The first round of the 2019 NFL draft is complete. Who won and who lost on opening night of the league's annual "Player Selection Meeting"? Read on for some knee-jerk reactions ...
Winners
Nashville: More than 200,000 folks showed up — or roughly 10% of the metro area's population — for the festivities as the league transformed Music City's downtown into a football party that raged on despite a little rain. Maybe the NFL needs to take this town more seriously for an even bigger event earlier in the calendar ...
Kyler Murray: The first man to be taken in the first round of both the NFL and Major League Baseball drafts, he probably lands with the perfect team and perfect coach with Air Raid devotee Kliff Kingsbury now in charge of the Cardinals. Should be really fun to watch what Murray can do given what seems the optimal fit for his abilities.
Drama: Everyone knew Murray was going No. 1 overall ... obviously ... right? Kudos to the Cardinals for giving the second guessers max time to spin alternate narratives by taking their entire 15-minute allotment on the clock before making the pick official.
MOST QUESTIONABLE PICKS: Rashan Gary is a risk for Packers
MOST INTRIGUING MOVES: Steelers stand out with trade
John Schneider: It was only a few days ago that Seattle's general manager owned a league-low four picks. After shipping franchise-tagged DE Frank Clark off to Kansas City and then working the board Thursday night, the Seahawks now have nine selections — and we know they do some of their best work in the middle rounds.
Mike Mayock: Wasn't totally sold on the NFL-Network-turned-Raiders-GM's decision to take Clemson DE Clelin Ferrell out of the chute at No. 4, but he's definitely a good player and good character guy. Landing RB Josh Jacobs and S Johnathan Abram later in the evening felt like potential home runs for Oakland.
Rashan Gary and Montez Sweat: Medical concerns really dogged these two talented pass rushers, even after both had sublime scouting combine performances. Neither garnered the top-10 status they might have deserved, but good to see both get their names called on opening night.
The Bosas: Like the Mannings, NFL royalty if it's ever existed, they now have two brothers (Nick and Joey) joining dad (John) as first-round picks.
Kyle Long: Bravo to the Bears lineman for the way he voiced his displeasure for not being part of the Manning-Bosa club by shading his Hall of Fame father, Howie.
Josh Allen: Drafted seventh overall in 2018. Drafted seventh overall in 2019. We know who's getting picked seventh in 2020, we just don't know which team is getting Josh Allen 3.0.
Linemen: More than half the guys picked in Round 1 (19) live in the trenches. We thought this was a passing league! (Of course, hard to pass if your quarterback's not protected ... which is, naturally, the point of prioritizing all these pass rushers and bodyguards).
Christian Wilkins: Many players over the years have wanted to come off the edge and sack Roger Goodell. You were obviously having fun, Christian, but fair to assume several of your new peers were living vicariously through you just a bit.
Oklahoma: First school to have quarterbacks (Baker Mayfield and Murray) go No. 1 overall in consecutive drafts. The Sooners also tied USC for the most No. 1 picks (5) in draft history.
Clemson: First school to place three defensive linemen (Ferrell, Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence) in the first round of the same draft.
Big Ten: Ohio State's Dwayne Haskins became the first quarterback from the conference to go in Round 1 since Penn State's Kerry Collins in 1995.
ABC: They get into the draft coverage game, and Tay Tay crashes the party? Winners.
Matt Ryan: Drafting two relatively unknown blockers (Chris Lindstrom and Kaleb McGary) might not move the needle much in Atlanta, but it should help the 2016 MVP sleep (and play) better moving forward.
Marcus Mariota: Amusing to watch the low-key Titans quarterback ineffectually attempt to get the booing locals off Goodell's back as the draft kicked off.
Browns: They didn't make a pick, so how can they be winners you ask? Because they cashed in their 17th overall selection for Odell Beckham Jr. Worth it. Probably well worth it.
Losers
Saints: They didn't make a pick, so how can they be losers you ask? Because they traded two Round 1 selections, including this year's, in 2018 to get DE Marcus Davenport. Coach Sean Payton insists Davenport "is going to be a dominant player for us," but he didn't make an impact as a rookie and wasn't a factor in New Orleans' NFC Championship Game loss. And it won't get much better — the Saints are scheduled to select in the second round but will then go dormant until Round 5.
Josh Rosen: Literally lost in the desert. Arizona's first-round pick in 2018 set some kind of record by watching his successor, Murray, taken a year later. And since the Cardinals couldn't or wouldn't deal Rosen, the outlook looks even more bleak as guys like Daniel Jones and Haskins fill QB jobs he might have filled at one point.
Marcus Mariota: Entering a contract year, he probably would've preferred to see the Titans pick a playmaker to help him rather than a D-lineman (Jeffery Simmons) who might have to redshirt in 2019 while rehabbing an ACL tear.
The Joker: Sorry, dude, apparently Murray raided your closet right under Batman's nose.
RG3: Way to make it about you ...
Perimeter players: The emphasis on hog mollies didn't leave much limelight for the fast guys who catch the passes or break them up. Only two wideouts (Marquise "Hollywood" Brown and N'Keal Harry) and one corner (Deandre Baker) were picked Thursday, none among the first 24 selections.
N.W.O.: Ole Miss' "Nasty wideouts," A.J. Brown and D.K. Metcalf, are winning on Instagram, but neither heard his phone ring with the desired call Thursday. Eight-pack abs only take you so far apparently.
Drew Lock: At one point, the rifle-armed Mizzou quarterback seemed like a first-round lock. Alas ...
Pac-12: For the first time in the common draft era, which began in 1967, no players from the conference were selected in the top 20.
Texans: You got jumped and lost out on Washington State LT Andre Dillard to Philly. Now will Houston regret basically getting strong-armed into taking Alabama State's Tytus Howard with the next selection?
Dave Gettleman: The Giants wound up with three picks in Round 1 and took Duke QB Jones, Lawrence and Baker. Sorry, Dave, but the world is spinning off its axis when the New York market is hailing the Jets at draft time and ripping Big Blue. (Of course, history has a way of changing opinions fully formed five seconds after picks are announced.) For the record, it does feel like the Giants blew it.
Tom Brady: You're probably excited about Harry's arrival. But while you were scarfing down your avocado ice cream, three hungry defensive linemen (Jets' Quinnen Williams, Bills' Ed Oliver and Miami's Wilkins) entered the AFC East zip code. Looks like you'll be battling more than Time this season, Tommy.
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Follow Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/draft/2019/04/26/nfl-draft-winners-losers-giants-daniel-jones/3568054002/
2019-04-26 06:43:00Z
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