Heisman winners went back-to-back with the first two selections in the 2015 NFL Draft. The Tampa Bay Bucs and Tennessee Titans drafted Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, respectively, 1-2. Fast forward to 2019 and Winston continues to struggle and Mariota has been benched. A significant number of players have been traded, others cut and many are on different teams. A good time to look at the first-round picks in what has turned about to be a soft draft.
32. Patriots: Malcom Brown
Malcom Brown is in his first season in New Orleans after making 51 starts in four years as a Patriot. Brown had 8.5 sacks in NE and already has 2.0 in NO.
31. Saints: Stephone Anthony
Stephone Anthony started all 16 games as a rookie in New Orleans. He made three more starts the next season then went to Miami. He is back in New Orleans, but has not been a starter since 2016.
30. Packers: Damarious Randall
Damarious Randall has 14 picks entering Week 7 as a member of the Packers’ secondary. The former Arizona State star also has two Pick-Sixes among his returns.
29. Colts: Phillip Dorsett
Phillip Dorsett was drafted as a possible deep threat in Indy. He lasted two seasons with the Colts and has been in New England since 2017.
28: Lions: Laken Tomlinson
Laken Tomlinson played two seasons with Detroit before landing in San Francisco. He has started every game he has played as a 49er.
27: Byron Jones
Byron Jones became a phenom at the Combine with his athletic performance. He’s been a staple in the Dallas secondary and has started 64 of the 70 games he has played entering Week 7.
26. Ravens: Breshad Perriman
Breshad Perriman was injury-riddled after being chosen by Baltimore. His three catches as a Buc this season run his career total to 62. He’s also played for Cleveland.
25. Panthers: Shaq Thompson
The Panthers got a solid LB out of Washington in Shaq Thompson. He has made 53 starts and has 8.5 sacks. Thompson has been in on nearly 300 tackles.
24. Cardinals: D.J. Humphries
D.J. Humphries is playing more for Arizona in 2019. The offensive lineman from Florida finally seems to be in a groove and has been on the field with the offense for all plays thus far this season.
23. Broncos: Shane Ray
Shane Ray spent four seasons with the Denver Broncos. He made 15 starts while playing in 49 games. Ray had 14 sacks. He signed with the Baltimore Ravens before the 2019 season but was cut in August.
22. Steelers: Bud Dupree
The Steelers’ Bud Dupree has started 75% of his games as a Steeler. The LB from Kentucky came into this season with 20 sacks and has added another three to that total.
21. Bengals: Cedric Ogbuehi
Cedric Ogbuehi made 25 starts in four seasons as a Bengal. He currently is with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He has yet to start a game this season with Cincinnati.
20. Eagles: Nelson Agholor
The Eagles drafted Nelson Agholor out of USC. He’s been up-and-down in Philly. He is averaging better than 11 yards a catch and has more than 200 catches.
19. Browns: Cameron Erving
Another Browns pick who did not stick long in Cleveland. Cameron Erving was selected out of Florida State and played two seasons in Cleveland. He’s been a member of the Kansas City Chiefs since 2017 and has made 21 starts.
18. Chiefs: Marcus Peters
Marcus Peters was drafted by Kansas City, moved to the Rams and is now with the Baltimore Ravens after being dealt Tuesday. Peters has 24 career picks and led the league with a pair of Pick-Sixes as a rookie.
17. 49ers: Arik Armstead
Arik Armstead has made 32 starts for the San Francisco 49ers. The former Oregon defensive lineman has 11.5 sacks in his career.
16. Texans: Kevin Johnson
Kevin Johnson made only 18 starts while playing 35 games for Houston. He currently is a Buffalo Bill and has played in five games, not starting any of them.
15. Chargers: Melvin Gordon
Melvin Gordon came to the Chargers from Wisconsin. He’s been a good fit and produced strong numbers. He is a two-way threat, carrying the ball or catching passes from Philip Rivers out of the backfield. Gordon held out for training camp and the early part of the 2019 season.
14. Dolphins: DeVante Parker
DeVante Parker came to the Dolphins from Louisville. The WR has 176 catches for 2,446 yards and 11 TDs heading into Week 7.
13. Saints: Andrus Peat
Andrus Peat has been one of the key protectors for Drew Brees in New Orleans. He has played in 61 games and has started 56 of them.
12. Browns: Danny Shelton
Danny Shelton had 1.5 sacks in three seasons in Cleveland. The defensive lineman already has 2.0 in 2019, his second in New England. A stopper for Bill Belichick.
11. Vikings: Trae Waynes
Trae Waynes is one of the top defenders around in NFL secondaries. He’s in the final year of his contract with Minnesota and is an asset when not battling injuries. The future will be intriguing.
10. Rams: Todd Gurley
The good Todd Gurley has been a great selection for the Rams. He has led the NFL in rushing TDs twice and has 51 overall. Gurley has three 1,000-yard seasons. However, he’s been battling knee and hip injuries and his production has diminished and many questions surround his future.
9. Giants: Ereck Flowers
Ereck Flowers was a flop with the New York Giants. He took a beating on the field and in the media. He’s currently playing offensive line for Washington.
8. Falcons: Vic Beasley
Vic Beasley’s best season was 2016 when he led the NFL in sacks with 15.5. Over the past two-plus seasons, the former Clemson star has 11.5 sacks, less than he had in his second season alone.
7. Bears: Kevin White
Kevin White was often injured and did not succeed with the Chicago Bears or in a short stop in Arizona. Nineteen of his 25 NFL catches came in his rookie season.
6. Jets: Leonard Williams
Defensive lineman Leonard Williams has been a starter for the Jets since being chosen from USC. Most recently, however, his name has come up in trade rumors.
5. Redskins: Brandon Scherff
Brandon Scherff has been a mainstay of the Washington offensive line since being selected out of Iowa. He has started all 58 games in which he has played in his NFL career.
4. Raiders: Amari Cooper
Amari Cooper played three-plus seasons in Oakland before being shipped to Dallas for a first-round pick. The former Alabama star had 225 catches with the Raiders and has added 86 in 15 games with the Cowboys.
3. Jaguars: Dante Fowler Jr.
Dante Fowler Jr. was drafted by the Jaguars and had 14 sacks in two-plus years before being dealt to the Los Angeles Rams.
2. Titans: Marcus Mariota
Marcus Mariota is 29-32 as the Titans’ starter, a role he no longer occupies. Mike Vrabel has benched the Heisman winner out of Oregon for Ryan Tannehill. Disappointing.
1. Bucs: Jameis Winston
Jameis Winston has made 60 starts after being the first overall pick out of Florida State. He is 23-37 and coming off a five-pick performance against the Panthers in London.
