The 2019 NFL Draft is just under a month away, and every NFL team will be looking to draft young talent that they hope will help take their team to the next level. Some teams such as the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots are looking to rebuild off last season’s success in order to make another strong push towards Super Bowl 53 in 2020. On the contrary, there are other teams who left a lot of people scratching their heads last season, and they will have to figure out how to utilize free agency and the upcoming draft in order to make some progress towards next season. Here are a few teams that fall into the latter category, and what they could possibly do to get their teams headed in the right direction:
New York Giants: Quarterback
If you didn’t think I’d feel compelled to put this team at the top of the list, then you’ve been living under a rock. I think it’s known in virtually every NFL circle that Eli Manning’s days in the NFL are numbered, and I think the Giants general manager Dave Gettleman is admitting that by trading Odell Beckham Jr. It doesn’t matter how confident Gettleman and co-owner John Mara sound to the press, they know good and well they’re going to have to desperately scramble to keep their organization from falling into the toilet during this season upcoming season, and possibly after that.
While the Giants offense still has running back Saquon Barkley to build around, and two promising receiving options in Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram, they will need a quarterback who can get them the ball. Eli Manning is 38 years old and after being sacked 47 times last season, he gets closer to not being a viable quarterback option year after year, and on top of that he’s an average quarterback at best, he won’t see another season like the one he had in 2015. The Giants need to prepare for the future and in order to do that they need to use their sixth overall pick and select Manning’s predecessor. I know it’s more than tempting to use this pick elsewhere in a draft pool littered with defensive talent, but the Giants must commit themselves to finding a quarterback. On top of that, they do have the 17th overall pick they acquired from the Browns, and so they can easily draft a playmaker on the defensive side of the ball nine picks later.
While according to the media it’s more than likely that former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Kyler Murray will be off the board before the Giants selection, they should remain prepared if Murray somehow falls into their lap. If Murray doesn’t pan out, the Giants have shown interest in former Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Dwayne Haskins, who like Manning, is best known for his ability to be an effective pocket passer. Regardless of who they decide to select, the Giants should and most likely will be smart enough to address the quarterback position early on if they want to begin improving off of a disappointing 5-11 campaign last season.
New York Jets: Pass rusher
The Jets have been trying to find themselves as a team for quite some time, more specifically since 2010. They have brought in player after player hoping to solve their issues on both sides of the ball, and only two players that remain on the roster have made noticeably effective impacts since being brought into the organization on the defensive side of the ball, Leonard Williams and Avery Williamson. Those two players can only do so much for a defensive unit that finished in the bottom top 10 for pass and rush defense last season.
On the bright side, this means that virtually the Jets can upgrade any position on the defensive side of the ball, however the Jets should put an emphasis on strengthening a front seven unit that’s been in the bottom top 10 in run defense for the past two seasons. The Jets secondary could use some help after Morris Claiborne and Buster Skrine displayed poor performances last season, but with safety Jamal Adams fantastic rookie year, the exciting potential of safety Marcus Maye when he returns next season healthy and the signing of former Falcons cornerback Brian Poole, the secondary will hopefully be able to hold their own for at least another season.
With the third overall pick in this years’ draft, the Jets can’t go wrong as they have the chance to draft potential superstars like Nick Bosa, Quinnen Williams, Josh Allen and Rashan Gary. All of these players are dynamic and explosive, fit their defensive scheme and any of these picks would definitely shore up some of the problems the Jets defense have been having, and help them move closer to finally competing in the AFC East division again.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Offensive tackle
I’m a firm believer that the Jaguars offensive woes didn’t rely entirely on Blake Bortles and at the same time it kind of did, he obviously showed some promise in 2015, and then dealt with inconsistent offensive line play but he never really gave the Jaguars any reason to believe he was their franchise quarterback. After signing Nick Foles, the Jaguars lose the “incompetent quarterback” narrative, this is a quarterback who’s put together a very solid postseason resume and claimed a Super Bowl title two years ago as a backup quarterback. If the Cowboys and Rams have shown us anything, it’s that an effective quarterback and running back duo can do wonders for an offense.
