Draft Rewind: Jackson goes from the bottom of the 2018 first round to the top
Draft Rewind: Jackson goes from the bottom of the 2018 first round to the top
Skill players are usually the stars of NFL Draft Weekend and 2018 was no exception. While most positions feature players who are interchangeable in this redraft, any teams that needed quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers or tight ends were in luck. Topping the list once again is Cleveland, which has been extremely unlucky with passers since re-entering the league in 1999. The team’s fortunes will be reversed thanks to the new top overall pick.
No. 1 (Browns) Actual pick – Baker Mayfield, QB Redraft – Lamar Jackson, QB
Had Cleveland followed any of my past redrafts, they still could have been choosing first (since those picks resulted in Robert Griffin III in 2012, Blake Bortles in 2014 and Marcus Mariota in 2015, three players who no longer start in the NFL). The Browns seem to be happy with Mayfield at quarterback but in hindsight, the best at the position was taken by Cleveland’s rival in the AFC North. Jackson is the frontrunner for MVP after leading the league with 36 touchdown passes and becoming the first player in NFL history to throw for 3,000 yards and run for 1,000 in a season.
No. 2 (Giants) Actual pick - Saquon Barkley, RB Redraft - Barkley
The pick that was questioned the most by experts in the early part of the Draft resulted in Barkley, who earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors after running for 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns, to go along with 91 catches and 721 receiving yards in 2018. Despite missing three games with a high ankle sprain, Barkley added 1,003 yards and six scores this season, going over the 1,000-yard mark on a long touchdown run in the final game. The Giants would have to wait another year to draft their new quarterback, but Barkley is a generational player who should star for the team for years to come.
No. 3 (Jets) Actual pick - Sam Darnold, QB Redraft - Baker Mayfield, QB
The Jets sent picks 6, 37 and 49, plus a 2019 second-rounder to the Colts to move up three spots. Mayfield tops all passers from this Draft in yards (7,552) and touchdowns (49). The Jets were rumored to be interested in the Heisman Trophy winner from Oklahoma before the Browns took him third. Despite some late-game heroics last season, Mayfield boasts only a 12-17 record as a starter in Cleveland.
No. 4 (Browns) Actual pick - Denzel Ward, CB Redraft - Bradley Chubb, DE
Houston sent this selection to Cleveland in 2017 and used the pick they acquired to select Deshaun Watson. Another selection that had the experts guessing on Draft Day, Ward has the makings of a good cornerback, but Chubb paired with Myles Garrett at defensive end should have been too much for the Browns to pass up (look at what Chubb is doing with Von Miller in Denver). He had 12 sacks as a rookie and could have put up a similar total this season if he did lose 12 games due to a partial tear of the ACL in his left knee.
No. 5 (Broncos) Actual pick - Bradley Chubb, DE Redraft - Sam Hubbard, DE
This might not be a popular pick given some of the names still available, but Hubbard, taken in the third round by the Bengals, has all the makings of a solid NFL pass rusher. He had six sacks as a rookie in a reserve role and added 8½ more this season while starting 15 games in 2019. His 14½ sacks are the most among drafted players, and there’s no reason to think he wouldn’t have more paired with Von Miller.
No. 6 (Colts) Actual pick - Quenton Nelson, G Redraft - Nelson
Interior offensive linemen are not usually top 10 picks, but the 330-pound Nelson is an exceptional player. He is the only player from this Draft to be selected to the Pro Bowl twice (although injury and Super Bowl replacements have not yet been determined). The 2018 All-Pro has started all 32 games and played almost every offensive snap.
No. 7 (Bills) Actual pick - Josh Allen, QB Redraft - Allen
Buffalo moved picks 12, 53 and 55 to Tampa Bay for selections 7 and 255. Not only has Allen led the Bills to the playoffs this season, but he ranks third among drafted players in passing yards (5,163). He is also second to Jackson among quarterbacks (and fifth among drafted players) with 1,141 rushing yards, and his 17 touchdowns on the ground are tied with Barkley for the most from this Draft.
No. 8 (Bears) Actual pick - Roquan Smith, LB Redraft - Darius Leonard, LB
Smith will probably be a great inside linebacker, but Leonard was an All-Pro, a Pro Bowler and the Defensive Rookie of the Year after leading the league with 163 tackles in 2018. He followed that up with 121 more this season. His career totals of 182 solo stops (first among drafted players), seven interceptions (tied for first) and 12 sacks (fourth) easily make him the best choice at linebacker.
No. 9 (49ers) Actual pick - Mike McGlinchey, T Redraft - Orlando Brown, T
Brown has started 26 games at right tackle in Baltimore, including all 16 this season to help Lamar Jackson run amok in the AFC. He played in every offensive snap for the Ravens in 2019 and has just three holding calls and six penalties overall in two seasons.
