1. Arizona Cardinals – QB Kyler Murray (Oklahoma)

A lot of teams would take Nick Bosa or one of the other elite non-quarterbacks in this draft class, but a rule I use in these redrafts is that a team will usually stick with their original pick if it’s someone they paid big money on a long-term extension and the Cardinals gave Murray a 5-year, 230.5 million dollar extension that tops any other extension received by a player in this draft class. Another rule I use is that a franchise quarterback tops anything else and, while Murray has had his injuries and his ups and downs, the Cardinals still view him as a franchise quarterback, opting to keep him despite hefty salaries and back-to-back top-4 draft picks in the past two years. 

In total, Murray has completed 66.6% of his passes for 6.99 YPA, 94 touchdowns, and 46 interceptions in 65 career starts, while rushing for 5.76 YPC and 26 touchdowns on 425 carries and finishing over 70 on PFF in three times and over 80 twice in 5 seasons in the league. The Cardinals haven’t had a ton of team success with him (28-36-1 in his starts), but he usually hasn’t been the main problem for this team in their losses.

2. San Francisco 49ers – DE Nick Bosa (Ohio State)

The 49ers have to be ecstatic that the Cardinals chose to stick with Kyler Murray, allowing them to keep Nick Bosa. Bosa’s 5-year, 170 million dollar extension is well behind Murray’s, but it still makes him the highest paid non-quarterback in the league as of this writing. The 2019 Defensive Rookie of the Year and 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, Bosa has totaled 53.5 sacks, 92 hits, and a 16.2% pressure rate in 68 career games, while surpassing 89 on PFF in every full season of his career. A 2020 season ended by a torn ACL after 68 snaps is the only negative on his resume, but he’s clearly overcome that and, not even 27 until October, he looks likely to remain one of the best defensive players in the league for years to come.

3. New York Jets – DT Quinnen Williams (Alabama)

Here’s another team sticking with their original pick. Quinnen Williams isn’t quite on the level of Nick Bosa, but he’s developed into one of the best interior defenders in the league and was kept by the Jets on a 4-year, 96 million dollar extension. Also a good run defender, Williams has totaled 33 sacks, 44 hits, and a 10.8% pressure rate in 75 career games, very impressive for an interior pass rusher, and he’s especially come into his own the past two seasons, surpassing 90 overall on PFF in both seasons, with 17.5 sacks, 26 hits, and a 13.8% pressure rate in 33 games. Not 27 until December, Williams should remain an All-Pro caliber interior defender for the next few years.

4. Oakland Raiders – DE Maxx Crosby (Eastern Michigan)

The Raiders whiffed badly on their original pick here, taking Clelin Ferrell, who totaled just 10 sacks in 58 games with the Raiders and had his 5th year option declined, before signing with the 49ers on a 1-year, 2.5 million dollar deal last off-season. However, the Raiders made up for it by using a 4th round pick in this draft on Maxx Crosby, who has developed into one of the best edge defenders in the league and who was kept by the Raiders on a 4-year, 94 million dollar extension. In this redraft, the Raiders will have to take him 4th overall to keep him, but I don’t think they’ll mind, given how badly they messed up this pick originally. Crosby isn’t quite on Bosa’s level, but he’s still totaled 52 sacks, 76 hits, and a 12.6% pressure rate in 83 career games, especially dominating over the past three seasons, with grades above 90 overall in all three seasons and a total of 35 sacks, 61 hits, and a 14.5% pressure rate in 51 games.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – DE Josh Allen (Kentucky)

The Buccaneers signed Shaq Barrett in the 2019 off-season and paired him with Jason Pierre-Paul, but Pierre-Paul was in his age 30 season and on the decline in 2019 and two years later the Buccaneers used a first round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft on Joe Tyron-Shoyinka, who hasn’t quite lived up to expectations. Instead, the Buccaneers use the 5th pick in this draft to give themselves a very talented trio of edge defenders in the short-term and a dominant edge defender in the long-term, with Allen developing into one of the best players in the league at his position. 

Allen has never been bad, but he’s seen his PFF grade increase in every season in the league since being selected 7th overall by Jacksonville in 2019, from 68.4 as a rookie to 89.5 in 2023. In the past three seasons, he has exceeded 78 on PFF in every season while totaling 32 sacks, 45 hits, and a 14.5% pressure rate in 50 games, including career highs with 17.5 sacks, 18 hits, and a 17.5% pressure rate in 2023, setting him up for a probable franchise tag from the Jaguars this off-season and ultimately a massive contract that will likely make him among the highest paid defensive players in the league.

