and Bosa) with 7½ sacks.
No. 27 (Raiders) Actual pick - Johnathan Abram, S Redraft - Taylor Rapp, S
Oakland acquired this pick from Dallas for wide receiver Amari Cooper. Abram had a solid start to his rookie season, registering five tackles in a win over Denver, but also tore both his rotator cuff and his labrum, ending his year early. Rapp led all safeties with 99 tackles and 61 solo stops, and he returned an interception for a score in Week 13.
No. 28 (Chargers) Actual pick - Jerry Tillery, DT Redraft – Quinnen Williams, DT
Tillery played in 15 games (three starts) for the Chargers and put up a disappointing 17 tackles and two sacks. Williams, the 2018 Outland Trophy winner for best interior lineman in college football, was originally taken third overall. He made nine starts for the Jets, recording 28 tackles and 2½ sacks.
No. 29 (Seahawks) Actual pick - L. J. Collier, DE Redraft - Clelin Ferrell, DE
Seattle traded defensive end Frank Clark and selection 84 to Kansas City for this pick, plus 92 and a conditional second-rounder in 2020. Collier had just three tackles in 11 games as a reserve for the Seahawks. Ferrell won the 2018 Hendricks Award, given to college football’s best defensive lineman. He underachieved after the Raiders selected him fourth overall, but still managed 38 tackles and 4½ sacks.
No. 30 (Giants) Actual pick - Deandre Baker, CB Redraft - Baker
This pick originally belonged to the Saints, who traded it to the Packers and selected Marcus Davenport in 2018. The Packers moved the selection to the Seahawks, who then moved it onto the Giants for picks 37, 132 and 142. Baker was the Jim Thorpe Award winner, given to college football’s top defensive back and awarded by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. He had eight passes defensed and made 61 tackles, including a season-high eight in a Week 16 overtime win against the Redskins.
No. 31 (Falcons) Actual pick - Kaleb McGary, T Redraft - Byron Murphy, CB
The Rams traded picks 31 and 203 to the Falcons for 45 and 79. McGary has already been drafted, and Atlanta’s other first-round pick, guard Chris Lindstrom, missed 11 games with a broken foot. Instead, the Falcons decide to shore up cornerback, which was a sore spot during the season. Murphy led all defensive backs with 66 solo tackles and ranked second with 78 total stops.
No. 32 (Patriots) Actual pick - N’Keal Harry, WR Redraft - Terry McLaurin, WR
Harry was the first wide receiver taken in the first round by the Patriots in the Bill Belichick era. He missed the first 10 weeks with an ankle injury and finished the season with 12 receptions and two touchdowns. McLaurin was a pleasant surprise. He topped the Redskins with 58 catches, 919 yards and seven touchdowns, marks which all finished in the top three among drafted receivers.
Players who made the Pro Bowl that weren’t in the redraft: Deonte Harris, WR/PR (undrafted, signed by the Saints, Pro Bowler and All-Pro as a rookie).
Other top offensive players that weren’t in the redraft: Dwayne Haskins, QB (15th by the Redskins); David Montgomery, RB (73rd by the Bears); Devin Singletary, RB (74th by the Bills); Marquise Brown, WR (25th by the Ravens); Deebo Samuel, WR (36th by the 49ers); Diontae Johnson, WR (66th by the Steelers); Hunter Renfrow, WR (149th by the Raiders); Darius Slayton, WR (171st by the Giants); Steven Sims, WR (undrafted, signed by the Redskins); T. J. Hockenson, TE (8th by the Lions); Dawson Knox, TE (96th by the Bills); Andre Dillard, T (22nd by the Eagles); Cody Ford, T (38th by the Bills); David Edwards, T (169th by the Rams); Michael Deiter, G (78th by the Dolphins); Elgton Jenkins, C (44th by the Packers); Erik McCoy, C (48th by the Saints).
Other top defensive players that weren’t in the redraft: Chase Winovich, DE (77th by the Patriots); Oshane Ximines, DE/LB (95th by the Giants); Charles Omenihu, DE (161st by the Texans); Dre’Mont Jones, DT (71st by the Broncos); Rashan Gary, LB (12th by the Packers); Germaine Pratt, LB (72nd by the Bengals); Bobby Okereke, LB (89th by the Colts); Drue Tranquill, LB (130th by the Chargers); Mack Wilson, LB (155th by the Browns); Cole Holcomb, LB (173rd by the Redskins); Rock Ya-Sin, CB (34th by the Colts); Sean Murphy-Bunting, CB (39th by the Buccaneers); Jamel Dean, CB (94th by the Buccaneers); Amani Oruwariye, CB (146th by the Lions); Darnell Savage, S (21st by the Packers).
Special teams players that weren’t in the redraft: Mitch Wisnowsky, P (110th by the 49ers); Matt Gay, K (145th by the Buccaneers); Jake Bailey, P (163rd by the Patriots); Austin Seibert, K (170th by the Browns); Austin Cutting, LS (250th by the Vikings); Jamie Gillan, P (undrafted, signed by the Browns).
Thank you for joining me on this journey through the drafts of the past 40 years. Hopefully, these redrafts have led to some discussion and maybe even some controversy. Starting next week, I will look at the top 10 best and worst picks from each team, beginning with the Bengals, who hold the first pick in this year’s NFL Draft.
-By: Kevin Rakas
Writer