The 2019 Draft

The quarterback the new coach wanted and value all through Day 2, paid for by selling last year's top-ten quarterback for a late second.

• The need: a quarterback for Kingsbury's offense, then receivers and the offensive line.
• The trades: Josh Rosen to Miami for 62 and a 2020 fifth-round pick.
• The pick: Murphy at 33 was Kiper's top corner; the first lineman came at 179.

From 12 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.

Two linemen for Matt Ryan in the first round, bought with the whole of Day 2.

• The need: the offensive line, then defensive tackle and cornerback.
• The trades: 45 and 79 to the Rams for 31 and 203; two Day 3 trades up for Sheffield and Cominsky.
• The pick: Lindstrom at 14 was Kiper's top guard; no defensive tackle in the class.

From 10 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.

Traded down, still got the receiver it wanted, and found the pass rusher on Day 2.

• The need: wide receiver, pass rusher, inside linebacker and the interior line.
• The trades: 22 to Philadelphia for 25, 127 and 197; 102, 191 and 193 to Minnesota for 93.
• The pick: Brown at 25 was Kiper's top receiver; Ferguson at 85 met the pass-rush need.

From 11 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.

The defensive tackle the roster needed at 9, a first-round-rated tackle for a fifth, and two fourths spent on a tight end.

• The need: an interior pass rusher after Kyle Williams retired, then tight end and receiver.
• The trades: 158 to Oakland to move from 40 to 38; both fourth-round picks to Washington for 96.
• The pick: Kiper had Oliver at 9 trending toward the top five; Ford at 38 was first-round value to Yahoo.

From 12 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.

The pass rusher the boards loved at 16, then a third-round pick spent to move up for a tackle they argued over.

• The need: edge rusher and offensive tackle, then a backup for Cam Newton.
• The trades: 47 and 77 to Seattle for 37; 187 to Denver for 212 and 237.
• The pick: Burns at 16 could have gone in the top ten to Kiper; Little at 37 split the graders.

From 11 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.

The first-round pick was already Khalil Mack, and the weekend spent a future fourth on a running back.

• The need: running back and defensive back, though the general manager called none pressing.
• The trades: 87, 162 and a 2020 fourth to New England for 73 and 205.
• The pick: Montgomery at 73 by trade; Ridley at 126 was a second-round talent to Reuter.

From 10 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.

The tackle at 11 and a trade down that added two picks, then a second-round pick on a blocking tight end the graders had later.

• The need: offensive tackle, linebacker and a pass rusher.
• The trades: 42 to Denver for 52, 125 and 182; trades up for 104 and 136.
• The pick: Williams at 11 met the need; Sample at 52 was too early to Kiper, Reuter and Yahoo.

From 12 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.

The first-round pick was already Odell Beckham, and the weekend added one cheap move up for a top corner.

• The need: defensive back, offensive tackle and inside linebacker.
• The trades: 49 and 144 to Indianapolis for 46; 17 had gone to the Giants for Beckham.
• The pick: Greedy Williams at 46 was 19th overall to Yahoo; a kicker at 170.

From 10 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.

The first-round pick was already Amari Cooper; the first pick of the weekend passed on the safeties for a tackle Kiper graded in the fourth round.

• The need: safety, then defensive tackle, tight end and running back.
• The trades: 136 to Cincinnati for 149 and 213; 149 to Oakland for 158 and 218.
• The pick: Hill at 58 carried a fourth-round grade from Kiper; the first safety came at 213.

From 10 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.

A trade down that added a future pick, then the tight end, a lineman and a quarterback to develop.

• The need: tight end, linebacker and quarterback.
• The trades: 10 to Pittsburgh for 20, 52 and a 2020 third; 52, 125 and 182 to Cincinnati for 42.
• The pick: Lock at 42 was a top-ten talent to Kiper; no inside linebacker in the class.

From 10 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.

A pro-ready tight end at 8, then a second-round linebacker the boards had in the fourth round.

• The need: defensive end, cornerback, the offensive line and tight end.
• The trades: 88 and 204 to Minnesota for 81; 111 to Atlanta for 117 and 186.
• The pick: Tavai at 43 carried a fourth-round grade from Kiper; no offensive lineman.

From 11 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.

Two first-round picks spent on defense, one of them on a pass rusher with an injured shoulder, then the lineman and tight end on Day 2.

• The need: receiver, tight end, the offensive line, then pass rusher and safety.
• The trades: 30, 114 and 118 to Seattle for 21.
• The pick: Gary at 12 carried a labrum injury and thin production; Jenkins at 44 met the line need.

