X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

They Took Who??? Teams That Confused Us by Drafting the Wrong Player

Justin Carter looks at the most surprising and confusing picks of the 2019 NFL Draft, including the Giants' selection of QB Daniel Jones, the Bills drafting Devin Singletary, and the Panthers taking Will Grier.

Every year, the NFL Draft treats viewers to surprises. Often, those surprises are...not necessarily good ones. Teams make mistakes, or they make non-mistakes that appear to be mistakes at first glance, and those mistakes can have serious fantasy football ramifications.

Last year, I wrote this column and pegged the following players as wrong choices: Josh Allen, Hayden Hurst, Rashaad Penny, Nick Chubb, Kerryon Johnson, Dallas Goedert, D.J. Chark, and Mark Andrews. I'll take the loss on the running backs, but I still have questions about why all the other teams picked who they did, and I feel pretty good that I'll also still be having concerns a year from now about most of the players in this article. I also want to state that I'm looking just at the basic fantasy positions, so I'm not going to write about how the Texans made weird lineman picks, but the Texans did make some confusing picks on the offensive line.

Anyway, let's take a look at some of the players who appear to have been the wrong choice in this year's NFL Draft. Because things get tricky as we move deeper into the Draft, I'll only be looking at players taken in the first three rounds.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Daniel Jones - QB, New York Giants

UMMMM.....

The Giants were expected to either take a defensive player or, if they went with a quarterback, take the more pro ready Dwayne Haskins, but instead they shocked everyone by going with Duke quarterback Daniel Jones. Jones has been the Josh Allen of this year's class, a quarterback who shot up draft boards despite not putting up productive numbers in college, but even Allen was a better prospect than Jones.

SB Nation ranked the 22 FBS quarterbacks who have a chance of either being taken in this draft or picked up as an UDFA by where they stand in various metrics vs. other quarterbacks in this class. Here's where Jones ranked:

Statistic Rank
Completion Rate 13
Yards per Completion 22
Success Rate 20
Marginal Efficiency 22
Passer Rating 20
Adjusted Net Yards per Attempt 21

Jones was 13th out of 22 quarterbacks in completion rate, but all his other metrics were rough. His college success rate -- a stat that measures what percentage of plays in a game were deemed "successful" -- was lower than Allen's was in 2018. Allen also had a positive number in marginal efficiency unlike Jones, who finished at -0.7 percent. It's hard not to think of Jones as a worse prospect than...well, than any of last year's first-round prospects.

So, of course, the Giants took him at six. The team fell in love with Jones for...oh, what's that? We've got general manager Dave Gettleman saying why they fell in love with him? Let's see what Gettleman had to say:

Ahh, so they drafted Jones because they liked his Senior Bowl performance? Gettleman didn't see him in an actual game first? You make a franchise changing decision based on three series in the Senior Bowl?

To be fair to Jones, he does have the size and the quickness you look for in a quarterback, but we've seen evidence in the past few years that size isn't some all-important trait anymore and that quickness can only get you so far if you can't package that with accurate throwing ability. That's the big question with Jones -- can he throw the football effectively and efficiently at the next level? And will the Giants, who implied they may sit him for as many as three seasons before having him take over for Eli Manning, regret this pick if they go 2-14 next year and end up having to pass on Tua Tagovailoa? Or will they just go ahead and pull an Arizona and draft the quarterback anyway and trade Jones for essentially nothing? This selection opens up a ton of questions and literally no answers.

 

Drew Sample - TE, Cincinnati Bengals

Sure, add a blocking tight end in the second round! Sample was the fourth tight end to come off the board this year, but I don't think you'll find a single person who would say that Sample should have been the fourth tight end selected. Sample had 25 catches last season, gaining 252 yards and scoring three touchdowns. Across four college seasons, the former Washington Husky had just 46 receptions. Noah Fant, for comparison, caught 39 passes last year. T.J. Hockenson caught 49. Sample wasn't a receiving threat when compared to other top tight ends, and it's hard for me to understand this pick by Cincinnati.

 

Jalen Hurd - WR, San Francisco 49ers

I liked the 49ers picking Deebo Samuel in the second, but I don't get them going receiver again in the third. Yes, you want to give Jimmy Garoppolo weapons, but with tight end George Kittle and wide receivers Marquise Goodwin, Dante Pettis, and Kendrick Bourne already in town plus Samuel, this pick doesn't really make sense to me. Hurd's got a lot of positives -- a big slot option with experience playing running back, which could come in handy, but there's now a lot of mouths to feed in this receiving corps. Bourne is probably the odd man out, but even then I'm not sure how much impact Hurd will be able to have this year.

 

Darrell Henderson - RB, Los Angeles Rams

Hmm. This one actually makes sense from the Rams perspective, because they're already a strong team and they let backup running back C.J. Anderson go, but from a fantasy owner perspective, this is the wrong pick for all of us who thought Henderson had a chance to be a highly-productive player right off the bat. Instead, he ends up backing up Todd Gurley, and while knee issues for Gurley mean Henderson is theoretically in a good spot, counting on a player of Gurley's stature to miss time isn't something fantasy owners should be counting on. Henderson drops down my re-draft AND dynasty rookie rankings after this. So, sure, good pick by the Rams, but not a good pick for anyone who plays fantasy football.