No. 10 (Cardinals) Actual pick - Josh Rosen, QB Redraft - Sam Darnold, QB
Arizona traded selections 15, 79 and 152 to Oakland for this pick. Rosen may not yet be considered a bust, but he has certainly not been an effective starting quarterback in the NFL, judging by his 3-13 record as a starter. Darnold ranks second with 5,889 passing yards and third with 36 touchdown passes among draft picks, and has shown flashes of greatness for the Jets despite missing three games with a foot injury in 2018 and three with mononucleosis this season.
No. 11 (Dolphins) Actual pick - Minkah Fitzpatrick, S Redraft - Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick had 80 tackles and two interceptions as a rookie, but Pittsburgh rescued him from the no-name Dolphins team in mid-September in a trade that also involved five draft picks changing hands. Fitzpatrick made the Pro Bowl this season after registering five picks (including a 96-yard touchdown return) and 68 tackles, while also scoring on a fumble return.
No. 12 (Buccaneers) Actual pick - Vita Vea, DT Redraft - Daron Payne, DT
This pick originally belonged to Cincinnati, who swapped picks 12 and 21 with Buffalo and received left tackle Cordy Glenn in the deal. The Bills later sent this selection to the Buccaneers. Payne is the best of the defensive tackles in this draft. He appeared in 31 games with 25 starts, and he posted seven sacks and a position-high 67 solo tackles.
No. 13 (Redskins) Actual pick - Daron Payne, DT Redraft - Vita Vea, DT
Vea has registered 5½ sacks, started all 16 games this season and caught his first touchdown pass from Jameis Winston in a Week 12 victory over the Falcons. He missed the first three games in 2018 with a strained calf.
No. 14 (Saints) Actual pick - Marcus Davenport, DE Redraft - Lorenzo Carter, DE
New Orleans sent picks 27 and 147, as well as a first-rounder in 2019, to Green Bay to move up to this spot. Many experts believe the Saints gave up too much for Davenport at this spot, and so far, they appear to be correct. He has 10½ sacks, but missed time due to a thumb injury as a rookie, and his 2019 season ended with a foot injury in December. Carter has 88 tackles and 8½ sacks for the Giants, who originally drafted him with the second pick in the third round.
No. 15 (Raiders) Actual pick - Kolton Miller, T Redraft - Miller
After trading with the Cardinals, the Raiders selected Miller, a former UCLA standout who has started all 32 games at left tackle. He cut down on his penalties (eight as a rookie to three this season) and he played in every offensive snap for Oakland in 2019.
No. 16 (Bills) Actual pick - Tremaine Edmunds, LB Redraft - Roquan Smith, LB
Buffalo traded picks 22 and 65 to Baltimore for selections 16 and 164. Smith’s great start has been overshadowed by Leonard at linebacker, but he still has amassed 221 tackles, seven sacks, and two interceptions. Smith missed the final four games of this season because of a torn pectoral muscle.
No. 17 (Chargers) Actual pick - Derwin James, S Redraft - James
James is a jack-of-all-trades safety who was named an All-Pro and a Pro Bowler after registering 105 tackles, three interceptions, 3½ sacks, and 13 passes defended as a rookie. He made 33 stops this season, despite missing the first 11 games after having surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right foot.
No. 18 (Packers) Actual pick - Jaire Alexander, CB Redraft - Denzel Ward, CB
Green Bay acquired this pick from Seattle along with 248 for selections 27, 76 and 186. Ward has totaled five interceptions, 97 tackles, 22 passes defended and three fumble recoveries in two seasons, and he made the Pro Bowl as a rookie.
No. 19 (Cowboys) Actual pick - Leighton Vander Esch, LB Redraft - Vander Esch
Vander Esch made the Pro Bowl after posting 140 tackles and two interceptions as a rookie. He missed the final seven games in 2019 due to a nerve issue in his neck that required surgery.
No. 20 (Lions) Actual pick - Frank Ragnow, C Redraft - Ragnow
Ragnow has started at two different positions (left guard and center) and he, along with Taylor Decker, could be the start of a solid Lions offensive line.
No. 21 (Bengals) Actual pick - Billy Price, C Redraft - Jessie Bates, S
Cincinnati moved down from 12 to select Price, who missed six games with a foot injury as a rookie. Bates was a second-round pick who has recorded 211 tackles, six interceptions and 16 passes defended while starting all 32 games for the Bengals.
No. 22 (Titans) Actual pick - Rashaan Evans, LB Redraft - Tremaine Edmunds, LB
The pick originally belonged to the Chiefs, who sent it to the Bills in 2017 and then selected Patrick Mahomes. Buffalo traded the selection to Baltimore, who then moved it (along with 215) to Tennessee for picks 25 and 125. Evans started all 16 games in 2019 and registered 111 tackles, but linebacker is a position with plenty of talent in this draft. Edmunds had 121 tackles, two interceptions and two sacks as a rookie and followed that with 115 stops and 1½ sacks this season. He is part of a football family, with father, Ferrell, a longtime NFL tight end and brothers Terrell (who was selected later in the first round of the original Draft) and Trey currently playing in the league.
