Charles McDonald: 5 first-rounders who can immediately produce as rookies

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Where players wind up in the draft may be more important than the actual talent or skill level of the player getting drafted. Plenty of good football players haven’t been able to reach their true potential on the field due to the unlucky circumstance of being selected by an incompetent team.

A few players who were selected on Thursday night are in the setting to immediately become good NFL players. Here are five first-rounders who wound up with the perfect teams to hit the ground running.

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— Chase Young, defensive end, Washington

Chase Young would produce for any team in the league, but Washington’s current roster is set up for him to have an explosive rookie season.

They may not get the acclaim that they deserve because of the organization they play for, but Washington’s defensive line is one of the better units in the league. Ryan Kerrigan, Jon Allen, Daron Payne, Matt Ioannidis, and 2019 first-round pick Montez Sweat were already capable of disrupting offenses on their own, even though they were inconsistent rushing the passer as a whole last season.

Washington can use their existing personnel to get creative with Young, who can wreak havoc from any position on the defensive line. Young can line up on the outside while Allen and Ioannidis push the pocket from the middle. Or Washington can use Young as an interior rusher while Kerrigan and Sweat come off the edge.

Washington’s diverse group of defensive line talent will allow Young to be a productive professional player immediately, and he’ll create opportunities for other players to see advantageous blocking assignments.

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— Tristan Wirfs, offensive tackle, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay got a steal of a pick when they traded up one spot to select Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs. Wirfs is an athletic, technically-sound offensive tackle who has been put in a great situation to thrive as a rookie.

Playing with a veteran quarterback like Tom Brady will ease his transition into the league. Brady has always been known for his quick decision-making and ability to get the ball out before pressure can affect him. If Brady can still be that same guy at age 43, Wirfs will have an easier pass blocking role than most first round tackles entering the league.

Wirfs and Rob Gronkowski should be one of the better offensive tackle-tight end blocking duos in the league. Gronkowski has always been a road grader in the run game and Wirfs excels in that area as well.

It’s a tremendous infrastructure that can allow Wirfs to hit the ground running. Tampa Bay will also be returning veteran center Ryan Jensen, who is a savant in pass protection. According to Pro Football Focus, Jensen only allowed one sack on 707 pass blocking snaps in 2019.

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— CeeDee Lamb, wide receiver, Dallas Cowboys

Ceedee Lamb may have gotten drafted later than most people expected, but he fell into a situation that couldn’t possibly be better for him.

Dallas already has an offense littered with stars. Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, and Amari Cooper are proven playmakers in the league and now they have arguably the best receiver in the draft to sustain their production from a year ago.

It’s going to be hard for defenses to devote too much energy in coverage to Lamb with Cooper and Elliott on the field at the same time. Cooper, Lamb, and Michael Gallup might be the best trio of wide receiver talent in the NFL right now. Lamb will get to feast on weaker opponents in coverage all throughout his rookie year.

Prescott, Cooper, and Lamb make a superb passing-game group to develop for the long haul. Now, the Cowboys need to get Prescott’s extension finished.

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— Patrick Queen, linebacker, Baltimore Ravens

Like most years, the Ravens stood firm at their draft slot and waited for a talented prospect to fall into their lap.

This year, their patience was awarded by being able to draft LSU linebacker Patrick Queen. Queen was born to be a member of the Ravens. He’s fast (ran a 4.5 40-yard dash at the combine), physical, skilled in coverage, and diagnoses plays better than any other linebacker in this class. At 229 pounds, he’s not the biggest linebacker you’ll see, but he’s a perfect fit for Baltimore’s aggressive defense, which blitzed on 54.9% of their plays according to Pro Football Reference.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has already dubbed Queen “Ray Lewis Jr”. Queen has a long way to go before he can be mentioned in the same breath as Lewis, but he’s a seamless fit for how the Ravens like to run their defense.

Baltimore will also have Brandon Williams and Calais Campbell eating up blockers in the run game, opening up even more room for Queen to show off his dazzling speed and smarts on the field.

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— Clyde Edwards-Helaire, running back, Kansas City Chiefs

Spending first round picks on running backs has become taboo, but the Chiefs reversed course on the direction of the league and selected LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire with the final pick in the first round.

Anyone that’s seen the Chiefs play over the past two seasons knows why Edwards-Helaire is set up for immediate success: he gets to share the field with Patrick Mahomes while Andy Reid and Eric Bieniemy orchestrate the offense. Considering the investment that the Chiefs made in him, Edwards-Helaire will see a massive workload this season and should be a finalist for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said that Reid told him that Edwards-Helaire was a better version of Brian Westbrook. Reid coached Westbrook for eight years as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. Westbrook made two Pro Bowls, an All-Pro team, and scored 100 total touchdowns in those eight seasons as an Eagle.

Reid thinks his newest running back is better. Edwards-Helaire should see light boxes to run into as defenses sell out to stop the Chiefs explosive passing attack that features Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Sammy Watkins, and Mecole Hardman.

The structure of the offense, the talent surrounding Edwards-Helaire, and Edwards-Helaire’s ability to rip off huge chunks of yards should lead to him being an immediate threat for the Chiefs’ offense.

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