Your Full Who’s Who of the 2019 NFL Draft
Nashville will be home to more than just the Tennessee Titans come Thursday as Nissan Stadium transforms from a traditional football stadium to the setting of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Over the course of three days, ABC, ESPN and the NFL Network will air live coverage of the draft along with first looks and in-depth analyses for all to see. The same people will be popping up over and over again all throughout the draft thanks to highlight reels and feature stories.
From the announcers to the analysts to the top picks, here’s a break down of all the high-profile names and faces that’ll dominate the draft.
ABC, ESPN and the NFL Network will air the 2019 NFL Draft from Thursday, April 25 to Saturday, April 27.
Round 1: Thursday, April 25 at 8 pm ET on ABC, ESPN, NFL Network and ESPN Deportes
Round 2-3: Friday, April 26 at 7 pm ET on ABC, ESPN, NFL Network and ESPN Deportes
Round 3-4: Saturday, April 27 at 12 pm. ET on ABC, ESPN, NFL Network and ESPN Deportes
Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner
As soon as he walks onto the stage, you’ll know — because he gets booed every year. The NFL Commissioner is without a doubt one of the most polarizing figures in the NFL. Since he’s essentially the face of the league, Goodell gets all the blame thrown at him from the National Anthem dispute to the Colin Kaepernick case to the no-call (yes, that one) during the NFC Championship Game between the Saints and the Rams. Despite the criticism, Goodell will be the first person that welcomes the draftees to the NFL after their name is called.
Kyler Murray
Could an Oklahoma quarterback go first-overall for the second year in a row? The Cleveland Browns saw their organization take a turn for the better after selecting Baker Mayfield first overall last year. Now, the Arizona Cardinals are hoping for something similar. The answer to their prayers could be in the reigning Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray. Originally, Murray was the Oakland Athletics’ first-round pick in 2018, but he has since committed to football over baseball. Many analysts are expecting the Arizona Cardinals to go for Murray since they have the first pick and are searching for that coveted franchise quarterback. Nothing is set in stone, and maybe the Cardinals are thinking about other top picks (see below), but all this talk has all eyes on Murray. As for the Cardinals — more to come on them later.
Nick Bosa
Football certainly runs in the Bosa family. The 21-year-old defensive end is the younger brother of Joey Bosa, the Los Angeles Chargers defensive end and the son of the Miami Dolphins’ John Bosa. Like his older brother, Nick also played for Ohio State, where he was selected to the First Team All-Big Ten and won the Smith-Brown Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year in 2017. Bosa withdrew from Ohio State during his junior year after undergoing core surgery, and instead declared for the NFL Draft prior to his senior year. As the draft creeps closer, Bosa has been projected to be claimed right away, but from who? The Cardinals? The 49ers? The Jets? The anticipation is increasingly growing for what jersey Bosa will be wearing at the start of the NFL season.
Quinnen Williams
The defensive end from the University of Alabama is set to become an NFL phenom at the age of 21. At first, Williams redshirted at Alabama, but proved his worth and became a big part of the starting line. Despite having only one season as a starter under his belt, Williams can expect to hear his name called early on in the draft. It was his football talent that rose Williams to to the top of the draft boards, but it was his late mother’s request to take care of his family that Williams is focusing on first and foremost.
Ed Oliver
Oliver shined as the defensive tackle for the Houston Cougars. As Oliver was racking up tackles (he had 60 during his freshman year), he’s also been racking up the awards. In 2016, Oliver became the first freshman to ever win the Bill Willis Trophy, which is given to the best defensive lineman, and in 2017, Oliver took home the Outland Trophy for top interior lineman. With all his collegiate success, it’s no surprise that mock drafts have Oliver as a top projected pick for the NFL.
Josh Allen
There’s a possibility that the Kentucky Wildcats linebacker could be joining his namesake, quarterback Josh Allen, in Buffalo. No, the two aren’t related, and, odds are, Kentucky’s Allen will be gone before the Bills get their pick at number nine. Nevertheless, it is fun to think about two Josh Allens teaming up and running around in Buffalo. Allen declared for the draft back in 2018, but had a change of heart and returned to Kentucky to finish out his senior year. Good thing he did because Allen became the country’s top collegiate defensive player and will be a key piece to whatever team drafts him.
Andy Isabella
The 5’9 wide receiver from UMass turned quite a few heads at the NFL Scouting Combine thanks to his lightning-fast speed. Isabella’s 40-yard dash clocked in at 4.31 seconds, tying for the third fastest time. He’s considered a wildcard for this year’s draft and has been projected to be drafted anywhere from the first to the fourth round. Keep an eye out for him as his speed and stature has been comparable to other NFL stars.
Top Pick: Arizona Cardinals
All eyes are on the Arizona Cardinals as they have the first-overall pick in the 2019 draft. Last year, the Cardinals drafted quarterback Josh Rosen in the first round. However, the team finished the season 3-10 with Rosen as the starting quarterback. The Cardinals haven’t explicitly stated that they are sticking with Rosen as their starting QB, and they even took a meeting with potential draftee Kyler Murray at the combine. All of the power and drama lies in the Cardinals’ hands: They could make Murray the first-overall pick, or they could go in a totally different direction.
Team to Watch: New York Giants
The New York Giants shocked the sports world when they traded star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and company to the Cleveland Browns for first and third round picks. Now, with two first round draft picks in their back pockets, NFL analysts are speculating that the Giants could and should go for a young quarterback to take over after Eli Manning. Of course, Manning isn’t going anywhere at the moment, but he’s also not getting any younger. Any rising QB would be lucky to have Manning mentor them as they come into the NFL. Cue Taylor Swift’s “Welcome to New York.”
Robin Roberts & ESPN’s College GameDay Crew
On ABC’s prime-time broadcast of the draft, Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts will join ESPN’s College GameDay crew: Rece Davis, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard. The quintet will discuss the draft, the draftees and the teams during their time together. For a more in-depth details, ESPN and the NFL Network will be live, too, with extensive analyses of all possibilities that could occur during the draft.
(Credit: ABC/ESPN)
Luke Bryan & Bobby Bones
During an episode of American Idol, ABC announced that country singer and Idol judge, Luke Bryan, and radio personality, Bobby Bones, will be joining ABC’s broadcast of the NFL draft. Bryan will sit in with the College GameDay crew, while Bones will be wandering the streets and the crowd outside of Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
(Credit: Billboard/ESPN)
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