Predicting all 91 Superstars' positions in the 2019 WWE draft: Brock Lesnar #2, Roman Reigns #6

The 2019 WWE draft is almost upon us
The 2019 WWE draft is almost upon us

The 2019 WWE draft will take place across two nights on the October 11 episode of SmackDown and the October 14 episode of RAW.

Unlike the roster changes that occurred in Superstar Shake-Ups after the last three WrestleMania events, the upcoming draft is being promoted in the same way that it was in 2016, which saw WWE rank every Superstar from most wanted to least wanted.

Seth Rollins was chosen as the first draft pick that year, while Carmella – an NXT Superstar at the time – was the 59th and final person to be drafted.

As of the time of writing, it has not been officially confirmed that WWE will take the same approach this year, but it would certainly make sense when you consider that the majority of Superstars have appeared on both RAW and SmackDown in recent months due to the ‘Wild Card Rule’.

With that in mind, let’s run through all 91 Superstars currently on the red and blue brands and try to predict the order that they could be picked if WWE does indeed decide to have a full draft for the first time in three years.


Rules: Unless otherwise stated, tag teams and factions count as one, meaning there are a total of 68 draft picks. Brand destinations are not predicted in this article.

Absentees: NXT, NXT UK and 205 Live Superstars are not included, and the following names do not make the list because they are either part-time in-ring competitors or they are currently absent: John Cena, Ronda Rousey, Triple H, Shane McMahon, The Undertaker, Aiden English, Alicia Fox, Big Show, The Colons, Jeff Hardy, Jinder Mahal, Kane, Lars Sullivan, Maryse, Mickie James, Nia Jax, Ruby Riott, Sheamus.

Get involved: Let us know your thoughts and leave your top 10 in the comments section!


#14 Draft picks 68-64

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#68 Heath Slater: The only active Superstar who went undrafted in the 2016 draft, Slater’s storyline from three years ago could be revived in 2019 if he is chosen as the last pick.

#67 The Ascension (Konnor & Viktor): The former NXT Tag Team Champions have not been involved in a televised match since April 2019. Do not expect their fortunes to change after the draft.

#66 Eric Young: Formerly a member of the dominant SAnitY faction in NXT, you would be forgiven for forgetting that Young is even with WWE. Most of his appearances in 2019 have come in 24/7 Championship segments.

#65 Mojo Rawley: What has happened to the former Hype Bro? Every time he looks on the verge of receiving a run of television time, he suddenly disappears. It is difficult to rank him any higher than this position.

#64 No Way Jose: Not seen for Jose for a while? That’s because he’s been trading wins and losses with Mojo Rawley on Main Event. Like his frequent opponent, there is no way (bad pun intended) Jose will feature in the top 50.

#13 Draft picks 63-59

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#63 Mike Kanellis & Maria Kanellis: Mike’s current character is, simply put, a loser. The only reason he, along with his pregnant wife, is not last on this list is due to the fact that he actually receives television time occasionally on RAW.

#62 Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder: After WrestleMania 35, these guys would have been in the top 20 simply because they held the RAW Tag Team titles. Now, with no titles and after a series of losses, they’re back to where they were before ‘Mania.

#61 Sin Cara: Injuries have prevented Sin Cara from progressing as a singles competitor in WWE. Every time he returns, he faces an established name (Baron Corbin, Samoa Joe, Andrade etc), so that’s the only reason why he is higher than the other perennial losers this far down the list.

#60 The B-Team (Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel): Like Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder, these former RAW Tag Team Champions have already peaked as a tag team. It would not be all that surprising if WWE splits them up in the near future.

#59 Sarah Logan: The lowest-ranked female Superstar in this list, Logan has competed in 11 matches on Main Event and just one match on RAW since being separated from The Riott Squad. That stat tells you everything you need to know!

#12 Draft picks 58-54

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#58 EC3: Based on how EC3 has been booked over the last year, it would not be a surprise if he were to be picked last or, even worse, not be picked at all in the upcoming draft. He’s lucky to be this high in our predicted draft, to be honest!

#57 Shelton Benjamin: Since splitting from Chad Gable in April 2018, Benjamin has been involved in matches with high-profile names including Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan, AJ Styles and Seth Rollins, but he constantly finds himself without a meaningful storyline.

#56 Dana Brooke: One of the most improved Superstars in WWE over the last year, Brooke is still waiting for an opportunity to prove what she can do on a show other than Main Event.

