X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Teams That Won and Lost the 2019 NFL Draft

Chris O'Reilly looks back at the 2019 NFL Draft to determine which teams "won" with the best value for their draft picks and which teams "lost" based on reaches and potential busts.

If the 2019 NFL Draft took place 10 years ago, with the exact same pool of players to choose from, Kyler Murray would not have been the first overall pick. He would likely not have been the first quarterback taken, and perhaps would not have been drafted in the first round. He is short in stature, and much of his ability at the quarterback position stems from his legs. A decade ago, his skill set was viewed much differently than it is today. Mercifully enough, we've come a long way since the days of NFL coaching staffs trying to force-feed Michael Vick a "pocket-passer mentality" even though it was abundantly clear that his unique skill set was better suited for a different philosophy. NFL coaches no longer try to mold players to fit their system, finally having come around to the idea of adapting their system to fit the players. The verdict on an NFL quarterback is no longer rendered simply by his height, the strength of his arm, or his ability to stand in the pocket while the trenches collapse around him. The position has very much evolved, and for that reason, Kyler Murray now finds himself with the opportunity to be not just a starter, but a star.

Only time will tell if the Arizona Cardinals made the right call when they passed on a plethora of pass rushers to select Murray with the number-one pick. In the present, though, one thing is already for certain: the Cardinals have decided to embrace the changing landscape of the quarterback position, and they deserve some credit for that. We have watched Sean McVay perform a complete overhaul of what was once a pitiful Rams offense that couldn't even get the best out of an elite running back like Todd Gurley. Now it's Kliff Kingsbury's turn to try his hand in Arizona.

As far as 2019 fantasy implications are concerned, the Cardinals can be perceived as a winner now that the dust has settled on the draft. They've landed a dynamic young gunslinger who figures to shake things up and perhaps play a vital role in a bounce-back season out of David Johnson. As for the rest of the league? Again, only time will tell. But here are a handful of other winners and a couple of losers from the 2019 NFL Draft, with a focus specifically on fantasy football for the upcoming season.

Editor's Note: Explore RotoBaller’s Dynasty Fantasy Football hub for year-round dynasty rankings, trade tips, rookie analysis, and long-term player outlooks. Dominate your league with our sleepers, stash targets, and dynasty draft advice. Click here for Dynasty rankings and strategy.

 

Winner: Washington Redskins

The Redskins fell victim to one of the most uncanny strings of quarterback injuries in recent memory in 2018, but even with Alex Smith at the helm, they were a one-dimensional team offensively. Their game plan on a weekly basis was simple: play stifling defense and run Adrian Peterson into the ground. It worked for the first half of the season, but eventually the wheels came off.

Washington used three of its first four picks on offensive skill players, starting with quarterback Dwayne Haskins at fifteenth overall. Haskins figures to challenge Case Keenum for the starting job in training camp, but regardless of who wins, the Redskins passing offense should be significantly better than it was last season. The Redskins threw just 16 touchdown passes as a team, tied for third-fewest in the NFL.

This was due largely to one of the worst wideout groups in the league, a unit that could be bolstered by third-round pick Terry McLaurin. They further added to their receiving corps in the sixth round, taking Kelvin Harmon. At the very least, these youngsters give the Redskins depth at a position of dire need. At best, one or both of them could surprise in training camp and work their way up an unimpressive depth chart.

The third offensive player the Redskins took was running back Bryce Love. The Stanford product could wind up being one of the sneakier fantasy impact players taken in the middle rounds. Peterson will be in the backfield again, but he's another year older, and Derrius Guice will be returning from a knee injury. It's reasonable to expect Love to be utilized heavily enough to take some of the burden off of those two. In any case, Washington now has a three-pronged rushing attack after spending most of last season relying solely on Peterson.

 

Loser: Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars lost T.J. Yeldon to free agency, and now they face an even more significant drop-off on their running back depth chart after Leonard Fournette. Fournette's backups are a pair of low-profile acquisitions, Alfred Blue and Benny Cunningham. They waited until the fifth round to address this, taking Ryquell Armstead out of Temple.

Even in a draft without an abundance of game-changing running back talent, the Jaguars cannot feel too comfortable with their backfield heading into the 2019 season. Fournette missed eight games in 2018, and Jacksonville suffered for it on offense. Should he miss time again this season, they are likely staring down a similar fate.

The hope is that Nick Foles rights the ship after a few years of Blake Bortles steering it into storms, and Jacksonville's defense remains solid. It's hard to envision their season being as bad as last year's as an actual NFL team, but from a fantasy standpoint, you would've liked to see them nab up a better insurance policy for Fournette.

 

Winner: Seattle Seahawks

D.K. Metcalf was projected to be taken in the first round, but Seattle grabbed him with the 64th overall pick. If he comes anywhere close to hitting his ceiling as a rookie, he could be one of the steals of the draft.

The Seahawks were a run-heavy team in 2018, attempting the fewest passes in the league. If that trend continues into next season, there's concern for Metcalf individually as far as volume. Still, one can't help but get excited about where he fits into Seattle's passing scheme based solely on his size. The Seahawks are led by Tyler Lockett and Doug Baldwin, both of whom measure in at under six feet tall. The 6-3, 228-pound Metcalf instantly becomes Russell Wilson's biggest target.

