No one knows what the future holds — that said, some NFL teams probably wish they did.
One pick could transform a potential playoff roster into a Super Bowl contender. A late-round gem could become the next big name in the NFL or a first-rounder could fail to live up to their hype. In our 2019 first-round NFL redraft, we eliminated trades — what you see is what you get. So if everyone was stuck at their original draft position, with the information that they now have, who would these NFL franchises decide to take? Would their selection be the same or would they look elsewhere?
2019 NFL Redraft
1. Arizona Cardinals: QB Kyler Murray
(Original Pick – QB Kyler Murray)
If Kliff Kingsbury is still your coach, you’re going to need a quarterback to work to his style of offense. Kyler Murray struggled to produce wins due to a weak offensive line and limited weapons, yet he still scored 24 total touchdowns and won Offensive Rookie of the Year. Other quarterbacks played better, but this is Kingsbury’s guy.
2. San Francisco 49ers: DE Nick Bosa
(Original Pick – DE Nick Bosa)
Nick Bosa was the best player in the 2019 class. He proved it with his 47 tackle, nine sack season as a rotational player. The 49ers also made it to the Super Bowl thanks to their defensive front. Next.
3. New York Jets: DE Josh Allen
(Original Pick – DL Quinnen Williams)
The Jets will still need to address their defensive line woes, even with the selection of Quinnen Williams. Last season, New York finished 23rd in sacks with 35 quarterback takedowns. Josh Allen finished with 10.5 sacks alone last year. He’d be a perfect addition off the edge for gang green.
4. Las Vegas Raiders: WR A.J. Brown
(Original Pick – DE Clelin Ferrell)
Let’s get crazy, people. The Raiders had one of the worst receiving corps last season thanks to the lack of speed and agility. Brown shined as a second-round sensation, tallying a rookie-high 1,051 yards and eight scores. The new Las Vegas boys wouldn’t have won the division, but the team should have finished around .500 with an extra weapon in place of Antonio Brown.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: LB Devin White
(Original Pick – LB Devin White)
If it’s not broke, no reason to fix it. Devin White excelled in Todd Bowles’ defense, tallying 91 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and a pair of touchdowns. A leader and the replacement for Kwon Alexander, the Bucs finished as a middle of the pack defense and should only improve with rookies adjusting to the professional level.
6. New York Giants: QB Daniel Jones
(Original Pick – QB Daniel Jones)
Wow, Dave Gettleman was right all along? Perhaps a joke when selected, Daniel Jones culminated a respectable rookie season with over 3,000 yards and 26 touchdowns in 13 games. He’s safe, but sometimes being safe keeps you in the NFL long-term, right Eli? The Giants still might have overdrafted Jones, but there’s no way he’s falling out of the top-10 after last year.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars: LB Devin Bush Jr.
(Original Pick – EDGE Josh Allen)
With Josh Allen off the board, the Jaguars should look at finding the long-term replacement for Telvin Smith. Instead of spending $53.5 million in free agency on Joe Schobert, why not grab Devin Bush Jr. for cheap over the next five years? The Michigan defender collected 109 total tackles, two interceptions, a sack, and a forced fumble in the starting role for Pittsburgh. Both Jacksonville and Pittsburgh are at their best with a strong defense, making Bush a perfect addition.
8. Detroit Lions: DL Ed Oliver
(Original Pick – TE T.J. Hockenson)
It’s not that T.J. Hockenson is terrible — that’s still to be determined. Detroit and first-round tight ends are never a good idea. Bob Quinn can fix his trenches with Ed Oliver, a player who was in the running for the original pick. The Houston defender finished his first season in Buffalo with 43 tackles, five sacks, two passes defended, and a forced fumble. That was all as a rotational player in a top-three defense loaded with talent. Imagine him as the star of the Motor City?
9. Buffalo Bills: WR D.K. Metcalf
(Original Pick – DL Ed Oliver)
The Bills traded away the No.22 pick for Stefon Diggs this offseason, finally giving Josh Allen a legitimate No.1 target. In the redraft, they keep their first and find him a big-time weapon in D.K. Metcalf. The Ole Miss product finished with 900 yards off 58 catches and scored seven touchdowns. As the No.2 for Russell Wilson, he’d become the physical weapon for Allen like DeAndre Hopkins and Travis Kelce were for Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes’ early progression into stardom.
10. Denver Broncos: QB Drew Lock
(Original Pick – LB Devin Bush (VIA PIT)
There was only a sample size of Drew Lock last season, but that will be enough to make the quarterback a bonafide first-round pick. With Pittsburgh no longer trading up, the Broncos will remain pat at No.10 and take him here. The Mizzou star passed for 1,020 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions during his five games. He completed 64.1 percent of his passes and guided the team to a 4-1 finish. There’s a reason Broncos’ fans should be hyped about this selection heading into the new decade.
11. Cincinnati Bengals: OT Jonah Williams
(Original Pick – OT Jonah Williams)
When it’s all said and done, Jonah Williams could be the most productive NFL lineman in the past three drafts. The Bengals needed to see if Andy Dalton was their future or if they would go in a different direction. An early injury cost him a season, so he could be fresh and ready to go. The best way to help your rookie quarterback is with a franchise left tackle on the offensive line. Williams is just that.
12. Green Bay Packers: WR Terry McLaurin
(Original Pick – EDGE Rashan Gary)
If Brian Gutekunst doesn’t want to help Aaron Rodgers, I will. The team has needed both a speedy replacement for Randall Cobb and a reliable target for Jordy Nelson. Let’s get both with the third-round surprise in Terry McLaurin. The Ohio State standout finished with Washington amassing 58 receptions, 919 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns. A 4.35 40-time shows he has the speed to be a consistent 1,000-yard target.
13. Miami Dolphins: DL Quinnen Williams
(Original Pick – DL Christian Wilkins)
The defensive line is still a need for Miami. Quinnen Williams, on paper, is a sure-fire talent in the trenches. It’s time to see him do it on the field, however. By no means was Williams’ season a horrendous one, it just wasn’t worthy of the No.3 pick. At 13, the numbers would justify his draft slot, and Miami still added a defender in the trenches.
14. Atlanta Falcons: LB Dre Greenlaw
(Original Pick – OL Chris Lindstrom)
Believe it or not, linebacker for the 4-3 base Falcons has been a need on the outside. Chris Lindstrom could be an excellent addition, but Dre Greenlaw surprised everyone last season as a fifth-round steal. The former Razorback tallied 92 total stops, a pair of pass deflections, an interception and a sack. Greenlaw’s addition could have helped the team push for a wild card spot, fixing the 19th ranked defense in the front seven.
15. Washington Redskins: EDGE Brian Burns
(Original Pick – QB Dwayne Haskins)
Is Dwayne Haskins still the starter with Ron Rivera in the building? Washington traded back into the first to snag Montez Sweat, but this time around Brian Burns is theirs for the taking. The former Seminole had a productive rookie campaign with the Panthers, collecting 25 tackles and 7.5 sacks. As a situational pass rusher, he would thrive on Rivera’s new team instead of his old one.
16. Carolina Panthers: EDGE Maxx Crosby
(Original Pick – DE Brian Burns)
While Burns is gone, Carolina still would grab a steal from the fourth round. Sure, Maxx Crosby isn’t a finished product, but his team-high 10 sacks forced him into a starting role opposite Clelin Ferrell. If Carolina is still going for an edge rusher, the Eastern Michigan star should be the right call long-term.
Continue for picks 17 to 32 of our 2019 redraft of the first round.