The 2019 NFL Draft had no shortage of surprises.
We knew quarterbacks would fly up draft boards, and yet some quarterbacks flew down those same boards, which runs contrary to how the league has worked in recent years. Similarly, the NFL didn’t seem stoked on the 2019 class of receivers, as they shot down boards.
As expected, front-seven defenders stole the show in the first round, with 15 of those players going in the first round and four in the top five selections. Two linebackers managed to sneak into the top 10 picks. Two tight ends snuck into the top 20 picks.
Beyond that, there were some truly odd moments, which left us with burning questions.
1. Why did the Giants draft Daniel Jones at No. 6?
The Giants told everyone they were going to draft Daniel Jones at sixth overall but no one believed them, in part because Jones seemed to have no business going that high and in part because it would be stupid for the Giants to leak such important information before the draft.
But the Giants picked Jones, who many believed would have been available when New York made its second first-round pick at 17th overall. Giants general manager David Gettleman, however, did not believe that:
“I know for a fact there were two teams that would have taken him in front of 17,” Gettleman said. “I know that for a fact. It’s tough, it really is. It wasn’t easy for me to pass on (Kentucky edge) Josh Allen. It wasn’t. For me, you know my background, that was very, very difficult. But I think that much of Daniel Jones and his future as an NFL quarterback.”
So that gets to the heart of the question: Gettleman believed that 1) he got his next franchise quarterback and 2) he couldn’t have gotten that quarterback any later that No. 6. But still, why did he think that?
2. What does Bill Belichick intend to do to replace Rob Gronkowski?
Every 2019 NFL mock draft in existence projected the Patriots to draft a tight end with one of Belichick’s 12 selections in the draft. The Patriots coach only made 10 selections, with a handful of trades. And while he picked a punter, he did not bite on any of the draft’s tight ends.
“Were there opportunities for us there [to draft a tight end]? I mean, possibly.” Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio said. “It’s always relative to what are your other options, what else are you looking at?”
Belichick has long scoffed at drafting for need, and at the countless points during the draft when New England was on the clock, the coach didn’t see a tight end at the top of his big board. So what now?
New England has Austin Seferian-Jenkins, who has never really been a top tight end on any of his previous three teams despite being a second round pick in 2014. The Patriots could also talk Benjamin Watson out of retirement — he was a New England’s first-round choice in 2004. But most likely, the Patriots are going to figure out how to get production from other positions in their offense. For the first time since Gronkowski came into the NFL, they won’t rely heavily on the tight end group in the passing game. Running back James White should see a lot of work in the passing game. Julian Edelman will continue to be a huge factor. And perhaps free agent addition Demaryius Thomas can contribute. The Patriots also picked receiver N’Keal Harry with the 32nd overall pick, the highest Belichick has ever drafted a wideout.
There’s also a good chance the Patriots run the ball more than any team in the NFL, with Sony Michel, Rex Burkhead and, now, Alabama running back Damien Harris, who they landed in the third round.
3. Why did Tyree Jackson fall so far?
Jackson came out of the MAC, a conference not known for NFL products. He’s 6-foot-7, a height that has been correlated to a lack of production. No 6-foot-7 quarterback (or taller) has had sustained success. And Jackson completed just 55.3 percent of his passes in his final college season.
Those are Jackson’s glaring warts.
But aren’t those issues quite similar to those of Josh Allen, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft? Because Jackson might be “too tall” but he’s also the best athlete we’ve ever seen for a quarterback his size. He’s fast and agile in ways that Paxton Lynch, Brock Osweiler, Mike Glennon and Dan McGwire were not. Jackson’s arm is a cannon, and he managed to display a knack for placing the deep ball.
And NFL teams love the long ball. By every estimation, Jackson fit the profile of a player who would be worth the risk in the NFL. And yet, he went unselected after 254 picks. Minutes after the draft, he signed with the Buffalo Bills, where he will fit nicely backing up Allen. They get along well, as they’d worked together this spring under quarterback guru Jordan Palmer. But this isn’t a happy ending for Jackson.
As noted by Yahoo’s Charles Robinson, the NFL needs to create a second-chance system for a player like Jackson. He should be able to return to college (whether at Buffalo or as a transfer) to help boost his stock for the 2020 NFL Draft.
4. Can D.K. Metcalf run a route?
He fell to the final selection of the second round, where the Seattle Seahawks traded up to draft him. The Seahawks are expecting that they won’t have Doug Baldwin next season, which means they may need Metcalf to produce right away. But can he? Can he run an NFL route tree?
The film on Metcalf was limited in two ways in college. First, he played in just 21 games, which meant his sample size was limited. But then, his route tree was apparently limited, too. He then ran a 7.38-second 3-cone drill, which would have been good if he were an offensive lineman. As a receiver, that’s pretty darn bad. NFL evaluators probably connected the dots: he wasn’t running a diverse array of routes in college because he probably couldn’t.
That’s why he fell all the way to pick 64. That’s why there’s significant questions about whether he’ll be able to produce in the NFL. Let’s see if he can prove me wrong.
5. Can John Elway’s quarterback misfortune finally end?
This offseason, Elway turned tail on acquiring Case Keenum, who was the Broncos disappointing starter for just one year, and the Broncos traded for Joe Flacco before drafting Missouri quarterback Drew Lock in the second round. As far as value goes, Lock might be one of the biggest steals of the 2019 NFL Draft. Lock has film that shows NFL capabilities, and if Elway somehow nabbed a future franchise quarterback in the second round, then –all of the sudden — he’ll look awfully savvy at identifying quarterback talent, which has not been the case.
Then again, this experiment could blow up in Elway’s face. Flacco could stink just as much as he did in his final years with the Ravens. Lock could be a disaster (as For The Win’s Steven Ruiz has predicted). And Elway could be out of job.
For now, I’m staying optimistic. I think Elway has put himself into a nice position to change the perception about post-Peyton-Manning quarterbacks in Denver.
6. Why did I like the Cardinals draft so much?
In a draft when Arizona dealt quarterback Josh Rosen, the 2019 10th overall pick, for the 62nd overall pick in 2019, it seemed like the Cardinals were destined to have a bad draft. Somehow, they put together a class that was quite good. It also screamed: I’M KLIFF KINGSBURY AND I’M GOING TO RUN THE AIR RAID OFFENSE. And that’s not a bad thing — general manger Steve Keim is embracing Kingsbury’s offensive identity.
Here are a few of their picks:
- Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray
- UMass WR Andy Isabella
- Iowa State WR Hakeem Butler
- Georgia WR Keesean Johnson
- UCLA TE Caleb Wilson
It’s clear that the Cardinals intend to get better at throwing the ball in the coming years. And it’s clear that they intend to do it often. Isabella, a smaller speedster, and Butler, a big, strong, possession pass-catcher, should complement each other nicely. They could be some of Murray’s favorite weapons for years to come.
