A few players lingered on the draft board at moments when they had no business of being available in the 2019 NFL Draft. It’s like that every year, with unexpected falls down draft boards. This year, the Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals seem to be taking advantage of these falling prospects, as they have managed to snag good value at seemingly every twist and turn of this year’s draft.

NFL Draft 2019: New England Patriots land a top-15 talent, future slot receiver in 7-round mock draft Andrew Callahan Updated Sep 17, 2019; Posted Mar 07, 2019 By Andrew Callahan acallahan. 2019 NFL Draft. Return to Top; Players. In the News: Carson Wentz, Tom Brady, Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Baker Mayfield. Adam Gase used Crowder the best of the Jets’ skill position players. Crowder ran 70 percent of his 802 offensive snaps out of the slot in 2019 and caught 58 balls from the slot, which ranked fourth.

Here’s a look at nine of the best selections from Day 3, which included a handful of good value picks.

Hakeem Butler, WR, Iowa State

Cardinals, fourth round, 103 overall

Kliff Kingsbury is ready for the Air Raid offense. After drafting Kyler Murray and Andy Isabella, the Cardinals drafted a player whose college production and combine measurements were impressive. His final college season was monstrous, with 60 receptions for 1,318 yards and nine touchdowns.

Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, S, Florida

New Orleans Saints, fourth round, 105th overall

He’s a versatile defender that can defender tight ends and receivers in the slot. His athleticism is something of a question mark after his numbers came in at the combine. But he plays faster than he measured, and should help provide schematic flexibility in New Orleans.

Hjalte Froholdt, OL, Arkansas

New England Patriots, fourth round, 118th overall

He admitted that at one point in his life, he wanted to be a thief in Paris. BUT DID THE PATRIOTS GET A STEAL?! (Sorry.) Froholdt could shape up to be a starting caliber interior lineman. Landing an impressive prospect (who is from Denmark) in the fourth round is the kind of thing Bill Belichick does in the draft.

Riley Ridley, WR, Georgia

Chicago Bears, fourth round, 126th overall

The Bears have a handful of small, shifty receivers in Anthony Miller and Taylor Gabriel. But Ridley could still contribute immediately in his rookie season. He’s a polished route-runner and a productive college player.

Jarrett Stidham, QB, Auburn

Patriots, fourth round, 133rd overall

Bill Belichick drafted a quarterback, which means he’ll be someone else’s frachise quarterback in three years while Tom Brady is somehow still on top of his game. In all seriousness, Stidham has tremendous upside, and the Patriots managed to buy low on a prospect who could develop into an impressive quarterback.

Deionte Thompson, S, Alabama

Cardinals, fifth round, 139th overall

Thompson was touted as a potential first round pick for his abilities as a ballhawk and hard-hitting tackler. He’s explosive and agile. It’s honestly hard to understand what he was doing in the fifth round.

Mack Wilson, LB, Alabama

Browns, fifth round, 155th overall

One dimensional inside linebackers are becoming less relevant in the NFL. But Wilson isn’t one-dimensional. He seems capable of playing all three downs in the NFL. If he can prove he’s competent in coverage while improving as a pass-rusher, this pick will be viewed as a steal.

Trace McSorley, QB, Penn State

Baltimore Ravens, sixth round, 197th overall

I don’t think McSorley ends up being a starting quarterback. And I’m not totally sure he can even be a backup quarterback. If there’s one place he could do it, it’s Baltimore, where he can work under Lamar Jackson, who has some striking similarities with McSorley.

Chandler Cox, FB, Auburn

Miami Dolphins, seventh round, 233 overall

You’ve got to love the selection of a fullback. Few seventh round picks have a good chance of actually making their team, and yet Cox does. The Dolphins don’t have another fullback on the roster, and Miami offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea came from New England where they always carry a fullback. We may be looking at the fullback of the future in Miami.

Best Slot Receivers Nfl Draft 2019 Schedule

2020 has been largely labeled as “The Wide Receiver Draft” with wideouts vastly highlighting top-50 prospect lists no matter who you ask. Players like Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III have displayed elite-level traits over their college careers and look to be impact players in the pros as soon as next season. There’s a chance that seven-plus wideouts could be taken in the first round and NFL Network draft analyst Bucky Brooks even said: “there could be 22-25 (wide receivers) that go in the first two days” of the NFL draft.

However, just one year ago, the draft was stocked in a different way at the position. 2019 was thought of as a very deep wide receiver class but not as one with a lot of first-round prospects. Only two went in the first round and none until the 25th pick in the draft. The sweet spot was within the early-second to mid-third rounds. 28 wide receivers were taken in the draft, including 13 in the first three rounds, and almost all of them showed the potential to become consistent contributors at the NFL level.

With one year of NFL experience in their pockets, here is a reranking of the best wide receivers from the 2019 NFL Draft.