6. New York Giants – DT Dexter Lawrence (Clemson)

The Giants originally used this pick on quarterback Daniel Jones, who they re-signed on a 4-year, 160 million dollar deal last off-season, but that was after they declined his 5th year option and the Giants already seem to be regretting that extension, as they are reportedly interested in quarterbacks with their 6th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, or even potentially moving up for a quarterback, despite Jones’ 36 million dollar salary for 2024 being fully guaranteed. Jones has been an effective runner, with a 5.77 YPC and 13 touchdowns on 332 career carries and the problems with the Giants passing game haven’t all been his fault, but his 85.2 QB rating is not what you’d expect out of a quarterback taken 6th overall and he’s also had a lot of injury problems, missing 23 games total and at least three games in four of five seasons in the league.

Instead, the Giants use this pick on Dexter Lawrence, who they originally took 17th and extended on a 4-year, 87.5 million dollar extension that rightfully makes him one of the highest paid interior defenders in the league. Also a dominant run stuffer, Lawrence has totaled 21 sacks, 61 hits, and a 10.7% pressure rate in 80 career games, while surpassing 75 on PFF in four of five seasons in the league, especially dominating over the past two seasons, with 92.0 and 92.9 overall grades from PFF and 12 sacks, 39 hits, and a 13.3% pressure rate in 32 games. He wouldn’t last until 17 in a redraft so the Giants have to take him here to keep him.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars – WR AJ Brown (Mississippi)

The Jaguars lose out on their original pick Josh Allen in this redraft, as he went two picks earlier to Tampa Bay, but the Jaguars still have plenty of good players to choose from here. They could take another defensive lineman from this talented defensive line class, but this wide receiver class is almost as good and the Jaguars can address a big need by taking the first wide receiver off the board. The 2018 Jaguars were led in receiving by Dede Westbrook, who finished with just a 66/717/5 slash line and, while DJ Chark led the Jaguars with a 73/1008/8 slash line in 2019, he never came close to those numbers again.

Brown, meanwhile, has averaged a 84/1313/9 slash line per 17 games in his career, including 88/1496/11 in 2022 and 106/1456/7 in 2023 and he’s been even better than those totals suggest, as he’s consistently played on run heavy offenses, meaning his receiving totals would likely be even higher on teams that pass the ball more often. His career 2.58 yards per route run average and 9.94 yards per target average are among the best in the league since he was drafted and he’s ranked 3rd, 3rd, 6th, 3rd, and 9th in yards per route run among wide receivers in his five seasons in the league.

8. Detroit Lions – DE Rashan Gary (Michigan)

The Lions could also take a wide receiver here, with 2019 leading receiver Kenny Golladay totaling a 65/1190/11 slash line, but never coming close to those numbers again, but defense has been more of a consistent problem for the Lions in recent years than offense, so instead they focus on that side of the ball and take yet another of the talented defensive linemen in this class. The 2018 Lions didn’t have anyone with more than 7.5 sacks and tried to remedy that by giving a big contract to Trey Flowers, who took home 56 million over three seasons, but only gave the Lions 10.5 sacks in 27 games.

Gary took a couple years to come into his own and had his 2022 season ended by a torn ACL, but at his best he’s been as good as any of the defensive linemen taken ahead of him. Since becoming a starter in his third season in the league in 2021, Gary has totaled 24.5 sacks, 35 hits, and a 17.4% pressure rate in 42 games, while surpassing 80 on PFF in all three seasons, despite his major knee injury. Not even 27 until December, Gary should remain one of the best edge defenders in the league for years to come.

9. Buffalo Bills – WR Deebo Samuel (South Carolina)

The Bills original pick here was Ed Oliver, an interior defender who they extended on a 4-year, 68 million dollar deal, but they can shoot a little higher here in a redraft. The Bills added to their receiving corps in a big way the year after this draft by trading for Stefon Diggs, but Deebo Samuel would give them help in the receiving corps a year earlier and would give them a good complement for Diggs, making this one of the best receiving corps in the league. Injuries have been a concern for Deebo Samuel throughout his career, costing him 17 games total, but he’s averaged a 73/1062/5 slash line per 17 games with 2.29 yards per route run and 9.61 yards per target, while also adding 6.29 YPC and 19 touchdowns on 160 career carries. He would make Josh Allen and the Bills’ offense even more dangerous.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers – WR DK Metcalf (Mississippi)

The 2018 Steelers had a pair of 1000+ yard receivers Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster, but Brown was traded after the season and Smith-Schuster never topped 1000 yards in a season again. The Steelers replaced Brown with Diontae Johnson in the 3rd round of the 2019 NFL Draft and he’s been a solid wide receiver for them, but they could shoot higher in the first round with DK Metcalf, who has averaged 77/1105/9 per 17 games, 8.63 yards per target, and 1.91 yards per route run in his career. Johnson, for comparison, has averaged 85/951/5 per 17 games, 6.83 yards per target, and 1.72 yards per route run.