#55 Liv Morgan: As tempting as it was to exclude the absent Morgan from this list of predictions, perhaps the former "Problem Child of The Riott Squad" could use a low draft position as motivation to improve, much like Carmella in 2016.

#54 Tamina: A one-time holder of the 24/7 Championship, Tamina will likely have a similar role on the roster to Dana Brooke until she reunites with a returning Nia Jax at some point in the next few months.

#11 Draft picks 53-49

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#53 Titus O'Neil: WWE goes through phases of consistently using O’Neil on television over the course of several months, and then he will disappear and not compete in any matches for a number of weeks. Do not expect to see him much higher than this position.

#52 Lucha House Party (Gran Metalik, Kalisto & Lince Dorado): As members of the RAW and 205 Live rosters, the masked trio receive plenty of television time in WWE but they have struggled to establish themselves as a legitimate threat to larger opponents since joining the red brand.

#51 Sonya Deville: The women’s division is already short of tag teams, but it would not necessarily be a bad thing if WWE split up Fire & Desire. The tag team first teased that they could separate way back in November 2018, so could now be the time?

#50 Mandy Rose: The former Total Diva has mentioned in media interviews that WWE will inevitably split her up from Sonya Deville. After multiple failed attempts to become the top tag team in the women’s division, a switch to singles action could suit both women.

#49 The IIconics (Billie Kay & Peyton Royce): The Aussie duo hardly won any matches before, during or after their reign as Women’s Tag Team Champions, so it is tough to position them any higher than 49th.

#10 Draft picks 48-44

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#48 Ember Moon: It is somewhat of a surprise that Moon is so far down this list, but that just shows how strong the WWE roster is nowadays. The former NXT Women’s Champion will likely need to undergo a character change to move her way up the card.

#47 Apollo Crews: Like Ember Moon, it feels like Crews has a lot more to offer in WWE but his current babyface character is preventing him from fulfilling his potential. Again, this might seem a surprisingly low position, but the 40-50 draft pick range is probably about right when you check out the rest of the names.

#46 Naomi: The two-time SmackDown Women’s Champion has been absent from WWE television in recent months, but she confirmed last week that she will be back “when the time is right”. If the right time is the draft, then she will likely be around this position.

#45 Matt Hardy: “The Woken One” has hardly featured on WWE programming since he was forced to relinquish the SmackDown Tag Team titles with Jeff in April 2019, hence his relatively low position.

#44 Buddy Murphy: One of many up-and-coming WWE Superstars waiting for a prolonged run on television, Murphy has become a “Best Kept Secret” again after being used sporadically on SmackDown. Don’t be shocked if he is one of 2020’s breakout stars.

#9 Draft picks 43-40

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#43 Cedric Alexander: The former Cruiserweight Champion has established himself as a frequent competitor on RAW in recent months. Before his losses to AJ Styles, he would have been positioned higher than #43. However, his time in the title picture appears to be over.

#42 R-Truth: With respect to Truth, he probably would have been in a low position on this list with the likes of Curt Hawkins and Heath Slater last year. Now, after reminding everybody of his entertaining antics, 42nd pick seems fair for the 24/7 7/11 European Champion.

#41 Cesaro: This position is far too low for one of WWE’s top talents, but when you consider that he is among the most regular losers in the mid-card on RAW – he has lost nine main-roster matches in a row – then how can we expect him to feature in a good spot in the draft?

#40 Heavy Machinery (Otis & Tucker): One day, the fan reactions will become so strong for Heavy Machinery that WWE will have no choice but to give them a run as Tag Team Champions. For now, they are still trying to establish themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the tag division.

#8 Draft picks 39-35

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#39 Lacey Evans: “The Sassy Southern Belle” is another example of a Superstar who has exceeded expectations after making the move from NXT to the main roster. That being said, her Last Woman Standing loss to Natalya makes it difficult to position Evans ahead of “The Queen of Harts”.

#38 Natalya: Monday’s victory over Lacey Evans gives the former SmackDown Women’s Champion some much-needed momentum heading into the draft. Could another title challenge be on the cards soon?

#37 AOP (Akam & Rezar): Based on match results in 2019, the largely absent AOP would be near the bottom of this list. However, based on their menacing backstage promos, the former RAW Tag Team Champions are being built up as a major threat to the tag division when their return.

