With the NFL Draft a week away and the season approaching closer every day, fans of all 32 teams are anticipating the start of another NFL season. this is the time of year when many begin to predict how their favorite team will do this upcoming season. here are two of these predictions that could be either genius or idiotic in nine months.
2019 Pre-Draft NFL Predictions
Mahomes Falls Off Significantly
With names such as MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes and wide receiver Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs seem to have a bright future ahead of them. I thought that Mahomes would struggle in his first full season as the starter, but he proved me wrong quick throwing 50 touchdowns in one of the greatest seasons we’ve ever seen. However, it’s been one year. He has significantly more hype than he deserves right now. Arguably the most important factor for a quarterback is consistency, and in order to be considered one of the best, I think you need at least three seasons of solid play. While Mahomes could absolutely become one of the best to ever play, as of now he’s a one-year wonder unless the next few seasons produce high-level stats. Recent signal callers who had incredible debuts such as Dak Prescott and Colin Kaepernick fell off, and we haven’t seen a quarterback start like Mahomes did and remain a top quarterback since Russell Wilson in 2013. Don’t expect another 50-touchdown season, but also don’t be surprised if he doesn’t look like a franchise quarterback in year two.
We Don’t See a Worst First Team in 2019
Last season the Bengals, Jaguars, Jets, and Raiders finished last in their division in the AFC while the Lions, Buccaneers, Giants, and Cardinals were last in the NFC. In 15 of the last 16 seasons, a team has won their division after finishing last the previous season. This season will make the streak 15 of the last 17 because I don’t believe any of these teams can win their division this season. Cincinnati has holes on both sides of the ball, had a losing record the past three seasons, and with Geno Atkins aging and A.J.Green coming off an injury-plagued season their chances are very slim at the moment. Andy Dalton has dipped significantly the past few seasons, throwing 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions with 2,566 yards last season. The Jaguars defense is still one of the best led by Jalen Ramsey and Yannick Ngakoue, however, Nick Foles brings more questions than answers. Sam Darnold and Jamal Adams look like pieces for the future; however, this Jets team is still young and plays in the AFC East who rarely sends two teams to the playoffs. They made some great signings in C.J. Mosley and Avery Williamson, but this won’t be enough this season. The Raiders need to hit gold with these three first-round picks and have some serious holes on defense. Derek Carr and Antonio Brown’s relationship is going to be key for how this Raiders team does in 2019, but going off of last year it’s hard to believe they can turn it around this fast.
Matthew Stafford can’t do it all himself, and the Lions look to be in rebuilding mode. They brought in former Patriots in Danny Amendola and Trey Flowers, but just because they were Patriots will not mean you become the next ones. Bruce Arians has a chance to resurrect Jameis Winston’s career, but he’s been really inconsistent lately. Gerald McCoy and Mike Evans aren’t enough pieces, even if Winston improved, they won’t have a better record than the Saints. As a Giants fan, I know to be realistic with this upcoming season. whether Eli Manning has a young quarterback to mentor or not we are in a rebuild and won’t be contending for a few years. Whoever is the quarterback in Arizona is not taking this team to the playoffs in 2019. They are not having more wins than the Los Angeles Rams at least for a few seasons.
The Last Word
One of the best aspects of the NFL is that anything can happen. No one saw the Cleveland Browns turning around as fast as they did last season under Baker Mayfield. Many were surprised that the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles took the backstep they did. The parity from year to year is one of the strengths of the league, compared to the NBA where the Golden State Warriors are seen as the runaway favorites for a championship every year. This is the 100th season of the National Football League, and with all the controversies surrounding the league let’s hope the results on the field can celebrate this league and what it means to so many of us.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