Seattle tied for the fourth-most touchdown passes in the NFL with 35 despite their inclination to run the ball. As long as Wilson remains the Seahawks signal-caller, this passing attack is about quality over quantity. Grabbing Metcalf at the end of the second round absolutely improves an already quality aerial game for Seattle.

 

Loser: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers averaged 3.9 yards per rushing attempt in 2018, second-worst in the league. Per Pro Football Focus, their offensive line graded out as the 20th best in the NFL at the end of the regular season. They did not draft a single offensive lineman, and they are evidently content with Peyton Barber and Ronald Jones II in their backfield.

Considering how often the Buccaneers found themselves in shootouts and all-out air raids last season, one would think they might have tried to use the 2019 draft to balance out the offense a bit. They did load up on defensive players, which figures to help them avoid having to continue being so pass-happy going forward if that unit takes a step in the right direction. The Bucs might very well be an improved NFL team, but their draft weekend does nothing to inspire fantasy confidence in their running game.

We'll instead have to hope that a better defense makes their running backs more fantasy-relevant by proxy, putting the clamps down and affording the offensive play-callers the chance to throw a more balanced attack at their opponents.

 

Winner: Minnesota Vikings

Speaking of bad offensive lines, the Vikings ranked 29th in the league, per Pro Football Focus. They addressed this by drafting three offensive linemen, starting with center Garrett Bradbury in the first round. Bradbury figures to break training camp as a Week 1 starter, bolstering a Vikings offense that admittedly didn't have much work to do coming into the draft.

Minnesota's 4.2 yards per rushing attempt ranked in the bottom half of the league, but much of that can be chalked up to Dalvin Cook's injury troubles. Their pass offense was middle-of-the-pack, but with the triumvirate of Kirk Cousins, Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen still in the fold, the Vikings maintain the potential for an extremely fantasy-friendly aerial attack in 2019.

Shoring up the offensive line was a must for Minnesota, and slotting a first-round pick into the trenches should go a long way toward fixing one of the few glaring weaknesses this team had last year. Giving Cousins more time to make plays and Cook more room to run allows fantasy owners to have tremendous faith in this offense as we start to organize our 2019 draft boards.

More NFL Draft Coverage




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Brice Matthews

Joining Astros
MLB

White Sox-Guardians Postponed on Thursday
Brandon Aiyuk

Likely to Begin Season on PUP List, but Not Ruled Out for Week 1
Jameson Williams

Not in the Team's Long-Term Plans?
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Micah Parsons

Plans to be Present for Start of Training Camp
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Ikem Ekwonu

Next Up for Extension in Carolina?
Jalen Thompson

Heading into Last Year With Cardinals?
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Najee Harris

Suffers Eye Injury in Fireworks Mishap
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Alex Bregman

Will Return to Red Sox This Weekend
Chris Sale

Braves Won't Consider Trading Chris Sale
Clarke Schmidt

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery on Friday
Nick Nash

Unlikely to Make Falcons Active Roster
Lane Johnson

in No Rush To Retire
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Blake Corum

has "Gotten His Speed Back"
Jarquez Hunter

Picking Up Rams Offense Quickly
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Kirk Cousins

Feels Misled by Falcons
Bijan Robinson

Says Falcons Have "Outlandish Goals" for the Running Game
Luther Burden III

Bears Expect Luther Burden III to be Ready for Training Camp
Cole Kmet

an Unlikely Trade Piece
Tony Pollard

Titans Hope to Balance Rushing Attack With Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears
Byron Buxton

Sitting Thursday
Quentin Johnston

Not Assured of Starting Role
Cordarrelle Patterson

on the Roster Bubble in Pittsburgh?
Shedeur Sanders

Not Assured of Roster Spot in Cleveland?
Wan'Dale Robinson

Hoping For More Downfield Opportunities
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Homers Twice on Wednesday
Mike Trout

Homers Twice in Win Over Rangers
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Leads Yankees to Victory
Salvador Perez

Crushes Two Homers in Win
Cleveland Browns

Greg Newsome on the Trade Block?
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Zach Tom

An Extension Candidate in Green Bay
Devin Booker

Agrees to Extension with Phoenix
Trevor Williams

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Byron Buxton

Exits After Hit-by-Pitch, X-Rays Negative
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Playing on Wednesday
Alex Bregman

has "Really Good Chance" to Return Before All-Star Break
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Expected to Return on Friday
Walter Clayton Jr.

Leads Jazz to Summer League Win
Carter Bryant

Struggles in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Drops a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Oklahoma City Thunder

Malevy Leons Logs Impressive Summer League Outing on Tuesday
Dalton Knecht

Collects 25 Points in Lakers Summer League Win
Los Angeles Lakers

Darius Bazley Drops 27 Points in Summer League on Tuesday
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Chet Holmgren

Agrees to Rookie Max Extension
Alex Bregman

Not Returning Wednesday
Jhoan Duran

Unavailable Due to Illness
Shane McClanahan

Tosses Clean Frame in First Rehab Appearance
Jacob Wilson

Day-to-Day After HBP
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. to be Reassessed Wednesday
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Malaki Branham

Traded to Washington
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Blake Wesley

Moves to Washington
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Kelly Olynyk

on the Move Again
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Anthony Davis

Recovering From Eye Surgery
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Cal Raleigh

Continues Historic Homer Pace Tuesday
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups