This is the final article in a four part 2019 NFL Draft Rankings series.
The rankings are based on value for the pick number, team need, and also volume, because we know that the draft is often hit or miss. Therefore, the more picks a team makes, the more likely a team is to get good value out of their class. I have not accounted for players who were already in the league being acquired by use of this year’s draft picks. These rankings are based solely on rookie selections made during the 2019 draft.
Part One – Part Two – Part Three
2019 NFL Draft Rankings – Not So Good Draft Classes
This final set of classes includes teams who all drafted at least one player who should start for the 2019 season, but also made picks where the value was highly questionable.
Not So Good…
28) Miami Dolphins – DT Christian Wilkins, G Michael Deiter, LB Andrew Van Ginkel, OT Isaiah Prince, FB Chandler Cox, RB Myles Gaskin
The Dolphins are in rebuild mode. They lost their best offensive lineman, right tackle Ja’Wuan James, and veteran edge defender Cameron Wake in free agency. The Dolphins may have obtained Josh Rosen by trading their second-round draft pick, but Rosen struggled behind the worst offensive line in the league in Arizona last season. Considering that Miami had the second worst offensive line in the league last season and also lost their best offensive lineman, Rosen may be worse off in Miami than he was at Arizona. The Dolphins needed to add pieces to the offensive line first and foremost.
This was not an inspiring draft class, largely because the Dolphins didn’t have many early picks. Christian Wilkins was a good pick on the defensive line. Perhaps Flores’ first priority is to create a good locker room culture for his new team, and perhaps no player in this class can help with that better than Wilkins. Wilkins also posted 6 sacks and 15 tackles for loss during his 2018 campaign with the Tigers. Michael Deiter and Isaiah Prince add depth to the offensive line. Deiter may compete for a starting role in 2019, but it’s more likely we see him protecting Rosen in 2020.
Last Word on the Miami Dolphins: One sure impact addition is not the most inspiring draft class for a team that needs help at most positions. Their offensive line was ranked 31st in the league last season and got worse after this offseason, meaning that even though the Dolphins may have found a franchise quarterback in Josh Rosen, he is likely to struggle once again.
29) Houston Texans – OT Tytus Howard, CB Lonnie Johnson, OT Max Scharping, TE Kahale Warring, DL Charles Omenihu, CB Xavier Crawford, RB Cullen Gillaspia
The Texans had a far below average offensive line this past season and needed to make upgrades. They also had one of the worst secondaries in terms of passing yards allowed. They were looking to upgrade at offensive tackle, guard, and cornerback, and had three picks in the first two rounds to do just that.
The Texans delivered in terms of filling positional needs, but I am skeptical of the players they chose. All of their first four picks had value for one round after they were selected, in my opinion. Tytus Howard would have been an excellent pick if taken where Max Scharping was selected. But with Jawaan Taylor, Cody Ford, Dalton Risner, and Greg Little all still available, I don’t think selecting Tytus Howard at 23 was justified.
It seemed with cornerbacks that teams were choosing based very heavily on specific role fit rather than on pure talent at the position. The Texans were looking for a long corner and Johnson fit the bill. The Texans moved towards playing a lot of zone coverage in 2018 after playing the fourth most man coverage snaps in the league in 2017. By picking a corner who performs much better in zone than man, they may be solidifying this shift. Again in Max Scharping’s case, I would have liked him as a late third round pick, but he seemed like a reach in the second. He’s decent in both pass protection and run blocking but doesn’t particularly excel at either. The best value pick for the Texans was probably the addition of Charles Omenihu who should make an effective 3-4 defensive end. He’s 6’6”, has great burst, and is a good tackler, although some development is definitely needed for him to be an above average pass rusher in the NFL.
Last Word on the Houston Texans: The AFC South is the most competitive division in the NFL. The Texans were a great team coming into this draft but may not have done enough to keep pace with the rest of their division.