11. Cincinnati Bengals – G Chris Lindstrom (Boston College)

The Bengals were right to try to upgrade their offensive line with this pick, but their original choice Jonah Williams didn’t prove to be worth this selection, missing his entire rookie season with injury, never reaching an elite level, losing his left tackle job to free agent acquisition Orlando Brown last off-season, and potentially being allowed to walk as a free agent this off-season, after a mediocre season at right tackle in 2023. Instead, the Bengals take Chris Lindstrom, who has developed into one of the best guards in the league. Originally taken 14th by the Falcons, Lindstrom took a couple years to develop into the player he is now, but still had PFF grades of 66.6 and 77.1 in his first two seasons in the league and he’s received grades of 83.7, 95.0, and 87.6 over the past three seasons. He would be a big help for a Bengals team that has consistently had offensive line problems in recent years.

12. Green Bay Packers – DT Jeffery Simmons (Mississippi State)

The Packers miss out on their original pick Rashan Gary, who was selected a few picks earlier by the Lions, but they can still get a great defensive lineman at this point in the draft. Simmons is an interior defender, unlike Gary who was an edge player, but interior defender was arguably a bigger need at that point, as Gary sat behind Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith for most of his first two seasons in the league, while Simmons could have quickly beaten out Dean Lowry for a starting role on the interior. 

Simmons fell to the Titans at 19 originally, but that was because he tore his ACL in the pre-draft process. He was limited to 315 snaps in 9 games as a rookie because of his injury, but flashed his potential immediately with a 70.4 PFF grade in that limited action and has since developed into one of the better interior defenders in the league, while staying mostly healthy. In 68 career games, he has 26.5 sacks, 31 hits, and a 9.1% pressure rate while playing high level run defense, leading to four seasons over 70 overall and two seasons over 80 overall on PFF.

13. Miami Dolphins – DE Brian Burns (Florida State)

I thought about giving the Dolphins their original pick Christian Wilkins, who has developed into an above average interior defender, but the Dolphins are reportedly not going to franchise tag him ahead of his pending free agency this off-season and ultimately they can aim a little higher in a redo. The 2019 Dolphins were one of the worst teams in the league and needed help at almost every position and Burns is probably the best player remaining on the board. 

Run defense has been a weakness for Burns, which drops him out of the top-10, but he’s been one of the most productive pass rushers in the league over the past five seasons, totaling 46 sacks, 56 hits, and a 11.8% pressure rate in 80 career games. The team that originally drafted him 16th, the Carolina Panthers, is expected to franchise tag and extend him this off-season on a contract that makes him one of the highest paid edge defenders in the league, unlike the Dolphins with Wilkins.

14. Atlanta Falcons – DE Montez Sweat (Mississippi State)

It feels like I give the Falcons an edge defender in these redrafts every year, but it has been one of their biggest needs as long as I can remember. The Falcons had 42 sacks in 2023, but that was their first season of at least 40 sacks since all the way back in 2004. Fortunately, there are still good defensive linemen on the board in one of the best defensive line drafts in history. Montez Sweat, originally the 26th overall pick by Washington, is a better run defender than pass rusher, but also has 34.5 sacks, 52 hits, and a 12.0% pressure rate in 60 games over the past four seasons.

15. Washington Redskins – WR Terry McLaurin (Ohio State)

Washington’s original pick here, quarterback Dwayne Haskins (RIP), did not pan out, struggling in 13 starts in just two seasons with the team, before being released. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin was originally a third round pick by Washington in this draft, but he turned out to be the far better player and would need to be taken in the first round in a redraft if Washington wants to keep him, which they likely would, given that they extended him on a 3-year, 68.364 million dollar deal. He’s not the top level receiver some players in this draft are, but he’s still surpassed 1000 yards receiving in four straight seasons, despite poor quarterback play, and he’s averaged a 80/1123/5 slash line per 17 games in his career, with an average of 1.85 yards per route run and 8.67 yards per target. 

16. Carolina Panthers – TE TJ Hockenson (Iowa)

TJ Hockenson was originally the 8th overall pick by the Lions in this draft. He hasn’t quite played well enough to justify going that high again, but he’s still developed into one of the better tight ends in the league. He took a few years to reach that level, putting up slash lines of 32/367/2, 67/723/6, and 61/583/4 in his first three seasons in the league, but that has increased to 86/914/6 in 2022 and 95/960/5 in 2023. 

Hockenson’s 2023 season ended with a torn ACL that has him questionable for the start of the 2024 season, but he’s still only going into his age 27 season and has a good chance to ultimately bounce back to form and continue being one of the top tight ends in the league. The Panthers still had Greg Olsen in the 2019 off-season, but 2019 was his age 34 season and his final season in Carolina. Aside from Olsen in 2019, the Panthers haven’t had a tight end surpass even 200 yards receiving in a season at all in the past five seasons, so they could use someone like Hockenson.

17. New York Giants – QB Daniel Jones (Duke)

The Giants passed on Daniel Jones with the original pick they used on him, 6th overall, in order to ensure they could keep their stud interior defender Dexter Lawrence, but they still liked Jones enough to give him a 4-year, 160 million dollar extension last off-season and using the 17th overall pick on him would be much more justifiable than taking him at his original spot. The Giants still come out of this draft with Lawrence and Jones in the first round, just in an opposite order.

18. Minnesota Vikings – DT Ed Oliver (Houston)

Interior defender was a big position of weakness for the Vikings in 2019, as their only above average player at the position was Linval Joseph, who was in his age 31 season and his final season with the Vikings. Ed Oliver was originally the 9th overall pick in this draft and, while his run defense has been a liability and he probably wouldn’t be a top-10 pick again as a result, he’s still developed into one of the better interior pass rushers in the league. In five seasons in the league, he has totaled 24 sacks, 42 hits, and a 10.2% pressure rate in 78 career games, with his best season coming in 2023, when he had 9.5 sacks, 7 hits, and a 13.4% pressure rate.

19. Tennessee Titans – DT Christian Wilkins (Clemson)

The Titans miss out on Jeffery Simmons in this redraft, but Christian Wilkins is not a bad consolation prize. He’s a better run defender than pass rusher, but he also has 20.5 sacks, 33 hits, and a 7.4% pressure rate in 81 career games and he’s exceeded a 70 overall grade on PFF in three straight seasons. The team that originally drafted him, the Miami Dolphins, are likely to let him hit the open market as a free agent this off-season, but he figures to be in high demand and should be well-paid on a long-term contract.

20. Denver Broncos – OT Kaleb McGary (Washington)

McGary once looked like a bust as the 31st overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, getting benched in his 2nd season in the league and having his 5th year option declined after his 3rd season in the league, but over the past two seasons he’s been one of the best run blocking tackles in the league, with PFF run blocking grades of 91.6 and 76.5 respectively. After his 4th season in the league, the Falcons reversed course with the player whose option they declined the year prior, keeping him on a 3-year, 34.5 million dollar deal and that deal proved to be a good value after McGary had another strong season again in 2023. 

The amount of time it took McGary to develop and the fact that he has still only been a slightly above average pass protector over the past two seasons (pass blocking grades of 66.9 and 69.5 in 2022 and 2023 respectively) hurt him in this redraft, but this was an especially weak offensive tackle class, so by default McGary has been the best of the bunch. He would fill a big need for the Broncos, who were starting Elijah Wilkinson at right tackle in 2019 and have had issues at that position throughout the past five seasons. 

21. Green Bay Packers – G Elgton Jenkins (Mississippi State)

Elgton Jenkins was originally a second round pick by the Packers, but he has proved to be better than the player the Packers originally took here at 21, safety Darnell Savage, developing into an above average starting guard who can also play both tackle and center if needed (50 career starts at guard, 5 at center, and 13 at tackle). The Packers locked him up long-term on a 4-year, 68 million dollar extension before his 4th season in the league and would probably rather have him than Savage, who has been inconsistent in his career and is being allowed to hit the open market as a free agent this off-season.

