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2019 NFL Draft: Best Fits for Top QBs After Early Free-Agency Action

Kristopher Knox

While plenty of players are available after the opening portion of NFL free agency, most stars have already signed blockbuster contracts. For many fans, the initial excitement stems from the way these deals strengthen or weaken teams.

However, they also shift the NFL landscape and impact the draft. They can make a big difference for incoming quarterbacks, the draft's most scrutinized prospects.

The Jacksonville Jaguars, for example, are probably out of the quarterback market after signing Nick Foles to a four-year, $88 million deal. But if they're no longer a fit for a quarterback prospect such as Kyler Murray or Dwayne Haskins, which teams take their place?

Here, you'll find the top six quarterbacks from Bleacher Report draft analyst Matt Miller's big board and the best NFL match for each, based on factors like roster makeup, team fit, scheme fit and need.

    

6. Will Grier, West Virginia

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Best Fit: New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints have their backup quarterback for 2019 after they re-signed Teddy Bridgewater to a one-year deal, but he's not guaranteed to stick around long-term and take the torch from Drew Brees.

That's where West Virginia's Will Grier enters the picture.

A full-time starter over the last two years, Grier has shown the touch, timing and anticipation needed to thrive in Sean Payton's offense. Last season, he completed 67.0 percent of his passes for 3,864 yards, 37 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Much like Brees, he doesn't flash immense arm strength on tape. But Payton should have little trouble scheming around that after working with the future Hall of Famer for more than a decade.

Grier also doesn't lack confidence.

"He looked at us on the sideline and he said, 'I'm going to win this game for us.' And then he did," West Virginia offensive tackle Yodny Cajuste said of Grier and a 2017 comeback win over then-No. 24 Texas Tech, per Henry McKenna of USA Today.

New Orleans may need to move up a bit from No. 62 overall—its first pick in the 2019 NFL draft—to land the former Mountaineer. However, he's just the guy to soak up Payton's offense behind Brees for a year or two and then come out firing.

5. Jarrett Stidham, Auburn

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Best Fit: Miami Dolphins

To get a good idea of Jarrett Stidham's pro potential, you need to go back to his 2017 season, during which he completed 66.5 percent of his passes for 3,158 yards, 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He struggled with accuracy a bit more in 2018—he found the target on just 60.7 percent of his passes—and consistency has become an issue.

There's a lot to like about Stidham, though.

Despite the declining numbers, he is very accurate on short to intermediate throws and drops in touch passes as well as anyone in this class. While he doesn't have a rocket arm, he does have enough arm strength to threaten vertically.

"I'm not surprised at all, but that was probably the best—or right there with the best pro days I've ever been a part of," QB coach Jordan Palmer said after Auburn's pro day.

Stidham is best suited for a timing-based offense that can accentuate his touch and accuracy. That makes him a great fit for the Miami Dolphins, assuming new offensive coordinator Chad O'Shea is bringing over elements from New England.

Stidham won't be an instant starter, but he could sit for a year or two in Miami behind the recently signed Ryan Fitzpatrick. He's a Day 2 prospect and a long-term backup at the very worst—if, for instance, the Dolphins find themselves in position to take a quarterback early in 2020.

4. Daniel Jones, Duke

Butch Dill/Associated Press

Best Fit: New England Patriots

At some point, the New England Patriots must find Tom Brady's successor. That time may not arrive this year, but Daniel Jones would be the perfect candidate if it does. 

Jones isn't the most polished quarterback in this class. However, the 6'5", 221-pound prospect is a big, physical, quick quarterback with good arm strength, footwork and accuracy. If all of this sounds familiar, it should. Jones is very similar to Jacoby Brissett, who entered the 2016 NFL draft out of North Carolina State.

The Patriots drafted Brissett in the third round.

