Winners and losers from the 2019 NFL Draft
With all seven rounds of the 2019 NFL Draft now in the books, let's evaluate which teams and individuals benefited most, and who received our lowest marks.
Winners: Kyler Murray, Kliff Kingsbury
With a projected $23.6-million signing bonus that comes with being the first overall pick, Kyler Murray more than quadrupled the bonus he would've gotten from the Oakland Athletics. That, alone, makes him a winner.
But the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback also watched the Cardinals find much-needed weapons for him throughout the draft. Arizona brought in three receivers, including two in the first four rounds. He and first-year head coach Kliff Kingsbury now have the tools they need to successfully implement the Air Raid offense in Year 1.
They may not be ready for playoff contention, but the Murray-Kingsbury Cardinals should be much more competitive than the Josh Rosen-Steve Wilks Cardinals that sunk Arizona to the worst record in the league last season.
Loser: Josh Rosen
The Cardinals pulled the rug out from underneath Rosen after one year, selecting his replacement first overall and later trading him to the Miami Dolphins. Rosen never had a chance to succeed in the desert: he was handed a rookie head coach, a new offensive coordinator midseason, and one of the least talented supporting casts in the NFL.
Now the former UCLA star is headed to Miami, where he could find himself in a similar situation. The Dolphins have been open about their intention to execute a full-scale rebuild, and Rosen will have to work with another rookie head coach and another terrible cast of supporting characters.
If the Dolphins are as bad as most onlookers expect, they'll be in position to draft their own Rosen replacement in 2020, when Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa and Oregon's Justin Herbert are eligible.
Winner: Dolphins
After years of mediocrity (two playoff appearances since 2002), the Dolphins are finally rebuilding the right way. Owner Stephen Ross and general manager Chris Grier have employed a flexible approach to the 2019 offseason. The team originally appeared adamant on tanking for a 2020 quarterback prospect, but things changed when Rosen was made available by the Cardinals.
Miami expertly negotiated the Rosen deal. The quarterback was initially thought to be traded for a mid second-round pick (No. 48 overall), but the team had moved down (No. 62) in a separate deal with New Orleans. They flipped that selection to Arizona, while hanging on to the 2020 second rounder they got from the Saints.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the deal is the potential lack of commitment. Considering what the Cardinals have already paid to the 2018 first-rounder - they were responsible for his signing bonus - it's almost like the Dolphins got him for free. They can evaluate him for a year and then either decide to build around him or flip the passer to another team for additional draft capital.
Loser: Giants
The Giants' nightmare offseason continued during the NFL draft. General manager Dave Gettleman attempted to hit a home run over the last three months, but his moves resembled more of a pick-6.
New York's draft kicked off by reaching for Daniel Jones, who now has the unenviable task of trying to win over the fans and media in one of the world's most unforgiving sports markets. We also couldn't help but question Gettleman's comments regarding how Jones could sit for three years behind Eli Manning. The constant coddling of Manning could be the downfall of this team, if it isn't already.
It's also hard to see how any of the Giants' later picks are upgrades on the players they're replacing. Dexter Lawrence and Deandre Baker are solid prospects, but there were other needs to address.
Winner: Redskins
After all the talk of Redskins owner Daniel Snyder taking over the draft room and trading up for a quarterback, he and his cohorts wound up sitting tight and letting one fall into their laps at No. 15.
Not only did Washington refrain from coughing up unnecessary assets, it also ended up with Dwayne Haskins. The Ohio State product was, arguably, the top pivot in the class, and his skill set fits naturally in Jay Gruden's quick-hit offense.
The Redskins then traded ahead of the Raiders to scoop up Montez Sweat, also in the first round, adding to a positively stacked defensive front seven. The typically-confused Redskins finally seemed to have an organizational plan.
Loser: Buccaneers
Seemingly stuck in the basement of a competitive NFC South, Tampa Bay certainly didn't wow anyone with their 2019 draft crop. There are impact players to be found, specifically Devin White, but the Bucs still have major question marks at slot receiver, pass-rusher, offensive line, and safety. They also drafted another kicker, this time in the fifth-round. Apparently the nightmares of Roberto Aguayo have worn off.
Winner: Nashville
The draft hosts were one of the biggest winners of the weekend. Downtown Nashville, Tenn. set a draft new attendance record with an estimated 600,000 guests. Crowds of over 200,000 people attended the first two days of the event.
Despite periods of rainfall and trash talk from former Indianapolis Colts Reggie Wayne and Pat McAfee, Nashville was rocking from start to finish. This certainly won't be the last time it hosts the three-day event.
Loser: Joe Flacco
Entering the draft, Flacco said he wanted Denver to draft players that "add value to the team with me as the understood quarterback." He got that in the first round, but saw his eventual successor taken in the second. The former Baltimore Raven's starting spot isn't secured well beyond 2019, but the pressure will now be on from the get-go. If the Broncos get off to a slow start, the calls for Drew Lock will be loud.
Winner: Versatile receivers
Versatility is key in today's NFL, and this was never more evident than during the 2019 draft's early rounds.
Marquise Brown, the first wide receiver selected this year, has the ability to dominate on deep routes, double moves, and after the catch. First-round pick N'Keal Harry can win when lining up at any spot on the field. Second-day selections Deebo Samuel, Parris Campbell, Jalen Hurd, and Andy Isabella are swiss-army knife options that offensive coordinators will utilize in a multitude of ways.
Conversely, receivers who were deemed one dimensional by NFL teams were bumped down the draft board. Ole Miss wideout A.J. Brown was selected before teammate D.K. Metcalf, who ran a limited route tree in college. Lack of versatility also resulted in slides for Hakeem Butler, Riley Ridley, and Terry McLaurin.
Loser: Cam Newton
Panthers fans won't know if their franchise quarterback's shoulder is fully healthy until training camp, but the Will Grier selection isn't a positive sign. Carolina's brass claimed it had a first-round grade on the former West Virginia star, but the pick is redundant if the team was fully confident in Newton's playing status. Grabbing insurance at quarterback is never a terrible idea, but the Panthers had a number of roster holes to address in Round 3 instead.
Winner: Young, unproven RBs
The 2019 running back class was a deep position group, but it doesn't appear that many selected will immediately be replacing NFL veterans.
A number of teams did not address their backfield, meaning the likes of Marlon Mack, Damien Williams, Ronald Jones, and Peyton Barber are expected to retain key roles on their expected offenses. Josh Jacobs, the draft's lone first-round running back, will replace Marshawn Lynch, who will reportedly retire.
Loser: Replaced veterans
Ryan Fitzpatrick, Case Keenum, and Kyle Rudolph are among the veterans on shaky ground after their teams landed potential replacements in Nashville.
Fitzpatrick was in line to start at quarterback for the Dolphins before the draft, but is likely headed for backup duty following the Rosen deal. Keenum will have to fend off Haskins in training camp to avoid the same fate with the Redskins. The Minnesota Vikings made Rudolph expendable by taking Alabama tight end Irv Smith Jr. in the second round. The cap-strapped Vikes were reportedly open to dealing high-priced veterans - like Rudolph - at the draft. Even LeSean McCoy or Frank Gore's roster spot appears to be in jeopardy after the Bills selected Devin Singletary.
And in Pittsburgh, the Steelers released Jon Bostic as soon as the draft ended, opening a starting position for first-rounder Devin Bush.