Re-Ranking the 2019 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Class

Remember, this list is not definitive. Players like New England Patriots first rounder N’Keal Harry had a very rough first season after missing the first eight weeks of the year due to injury. Philadelphia Eagles‘ second-round pick JJ Arcega-Whiteside was thrust into an over dependant role that he wasn’t ready for. Though their first seasons were rough, their pro careers still have a very high upside.

10. Preston Williams (Miami Dolphins) – Undrafted

Despite the 28 wide receivers taken in the draft, Williams was not one. Williams got his first shot at impacting the Dolphins when Albert Wilson went down in Miami’s Week 1 game against the Ravens. Over the next four weeks with Wilson out of the lineup, Williams established himself as a firm-starter in the Dolphins offense. His rookie season was cut short due to an ACL injury but he made a consistent impact while healthy. Over his eight games in 2019, Williams finished the year with 32 catches, 428 yards, and three touchdowns. The Dolphins will almost certainly select a young quarterback in the draft and Williams could be in for a big sophomore season if he and the quarterback are to develop a chemistry

9. Hunter Renfrow (Oakland Raiders) – 5th Round: 149th Overall

Coming into the draft, Renfrow was looked at as a late-round gem. He was widely recognized as the wide receiver that caught the game-winning touchdown in the 2016 National Championship and was then made one of the focal points of the NFL Television series ‘Hard Knocks’. Despite many people being familiar with him, he was fighting an uphill battle for playing time with new acquisitions Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams on the roster. However, Brown was cut due to personal issues with the team prior to the start of the season, giving Renfrow an expanded role.

The first six games of the season would be rough for Renfrow as he only registered 14 receptions for 115 yards and no scores but he would find his footing over his last seven games. From Week 7 to Week 13, Renfrow would record 35 catches for 490 yards and four touchdowns. This included two back-to-back 100-yard games in his final two contests. The Raiders have already added a lot of pieces over the off-season and are going to need all the weaponry they can get to compete in the tough AFC West. Renfrow’s work out of the slot should be a big part of the Raiders offense for years to come.

8. Diontae Johnson (Pittsburgh Steelers) – 3rd Round: 66th Overall

With the departure of Antonio Brown leaving a huge hole in the Steelers offense, many of Pittsburgh’s receivers had a chance to force their way into the starting lineup. Juju Smith-Schuster and James Washington were the only two impact receivers returning from the year prior. Johnson found his way into the lineup as both a receiver and punt returner and turned out good numbers as a rookie. He finished the year with 59 receptions – leading all rookies – for 680 yards and five touchdowns.

While his receiving numbers were solid, Johnson finished sixth in the NFL in punt return yards with 248 — including an 85-yard return touchdown Week 14 against the Arizona Cardinals. Those numbers were good enough to earn him a second-team All-Pro selection at punt returner. With the Steelers being the receiver factory that they are, don’t be surprised if Johnson steps up his game even further in the coming years.

7. Darius Slayton (New York Giants) – 5th Round: 171th Overall

Perhaps one of the most surprising seasons of any rookie receiver, Slayton was incredibly productive in a particularly weak offense. The Giants offense, mainly led by rookie Daniel Jones, finished 23rd in the NFL in total offense but Slayton was a rare bright spot. The late-round pick contributed early and often after making his debut Week 3, where he made three catches for 82 yards. Slayton finished the year with one of the best lines amongst rookies with 48 catches for 740 yards and eight scores — tying him for the rookie lead in touchdown receptions. It’s important for a young quarterback to have weapons he trusts and Jones to Slayton could be a very necessary connection if either are to have long-term success.

6. Mecole Hardman (Kansas City Chiefs) – 2nd Round: 56th Overall

It’s crazy that despite playing on the same team, Hardman showed as a rookie that he may be the closest player to Tyreek Hill in the NFL as of 2019. His blazing speed made him a pivotal part of the Chiefs Super Bowl-winning offense and is just one of the reasons why Patrick Mahomes has the ability to strike on any play from scrimmage. Hardman finished the regular season with just 26 receptions for 538 yards and six touchdowns but his dynamitism makes him one of the most lethal weapons of the crop. He had a wild 20.7 yards per catch, in a crowded offense, and also returned the longest kick return touchdown (104 yards) of the season — earning him second-team All-Pro honors at kick returner. Hardman’s 4.33 speed was on display all season and the receiver should have an even bigger season in 2020.

5. D.K. Metcalf (Seattle Seahawks) – 2nd Round: 64th Overall

Metcalf announced himself to the NFL even before making his professional debut. The former Ole Miss receiver tore up the combine like no one had seen before, by running a 4.33 Forty Yard Dash, hitting 134 inches on broad jump and 40.5 inches on the vertical jump at 6’3″ 228 lbs. His performance at the combine led a lot of people to believe he would be selected in the first round but slipped to the Seahawks with the final pick of the second round. Lucky for him, due to his falling stock, he ended up with the NFL MVP-runner up in Russell Wilson and the two formed a great bond in their first season as teammates.

