It's fun to play the "what if" game when it comes to NFL players. What if Tom Brady had been drafted by the New York Jets? What if Ben Roethlisberger had been drafted by the Cleveland Browns? Things might not have turned out as well for their careers.

What's interesting is that fans tend to wonder about players who did, in fact, end up with the right teams and in the right situations. The players who wind up with the wrong teams generally become NFL footnotes over time.

Time will inevitably show that some of this year's draftees were selected by the wrong teams. They don't make good scheme fits, are buried on the depth chart or otherwise aren't in the best situations to see pro success. Here, we'll examine some of the top 2019 rookies who would have been better off landing elsewhere—keeping in mind that the best players still usually find ways to rise to the top.

This is a look at what would be best for the player, not the team. So, even if you're positive that your favorite team drafted the wrong guy, you might not see him on this list.

Tytus Howard, OT, Houston Texans (No. 23)

The Houston Texans scooped up former Alabama State offensive tackle Tytus Howard with the 23rd overall pick in the draft because they had a glaring need to fix the offensive line. While Howard may eventually work out for Houston, he finds himself in a tough situation.

The issue with Howard landing with the Texans is that he's going to need to play at a high level immediately. Houston watched quarterback Deshaun Watson get sacked 62 times last season. If Howard doesn't help improve the line's pass protection right out of the gate, he's likely to draw the ire of fans—and could possibly see a quick hook from the coaching staff.

Making a quick transition from small-school football to the NFL could be difficult for Howard, and it won't be helped by Watson. Blocking for mobile quarterbacks can be difficult because they often don't stay in the pocket as much as they should. Watson has a tendency to sometimes scramble into pressure when the protection was otherwise solid.

Howard would have been better off landing with a team that could afford to slowly work him into the lineup and be patient with him—perhaps the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 28 or the New England Patriots at No. 32.

Daniel Jones, QB, New York Giants (No. 6)

Speaking of unfair expectations, we have to mention New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones. The Giants grabbed the Duke product with the sixth overall pick in the draft because they were afraid that another team might grab him before New York was back on the clock at No. 17.

Jones would have been better off landing with one of those teams—if they indeed existed at all. He would have been better off with a team that could sit him for a few years while also tempering expectations—perhaps the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Chargers...in Round 3.

Jones didn't put many highlights on tape during his time at Duke, and while there's a lot to be said for mechanical soundness, it doesn't warrant the sixth overall selection. No, the Giants took Jones because general manager Dave Gettleman really liked what he saw at the Senior Bowl.

"I was in full-bloom love," Gettleman said, per Kimberley A. Martin of Yahoo Sports.

The Senior Bowl, if you're unfamiliar, is a glorified scrimmage involving players who have had a week of practice together. That is what Gettleman fell in love with.

Not only was Jones taken too high at No. 6, but he was also taken ahead of quarterbacks like Dwayne Haskins and Drew Lock. New York isn't the friendliest of media markets, and it is going to remind Jones of his draft status every single time he falters.

Marquise Brown, WR, Baltimore Ravens (No. 25)

The Baltimore Ravens grabbed former Oklahoma speedster Marquise Brown with the 25th overall selection. On the surface, Brown is exactly what the Ravens needed. He can stretch the field and has the determination of a No. 1-type receiver.

"He just plays off the chart," former Ravens receiver Jermaine Lewis said of Brown, per Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun.

Unfortunately for Brown, Baltimore will lean heavily on the running game with quarterback Lamar Jackson. He isn't going to get as many opportunities to make big plays down the field as he would have with a team like, say, the Green Bay Packers, who picked four spots before he was drafted.

This isn't a commentary on Jackson—he has the arm talent to deliver accurate downfield strikes—but rather on the type of offense coordinator Greg Roman is likely to run. Sure, Brown will still produce the occasional "wow" play, but he isn't doing to develop into an elite receiver the way he might working with an elite passer like Aaron Rodgers.

The other issue is that in Baltimore's run-oriented offense, Brown's blocking could be problematic. The 5'9", 166-pound rookie may not even be an every-down receiver with the Ravens.

Sione Takitaki, LB, Cleveland Browns (No. 80)

The Cleveland Browns needed to add some linebacker depth after parting with Jamie Collins in the offseason. Therefore, the selection of former BYU linebacker Sione Takitaki made a lot of sense. But it won't be easy for him to see the field. 

The Browns needed depth, but they also have a solid starting three in 2017 Pro Bowler Joe Schobert, Christian Kirksey and Genard Avery. Takitaki will be also be fighting with fellow rookie Mack Wilson for playing time behind those established players.

The other issue is that it appears the Browns overdrafted Takitaki. NFL Media's Lance Zierlein pegged him as potential seventh-rounder and special teams player.

"He has deficiencies that muddy his fit at all three linebacker spots, but his playing style is tailor-made for special teams, which could be his ticket into a backup linebacker spot at the back end of a roster," Zierlein wrote.

