The first round of the 2019 NFL Draft has come and gone. We had a few surprises, some good and some bad. Let’s take a look at some of the big acquisitions:

The first pick in the draft went to the Arizona Cardinals who drafted quarterback Kyler Murray. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury gets his man. He recruited Murray out of high school, both ran fiery air raid offenses at the collegiate level, and the NFC West is interesting again. The move is a huge negative mark on the record of GM Steve Keim, who drafted QB Josh Rosen in the first round just a year ago. If Kliff is successful with Murray, look for Keim to be out. If the Cardinals are unsuccessful, also look for Keim to be out. The offense could have succeeded with Rosen, but Murray can bring it to the next level – and perhaps being Arizona beyond just .500.

The third pick belonged to the New York Jets who went with defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. This was a great pick for Gang Green. This draft was full of pass rushing talent, with solid picks into the second and third rounds. That said, the top two pass rushers, San Francisco’s Nick Bosa and New York’s Quinnen Williams, separated themselves from the rest. The pick makes incredible sense, with an aging Tom Brady more vulnerable than ever to a tenacious rush. In fact, all three AFC East organizations not named the Patriots chose pass rushers. This team might be something to watch this year.  

The sixth pick in the draft belonged to the New York Giants who outraged fans by drafting quarterback Daniel Jones. The Giants got the man they wanted according to reports, but mismanaged their opportunities. Picking sixth , they could have easily traded the pick to a team selecting 10-15 and still gotten Jones. The only team in that range interested in a quarterback was Washington, who selected Dwayne Haskins out of Ohio State. It feels like the Giants drafted him too high and should have moved down, gained more picks, and still gotten who they wanted. The connection between Jones and the Mannings makes sense, but it was a poorly managed selection.

The biggest drop of the draft fell to the Washington football team who took quarterback Dwayne Haskins. This is disappointing for Mr. Haskins. Washington had Kirk Cousins and knew he wouldn’t lead them to anything and moved on, but they’re in the same position they were in before Cousins. Prior to Cousins, the most recent consistent quarterback for the team in DC was Mark Rypien in the early 90s. Haskins has so much talent, and it’d be a shame to see it wasted in Washington. I would’ve loved to see him go to Denver at 10, but it wasn’t meant to be.

The defending Super Bowl champion New England took wideout N’keal Harry with the last pick in the first round. First round receivers are usually busts especially as of late. Bill Belichick has never been good at drafting receivers. None of this is to disparage Harry, but to point out that perhaps this wasn’t the best move. The team could’ve easily dealt a few of their 12 picks this year and moved up to grab a tight end from Iowa. This team will be interesting to watch this year, but probably not for Patriots fans.