#36 The Usos (Jey Uso & Jimmy Uso): One of the best WWE tag teams of the last 10 years, The Usos will be in and around the Tag Team Championship reckoning for as long as they are with the company. Expect them to put together a few wins when they return after the draft.

#35 Carmella: The lowest pick in the 2016 draft, Carmella proved her doubters wrong by winning Money In The Bank, the SmackDown Women’s Championship and the WrestleMania 35 Battle Royal. Perhaps even more impressively, “The Princess of Staten Island” has succeeded as both a babyface and a heel.

#7 Draft picks 34-30

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#34 Chad Gable: Granted, short jokes might not be the most creative way to showcase Gable as one of WWE’s most gifted in-ring talents, but television time is television time, and at least the former American Alpha member’s singles career now appears to be going somewhere.

#33 Ali: The former 205 Live Superstar has been involved in WWE Championship and Intercontinental Championship storylines in 2019. Moving forward, expect him to continue to feature in a prominent position on RAW or SmackDown.

#32 Andrade & Zelina Vega: Similar to Ali, “El Idolo” often finds himself in televised matches, even when he is not involved in meaningful storylines. Perhaps he can be a breakout star following the draft.

#31 The Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar): It has already been announced that Erik & Ivar will challenge Robert Roode & Dolph Ziggler for the RAW Tag Team Championship next week. The current Champions are likely to be picked earlier in the draft, which is why The Viking Raiders are this far down the list.

#30 Elias: WWE’s resident guitarist hardly featured on NXT television but he has become an integral part of the roster on both RAW and SmackDown over the last two years. Excluding the 24/7 Championship, he still awaits his first meaningful title reign.

#6 Draft picks 29-25

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#29 Rey Mysterio: This position seems quite low for a legend of Mysterio’s calibre. However, the majority of WWE drafts are dominated by title holders and title challengers in the top 20, as you’ll soon see.

#28 Erick Rowan & Luke Harper: Despite losing against Daniel Bryan & Roman Reigns at Hell In A Cell, the former Wyatt Family members have still done enough in recent weeks to prove that they are arguably the top tag team in WWE right now.

#27 Samoa Joe: The former United States Champion has lost all eight of his World Championship matches over the last two years. Only time will tell if he will finally win the big one, but it cannot be denied that he has lost credibility as a title challenger in 2019.

#26 Ricochet: Ali, Andrade, Buddy Murphy and Ricochet fit into a similar category on the WWE roster. All four men have extraordinary talent and are hoping to step up from the mid-card to reach the next level. Right now, based on his television time, Ricochet looks most likely.

#25 Rusev: Before his return, “The Bulgarian Brute” would have been a lot lower than this position – he has not won a PPV match in almost three years, after all. Now that he is back, looking better than ever and he has a post-draft storyline already in place, expect to see a lot of Rusev in the near future.

#5 Draft picks 24-20

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#24 Aleister Black: It is fair to say that “The Dutch Destroyer” has not been given the chance to succeed as a singles competitor in the way that many people hoped after WrestleMania 35. His latest appearance on RAW, in which he destroyed The Singh Brothers, reminded fans that he should be taken seriously ahead of the draft.

#23 Bobby Lashley & Lana: “The Dominator” has already stolen Rusev’s woman, and now he can brag about being a better WWE Superstar than his rival if he is picked ahead of him in the draft.

#22 The Miz: The eight-time Intercontinental Champion is one of those Superstars who drifts up and down the card multiple times per year. It would not be a surprise to see him drafted at #30, while he would not look out of place at #10. Let’s go somewhere in the middle!

#21 Bayley: With the SmackDown Women’s Championship, “The Hugger” would easily be a top 10 draft pick. Without the title, she remains one of WWE’s top female Superstars, but it is difficult to imagine her being picked much higher than this position.

#20 Drew McIntyre: Having reportedly been cleared to return, McIntyre is destined to be involved in main-event storylines between now and WrestleMania 36. Depending on his brand destination, the Scot may even challenge for the Universal Championship or WWE Championship in the near future.

#4 Draft picks 19-15

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#19 Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross: Bliss is one of the most popular female Superstars in WWE right now, while her babyface turn has certainly been helped by her alliance with Cross. The former Women’s Tag Team Champions are definitely worthy of being in the top 20, despite losing their titles.

