The 2019 NFL draft has come and gone, and it was an exciting one from start to finish.
From bold trades to wild selections, the draft lived up to the hype as one of the most unpredictable events in all of sports. The third day of the draft certainly brought about a lot of surprises, as is the case every year. These are some of the biggest surprises from the last day of the draft.
Trace McSorley to Baltimore
The Baltimore Ravens selected McSorley in the sixth round, and while the Penn State quarterback is a very good athlete for his position, he doesn’t offer nearly enough upside as a passer to warrant a draft pick.
He doesn’t have a very strong arm, his touch and sense of anticipation is very inconsistent, and his accuracy and poise when scrambling away from pressure is not very good. His decision making isn’t stealer, either, as he had a handful of throws throughout his collegiate career that would have been picked off by NFL defensive backs.
Though McSorley offers some upside as a Taysom Hill-like gimmick player, he doesn’t project as a good quarterback at the next level. He fits what Baltimore wants to do with their run-centric offense, but he doesn’t have enough polish as a passer to warrant a draft pick.
Tyree Jackson goes undrafted
Jackson may be incredibly raw, but he has the physical tools of a starting NFL quarterback.
The six-foot-seven, 249-pound Buffalo gunslinger has a massive frame, and he has arguably the strongest arm in this year’s class. He is also a fantastic athlete for his size, as made evident by his 4.59 40-yard dash and his great times and measurements in essentially every Combine drill.
Despite an elongated throwing motion and inconsistent decision-making skills, his size, speed and arm strength are all elite. He is not going to be an immediate starter – and he never was – but his upside makes it surprising that he didn’t get drafted.
Kelvin Harmon falls to the 6th round
Harmon didn’t have a very good combine, but the fact that the North Carolina State wide receiver fell to the Washington Redskins in the sixth round is surprising, to say the least.
Harmon is a physical receiver who, at six-foot-two and 221 pounds, has the size and strength in his frame to box out cornerbacks on 50/50 passes. He can consistently catch in tight windows, and he has strong and steady hands.
Despite his athletic limitations, he has the size and physicality of a starting X receiver at the professional level. He could end up being a reliable target for Dwayne Haskins in the nation’s capital.
49ers draft a punter in the 4th round
Punters are people, too!
The San Francisco 49ers selected Utah’s Mitch Wishnowsky in the fourth round of the 2019 draft, which was a puzzling selection to say the least. It’s no slight to the punter, as he does a good job of controlling the location of his punts and pinning opponents inside the 20-yard line on a consistent basis.
However, Wishnowsky still a punter. Despite his being the best player at his position in the class, selecting a specialist in the fourth round appears to be a massive reach for positional need.
Charles Omenihu drops to the 5th round
The Houston Texans may have potentially found a steal in the fifth round in Texas defensive lineman Charles Omenihu.
Omenihu has the strength to be an interior defensive lineman and the explosiveness to be an edge rusher. He fires off the ball with consistent quickness, and packs a powerful punch at the initial point of contact. He can also turn the corner well and bend underneath offensive tackles.
Though the former Longhorn needs to add some more hand techniques to his arsenal, he has the physical tools of a Day 2 gamble. With some development, he can be a solid starter at the professional level.
