NFL power rankings: Post-2019 NFL Draft breakdown for all 32 teams
By Peter Panacy
Rnd | Player | Pick | Pos | College/Univ |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | T.J. Hockenson | 8 | TE | Iowa |
2 | Jahlani Tavai | 43 | LB | Hawaii |
3 | Will Harris | 81 | S | Boston Col. |
4 | Austin Bryant | 117 | DE | Clemson |
5 | Amani Oruwariye | 146 | CB | Penn St. |
6 | Travis Fulgham | 184 | WR | Old Dominion |
6 | Ty Johnson | 186 | RB | Oklahoma St. |
7 | Isaac Nauta | 224 | TE | Georgia |
7 | P.J. Johnson | 229 | DE | Arizona |
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/1/2019.
The Detroit Lions take a bit of a hit in our NFL power rankings based on a couple of factors. First, a number of other teams in this tier ended up looking far better than the Lions after Round 7 was over. Additionally, Detroit’s draft class isn’t particularly inspiring outside of its first pick, T.J. Hockenson.
Granted, Hockenson has all the makings of a stud tight end, which Iowa seems to be producing lately. Yet the Lions needed to figure out a way to reinvigorate the pass rush aside from just landing EDGE Trey Flowers in free agency this offseason.
That’ll mean a lot for Clemson’s Austin Bryant, who was by far the lowest-ranked player on his college team’s stacked defensive line a year ago.
Hawaii’s Jahlani Tavai was a major reach in Round 2, especially considering there were other more-pressing needs there.
Hockenson is pretty much the only notable boost the Lions can bank on from this year’s NFL Draft, and the team is still easily the worst within the NFC North heading into 2019. It’ll be tough for them to climb up NFL power rankings this season, too.