22. Philadelphia Eagles – WR Marquise Brown (Oklahoma)

The Eagles have AJ Brown and Devonta Smith now, but there was a time when their wide receiver group was among the worst in the league, with Alshon Jeffery (43/490/4) and Travis Fulgham (38/539/4) leading the group in receiving in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Marquise Brown would have been a big upgrade over both players in the short-term and in the long-term he could have returned the Eagles a first round pick via trade to the Cardinals, as he did for the Ravens, who selected him 25th overall in 2019 and got pick 23rd back for him in 2021. 

Brown hasn’t quite been as good as some of the elite wide receivers in this draft, but he surpassed 1000 yards receiving in his final season in Baltimore in 2021 and has a 74/860/7 slash line per 17 games in his career, with averages of 1.55 yards per route run and 6.94 yards per target, despite being on mediocre passing offenses for most of his career. The Cardinals have yet to re-sign him long-term, but he figures to get a sizable payday from someone this off-season, ahead of his age 27 season in 2024.

23. Houston Texans – CB Jamel Dean (Auburn)

Tytus Howard, the Texans’ original pick here, has had his moments, but has been inconsistent and injury prone throughout his career, so the Texans can aim a little higher here. Cornerback was a big need for them during the 2019 off-season and the player they drafted in the second round to address that need, Lonnie Johnson, proved to be a bust, which led to cornerback being a big weakness for the Texans in 2019 and in subsequent seasons. Dean, on the other hand, has received a grade of 74 or higher from PFF in four of five seasons in the league and was re-signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who originally drafted him in the third round, on a 4-year, 52 million dollar deal.

24. Oakland Raiders – RB Josh Jacobs (Alabama)

Running backs rarely go in the first round anymore and even more rarely do they prove to be worth their first round selection, but Jacobs, who was the Raiders’ original pick here, is an exception, as he’s accumulated 6,993 yards from scrimmage and 46 touchdowns as the Raiders’ workhorse running back over the past five seasons, including a 2022 season in which he led the league with 1,653 rushing yards, while also scoring 12 times on 340 carries and adding a 53/400/0 slash line through the air. Jacobs was franchise tagged after that 2022 season and, while he wasn’t re-signed long-term and it now seems unlikely he’ll be kept long-term off-season, that has more to do with running backs not aging well into their late 20s than anything Jacobs has done wrong and I don’t think the Raiders would change anything about drafting Jacobs and having him for the past five seasons.

25. Baltimore Ravens – WR Diontae Johnson (Toledo)

The Ravens had a desperate need for wide receiver help during the 2019 off-season. Marquise Brown, their original pick here, led Ravens wide receivers in yardage in 2019 and no one else had better than a 31/339/5 slash line at the wide receiver position. With Brown going off the board a few picks earlier, the Ravens will have to draft a different wide receiver, but Johnson isn’t much of a drop off. In five seasons in the league, the Steelers third round pick has averaged 85/951/5 per 17 games, 6.83 yards per target, and 1.72 yards per route run.

26. Washington Redskins – MLB Dre Greenlaw (Arkansas)

Washington misses out on their original pick Montez Sweat here, but Dre Greenlaw isn’t a bad consolation prize, as inside linebacker was a big position of need for them during the 2019 off-season. Washington eventually addressed the position in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft with Jamin Davis, but he has largely been a bust through three seasons in the league and taking Greenlaw here would have allowed them to avoid that mistake. Greenlaw plays outside for the 49ers in their 4-3 defense, but would fit well inside in Washington’s 3-4. He’s not a spectacular player, but has been an above average starter for the 49ers for most of his career since being a 5th round pick of theirs, leading to him being extended on a 2-year, 16.4 million dollar deal last off-season. 

27. Oakland Raiders – MLB TJ Edwards (Wisconsin)

Safety Johnathan Abram was a bust as the Raiders’ original pick. There isn’t another good safety available here for the Raiders to replace him with, but the Raiders had problems all over their defense in the 2019 off-season, so they can just take the best available defensive player left on the board. TJ Edwards originally went undrafted, but he has developed into one of the better inside linebackers in the league. 

A reserve as a rookie with the Eagles, Edwards flashed his potential early on with a 86.6 PFF grade on 112 snaps as a rookie and then continued to show that potential with a 66.5 grade on 492 snaps in 2020 and a 76.3 grade on 684 snaps in 2021, before becoming an every down player over the past two seasons and recording PFF grades of 84.8 and 79.6 on snap counts of 1,040 and 1,042 respectively. He only received a 3-year, 19.5 million dollar deal from the Bears in free agency last off-season after leaving Philadelphia, but that deal looks like a steal after he repeated his strong 2022 season again in 2023. If he played a more valuable position and didn’t take as long to develop into an every down player, he would have gone much higher than this in a redraft and he’d have more opportunity to play early on with the Raiders.

