On Sunday, the NFL released its 2019 NFL season schedule. As it is every year, the schedule release was highly anticipated and exciting for NFL fans all around the world. Before the draft, NFL Fan Blitz will predict the standings in each division. This edition of “2019 Pre-NFL Draft Divisional Standings” will focus on the AFC East.
Key: (#)=conference seed, *=playoff contender
Predicted Standings:
(1)* New England Patriots: 13-3
(10) Buffalo Bills: 7-9
(11) New York Jets: 7-9
(14) Miami Dolphins: 4-12
Patriots: Once again, the Patriots will earn a first-round bye. This should not come as a surprise to anyone since Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, and Josh McDaniels consistently find a way to win, regardless of the talent at each position. In the draft, expect to see the Patriots add a defensive tackle to replace Malcom Brown and Danny Shelton, one or more wide receivers to replace Chris Hogan and Cordarrelle Patterson, and potentially a new quarterback to learn behind Brady.
Bills: This should be a growth year for the Buffalo Bills. Assuming Josh Allen stays healthy throughout the season, head coach Sean McDermott and his players could find out who they really are as a team. The draft should be focused on improving offensively, maybe adding depth at running back behind LeSean McCoy, as well as boosting the offensive line and adding talent to the receiving corps.
Jets: Similar to the Bills, this should be a growth year for the New York Jets to find their identity of the team. By doing that, it can surely help them succeed in years to come. The Jets were masterful in free agency, though. They added running back Le’Veon Bell, wide receiver Jamison Crowder, linebacker C.J. Mosley, and re-signed young defensive end Henry Anderson. Not only that, but New York has the opportunity to draft Alabama’s Quinnen Williams or Kentucky’s Josh Allen next week, or trade back and gain assets for the future.
Dolphins: This should be a difficult, transitional year for the Miami Dolphins. The team traded away starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill and replaced him with solid journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick. It will be interesting to see what Miami does with the 13th overall pick, however, Dolphins fans should have their eyes on a top pick in the 2020 draft, rather than focusing on doing well this season.