From 11 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.

Both named needs met with four early picks, and both tackles taken a round or more before the boards had them.

• The need: offensive tackle after 62 sacks, then cornerback.
• The trades: none on the weekend; the extra second-round pick came from the Duane Brown trade.
• The pick: Howard at 23 and Scharping at 55 carried third-round grades from Kiper.

From 9 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.

Out of the first round for a future second, and all three named needs met on Day 2 anyway.

• The need: receiver, edge rusher and cornerback.
• The trades: 26 to Washington for 46 and a 2020 second; 46 to Cleveland for 49 and 144; 129 and 135 to Oakland for 109.
• The pick: Ya-Sin at 34 was late-first-round talent to Reuter; Willis at 109 was 50th on Kiper's board.

From 11 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.

An edge rusher at 7 and a first-round tackle at 35 for a gain in picks, then a third-round pick on a player the scouts had undrafted.

• The need: edge rusher, offensive tackle, tight end and linebacker.
• The trades: 38 and 109 to Oakland for 35, 140 and 235.
• The pick: Allen at 7 was fourth on Kiper's board; Williams at 98 was undrafted to the scouts Yahoo polled.

From 10 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.

The first-round pick and a future second spent on Frank Clark, and the critical cornerback need left to the sixth round.

• The need: cornerback first, then both lines.
• The trades: 29, 92 and a 2020 second to Seattle for Clark and 84; 61 and 167 to the Rams for 56.
• The pick: Thornhill at 63 and Saunders at 84 were value; the first player drafted as a corner came at 201.

From 12 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.

Three first-round picks spent on the three named needs and a weekend of trades that added picks, with the board value given away at 4.

• The need: edge rusher, running back and cornerback, with pass rush perhaps the most glaring.
• The trades: 35, 140 and 235 to Jacksonville for 38 and 109, then 38 to Buffalo for 40 and 158, and three Day 3 swaps that ended at 129, 137, 149 and 230.
• The pick: Ferrell at 4, 15th on Yahoo's board; Jacobs at 24, Kiper's top back.

From 9 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.

All three named needs met in the first three rounds, with no trade to add capital and two of the three picks taken well ahead of Kiper's board.

• The need: offensive tackle, defensive tackle and defensive back.
• The trades: none; the club picked in its own slot in every round.
• The pick: Tillery at 28, 56th on Kiper's board; Pipkins at 91, 299th on it.

From 9 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.

Thirty spots traded away for more picks in the top 100, a safety the boards liked at 61, and a premium paid to move up for a back.

• The need: defensive tackle, safety and offensive line, after Suh and Joyner left.
• The trades: 31 and 203 to Atlanta for 45 and 79, then two more moves down to 61; 94 and 99 to Tampa Bay for 70.
• The pick: Rapp at 61, 28th on Yahoo's board; Henderson at 70, two picks spent to move up for a back.

From 9 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.

Two Friday trades turned a second-round pick into a young quarterback and a 2020 second, and the first two picks went to the lines the roster needed.

• The need: almost every position in a rebuild; quarterback and both lines first.
• The trades: 48 and 116 to New Orleans for 62, 202 and a 2020 second; 62 and a 2020 fifth to Arizona for Josh Rosen.
• The pick: Wilkins at 13, the top player left on the club's board, at a named need.

From 11 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.

The center the scheme wanted at 18 and a weekend of trade-downs that added picks, with a third-round back two graders named their worst pick.

• The need: the offensive line, center and guard first, for a new zone scheme.
• The trades: six, four in the third round; 81, 120 and 209 became 102, 114, 162, 191, 193, 217 and 239.
• The pick: Bradbury at 18, far and away the top player left on the club's board.

From 9 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.

Seven trades, two of them down for added picks, and three Day 2 picks the graders praised, behind a first-round receiver whose speed drew doubts.

• The need: tight end, wide receiver and quarterback, after a spring of departures.
• The trades: seven, among them 64 to Seattle for 77 and 118, and 73 and 205 to Chicago for 87, 162 and a 2020 fourth.
• The pick: Harry at 32 for the receiver need; Williams at 45 after a trade up.

From 12 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.

A thin class by the club's own trades, spent on a center and a safety both valued above their slots.

• The need: center after Max Unger retired, then a safety to fill the three-safety packages.
• The trades: 62, 202 and a 2020 second to Miami for 48 and 116; then 116 and 168 to the Jets for 105.
• The pick: McCoy at 48, Kiper's top center and a first-round value to Reuter.