28. Los Angeles Chargers – C Erik McCoy (Texas A&M)

Offensive line has been a problem for the Chargers for years. They had veteran Mike Pouncey at center in 2019, but he was limited to five games by injury that season and then retired the following off-season. The Chargers gave a big contract to Corey Linsley during the 2021 off-season to try to fix the center position, but the aging veteran was limited to 33 games in 3 seasons with the Chargers by health problems. Erik McCoy would have been a younger, more long-term solution at the position. He’s made 74 starts in five seasons in the league with the Saints, who drafted him in the 2nd round and extended him on a 5-year, 60 million dollar deal, and he’s surpassed 70 on PFF in three of those five seasons. He also has the ability to move to guard in a pinch if needed, which would be valuable for a Chargers team that has also had issues at that position in recent years.

29. Seattle Seahawks – OT Jonah Williams (Alabama)

Williams never justified being the 11th overall pick by the Bengals in this draft, but in a historically weak tackle class, he still has a good chance to go in the first round. After missing his whole rookie season with injury, Williams actually had PFF grades of 70.1 and 77.1 in his second and third seasons in the league, before slipping to 61.2 in 2022, losing his left tackle job, and then falling further to 58.5 on the right side in 2023. Still, it’ll be interesting to see what kind of market he has in free agency this off-season, as some team could still give him at least 10 million a year to bet on his bounce back potential, only going into his age 27 season. The Seahawks had significant right tackle problems in 2019 and could have used Williams as a bookend to aging veteran left tackle Duane Brown.

30. New York Giants – MLB Bobby Okereke (Stanford)

Inside linebacker was a position of need for the Giants in 2019 and remained one for years. They eventually addressed it in a big way by signing Bobby Okereke to a 4-year, 40 million dollar deal last off-season and he was one of the better players in the league at his position in his first season with the team with a 78.9 PFF grade on 1,128 snaps, but in this scenario they get Okereke sooner. While 2023 was the best season of Okereke’s career, he also had a 73.3 grade on 970 snaps in 2022 and has mostly been an average or better player throughout his career, since being drafted in the third round by the Colts in 2019. He took time to develop into the player he is now, but he still has a good chance to go in the first round in a redraft when all is said and done.

31. Atlanta Falcons – RB Tony Pollard (Memphis)

Running backs rarely pan out as first round picks, but Pollard to the Falcons at the end of the first round is justifiable. The 2019 Falcons were led in rushing by a washed up Devonta Freeman, who averaged just 3.57 YPC on 184 carries, while an equally washed up Todd Gurley averaged just 3.48 YPC on 195 carries to lead the Falcons in 2020. Pollard, meanwhile, has averaged 4.75 YPC with 23 touchdowns on 762 career carries, while adding 1,318 yards and 5 touchdowns on 176 catches in five seasons in the league. 

Pollard was mostly a backup his first four seasons in the league with the Cowboys, who took him in the 4th round, but he still surpassed 1000 yards on just 193 carries with a 5.22 YPC average in his 4th season in the league in 2022, leading to a franchise tag from the Cowboys the following off-season. Pollard wasn’t as efficient in his first full season as a starter in 2023, with a 3.99 YPC average, but he still had 1,005 yards and 6 touchdowns on 252 carries, despite not being 100% for most of the season, recovering from a broken leg suffered in the previous post-season. Another year removed from that injury, Pollard could easily bounce back and prove he can be an efficient back even in a larger workload. Had he gone to a team like the Falcons instead of the Cowboys, he could have proven that earlier in his career, rather than sitting behind Ezekiel Elliott for most of it.

32. New England Patriots – WR Jakobi Meyers (NC State)

The Patriots badly needed wide receiver help in the 2019 off-season, but their original pick of N’Keal Harry turned out to be a complete bust. Fortunately, they were able to at least find Jakobi Meyers as an undrafted free agent. He never developed into a true #1 receiver, but he was by default their leading receiver in 2020, 2021, and 2022, before signing with the Raiders on a 3-year, 33 million dollar deal last off-season. He’s averaged 1.71 yards per route run and 7.92 yards per target for his career and has a 78/893/4 slash line per 17 games over the past four seasons. Without a better wide receiver option available at this stage of the draft, I don’t think the Patriots would let Meyers get away from them.