The first round of the 2019 NFL Draft might have been filled with a ton of takeaways. In no way does that mean Friday’s slate was any less interesting.
From Round 1 talent falling out of the first 32 picks to one pretty big trade, a ton of things happened.
Meanwhile, multiple NFL teams seemed to ace Rounds 2 and 3. That includes the New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins.
These are among the top takeaways from Day 2 of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Jaguars beef up offensive line big time
Jacksonville needed to find a top-end offensive tackle at some point in the draft in order to help protect new franchise guy Nick Foles. They got that in the form of a player in Jawaan Taylor who many had pegged as a top-10 pick and the top tackle in the draft.
This came on the heels of Jacksonville stealing Kentucky edge rusher Josh Allen at No. 7 overall Thursday night. Jacksonville then added a potential starting tight end in San Jose State’s Josh Oliver in the third round before …. This represented a great first two days for Tom Coughlin and Co.
Bills continue to do good things
Former Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver might have been one of the biggest steals of Round 1 when he went off the board to Buffalo at No. 9 overall Thursday night. Buffalo seemingly made sure to get one of the best Day 2 values after trading up with the Oakland Raiders.
General manager Brandon Beane and Co. added former Oklahoma guard Cody Ford at 38. This is what we’d call building a bully a long the trenches. Both come to Western New York representing value at need positions. Florida Atlantic running back Devin Singletary represented the Bills’ first third-round pick. The talented 203-pound ball carrier joins an otherwise aging backfield. He was a tremendous value pick.
More weapons for Jimmy Garoppolo
Entering his second season with the 49ers, Garoppolo will soon be handed a plethora of talent to work with. That already included running backs Matt Breida, Tevin Coleman and Jerick McKinnon as well as stud receiver Dante Pettis and All-Pro tight end George Kittle.
San Francisco sought to add even more talent at the skill positions in Day 2, bringing wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Jalen Hurd into the mix . General manager John Lynch and Co. fell in love with the 5-foot-11 Samuel during the Senior Bowl. He is considered by some to be the best route runner in the draft. Meanwhile, the 6-foot-4 Hurd is extremely talented and provides that missing red-zone threat in San Francisco.
More first-round prospects slide big time
By virtue of some major reaches on Thursday night, there was still some elite-level talent available in the second round. That included potential top-10 picks such as wide receiver D.K. Metcalf, offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor and cornerback Greedy Williams. With the exception of Taylor, the other two lasted much further on Day 2 than most expected.
Williams finally went off the board at No. 46 to the Cleveland Browns. The projected No. 1 player at his position ended up being the seventh corner off the board. Even more unbelievable, Metcalf didn’t go until the 64th pick to Seattle and was the ninth receiver off the board after a dominating pre-draft process. This just goes to show us that we should expect the unexpected.
Raiders really enjoyed the National Championship Game
Thursday night saw Oakland reach for Clemson EDGE rusher Clelin Ferrell at No. 4 overall. It was a downright surprise given that Josh Allen was still on the board with that pick. With the Raiders’ second pick on Day 1, head coach Jon Gruden and Co. nabbed Alabama running back Josh Jacobs. He’ll replace Marshawn Lynch in the backfield. What do these two players have in common? They took on one another in last season’s National Championship Game.
Starting out Round 2 following a trade back, Oakland tripled down with Clemson corner Trayvon Mullen. The selection itself was pretty strong. But it’s also now clear that Gruden and first-year head coach Mike Mayock put a lot of stock in the National Championship Game. Whether that continues into Day 3 remains to be seen.
John Elway finally gets his young quarterback
As much as we’ve criticized Elway in the past, he hit a home run with the Broncos’ first three selections. After adding multiple draft picks in a trade down with Pittsburgh Thursday evening, Denver found a legit tight end in that of Noah Fant. It was a great pick, especially given Joe Flacco’s tendency to target his tight ends.
After adding offensive tackle Dalton Risner at No. 41 overall, the Broncos traded up with Cincinnati to nab Missouri quarterback Drew Lock. He was said to be a target of the Broncos in the top 10. The 6-foot-4 Lock represents value and need for a Broncos team that has struggled finding a long-term solution at quarterback. Job well done, Mr. Elway.
John Dorsey might just know what he’s doing
An argument can be made that these Browns added a better player in Round 2 than the prospect the New York Giants selected with the first-round pick they acquired from Cleveland in the Odell Beckham Jr. trade. That came in the form of former LSU standout cornerback Greedy Williams.
A player many expected to go within the top-10 picks, Williams lasted to No. 46 overall. That’s when Cleveland moved up a few spots with the Colts to nab him. We’re talking about a potential Pro Bowler at a need position outside of the top 45. Dorsey obviously has a feel for what he’s doing. And it’s going to lead to an exciting product in Ohio.
Dolphins are doing it right
Earlier on Friday it was reported that Miami might move its original second-round selection (48th overall) to the Arizona Cardinals for Josh Rosen. Instead, the Dolphins dealt that pick to the New Orleans Saints for the 62nd selection and a 2020 second-round pick.
Ultimately, Miami would move the pick it acquired from New Orleans as well as a late 2020 draft pick to Arizona for Rosen. Talk about playing the board perfectly and coming away with a potential franchise quarterback. We have to give Miami credit for how it played both the Cardinals and Saints for fools.
Patriots doing Patriots things
The selection of big-bodied receiver N’Keal Harry with the final pick of Round 2 was against the norm for the defending champs. In no way does that make it a bad pick. New England got value at a need position. But as we’ve seen throughout this dynasty, it’s about what New England does after the first day that matters.
These Patriots dominated on Friday. It started with adding a physical 6-foot-4 corner in Joejuan Williams after a trade up with the Los Angeles Rams. He figures to get a shot as a rookie. In the third round, New England selected three players that were elite-level performers in college. That included Michigan defensive end Chase Winovich, Alabama running back Damien Harris and West Virginia offensive tackle Yodny Cajuste . All three have the ability to start. Not that it’s a surprise, but these Pats also know what they’re doing.