Which 2019 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Will Get The Next Big Deal?
Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin recently signed a three-year extension. Who is next from the 2019 NFL Draft to get a big deal?
The 2019 NFL Draft produced one of the better wide receiver classes we’ve seen. Six alpha wide receivers have come from the group, five of whom were picked in the second round or later. The class also produced one of the most productive slot receivers in the league in Hunter Renfrow.
Extensions have already begun to pour in for the class, as A.J. Brown received a mega deal (4 years, up to $100 million) from the Eagles in a draft day trade with the Titans. Terry McLaurin recently joined Brown, signing a three-year deal worth up to $71 million.
Which 2019 NFL Draft WR Gets Their Extension Next?
So who from the class is next to join McLaurin and Brown? It isn’t an easy question to answer, as one receiver made headlines for potentially wanting a trade (Deebo Samuel) and a couple others haven’t heard much. Even D.K. Metcalf has heard the word “trade” swirling around. Still, let’s sort through the group to figure out who is next.
Extension Before Season: Deebo Samuel, Marquise Brown
It might be wild to think that Deebo Samuel would get an extension before the season considering everything that went on during the offseason. However, trade talks have completely disappeared, and it’s clear that with a transition towards Trey Lance as the starter, having Samuel as a do-it-all weapon will only ease said transition.
Samuel likely wants an elevated contract, one with more money per year than McLaurin and Brown got. His 2021 campaign warrants that money, and if he’s going to take more punishment as a running back, asking for more makes sense. He’s a three-level threat with heightened YAC skills that are rarely matched on a season-to-season basis. Get the Samuel deal done, and watch him cook with Lance and company this season.
As for Marquise Brown, the only first round pick of the bunch, also was traded on draft night, heading to the southwest to play with the Arizona Cardinals and former Oklahoma teammate Kyler Murray. If the Cardinals indeed want to keep Murray happy and (more importantly) around, extending Brown would be a good-faith move to do so.
The 2021 season was Brown’s first season over 1,000 yards, but he has 21 receiving touchdowns in three seasons. There’s a chance that Arizona will want to see a similar output in 2022 before extending him, but we shall see.
Wait Until The Offseason: D.K. Metcalf, Diontae Johnson
D.K. Metcalf has been a star with the Seattle Seahawks since he stepped on the field. Metcalf has cleared the 900-yard mark in all three of his seasons as a pro, and his 83-catch, 1,303-yard, 10-touchdown 2020 was impressive. He has 29 touchdowns in his career and built up a great rapport with Russell Wilson and his deep ball. His return on value from the 2019 NFL Draft is exceptional.
Now, with Wilson gone and a rebuild taking shape, Metcalf is a star on a team going the wrong direction (at least for a couple seasons). It’s likely that Seattle will wait to see what Metcalf does this season, then either extend him or let him walk to a team that will foot the bill (likely a contender).
A trade would make the extension come sooner than later, and maybe Seattle capitalizes on Metcalf’s value right now. That would certainly bump up the timeline. The Bears have been discussed the most of anyone, and a Metcalf-Justin Fields duo could be lethal. Seattle has been a very active team in the trade market, but this feels like one with which they’ll stay passive.
As for Diontae Johnson, it isn’t that the Steelers aren’t still a contender. They’ve never been under .500 with Mike Tomlin as their head coach, and they just drafted Kenny Pickett in the first round to be the heir apparent to Ben Roethlisberger. Johnson has only had one season above 1,000 yards, but he’s a true separator that is a quarterback’s best friend. He cleaned up the drops in a big way in 2021, and should be in line for another strong season.
The issue is that the Steelers have a pretty loaded receiver room. Chase Claypool should take the slot duties back, and will be an active part of the offense down the field and after the catch. George Pickens now enters the fold, and his potential is sky high. They even drafted a returner/slot type in Calvin Austin III.
That could mean Johnson isn’t in the plans long-term, and he could go elsewhere in free agency. Even if he returns, the Steelers will use this season as an evaluation for their receiver group before making a decision on Johnson.