 

Devin Singletary - RB, Buffalo Bills

The Bills spent the offseason stockpiling running backs, signing both Frank Gore and T.J. Yeldon to go with starter LeSean McCoy, so of course they used their third-round pick on another running back, Florida Atlantic's Devin Singletary. Singletary was a popular sleeper before the Combine, but a terrible performance at that left his stock in question. I have no clue what the Bills are doing, though I think there's a decent amount of money they can save by designating McCoy as a post-June 1st cut. Still, even that leaves Singletary as just one part of a three-part running back committee, and I just don't really get the Bills making this pick after just signing Yeldon, who's a really good receiver out of the backfield.

 

Damien Harris - RB, New England Patriots

Hmm, wasn't the running back combination of Sony Michel and James White really good last year, good enough that the Patriots didn't need to spend a third-round pick on Harris? Harris isn't super versatile, so he's likely going to be used to spell Michel this year and maybe get a light amount of passing work? I don't know. If the Patriots needed a running back, why not one who can be more effective in the passing game and be a possible replacement for James White?

 

Will Grier - QB, Carolina Panthers

Thought Grier had a chance at landing in a place where he'd have a chance to challenge for a starting job, or to a team like New England where he could be the starter of the future? Nope, he'll be Cam Newton's backup, so his fantasy stock now is entirely dependent on Newton's health and on whether or not the Panthers decide to move on from Newton in the future, which is a thing they should definitely not do.

More NFL Draft Coverage




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jayden Higgins

Impresses During Minicamp
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

on the Move to Memphis
Cole Anthony

Dealt to the Grizzlies
Seattle Seahawks

DeMarcus Lawrence Making an Impression With his New Team
Isaiah Simmons

Being Used Exclusively as a Linebacker
Tyler Mahle

Placed on 15-Day Injured List
Travis Etienne Jr.

the Jaguars Lead Back?
Luis Robert Jr.

Scratched with Thumb Soreness
Desmond Bane

Traded to Orlando
Byron Buxton

Scratched from Sunday's Lineup
Daniel Jones

the Favorite in Colts QB Competition?
Brendan Donovan

Returns to the Lineup
Steven Adams

Rockets Agree to Three-Year Contract Extension
Royce Lewis

Hits 10-Day Injured List
Ty Dillon

Is a Respectable Cap Flexiblity-Focused DFS Option For Mexico City
Corey Perry

Produces 10th Postseason Goal
Connor McDavid

Scores First Finals Goal
John Hunter Nemechek

Is John Hunter Nemechek Worth Rostering In Mexico City DFS Lineups?
Shohei Ohtani

Blasts Two Homers in Win
Sam Bennett

Nets Another Road Goal in Game 5 Win
Eetu Luostarinen

Earns Two Points Saturday
Michael King

Not Making Progress
Brad Marchand

Pots Two Goals in Game 5 Victory
Jackson Merrill

Removed Early on Saturday
Sergei Bobrovsky

Ties NHL Record with 10th Road Win
Ross Chastain

Trackhouse Racing's Mexico Focus Makes Ross Chastain a Leading Contender for the Win
Kyle Busch

One of Two Past Mexico City Winners in the Field
Ryan Preece

Earns Surprising Front-Row Start
Austin Cindric

Not as Strong of a Road Racer as People Think
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Stronger on Infield Road Courses Than Purpose-Built Ones
Joey Logano

Seemingly Alternating Between Good and Mediocre Races
Brad Keselowski

One of the Few Drivers with Mexico City Experience
Denny Hamlin

Ryan Truex Makes First Cup Series Start Since 2014
Erik Jones

Mexico City Will Likely be a Struggle for Erik Jones
Noah Gragson

Front Row Motorsports' Speed May Make Noah Gragson a Decent DFS Option
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Road Courses Are Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s Worst Track Type
Riley Herbst

Surprisingly Outqualifies 23XI Racing Teammates at Mexico City
Cody Ware

a Very Experienced Road Racer but Still a Long Shot
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen the Heavy Favorite to Win in Mexico City
Christopher Bell