No. 23 (Patriots) Actual pick - Isaiah Wynn, T Redraft - Sony Michel, RB
The Patriots acquired this pick and 198 from their future Super Bowl LIII opponent, the Rams, in exchange for selection 136 and wide receiver Brandin Cooks, who was traded for the second straight Draft Day. Wynn missed all of his rookie season with a torn Achilles tendon and eight more games in 2019 with a toe injury. Michel has been an integral part of New England’s offense for the past two seasons. He had 931 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie and 912 yards and seven scores last year. Michel ran for 94 yards and the only touchdown in the Patriots’ 13-3 win in Super Bowl LIII.
No. 24 (Panthers) Actual pick - D. J. Moore, WR Redraft - Moore
Moore has been a top target of Carolina quarterbacks Cam Newton and Kyle Allen over the past two seasons. He caught 55 passes for 788 yards as a rookie and moved closer to elite status after an 87-catch, 1,175-yard campaign in 2019. His one drawback is his lack of touchdowns (six in two years).
No. 25 (Ravens) Actual pick - Hayden Hurst, TE Redraft - Mark Andrews, TE
After trading down three spots, the Ravens selected the first of two tight ends in Hurst. However, Andrews, their second selection at the position (in the third round) has put up first-round numbers at a deep position that includes Dallas Goedert and Mike Gesicki. Andrews is Lamar Jackson’s favorite target and made his first Pro Bowl this season. He nearly doubled his reception output (from 34 to 64) while amassing 852 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2019.
No. 26 (Falcons) Actual pick - Calvin Ridley, WR Redraft - Ridley
Ridley has become a valuable secondary receiver behind Julio Jones in Atlanta, much like Jones was to Roddy White a few years ago. Ridley tops all drafted players with 17 touchdown receptions and ranks third with 127 catches (behind Barkley and Moore) and 1,687 yards (behind Moore and Courtland Sutton).
No. 27 (Seahawks) Actual pick - Rashaad Penny, RB Redraft - Nick Chubb, RB
The pick went from New Orleans to Green Bay and then to Seattle in two earlier trades. Chubb had 996 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie. He was selected to his first Pro Bowl in 2019 after another eight scores and 1,494 yards, finishing second behind Tennessee’s Travis Henry for the NFL rushing title. Chubb ranks first among drafted players with 2,490 rushing yards and second with 16 touchdowns.
No. 28 (Steelers) Actual pick - Terrell Edmunds, S Redraft - Justin Reid, S
Reid has totaled 166 tackles, 15 passes defended and five interceptions (including a 101-yard touchdown as a rookie). He nearly returned another for a touchdown in Week 16 this season against Tampa Bay that would have been a record seventh pick-six against Jameis Winston, but the score was called back due to a penalty.
No. 29 (Jaguars) Actual pick - Taven Bryan, DT Redraft - D. J. Chark, WR
Bryan had three sacks while playing all 32 games, but has started only nine. Chark was used sparingly as a rookie after being drafted late in the second round. However, he was Jacksonville’s top receiving threat in 2019, totaling 73 catches, 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns to help rookie passer Gardner Minshew have a strong season.
No. 30 (Vikings) Actual pick - Mike Hughes, CB Redraft - Donte Jackson, CB
Hughes has two interceptions but lost the final 10 games of his rookie season due to a torn ACL. Jackson picked off seven passes, tied for the most among drafted players (with Fitzpatrick and Leonard). He had 74 tackles as a rookie and 40 more in 2019.
No. 31 (Patriots) Actual pick - Sony Michel, RB Redraft - Fred Warner, LB
Warner, who was selected by the 49ers early in the third round, ranks second behind Leonard with 175 solo tackles. He amassed 242 stops, 15 passes defended, three sacks and had a 46-yard interception return for a touchdown in the opening week in 2019.
No. 32 (Ravens) Actual pick - Lamar Jackson, QB Redraft - Mike McGlinchey, T
Baltimore sent picks 52 and 125, along with a 2019 second-rounder, to Philadelphia for selections 32 and 132 and used this pick to select their quarterback of the future originally. Jackson was taken at the other end of the first round, so the Ravens decide to roll the dice with Joe Flacco and instead shore up the offensive line. McGlinchey would form a solid tackle pairing with Ronnie Stanley. He played every offensive snap as a rookie, but missed four games in 2019 due to a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery.
Other draft picks to make Pro Bowl that weren’t in the redraft: Michael Dickson, P (149th by the Seahawks, Pro Bowler, and All-Pro as a rookie); Phillip Lindsay, RB (undrafted, signed by the Broncos, made the Pro Bowl as a rookie).
Next: Which quarterback will reign supreme in 2019?
-By: Kevin Rakas
Writer