There was a lot of intrigue surrounding the Jets’ third overall pick in the 2019 draft.
With Kyler Murray and Nick Bosa poised to go Nos. 1 and 2 (which they did) the Jets had a lot of options. There were holes along the defensive line, offensive line, pass rusher and secondary. New York ended up taking Alabama defensive lineman Quinnen Williams with thepick, who many believed was either the second- or third-best player in the draft to begin with.
Seventeen defensive players were taken in the first round of the draft. Williams wasn’t the worst rookie of the bunch, but he certainly wasn’t the best. He didn’t play terribly during his rookie season, but his production clearly didn’t match the expectations that came with his draft selection. He also battled injuries on a crowded defensive line. But once the Jets traded Leonard Williams, Quinnen seemed to come a little more into his own as the season progressed.
Here’s how he and six other defensive rookies fared in 2019.
OLB Nick Bosa, No. 2, 49ers
Bosa was arguably the best player in the 2019 draft, and he proved it on multiple occasions during his rookie season. He terrorized quarterbacks constantly and finished with nine sacks, 16 tackles for a loss and 25 quarterback hits.
Bosa’s marquee game came against the Panthers in when he wracked up three sacks and returned an interception for a touchdown. His presence has been felt in the postseason, too, as he sacked Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins twice in a 27-10 49ers win in the NFC Divisional Round.
DT Quinnen Williams – No. 3, Jets
The Jets had multiple options with the third overall pick, including Josh Allen and Ed Olver, but opted for the versatile interior defensive lineman in Williams. Injuries plagued the rookie’s season as he only played 46 percent of the Jets’ defensive snaps in the 13 games he saw action.
Williams finished with a disappointing 2.5 sacks and six quarterback hits but was instrumental in Gregg Williams’ high-ranking run defense. Williams is still raw and will need a healthy offseason to build on his mediocre rookie season.
DE Clelin Ferrell – No. 4, Raiders
Many draft pundits were surprised the Raiders took Ferrell fourth overall, but he performed admirably despite the skepticism. Ferrell finished his rookie season with 4.5 sacks and eight quarterback hits in 15 games, including a huge 2.5-sack performance against the Chargers in Week 10.
Ferrell wasn’t terribly consistent in his rookie season but showed enough flashes to keep the Raiders excited about their young defensive linemen.
OLB Josh Allen – No. 8, Jaguars
Allen was the player many thought the Jets would pick with the third overall selection given the team’s clear hole on the edge, but instead, the Jaguars benefited from Allen’s slippage to No. 8. He proved to be one of the best young pass rushers in the league in 2019.
Allen led all rookies with 10.5 sacks in 16 games despite only playing in 60 percent of the Jaguars’ defensive snaps and finished 14th among all defensive players. Allen also tallied 11 quarterback hits and forced two fumbles.
DT Ed Oliver – No. 9, Bills
The Jets passed on another top-tier defensive line prospect in Oliver, who was a bit undersized at his position but nevertheless talented. Oliver only played in 54 percent of the Bills’ defensive snaps but still finished with five sacks, eight quarterback hits, five tackles for a loss and one forced fumble – all more than Williams had.
Oliver had a nice stretch in the middle of the season where he recorded a sack in three consecutive games from Weeks 11-13. He provided his ability as a competent lineman for one of the better defenses in the NFL.
OLB Rashan Gary – No. 12, Packers
This would have been a shock at No. 3, but Gary possessed a lot of raw skill as a linebacker that some teams were salivating over. He ended up falling to the Packers at No. 12, where didn’t have the greatest rookie season.
Gary was never going to supplant the Packers’ duo of Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith, but he only finished with two sacks, three quarterback hits and three tackles for a loss. He played in just 23 percent of the Packers’ defensive snaps.