the Chalk DFS Play in Mexico City
Tyler Reddick

Has a Lot of Work To Do To Be Competitive in Mexico
AJ Allmendinger

Struggling to Find Speed in Mexico City
Chris Buescher

Says Car is "Bad Fast" Heading into Mexico City Race
Michael McDowell

Confident Heading into Viva Mexico 250
Giancarlo Stanton

Likely Returning Early Next Week
Spencer Strider

Registers 13 Strikeouts
Hunter Brown

s Records 12 Strikeouts
Emeka Egbuka

"the Talk" of Bucs Minicamp
Royce Lewis

to be Placed on Injured List
Byron Buxton

Exits Early on Saturday
Evander Kane

Drops to Fourth Line Saturday
Kasperi Kapanen

Won't Play on Saturday
Calvin Pickard

Starts Game 5 for Oilers
Jaxson Dart

Working as No. 2 QB During Offseason Workouts
Xavier Gipson

Roster Spot Could be in Jeopardy
Josh Reynolds

the Front-Runner for WR2 Duties
Garrett Wilson

Stock Up This Offseason
Breece Hall

Motivated Going into 2025 Season
Brandon Aiyuk

Making Good Progress From Knee Injury
Keon Coleman

Inconsistent at Minicamp
Mitchell Trubisky

Not a Lock for Backup Job
Dalton Kincaid

Adds Strength and Bulk
James Cook

a Full Participant in Mandatory Minicamp
Tyrese Haliburton

Struggles in Friday's Loss to OKC
Jacob Misiorowski

Expected to Make Next Start
Chet Holmgren

Dominates the Glass in Game 4
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Leads the Way in Game 4
Jalen Williams

Has a Quality Showing on Friday Night
Charlie Morton

Continues Good Work With 10 Strikeouts
James Wood

Homers, Drives in Four
Agustín Ramírez

Agustin Ramirez Homers Twice to Snap Skid
Isaac Paredes

Astros Hopeful Isaac Paredes Can Avoid the Injured List
Royce Lewis

Dealing With Hamstring Strain
Kodai Senga

Diagnosed With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain
Gleyber Torres

Goes Deep Twice on Friday
Anthony Richardson

Should be Fine for Training Camp
Russell Westbrook

to Decline Player Option
Kevin Durant

Trade Could Happen in the "Next Few Days"
Cam Akers

Joining Saints
Michael Mayer

to Get More Involved
Aaron Rodgers

DK Metcalf Building Chemistry with Aaron Rodgers
Colston Loveland

Likely to be Primary Tight End
Joaquin Buckley

Set For Main Event
Kamaru Usman

An Underdog At UFC Atlanta
Miranda Maverick

Set For Co-Main Event
Rose Namajunas

Looks To Bounce Back
Andre Petroski

Looks To Extend His Win Streak To Four
Edmen Shahbazyan

A Favorite At UFC Atlanta
Raoni Barcelos

Set To Take On Former Champion
Cody Garbrandt

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Mansur Abdul-Malik

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Cody Brundage

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Alonzo Menifield

Opens Up UFC Atlanta Main Card
Oumar Sy

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Connor Hellebuyck

Wins Vezina And Hart Trophies
Aleksander Barkov

Records Two Power-Play Assists Thursday
Sam Reinhart

Collects Three Points in Thursday's Loss
Matthew Tkachuk

Notches Three Points in Losing Effort
Calvin Pickard

Joins Exclusive List with Thursday's Win
Mattias Ekholm

Logs Two Assists in Comeback Victory
Leon Draisaitl

Delivers Victory in Overtime Thursday
Myles Turner

Playing Through Illness
Reed Sheppard

Will Play in the NBA Summer League
Kevin Durant

Deal Could Come Sooner Rather Than Later
Dorian Finney-Smith

Undergoes Ankle Surgery
Anze Kopitar

Wins Third Lady Byng Trophy
Sergei Bobrovsky

Heading Out for Win No. 15
John Klingberg

Won't Play in Game 4 Against Panthers
Viktor Arvidsson

Sits Out Game 4 Against Panthers
Stuart Skinner

Remains in Oilers Crease Thursday
Jalen Williams

Leads Thunder in Scoring Wednesday
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Settles for 24 Points in Game 3 Loss
Pascal Siakam

Does Everything for Pacers Wednesday Night
Tyrese Haliburton

Gets Close to Triple-Double in Game 3 Win
Bennedict Mathurin

Leads All Scorers with 27 Points Wednesday
Brandin Podziemski

Has Second Offseason Surgery
Jaylen Brown

Undergoes Successful Knee Procedure
Matt McCarty

Comes Off Season-Best Showing at RBC Canadian Open
Justin Thomas

Desperate to Continue Good 2025 Season
Jon Rahm

Seeks Revenge at U.S. Open
Tom Kim

Aiming for Improvement in U.S. Open
PGA

Sungjae Im Expects Solid Performance at Oakmont
Brian Harman

Aims to Rebound From the Memorial
Tony Finau

has Been Up and Down at U.S. Open
Patrick Cantlay

Hoping This is the Year at Oakmont
Akshay Bhatia

Improving in Time for U.S. Open
Xander Schauffele

Primed for Another Major Championship Run
Cameron Young

May Struggle at U.S. Open
Collin Morikawa

Eyeing Third Major Championship Title
Matt Fitzpatrick

Seeks to Avenge Oakmont Collapse
Jordan Spieth

Can Contend at Oakmont
Shane Lowry

a Strong Value Play at U.S. Open
Brooks Koepka

Seeks Another Major Win at Oakmont
Viktor Hovland

Still Can Improve at U.S. Open
Michael Kim

a Boom-or-Bust Value Play at U.S. Open
Russell Henley

Looking to Play the Weekend at Oakmont
Tyrrell Hatton

a Safe Option at U.S. Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Eyeing Third U.S. Open Title