With round one of the 2019 NFL Draft in the books. Here is INSCMagazine’s recap of who were the biggest winners, losers and steals in Nashville.
Biggest winner: Jacksonville Jaguars selecting DE/LB Josh Allen: The biggest winner of Day One were the already-stacked Jaguars–and their defense–in landing a top five prospect in the 6’4 225 edge rusher, Josh Allen our of Kentucky. Projected as high as No.3 overall, Allen dropping to the Jaguars at No.7 is a crime against humanity.
His addition to a fearsome defense that already has Calais Campbell, Marcell Dareus, Telvin Smith, Myles Jack and Yannick Ngakoue will be one to reckon with.
My thoughts and prayers go out all the AFC South quarterbacks who will have to deal with this crew twice a year! Ouch!
Biggest Loser: New York Giants passing on Dwayne Haskins for QB Daniel Jones: If you haven’t heard or saw about the Giants questionable and utterly head-scratching pick of Duke QB Daniel Jones over Jersey native and Giants fan Dwayne Haskins our of Ohio State, go check yourself into the nearest ER as it has set social media ablaze.
With Haskins on the board and seemingly ready to be taken by his hometown Giants, Giants GM Dave Gettleman pulled the trigger on the 6’4 225-pound Jones, who was universally projected to fall to Big Blue at No.17 and would have been available at the top half of the second round.
Haskins would ultimately land within the division and “down the street” with the longtime bitter rival Washington Redskins, which will only add another chapter to the longtime and storied rivalry between New York and Washington.
Game on!
Biggest Reach: DL Clelin Ferrell To The Raiders at No.4 and QB Daniel Jones To the Giants at No.6: If there is a epilogue of how the 2019 NFL Draft will be remembered, it will be for teams reaching for players.
While it can be debated about Kyler Murray being taken No.1 by the Arizona Cardinals, the two biggest reaches in Day One were former Clemson defensive tackle Clelin Ferrell being taken with the fourth pick by the soon-to-be Vegas Raiders and the obvious much-maligned and deservedly panned selection of Duke QB Daniel Jones two picks later at No.6 to the New York Giants.
Both picks defied logic, common sense and were utterly irresponsible as both were projected to be late first rounders. Only time will tell in how both players pan out, but both the Raiders and Giants better hope that Ferrell and Jones love up to their draft status quickly.
Biggest Steal: DT Ed Oliver To Buffalo, DE/LB Josh Allen to Jaguars and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown To Ravens: Lost in the whole Daniel Jones-Giants hoopla, three teams that really gained value picks were Buffalo at No.9 with DT Ed Oliver, the forementioned Jaguars at No.7 in DE/LB Josh Allen and the Baltimore Ravens at No.25 in WR Marquise Brown.
Once projected to be a top-five pick, Oliver slid all the way down to Buffalo at No.9, where he will immediately step into the shoes of the recently retired DT Kyle Williams. Allen–as mentioned above, landed in the most fortuitous spot possible down in Jacksonville in joining an already Avengers-like defensive front.
And in his first draft as the Ravens general manager, former Ozzie Newsome understudy, Eric DeCosta continued the Ravens successful history of finding talent late in the first round in former Oklahoma WR Marquise Brown.
Despite being 5’9 and 170, Brown was one of college football’s most explosive playmakers. Currently recovering from a lisfranc injury, he will immediately give the Ravens a home run threat downfield for Lamar Jackson.
Best Players Available: QB Drew Lock, WR DK Metcalf, DB Byron Murphy, WR AJ Brown, WR Parris Campbell, WR Hakeem Butler, OL Jawaan Taylor, DT Austin Bryant, QB Ryan Findley, WR JJ Arcega-Whiteside, OT Cody Ford, CB Greedy Williams, TE Irv Smith Jr., WR Deebo Samuel, DT Dre’Mont Jones, QB Will Grier, WR Riley Ridley