Yes, New England eventually traded him to the Indianapolis Colts for Phillip Dorsett. But that was only after they got an extended look at Jimmy Garoppolo. You know, the guy the San Francisco 49ers later made their franchise quarterback after acquiring him for a second-round pick.

Jones is an unfinished product the Patriots can groom the same way they developed Brissett for a little more than a year. By the time Brady decides to hang it up, he may have developed the pocket presence and field vision needed to thrive in Josh McDaniels' offense.

Jones completed 60.5 percent of his passes in 2018 for 2,674 yards, 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

3. Drew Lock, Missouri

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Best Fit: Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos traded for Joe Flacco this offseason, which means they have their starting quarterback for 2019. This doesn't mean they shouldn't target a quarterback to groom for the future.

Now that Flacco is on the roster, Missouri quarterback Drew Lock makes even more sense in the Mile High City. At 6'4" and 228 pounds, he has plenty of arm strength, athleticism and quickness (4.69 40-yard dash at the combine). He used those traits to rack up 3,498 yards, 28 touchdowns and eight interceptions as a senior in 2018.

However, he lacks consistent accuracy and strong mechanics. Those issues can be fixed with time, especially time spent sitting behind a seasoned quarterback such as Flacco.

"Everything I've heard since the Shrine Game has the Broncos selecting Lock," Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com wrote while linking the two in early February. That was before Flacco joined the team, but the presence of a mentor actually makes Denver an even better fit for the Missouri gunslinger.

2. Kyler Murray, Oklahoma

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Best Fit: Oakland Raiders

Plenty will link Oklahoma's Kyler Murray to the Arizona Cardinals because of head coach Kliff Kingsbury's 2018 comments about the quarterback. However, the Oakland Raiders would actually be a better fit. 

Yes, they already have Derek Carr (though the Cardinals already have Josh Rosen). But if Carr isn't in their long-term plans, Murray should be.

For one, Raiders head coach Jon Gruden would likely embrace a chance to mold his offense around the electric Murray. While he won't openly admit it, he does seem interested in the reigning Heisman winner.

"Someone in Indianapolis told me Jon Gruden is the worst poker player in the NFL," Peter King of ProFootballTalk.com told the Dan Patrick Show. "He and Mike Mayock can talk all they want about Derek Carr ... but I'll tell you Jon Gruden is very interested in Kyler Murray."

The Raiders would be able to provide Murray with downfield playmakers such as offseason additions Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams, plus a newly signed left tackle in Trent Brown. In addition, they can offer him a year of growth behind Carr. They can then cut the incumbent QB after 2019 with only $5 million in dead money—and then make Murray a legitimate star when the team moves to Las Vegas.

Oakland still needs to add some pieces, but it has the cap space and draft capital to build a competitive team around Murray and his unique skill set.

1. Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

Best Fit: New York Giants

An archetypal pocket passer with above-average arm strength, uncanny ball placement, great vision and the movement skills of a desk cactus? Yep, that sounds quite a bit like New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning during his prime.

Manning's skill set might not be as appealing in today's NFL, where Patrick Mahomes is throwing no-look passes and Lamar Jackson is outrunning defensive backs. However, it fits the drop-back passing scheme the Giants have run throughout multiple regimes.

The skill set is also similar to that of Ohio State's Dwayne Haskins.

The 6'3", 231-pound gunslinger won't gobble up rushing yards, but he can put the ball anywhere he wants on the field. In 2018, the sophomore completed 70.0 percent of his passes for 4,831 yards, 50 touchdowns and just eight interceptions.

After trading star wideout Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns, the Giants are in need of someone to spark the fanbase. Haskins can do that. In turn, the Giants can provide him with a strong rushing attack, an improving offensive line, a handful of quality pass-catchers and a chance to play for his hometown team.

"Growing up in New Jersey, I grew up a Giants fan, so it would be a dream come true as far as being able to go back home where my family is and play for that great franchise," Haskins said at the NFL Scouting Combine, per Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com.

   

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