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2019 NFL Draft: 5 players who could fall in the first round

By Kelly Thompson

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 02: Quarterback Dwayne Haskins of Ohio State in action during day three of the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 2, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 02: Quarterback Dwayne Haskins of Ohio State in action during day three of the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 2, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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The NFL Draft has a tendency to watch top prospects plummet down the first round, year-after-year. Who are this year’s top tumbling candidates?

5) Dwayne Haskins, Quarterback, Ohio State

There is a ton of talk about Haskins going fourth to the Oakland Raiders, sixth to the New York Giants, or even a team trading up past both aforementioned clubs to take him. Don’t buy it.

There’s no doubt that teams near the top are genuinely interested in Haskins as a prospect. And, if you’re the New York Jets, Raiders or Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it makes sense definitely to push the narrative that the Giants are locked in on him.

But here’s what can’t be dismissed — he only played 1.5 years in college. Yes, he’s incredibly talented. In fact, he may even end up being a great quarterback in the league. But there are two important considerations that teams will make when thinking about him as a top 10 pick:

1) Is he ready to start now or in the near future?

2) Do we have enough game film to justify this large of an investment?

Any personnel man would tell you that game film is the top factor when deciding where to place someone on the draft board. And for the most part, teams do not deviate from that board on Draft Day.

If the answer to either of these questions is no, you can’t take Haskins in the top 10.

None of this is suggesting the Ohio State product will fall to New England at pick No. 32 or anything – but a team like the Giants could well be targeting a top defensive player at No. 6 and be planning to take Haskins with the extra first-round pick acquired from the Browns in the Odell Beckham Jr. trade.

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