In his first season in the NFL, Metcalf showed off the traits that made him such an intriguing prospect. He finished the regular season with a solid 58 catches for 900 yards and seven touchdowns. Where Metcalf really made his presence felt was in the Seahawks Wild Card game against the Eagles. In his playoff debut, Metcalf and his 160 receiving yards set a rookie record for the most by a rookie in playoff history. There’s a lot to like about Metcalf’s role on the Seahawks moving forward.

4. Marquise Brown (Baltimore Ravens) – 1st Round: 25th Overall

Going into the 2019 draft, there were a lot of questions surrounding Brown’s injury past. Brown suffered an ankle injury in Oklahoma’s Big 12 Championship win and it forced him to skip both the NFL Combine and his pro day. Despite this, he was still the first receiver taken off the board in 2019. Many labeled him as a “Desean Jacksonclone” and injury or not, he was likely still going to be one of the top two or three fastest receivers in the draft.

Brown was never fully healthy in 2019. He played with a screw in his foot for the entire season and it forced him to miss two games and meaningful snaps in a number of others. Brown was the only consistent receiver in the Ravens offense last season and developed immediate chemistry with quarterback Lamar Jackson. He finished the year with just 46 receptions for 584 and seven touchdowns but showed potential to be a deadly deep threat. Brown bookended his year with his only two 100+ yard performances. If his connection with Jackson continues to improve, Brown could be a scary good player when he’s fully healthy.

3. Terry McLaurin (Washington Redskins) – 3rd Round: 76th Overall

Not even the first receiver from his own school taken in the draft, McLaurin was the 12th receiver selected in the 2019 draft. He was one of the older players in the draft (born in 1995) as well as coming off a somewhat unproductive college career but was still reunited with his 2018 teammate Dwayne Haskins in Washington. However, he overplayed his draft position in a big way as a rookie.

Top Slot Receivers 2019 Nfl Draft

McLaurin had one of the hottest starts to an NFL career of any player in history in 2019. He started out his career becoming the first player in NFL history to catch at least five passes and a touchdown in his first three games — totaling 16 receptions, 257 receiving yards and three touchdowns. His season would mellow out a little from there but he would still finish the season second in rookie-receiving yards with 919. He also registered 50+ yards in nine of his 16 games. McLaurin ended the year with a line of 58-919-7 and will be a necessary weapon in Washington’s new-look offense in 2020.

Best Slot Receivers Nfl Draft 2019 Predictions

2. Deebo Samuel (San Francisco 49ers) – 2nd Round: 36th Overall

Samuel was seen as one of the receivers in the 2019 draft that could do a bit of everything. He didn’t have an insanely productive college career and missed a handful of games during his junior season due to a leg injury but he showed enough promise as a senior to edge himself into the top-five wide receiver discussion. John Lynch took the former Gamecock in the early second round and cannot have been happier with the fit he found.

The Niners and Samuel were a perfect match. In Kyle Shanahan‘s offense, San Fransisco ran the ball amongst the most times in the NFL. Samuel was used as both a runner and a receiver and was perhaps the most dependable weapon on the entire Niners offense. He finished the 2019 season with the second-most all-purpose yards amongst rookie-receivers — totaling 802 receiving and 159 rushing yards to go along with six touchdowns. Samuel’s 481 yards after the catch were also the fifth-highest amongst wide receivers in the NFL. From Week 8 (including playoffs) on, Samuel had just two games with under 50 all-purpose yards.

1. A.J. Brown (Tennessee Titans) – 2nd Round: 51st Overall

Best Slot Receivers In 2019 Nfl Draft

Best Slot Receivers Nfl Draft 2019 Picks

If there was one player that outperformed his draft position in 2019 it was Brown. Coming into the draft, Brown was seen by most as one of the top-three players at his position and a potential first-round pick. Then on draft weekend, he was the fourth wideout off the board and fell all the way to the middle of the second round. After passing up a receiver in the first round, the Titans got the best of the receiver lot in the second round. Not even they likely knew that he would be as dynamic as he was; thrusting himself into Offensive Rookie of The Year contention.

Brown had an explosive rookie season. He registered 100 yards in his first game and added four more games in triple digits over the 16 game season. Brown was the only rookie-receiver in 2019 to total more than 1000 yards (1051) while recording a rookie-leading nine total touchdowns. His ability to take the ball the full length of the field on any play from scrimmage was one of the key features that allowed the Titans to have so much big-play ability in the second half of the season. Amongst all receivers with 25+ receptions last season, Brown had the second-highest yards per target, only trailing Mecole Hardman. One year removed from the 2019 draft, it’s hard to believe that almost every team had a chance to take Brown before he was selected in the second round.

Best Slot Receivers Nfl Draft 2020

Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images