Welcome to the 2019 NFL Draft!
I will again partner with the PackersForTheWin.com for releasing my 2019 draft information, opinions, and comments. Refer to the full Draft Central for more!
Why I love the draft
There are players that love football with all of their heart and have been playing it since pee-wee. Now, suddenly, the rest of their lives will revolve around decisions made over a 3 day period. There are great stories, tension, drama, and it’s all real. It’s something that will be talked about for decades, maybe centuries, and you can be there to watch it all get started. Everyone (GMs, scouts, draft analysts, fans) gets it wrong. The question is how often they can get it right. It’s fascinating to watch an NFL staff with scouts across the country try with everything they have to be the ones that hit at a slightly higher % than the next guy. The draft is like a massive puzzle that simply cannot be predicted, but it sure is fun to watch it unfold.
How to watch?
As a cord-cutter, I generally stream the draft. I’ve enjoyed Matt “Money” Smith over the last few years. I’m not sure the NFL Network is going to be streaming it because of their new contract. I like the work that they’ve done over at The Draft Network and I’m planning on giving them a try: TDN’s 2019 NFL Draft Show: Live from Nashville. I’m open to any suggestions as well.
My methods
I don’t have access to all-22, I do my research as more of a massive data miner. I simulate a full 7 round mock draft around 300-400 times between January and the start of the draft. I watch for trends and get a feel for how things tend to go in terms of runs and where players are ranked. I read everything I can from both national and local analysts. I do my own individual and sometimes very detailed research on players, the combine, interviews, video, and whatever else I can find. I try to blend it all together and understand trends of player profiles and team history to try and project how it will all unfold. My board is specifically for the Packers, but I enjoy seeing it from all 32 teams perspective. My rankings are on what I believe are realistic positions, good fits, and potential good careers. (Please note that on my board there are players that I indeed like but feel are going to go too high for my tastes and therefore aren’t listed.)
A wild ride ahead?
After months of mock drafts from an endless number of people, the real draft is much more unpredictable with the trades and drama. I expect this year to be the same. The Cards might take a QB, but I also think they are comfortable enough with Rosen that trades are something they are highly entertaining. That trade might even INCLUDE Rosen. The 49ers are also set at QB and are open for trade business. The Jets and Raiders are both in good positions with their current QB and I’m sure are ready to move for extra draft capital. I could definitely see the Redskins trading up for a QB. That’s enough to shake things up in just the first few picks. I think the Packers made the right choice trading down last year, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they did it again. Fun is coming!
My content schedule
I will again follow my usual release schedule and this is what it will look like this year:
Offense – 4/24/2019
Defense – 4/24/2019
Draft Board Chart – 4/25/2019
Day 1 Preview – 4/25/2019
Day 1 Review– 4/26/2019
Day 2 Preview – 4/26/2019
Day 2 Review – 4/27/2019
Day 3 Preview – 4/27/2019
Day 3 Review – 4/27/2019
NFC North Division Recap – Chicago (5/1/2019), Detroit (5/2/2019), Minnesota (5/3/2019)
Draft Wrap-up – Coming soon
Enjoy the draft!
.
Check out Packers Draft Central for all our 2019 NFL Draft coverage!
.