![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/NFL-Draft-300x225.jpg\")
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Photo<\/a>\u00a0by swimfinfan,\u00a0CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a><\/p>\n Caption: The NFL Draft is the single biggest occasion in the sport\u2014aside from the Super Bowl<\/p>\n One of the most exciting aspects about every new NFL season is the ability to watch newcomers take to the field and try to grasp their opportunities with both hands (quite literally). Some rookies go on to make incredible immediate impacts that cement them as NFL pros for many years ahead. Who can forget the way Dak Prescott\u2014a fourth-round draft pick\u2014took the mantle as the Dallas Cowboys quarterback from day one, leading his team to the 2016 playoffs in his debut year?<\/p>\n Arguably the main reason why college football is so popular both as a sport and as\u00a0an online\u00a0wagering opportunity among NCAAF fans<\/a> is that it\u2019s the primary feeder into the NFL. Millions across the U.S. are intrigued year-on-year as to which NCAAF stars can graduate and make the grade in the big league. Which newbies look capable of stamping their mark on their respective teams in 2019?<\/p>\n Erik McCoy \u2013 New Orleans Saints<\/strong><\/p>\n The New Orleans Saints went into the 2019 Draft with a clear plan\u2014find a long-term replacement for Max Unger.\u00a0Unger confirmed his inevitable retirement<\/a>, leaving the Saints in dire need of an inspirational center. Although Nick Easton was snapped up from Minnesota prior to the Draft, it was clear the Saints did not see him as a long-term solution. The Saints were over the moon to nab McCoy in the second round of the Draft, with many believing he should have been picked in the first round. The Texas A&M grad impressed throughout preseason and hasn\u2019t looked back since the start of the regular campaign.<\/p>\n Greedy Williams \u2013 Cleveland Browns<\/strong><\/p>\n Like McCoy, Greedy Williams was another solid second-round pick-up by the Browns. LSU has a long and proud list of defensive backs who have gone on to cement themselves in NFL folklore, and Cleveland will be hoping that Williams follows a similar path. Although he demonstrated some of his raw attributes and a healthy dose of naivety during the preseason, Williams is keen on proving his willingness to defend and make the most of his 185-pound, 6\u2019 2\u201d frame against opposing cornerbacks.<\/p>\n Dalton Risner \u2013 Denver Broncos<\/strong><\/p>\n The Broncos needed a safe pair of hands they could trust to slot straight in at left guard, and Kansas State\u2019s Dalton Risner has proven a more-than-adequate second round pick. Risner\u2019s arrival has freed up Ron Leary to move out of left guard towards his preferred role at right guard. Such is the impact that Risner has made on this Broncos team that many of his\u00a0teammates have gone public<\/a>\u00a0regarding his talent, stating that he has the mentality and all the attributes to enjoy a long career in NFL.<\/p>\n David Montgomery \u2013 Chicago Bears<\/strong><\/p>\n Photo<\/a>\u00a0by Bobak Ha\u2019Eri,\u00a0CC BY 3.0<\/a><\/p>\n Caption: Montgomery was a star figure for the Iowa State Cyclones<\/p>\n Matt Nagy has a knack of giving rookies a platform to shine. You only have to look back to his time at the Chiefs when he helped third-round selection, Kareem Hunt, become the league\u2019s best rusher two years ago. The now-Bears head coach is looking to achieve something similar with Iowa State grad, David Montgomery. It\u2019s safe to say that Montgomery looks to be a more attack-minded fit for Nagy\u2019s intense offensive style than Jordan Howard, who struggled to make an impression and was promptly traded to Philadelphia in the off-season. Montgomery will be desperate to take his encouraging preseason form into his first full season as an NFL rookie, particularly with the Bears experiencing something of an\u00a0early-season slide in form<\/a>.<\/p>\n Juan Thornhill \u2013 Kansas City Chiefs<\/strong><\/p>\n Last, but by no means least, Juan Thornhill looks like a progressive second-round pick by the Chiefs, straight out of Virginia. Having played much of his college career at cornerback and safety, Thornhill has been given a chance to push for a starting safety spot with the Chiefs. The Chiefs\u2019 hierarchy has recognized his propensity to force turnovers and pick off opposition passes, which could certainly help him bag a regular starting gig for one of the most exciting teams in this year\u2019s NFL.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" NFL Rookies to keep an eye on in 2019 – These young players should make an impact for their teams as the 2019 season rounds into form.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2376,"featured_media":75238,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[61,40],"class_list":["post-75236","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorials","tag-football","tag-nfl"],"modified_by":"David Latham, Managing Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75236","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2376"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75236"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75236\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/75238"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75236"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75236"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"David](\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/David-Montgomery-300x300.jpg\")
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