From 11 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.

Rich capital and three first-rounders, with the heaviest pick spent on a quarterback most graders thought went too early.

• The need: Eli Manning's successor, then cornerback and an edge rusher after Olivier Vernon was traded.
• The trades: 17 and 95 came from Cleveland for Odell Beckham; 37, 132 and 142 went to Seattle for 30.
• The pick: Jones at 6, 56th among Yahoo's prospects; Love at 108 carried Yahoo's top-50 grade.

From 10 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.

Yahoo's top prospect at the third pick, then two higher-risk thirds and a last-day trade chain that turned one pick into two.

• The need: edge rusher above all, then wide receiver and tight end, with no second-round pick.
• The trades: 93 and 217 to Minnesota for 92; 105 to New Orleans for 116 and 168, then both to Tennessee for 121 and 157.
• The pick: Williams at 3, Yahoo's top overall prospect.

From 9 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.

A cheap move up for a future left tackle and two second-round picks most graders liked, from a small class that left safety unfilled.

• The need: safety, offensive tackle and defensive line, with the left tackle at 37 but back for another season.
• The trades: 25, 127 and 197 to Baltimore for 22; 163 to New England for 167 and 246; 246 to Indianapolis for Hassan Ridgeway; 88 gone earlier for Golden Tate.
• The pick: Dillard at 22, a top-10 player and the best tackle on the club's own board, for a fourth and a sixth.

From 9 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.

All three named needs met, at the price of a second and a future third to climb for Bush.

• The need: cornerback, inside linebacker and wide receiver, with no answer inside since Shazier went down.
• The trades: 20, 52 and a 2020 third-round pick to Denver for 10; 66 and 141 had come from Oakland for Antonio Brown.
• The pick: Layne at 83, a corner Kiper thought could go in the top 40 and Prisco's best pick of the class.

From 9 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.

The consensus best player at 2 and a weekend that added picks, with a punter taken where a safety was the need.

• The need: Dee Ford was already bought for the edge, and the open needs were receiver, defensive back and offensive line.
• The value: Bosa was first on two public boards at 2, and Samuel at 36 sat near his board rank of 40.
• The miss: a punter at 110, 294th on Kiper's board, while the secondary waited until 198.

From 12 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Sam Kezar, written Oct 7, 2026. The piece.

Four picks and Frank Clark became eleven picks and a future second through a chain of trades down, with the two earliest picks taken ahead of the boards.

• The need: wide receiver, defensive back and defensive line, with Clark traded and four picks in hand.
• The trades: Clark and 84 to Kansas City for 29, 92 and a 2020 second; 21 to Green Bay for 30, 114 and 118; 30 to the Giants for 37, 132 and 142; 37 to Carolina for 47 and 77; 77 and 118 to New England for 64; 92 and 159 to Minnesota for 88 and 209; 114 to Minnesota for 120 and 204; a 2020 sixth to Jacksonville for 236.
• The pick: Metcalf at 64, projected by many as a first-rounder, with a neck injury on the record.

From 10 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.

The right linebacker at 5 and a sharp trade down, then a run of secondary reaches and a kicker.

• The need: linebacker and the secondary for a new 3-4 behind a pass defense that ranked last.
• The trades: 70 to the Rams for 94 and 99.
• The pick: White at 5, the best inside linebacker in the class to Kiper; Bunting at 39 with eight higher-graded corners still on Kiper's board.

From 9 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.

A top talent with a torn ACL, priced and researched, and Brown at value, from one of the league's smallest hauls of picks.

• The need: defensive tackle, then outside linebacker and tight end.
• The trades: 121 and 157 to the Jets for 116 and 168; the sixth-round pick came from Miami with Ryan Tannehill for a 2019 seventh and a 2020 fourth.
• The pick: Simmons at 19, a top five talent to Jeremiah, with a torn ACL known.

From 10 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.

The quarterback at 15 without paying to move up, and the pass rusher at 26 for a steep but named price.

• The need: a quarterback, then an edge rusher and the offensive line.
• The trades: 46 and a 2020 second-round pick to Indianapolis for 26; 96 to Buffalo for 112 and 131.
• The pick: Haskins at 15, a top-12 prospect on Kiper's board, with no trade needed; Sweat at 26, 12th on Kiper's board, with a heart condition reported.

From 11 reports dated on or before Apr 29, 2019. Grant Lombard, written Oct 7, 2026.