Who are the 10 best players from the 2019 NFL Draft?

After a quarterback-heavy first round in the 2018 NFL Draft, expectations for the 2019 NFL Draft seemed to be relatively low ahead of the event that year. Six years later, it’s clear that draft class produced a lot of stars and standout players.

Sure, only one team might have found its franchise quarterback in the draft that spring. But there were a handful of wide receivers in that class who are now widely considered to be among the best in the league. There have also been a few interior defensive linemen from that class who are also among the best at their position.

So, let’s take a look at the 10 best players from the 2019 NFL Draft.

10 best players from 2019 NFL Draft

A three-time Pro Bowler, Lindstrom has been one of the NFL’s best interior offensive linemen over the last few years. The Falcons’ 2019 first-round pick was graded as Pro Football Focus’ top guard in each of the last three seasons, giving up just one sack last season. He signed a five-year, $105 million extension to remain with Atlanta in March 2023.

McLaurin was arguably one of the league’s most underrated receivers through the first five years of his career, but he might have shed that label in a good way in 2024. He had had 82 receptions for 1,096 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns last season. It marked the fifth straight season McLaurin recorded at least 1,000 receiving yards as well, helping him earn his second Pro Bowl nod.

Metcalf has been consistent through his first six seasons in the league, recording at least 900 receiving yards each year. He’s eclipsed 1,000 yards three times and has two seasons with at least 10 touchdown receptions. Metcalf had 66 receptions for 992 yards and five touchdowns over 15 games in 2024, putting up another productive year. He also has two Pro Bowl nods.

Not many players have had as up and down of a career as Jacobs, but his peak play has put him among the best running backs in the league. His first two years were strong, rushing for 1,150 yards on 4.8 yards per carry as a rookie before rushing for 12 touchdowns in 2020. After recording 872 rushing yards on four yards per carry in 2021, Jacobs rushed for a league-leading 1,653 yards in 2022. His final season with the Raiders wasn’t impressive (805 yards on 3.5 yards per carry), but his first season with the Packers made up for it, rushing for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2024. That helped him earn his third Pro Bowl nod.

Simmons has been a force for the Titans’ defensive interior through their playoff years early in his career and through their struggles in recent seasons. While his volume stats might not pop compared to other stars (31.5 career sacks), Simmons was second in run stops (41) and 15th in pressures (45) among all defensive tackles in 2024. He was also 10th in pass rush win rate (12%) and eighth in run stop win rate (38%) among all defensive tackles this past season, earning his third Pro Bowl nod.

Similar to Simmons, Lawrence is another player who doesn’t pop out in terms of box score stats (30 career sacks), but has elite advanced metrics. This past season was a bit different, though. He recorded nine sacks in just 12 games. He was fourth in pressures among defensive linemen (65) in 2023, finishing third in pass rush win rate (19%) for defensive tackles that year as well. As a result of his strong play, Lawrence has been named a Pro Bowler in each of the last three seasons.

Murray has been one of the league’s best dual-threat quarterbacks ever since the Cardinals took him with the No. 1 overall pick in 2019. In 2020, he threw for 3,971 yards and 26 touchdowns to go with 819 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. He improved as a passer in 2021, throwing for 3,787 yards, 24 touchdowns and a career-high 100.6 passer rating, while his rushing stats took a slight dip as he missed a few games due to an injury (423 rushing yards, five rushing touchdowns). After suffering an ACL tear in 2022, Murray rebounded in 2024. The two-time Pro Bowler threw for 3,851 yards, 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions to go with 572 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns last season.

No matter where he’s been and who he’s catching passes from, Brown has been one of the NFL’s most productive wide receivers since he entered the league in 2019. He had 1,079 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns in 13 games this past season. That marked the fifth time in his six-year career that Brown reached 1,000 receiving yards, including back-to-back 1,400-yard seasons in his first two years in Philadelphia. The three-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro had a pair of 1,000-yard seasons to open his career with the Titans, posting 11 receiving touchdowns in the 2020 and 2022 seasons.

After being selected in the fourth round of the 2019, Crosby recorded 10 sacks as a rookie and has arguably become one of the league’s best defensive players over the last four, turning into a rare highly-productive every-down player along the edge. He earned his fourth straight Pro Bowl this past season after recording 7.5 sacks in just 12 games. The two-time All-Pro was also ninth in pass-rush win rate (20%) and second in run-stop win rate (37%) among all edge rushers this past season, helping him earn an extension that was the richest ever for a non-quarterback at one point in NFL history this offseason.

Bosa has lived up to the billing of being the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. He helped the 49ers turnaround in one year and reach the Super Bowl as a rookie, recording nine sacks to win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. After missing the majority of the 2020 season due to an ACL tear, Bosa recorded 15.5 sacks in his return in 2021. He won Defensive Player of the Year in the following season, posting 18.5 sacks. He hasn’t reached that career high over the last two seasons, but he’s recorded 19.5 sacks since the start of the 2023 season, making the five-time Pro Bowler one of the game’s best pass rushers.

Honorable mention

New York Jets DT Quinnen Williams
Giants edge Brian Burns
Jacksonville Jaguars edge Josh Hines-Allen
Commanders WR Deebo Samuel
Raiders DT Christian Wilkins
Chicago Bears edge Montez Sweat
Packers G Elgton Jenkins
New Orleans Saints C Erik McCoy

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