#18 Robert Roode & Dolph Ziggler: These two would be a lot further down the list if they were not RAW Tag Team Champions. Depending on the outcome of their match against The Viking Raiders next Monday, it would not be overly surprising to see them split up soon.

#17 The Revival (Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson): WWE usually drafts the holders of opposing titles around the same time in the draft. The Tag Team titles are hardly a priority on either brand, but the RAW and SmackDown Tag Team Champions are bound to be in the top 20.

#16 Kevin Owens: The former Universal Champion kept his job in WWE by defeating Shane McMahon in a ladder match on last week’s SmackDown. Moving forward, there is no reason why he cannot win a World Championship again over the next year.

#15 King Corbin: Whether people like it or not, King Corbin is here to stay and everything about the way he has been booked appears to suggest that he will be a World Champion in WWE one day.

#3 Draft picks 14-10

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#14 Sasha Banks: Timing is everything when it comes to the draft. In early 2019, “The Boss” might have been in the 30-40 draft pick range. Now that she is back and arguably the top heel in the women’s division, #14 sounds about right.

#13 The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka & Kairi Sane): That last point could also be used to describe The Kabuki Warriors, whose careers seemed to be going nowhere before they won the Women’s Tag Team titles at Hell In A Cell. As title holders, they are bound to feature in a good draft position.

#12 Randy Orton: “The Viper” might not have been successful in his lengthy WWE Championship storyline with Kofi Kingston, but his legacy as a 13-time World Champion and future Hall of Famer is intact. He will bring star power to whichever brand he represents.

#11 Shinsuke Nakamura & Sami Zayn: Like Robert Roode & Dolph Ziggler, Nakamura (w/Zayn) only appears this high in the list because he is the current Intercontinental Champion. Without the title, he would likely be somewhere in the 20-30 range.

#10 The New Day (Big E, Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods): WWE often hypes that tag teams could be broken up when roster changes happen, but it would be a very brave decision if they forced The New Day to go their separate ways. With Kofi Kingston no longer WWE Champion, it will be interesting to see what happens to the trio post-draft.

#2 Draft picks 9-5

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#9 The O.C. (AJ Styles, Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows): Another prominent trio on the WWE roster, these three villains are one spot ahead of The New Day due to the fact that Styles is the current United States Champion.

#8 Daniel Bryan: Some might say Bryan deserves to be higher than this position, but you will see why he is only at #8 when you read the rest of the names in front of him. Whether he represents RAW or SmackDown, main-event storylines surely lie ahead for the former WWE Champion.

#7 Braun Strowman: It is crazy to think that “The Monster Among Men” was drafted at #48 in the 2016 draft – below names including Zack Ryder and Summer Rae – and he is now a certainty to be in the top 10.

#6 Roman Reigns: The #6 pick in the 2016 draft, Reigns would be a serious contender for #1 draft pick if titles did not have such importance heading into the upcoming roster changes. Without a title, he is likely to be outside the top four.

#5 “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt: One of the most compelling characters that WWE has had in years, how can RAW and SmackDown not want “The Fiend” on their roster? If he had won the Universal Championship, he would almost certainly be #1 in these draft predictions.

#1 Draft picks 4-1

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#4 Charlotte Flair: Following Hell In A Cell, it became apparent that the main four titles in WWE – Universal Championship, WWE Championship, RAW Women’s Championship, SmackDown Women’s Championship – were going to be held by four of the company’s top talents. That, presumably, is why Flair beat Bayley just in time for the draft.

#3 Seth Rollins: After being the first pick in 2016, it is difficult to see Rollins getting that privilege again in 2019, especially after a large section of fans turned against him at Hell In A Cell. Still, the Universal Championship has been treated as WWE’s top title over the last three years, so he is sure to be in the top three.

#2 Brock Lesnar: With the amount of star power that “The Beast” will bring to SmackDown on FOX, nobody should really be surprised that he quickly dismantled Kofi Kingston to win the WWE Championship. Title or no title, Lesnar will always be a top 10 draft pick.

#1 Becky Lynch: Out of the four main title holders, it was between Brock Lesnar and Lynch for the #1 spot. RAW and SmackDown will likely take turns choosing Superstars in the 2019 draft (or, like in 2016, RAW will have three picks for every two SmackDown picks), so these positions would put “The Man” and “The Beast” on separate shows. If that does happen, expect them to become the face of their respective brands.


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