Dominate the Super Bowl-Chapter 966 - 965 Draft Weak Year

April 25th, Nashville—the 2019 NFL Draft officially kicked off.

After the turbulence of 2017 and the quarterback boom of 2018, 2019 was widely regarded as a severe downturn—a "small year."

A year of universal decline.

From offense to defense, young players with talent and potential were generally unimpressive. Scouts and experts alike noted a significant gap this year, expressing concerns that the draft results might be less than satisfactory.

Not only the NFL, but the NCAA also recognized this issue.

As a result, college players who were "not eligible for the draft" this year eagerly filed to enter early—ranging from juniors to redshirt sophomores. Everyone realized that this year was a "small year," which also meant an increased chance for themselves to make it into the first round, leading to a record-high number of 119 players declaring early for the draft.

Was this a good thing?

Not necessarily.

But that was the reality at hand, and teams had no choice but to accept it.

More importantly, since 2016, there’s been a growing trend of young rookies shouldering more and more primary responsibilities. After the Kansas City Chiefs successfully defended their title with a young roster, this trend gained even more traction, leaving team managers rubbing their hands in anticipation.

Who knows? Maybe one or two diamonds in the rough will emerge this year.

Like Li Wei. Like Mahomes. Like Jackson.

These "underestimated but ultimately breakout stocks" only need one to stand out. Just one.

From a pure analysis of paper strength, this year was supposed to be a major year for linemen—both offensive and defensive line players stood far ahead in terms of both quantity and quality.

However, after the Rookie Training Camp, scouts collectively sighed—

No outstanding prospects.

From physical testing and tactical awareness to team interviews, the overall performance was below expectations. It was, by any measure, far, far from a "major year."

Even so, when the busy first day of the draft came to an end, linemen still dominated the headlines on sheer numbers alone.

Eleven defensive linemen. Five offensive linemen.

Sixteen linemen were selected in the first round. In other words, half of the 32 teams used their valuable first-round picks on linemen.

The reason?

You can’t blame the Kansas City Chiefs, but to some extent, they did play a significant role.

Ultimately, it all comes down to the league’s emphasis on passing offense. The intensity of the trench battles between offensive and defensive fronts continues to escalate. Offensive units need to shore up pocket protection, while defensive units need to ramp up their pass rush pressure.

And amidst all this, Li Wei’s sudden emergence reignited the importance of the ground game. Compared to the defensive secondary, the pressure on defensive linemen and linebackers—key players in the defensive front—has only continued to soar.

Put simply, if one wants to contain the Kansas City Chiefs duo of Mahomes and Li Wei, increasing the pass-rushing prowess of the defensive line is imperative.

By the way, in the first round, four linebackers were selected, all within the first 12 picks. The importance of ground defense is making its way back into coaches’ playbooks—

Linebackers, like defensive linemen, play a pivotal role in run defense, and the threat posed by running backs seems to be at a five-season high.

Although the overall talent and ability of this year’s players fell short of expectations, the marginally acceptable defensive front players were still quickly snapped up, and the competition remained fierce.

Li Wei: "Bring it on! Throw everything at me!"

Among these players, are there any star athletes?

The answer: yes.

However, in a "small year," rookie stars are particularly striking.

In past years, the top three draft picks often saw extensive trade moves; this year, however, was calm. Teams holding high draft positions refused to trade, and it wasn’t until the 10th overall pick that the first draft-day trade occurred—a rarity indeed.

This indirectly highlights how much teams value rookies. Every team followed their draft strategies to snatch up the scarce rookie stars available.

With the second overall pick, the San Francisco 49ers selected Ohio State University’s defensive end, Nick Bosa. The moment the announcement was made, all eyes were on him.

Bosa’s talent and ability are undoubtedly outstanding. However, last season, Bosa underwent core muscle surgery early in the season, sidelining him for a full two months. He subsequently announced his withdrawal from Ohio State and skipped his entire junior season to declare for the draft, sparking widespread controversy.

The San Francisco 49ers undoubtedly needed to bolster their defensive line, but was using the second overall pick on Bosa the right decision?

With the third overall pick, the New York Jets selected the University of Alabama’s defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, also stirring much debate.

Although Williams came from Alabama’s Crimson Tide Storm, he never played alongside Li Wei. During 2016, Williams redshirted as a freshman and was part of the scout team that witnessed the miracles Li Wei created.

Over the next two seasons, Williams displayed tremendous potential on the field. Yet, it was still only two seasons, as he skipped the remainder of his college career to declare for the draft. He even stated in front of the media, "I hope to follow in Li Wei’s footsteps."

Similarly, with their unpredictable draft history, was the Jets’ decision to select Williams with the third overall pick the right choice?

A second pick, a third pick—each selected "non-traditional draft-eligible players," further validating the "small year" narrative.

In this whirlwind of discussion, the true spotlight focused on only one player—

University of Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray. The 2018 Heisman Trophy winner was undoubtedly the centerpiece of all attention and the absolute superstar of this "small year."

Everyone speculated that the Arizona Cardinals, holding the No. 1 pick, would draft him. After all, he was a quarterback and the most talented and polished among this year’s rookies. There was no reason not to choose him.

Perhaps the only question was that the Cardinals had already selected University of California, Los Angeles quarterback Josh Rosen with the 10th overall pick in last year’s draft—a pick acquired through trading up at significant cost. Were they really going to choose a quarterback again this year?

Wasn’t this essentially a slap in their own face?

Nevertheless!

The Arizona Cardinals did it anyway, selecting Kyler Murray with the first overall pick!

Applause! Cheers! Accolades!

Stupid? Yes, it was stupid. But decisive? Absolutely decisive.

The Arizona Cardinals understood that picking quarterbacks in the first round for two consecutive years might make them the laughingstock of the league, but they also understood that they couldn’t afford to miss out on Murray.

After all, last season, Rosen failed to meet expectations. As the starting quarterback, the team ended the season with a 3-13 record, finishing dead last.

So, with the embarrassment looming over them, the Cardinals chose Murray anyway.

And at the end of the first draft day, they immediately turned around and traded Rosen to the Miami Dolphins for a package of picks, including a second-round pick in this year’s draft. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com

They not only minimized the damage from last year’s draft mistake but also pivoted to prepare for a fresh start this year.

Decisive. Unyielding.

The Arizona Cardinals showcased their decision-making prowess: when it’s time to make a cut, make it cleanly and quickly.