Takitaki would have been better served landing later in the draft with a different team—one with less established linebacker talent, like the Cincinnati Bengals, or one that places a priority on special teams, like the Patriots.

Damien Harris, RB, New England Patriots (No. 87)

Who wouldn't want to land with the Patriots? Well, a guy who's about to be buried on the depth chart, for starters.

This is exactly what could happen to former Alabama running back Damien Harris. He joins a backfield that also includes Sony Michel, James White, Rex Burkhead, James Develin and Brandon Bolden. He's going to be a role player. This is essentially what Harris was at Alabama, but it's not conducive to a notable NFL career.

Had Harris landed with the Texans one spot higher, things would be a lot different. Houston has a starting-caliber running back in Lamar Miller, but Miller is in the final year of his contract.

With Houston, Harris likely wouldn't have started as a rookie, but he would've been in a tremendous position to take over as its lead back in his second year. That opportunity isn't going to present itself with New England, unless 2018 first-round pick Michel suffers a season-ending injury.

Darrell Henderson, RB, Los Angeles Rams (No. 70)

Former Memphis running back Darrell Henderson may not see much playing time early in his NFL career, and when he gets more snaps, he'll have big shoes to fill. 

Henderson is a speedy, shifty back who broke many big plays in college—he averaged 8.9 yards per carry in 2018. However, he could be more of an afterthought in the Los Angeles Rams offense, at least early on. The Rams have a generational running back in Todd Gurley ahead of him on the depth chart.

Los Angeles also brought back former backup Malcolm Brown in the offseason, meaning Henderson will likely start out as the No. 3 back.

Now, if Gurley's knee issues prevent him from handling a full workload during the next couple of seasons, Henderson could see an expanded role. This, though, would leave Henderson carrying the weight of being the guy to replace Gurley—not the most enviable of roles.

Henderson is a great insurance policy for Los Angeles. However, for Henderson, a more ideal situation might have come with the Chicago Bears three spots later (at No. 73) or with the Buffalo Bills at No. 74—both teams took running backs. With Chicago, he could have immediately seen the field as a complement to Tarik Cohen. In Buffalo, he would have served as LeSean McCoy's heir apparent—a position now occupied by rookie Devin Singletary.

A.J. Brown, WR, Tennessee Titans (No. 51)

Taking former Mississippi receiver A.J. Brown was the right move for the Tennessee Titans, as the team didn't field a threatening receiving corps in 2018. However, Tennessee is far from an ideal fit for the stout (6'0", 226 lbs) pass-catcher.

This is a fit issue for Brown, and it's a two-fold problem.

The first part of the problem is quarterback Marcus Mariota. Though he has shown promise at times, Mariota has not developed as a reliable thrower. And his injury history suggests he might not make it through a full season—and backup Ryan Tannehill isn't an improvement. 

The other issue is that Tennessee is a run-first team. The Titans are likely to pound the ball with Derrick Henry and Dion Lewis until obvious passing situations present themselves. Even then, there are established targets Mariota can turn to—like Lewis, offseason acquisition Adam Humphries, tight end Delanie Walker and wideout Corey Davis.

Brown may be the third or fourth read in a lot of situations. With an inconsistent quarterback on the other end of his passes, he could have a slow start to his career.

Imagine, though, if the Indianapolis Colts had taken him two spots higher, or if he had landed with the New Orleans Saints three spots before where he was drafted. Brown may have still been a role player initially, but at least he'd be working with a legitimate top-tier quarterback in either Andrew Luck or Drew Brees.

Will Grier, QB, Carolina Panthers (No. 100)

There are a couple of reasons former West Virginia quarterback Will Grier may wish he had landed with a different team. The first is that he'll be sitting behind 2015 league MVP Cam Newton for the foreseeable future—unless, of course, Newton fails to recover from his latest shoulder surgery.

A bigger reason, though, is that his tool set doesn't quite match offensive coordinator Norv Turner's system.

"Grier will have to win from the pocket, which means working the middle of the field with better anticipation and getting rid of the ball much sooner," NFL Media's Lance Zierlein wrote.

Timing and anticipation throws are not traditional hallmarks of a Turner offense. He tends to favor pushing the ball downfield with deep vertical throws off play-action. Turner has started to incorporate more screens and underneath throws, al la the Patriots, but his offense is still based upon a down-the-field philosophy.

This system works with the strong-armed Newton under center—when he's healthy, anyway—but it isn't ideal for Grier.

Had Grier lasted one more pick and landed with the Patriots, on the other hand, he'd be in a system that is all about timing and anticipation. At pick No. 105, he could have landed with the Saints, which employs another timing-based passing attack.

Grier would still be waiting his turn behind either Brees or Tom Brady, but at least he'd be in an offense that could accommodate his relative lack of arm strength.