2019 NFL Draft: Fixing one pick for each AFC East team
New England Patriots 2019 NFL Draft Picks:
Round 1 (32nd Overall): N’Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State
Round 2 (45): Joejuan Williams, DB, Vanderbilt
Round 3 (77): Chase Winovich, EDGE, Michigan
Round 3 (87): Damien Harris, RB, Alabama
Round 3 (101): Yodny Cajuste, OT, West Virginia
Round 4 (118): Hjalte Froholdt, OG, Arkansas
Round 4 (133): Jarrett Stidham, QB, Auburn
Round 5 (159): Byron Cowart, DT, Maryland
Round 5 (163): Jake Bailey, P, Stanford
Round 7 (252): Kendarius Webster, CB, Ole Miss
Draft Pick Redo: Dawson Knox, TE, Ole Miss instead of Damien Harris
I really like what the New England Patriots did in the 2019 NFL Draft. They found a lot of impact talent throughout the draft and did a nice job of filling holes on both sides of the ball. The two picks that stood out as odd to me were Alabama running back Damien Harris in the third round and Stanford punter Jake Bailey in the fifth.
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Bailey is clearly a good punter, but spending draft capital on a specialist always feels like a waste. However, we are going to change the Patriots’ third-round selection of Harris here.
Harris is a good back who is going to make an impact for the Patriots. However, with Sony Michel, James White and Rex Burkhead on the roster, taking a running back that early was less than desirable. Instead, I am going to give the Pats Dawson Knox, a tight end out of Ole Miss.
Knox ended up going 96th overall to the Bills and he will likely have success with Buffalo. He was not the most productive player in college, but shows impressive speed and athleticism for the tight end position and catches the ball well in traffic. Knox is also a willing blocker who consistently keeps his feet moving and can create holes in the running game.
The Patriots have signed tight ends Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Benjamin Watson to help fill the tight end need after the retirement of Rob Gronkowski. However, I would have liked to see them take a chance on a possible long-term replacement in the 2019 NFL Draft. It is hard to argue with a team who has had so much success, but Knox would have made a lot of sense for the Patriots here.