Recapping the 2019 NFL Draft: Biggest winners, losers, steals and reaches

Biggest Reaches

Daniel Jones

Clelin Ferrell, Edge, Clemson - 4th pick by Raiders

Alright, don’t get me wrong here – I really like Ferrell. I had him as a top 20 prospect ahead of Mississippi State’s Montez Sweat and I thought he was really disrespected in this pre-draft process. With that being said, number four overall was too high. Such high picks are reserved for special athletes, such as Kentucky edge rusher Josh Allen or Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver. I understand wanting to build around leaders from big programs, but they had to find somebody to trade down with if this is your guy.

Daniel Jones, QB, Duke - 6th pick by Duke

I want this kid to succeed and in no way am I wishing him anything bad, but this to me simply was the worst pick of the entire draft. I already mentioned that I don’t like how people, who never actually saw him play, are talking about Jones, but I watched enough on him to be certain that he was not the sixth-best player out there. In fact, he was my seventh-ranked QB and I had him slightly outside my top 100. I simply don’t see that special type of arm talent that would demand such a selection.

Tytus Howard, OT, Alabama State - 23rd pick by Texans

Man, the Texans were really desperate once their first pick rolled around. I already talked about this – I don’t feel sorry for them because they should have understood the board a little better and be more aggressive to get their franchise left tackle in Washington State’s Andre Dillard. Instead they were left with reaching for a guy, who should have been chosen as a future guy in the middle of day two.

Kaleb McGary, OT, Washington - 31st pick by Falcons

Here’s another offensive tackle who was drafted too early. McGary was just outside my top ten tackles available and he ended up being the third one selected in the first round, plus the Falcons even traded back up for him from the middle of the third round. Assuming they will plug him and Boston College guard Chris Lindstrom in on the right side, you have to look at which right tackles were still on the board at that point – Florida’s Jawaan Taylor, Oklahoma’s Cody Ford and Kansas State’s Dalton Risner (depending on where you see him).

N’Keal Harry, WR, Patriots - 32nd pick by Patriots

I will probably fall flat on my face for questioning a Bill Belichick draft pick, but I just don’t get what people really see in Harry. He is at his best with the ball in his hands, but he struggles to actually create separation to take advantage of that and he shows too much wasted motion when trying to break free. The Patriots hadn’t drafted a wide receiver in the first round since Terry Glenn back in 1996 and I’m like 90 percent sure they did try to trade out of that spot as well.

Jahlani Tavai, LB, Hawaii - 43rd pick by Lions

I know this young man was a sleeper prospect for a bunch of guys for the draft, but I wasn’t one of them. I had Tavai outside my top 20 linebackers because I think he is too passive in his tackling attempts; he is not super explosive or have the closing speed to chase plays down. He also looked his best back in 2016 I thought. With the way Tavai moved around on that Hawaii defense Matt Patricia might look at him as his version of Kyle Van Noy, but I don’t see a top 50 player.

Ben Banogu, Edge, TCU - 49th pick by Colts

Unlike Tavai, Banogu has the type of production in a Power-Five conference that would intrigue you. In his two years with the Horned Frogs, he recorded 17 combined sacks and 34.5 tackles for loss. However, he doesn’t nearly have the size to fully survive off the edge, is taken off his track as a pass rusher too easily and he missed 14 tackles last season. His D-line record broad jump and other explosive combine numbers definitely helped Banogu out.

Drew Sample, TE, Washington - 52nd pick by Bengals

So I heard that NFL people were higher on Sample than most fans and draft analysts, but that doesn’t mean I would pick him as the fourth tight end in the draft. I had Sample and West Virginia’s Trevon Wesco rated very similarly right outside of my top ten at the position. That would mean fourth round for me however, not the 52nd overall pick. I would have much rather had Ole Miss’ Dawson Knox 44 spots later.

Quincy Williams, LB, Murray State - 98th pick by Jaguars

I watched over 350 prospects this year and more than 30 linebackers in a very murky group – this guy wasn’t one of them. I am not going to say that this guy can’t play or act like I do, but I don’t believe he was worth a day two selection when I didn’t know him before. Unless all these NFL teams went crazy when they saw him at the NFLPA game, I don’t really get why you would grab him ahead of day three and it might be more about his brother being Alabama D-tackle Quinnen Williams.

Mitch Wishnowsky, P, Utah - 110th pick by 49ers

I don’t want to hate on punters here. While I don’t mind selecting special teams’ aces in the middle rounds, to spend a fourth-round pick on a punter, for me that guy has to be really special. Here are some of the guys who were still available when the 49ers were on the clock – Oklahoma State running back Justice Hill, Georgia wide receiver Riley Ridley, Alabama edge rusher Christian Miller and both Oklahoma guards still available. He better boom those babies 70 yards in September.

Others

L.J. Collier, Edge, TCU - 29th pick by Seahawks

Sean Bunting, CB, Central Michigan - 39th pick by Buccaneers

Trayvon Mullen, CB, Clemson - 40th pick by Raiders

Max Scharping, OT, Northern Illinois - 55th pick by Texans

Mecole Hardman, WR, Georgia - 56th pick by Chiefs

Jalen Hurd, WR, Baylor - 67th pick by 49ers

Cody Barton, LB, Utah - 89th pick by Seahawks

Trey Pipkins, OT, Sioux Falls - 91st pick by Chargers

Alexander Mattison, RB, Boise State - 102nd pick by Vikings

Jake Bailey, P, Stanford 163rd pick by Patriots