1. New England Patriots– Usually, they trade out of the first round and make a good portion of their picks later. I mean, they did draft their quarterback in the sixth round with the 199th overall pick in 2000. Things have turned out well for 12, haven’t they? The defending champions addressed several needs for their football team, most notably at wide receiver. With their first pick, they drafted N’Keal Harry who I see being used as an intricate part of their offense in 2019. He gives Brady a big and strong target in the passing game who makes the tough catches through traffic (he’s also made comparisons to Dez Bryant). They also added a new weapon to their defensive line by selecting Michigan star Chase Winovich in the third round. Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham was a nice value pick in the fourth round. I was impressed with their 2019 draft. It’s safe to say Bill knows what he’s doing.
2. Washington Redskins– After Alex Smith’s gruesome leg injury last season, they had a quarterback by committee issue to finish out the rest of the season. It’s very possible that Smith could miss the entire 2019 season. The Redskins got some luck in their favor when Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins fell in their laps at number 15. He gives them an excellent talent at their most important position. It’s safe to say they found their quarterback of the future. Washington also took Stanford running back Bryce Love in the fourth round. Bryce was one of the best players in college football and he would’ve been a day one or two pick if he didn’t suffer the torn ACL in December last season. He’s a good low-risk/high reward prospect. I loved that they traded back into the first round to draft Montez Sweat from Mississippi State who was ranked as one of the best pass rushers in this draft class. Washington has struggled to rush the passer and Sweat should fill that glaring need.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers– They did what nobody expected them to do: Trade up to fill that glaring need. They picked Devin Bush from Michigan with the tenth pick which I immediately thought was one of the best moves on Thursday night. After the unfortunate injury to Ryan Shazier, the Steelers have lacked that presence in the middle of their defense. Therefore, they selected Devin to fill that void and anchor that front seven. In the third round, they selected wide receiver Diontae Johnson from Toledo. He has a chance to become a reliable target for Ben Roethlisberger. Justin Layne from Michigan State was also a nice pick for them. I’ve said for years the Steelers need help in their secondary. If Layne makes the team, he can provide that.