30) Atlanta Falcons – G Chris Lindstrom, OT Kaleb McGary, CB Kendall Sheffield, DE John Cominsky, RB Qadree Ollison, CB Jordan Miller, WR Marcus Green
The Falcons had needs in both their defensive and offensive lines. They opted to make picks to fortify the offensive line, specifically the right side.
Chris Lindstrom is the most complete offensive lineman in this class, having had success as a run and pass blocker at both guard and tackle. He will be an instant starter on the Falcons’ line. On the flip side of things, however, I have my doubts about Kaleb McGary, especially as a first round prospect. The 6’8” McGary certainly looks the part of a formidable offensive tackle, but his technique leaves a lot to be desired as a run blocker and especially in pass protection. In order to secure McGary, the Falcons gave up their second and third round picks.
I do not believe he is worth that capital, especially once again considering the offensive tackles who were still available at the beginning of the second round. The rest of their picks seem like depth pieces at best. Among them, John Cominsky may emerge as part of the starting edge rotation.
Last Word on the Atlanta Falcons: The offensive line should be better this season. I don’t think trading up into the first round to select McGary was the right move.
31) Chicago Bears – RB David Montgomery, WR Riley Ridley, CB Duke Shelley, RB Kerrith Whyte, CB Stephen Denmark
The Bears lost RB Jordan Howard and S Adrian Amos this offseason. They signed Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to replace Adrian Amos short term but should look to find a developmental prospect to groom behind him. The Bears made their first pick in the third round, which does not help the strength of their class.
My trouble with this class is that despite lacking early draft picks, the Bears traded up to select David Montgomery. Montgomery is a good running back in his own right. He accumulated well over 1000 yards in two consecutive seasons at Iowa State, averaging 4.7 yards per carry his junior season. Montgomery will be in the starting running back rotation with Mike Davis. But the decision to trade up for him is something I can’t get behind.
Riley Ridley fell farther than I expected. Although he didn’t have a ton of production at Georgia, he still had 13 yards per reception and 9 touchdowns his junior season while playing against SEC defenses. He was also underutilized at Georgia and is an amazing route runner who should be able to start for the Bears.
Last Word on the Chicago Bears: The Bears didn’t have many picks to begin with and decided to lose more by trading up. However, both David Montgomery and Riley Ridley should be starters. The Bears defense will continue to be great and should carry them through the season fine.
32) Dallas Cowboys – DT Trysten Hill, G Connor McGovern, RB Tony Pollard, CB Michael Jackson, DE Joe Jackson, S Donovan Wilson, RB Mike Weber, DE Jalen Jelks
It didn’t help that the Cowboys didn’t get to pick until late in the second round. They had needs at strong safety, defensive tackle, left guard, wide receiver, and tight end. Because of their lack of picks, they were only able to truly address two of these position needs, opting to use their third pick for a gadget player who specializes at kick returns.
Trysten Hill was a peculiar pick in the second round, but Dallas did need to add players at the position and all of the top tier prospects had been taken by the time they were choosing. I am concerned that Hill won’t be the best locker room presence. Perhaps the pick would have been better spent on a sure impact player for the secondary like Taylor Rapp or Nasir Adderly, who were still available at this point and would be considered first tier players at their position. Connor McGovern was a good addition to challenge Connor Williams. I liked the selections of Mike Weber and Jalen Jelks towards the end of the draft as both players could be developed into starters given the right coaching.
Last Word on the Dallas Cowboys: Their most impactful selections were likely Connor McGovern and Tony Pollard. Their first pick was late in the second round, and they didn’t get notably great value out of any of their picks. I don’t think this draft will make the Cowboys a noticeably better team for 2019. They will probably struggle to keep the division title from the Eagles and Redskins this coming season.
Last Word on Not So Good Draft Classes:
The Dolphins, Texans, Falcons, Bears, and Cowboys likely have the worst draft classes in the league this year. They each selected at least one player who should start in 2019. However, many had few early picks and/or made poor decisions in terms of drafting for value.
This article concludes the 2019 NFL Draft Rankings series! The coming season will tell how accurate these rankings turn out to be.
Part One – Part Two – Part Three
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