Now, the Jaguars need to help Foles run the offense effectively, and solidify the offensive line in order to not only give him time to find his receiving targets in Dede Westbrook and Marqise Lee next season, but to help Leonard Fournette reclaim the dominance that he displayed in his rookie season. The offensive line interior is in good hands with center Brandon Linder and guard Andrew Norwell who had solid seasons last year, however the tackles need all of the help they can get. Cam Robinson missed most of last year with a torn ACL, and Josh Wells had an average season last year, but the Jaguars have a few options they can tap into in the upcoming draft.
Former Florida Gators offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor has garnered very good reviews by scouts, he is raw and has room for improvement, but he is easily one of the top run blockers in the draft and has the technique and athleticism to compete with speed rushers, which could be very beneficial for both Foles and Fournette. If they want a more versatile option, they could also go with former Oklahoma Sooners offensive guard/tackle Cody Ford. While he’s mainly a guard he can play either guard or tackle, something that’s useful for any offensive line, he has some pass protection concerns, but has a very good blend of size and athleticism that will translate well for him in the run game. With either of these picks, the Jaguars will have a clear upgrade over what they’re dealing with on the offensive line right now, and with the right development, have the chance to turn either of these top offensive tackles into All-Pro caliber players.
Baltimore Ravens: Wide receiver
The Ravens were quite an anomaly last season, if you could help me find another team that ranked in the bottom top ten in pass defense, rush defense and passing and somehow managed to go 10-6 and make a playoff appearance I’d be genuinely surprised. The Ravens needed salvation midway through the season and they found salvation on the offense in the form of Lamar Jackson, who turned around a struggling Ravens team, and helped them win six of their last seven regular season games to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Jackson everything he could do in order to help the offense find success, but they didn’t find it in the air, the Ravens team rushing totals significantly increased after Jackson took the helm, with the Ravens adopting a primarily run first emphasis on offense.
The Ravens receiving corps is young, but won’t be enough to get the job done for Jackson, Willie Snead had a decent year, but isn’t capable of finding the end zone frequently and after him, there isn’t a reliable target that can be frequently relied upon. Luckily for Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta, the wide receiver class this year is absolutely loaded, with a mix between athletic freaks with heavy potential upside such as D.K Metcalf and N’Keal Harry, who are deep ball threats every time they step out onto the field, or absolute speedsters such as Marquise Brown and Parris Campbell who have the potential to take the top off secondaries. Either way, if the Ravens want Jackson to take another step towards becoming the quarterback they want him to be, they are going to have to give him a dangerous weapon on the perimeter in order to be able to effectively face NFL defenses next season as a full time starter.
Oakland Raiders: Linebacker
The Raiders struggles were very clearly documented last season, I think it’s clear they were going to experience you decided to trade away arguably the best defensive player in the league in Khalil Mack, your top receiver who went on to help another team reach the NFC divisional playoffs and lead his new team in receptions, yards and touchdowns, that player being Amari Cooper and then letting your veteran linebacker in Bruce Irvin walk. The three moves are a few of the various moves Jon Gruden has made in order to try and elevate this Raiders team, and what was the result of those moves this season? A regular season record of 4-12, ranking third worst in rushing yards allowed per game and a defense that lacks an identity altogether.
After the signing of Antonio Brown, the offense is clearly taking steps in the right direction, but there is still a lot of concern on the defensive side of the ball. There are promising pieces in place such as Karl Joseph, Maurice Hurst and Arden Key, but they are all still young and have lots of room to improve. While the argument could be made that the Raiders could use their fourth overall pick on a defensive lineman, such as Ed Oliver or Quinnen Williams, to try and replicate the production of Mack, the Raiders have a developing player in Hurst, who has the potential to become an impact player, and on top of that they just signed Johnathan Hankins, a veteran presence who will be expected to provide some stability to the defensive line. The Raiders need to look for a player that can provide their unit with some organization and leadership, because the current linebackers certainly aren’t doing it, and that is the position that is usually used to fill the criteria I just stated for the Raiders defense. A few options that I could definitely see filling the void for the Raiders are Devin White, Devin Bush who were both the leaders of their defenses at LSU and Michigan respectively, and can come in and start right away, both will more than likely be on the board when decision time comes for the Raiders. A strong linebacking presence would definitely help shore up some of the issues the Raiders have been having against the run.
