The first round of the 2019 NFL Draft was considered to be less predictable than the majority of those that have come before in recent years. The first few picks pretty much went as expected, but things quickly started to deviate from the script from that point forward, starting with Mike Mayock’s first ever draft selection in his new role as the Oakland Raiders’ General Manager, taking edge defender Clelin Ferrell fourth overall.
A number of things were unconventional about the day, including the Pittsburgh Steelers’ trade up from 20th overall to 10th, and the fact that it was the only trade that was made inside the top 20 picks, but one of the more surprising things to me is the fact that we nearly escaped the first round entirely without a cornerback coming off the board.