Draft Status of 2019 Super Bowl Starters
By Chris Malumphy
The Los Angeles Rams will likely start seven 1st round draft picks on defense and three on offense in Super Bowl LIII. The New England Patriots will counter with four 1st round draft picks on defense and two or three on offense depending on whether you consider both Philip Dorset and Cordarrelle Patterson likely to start.
All three members of the Rams' defensive line were selected with picks in the top half of the 1st round: Ndamukong Suh (2010, 2nd pick), Aaron Donald (2014, 13th) and Micheal Brockers (2012, 14th). Two of the Rams linebackers were selected within the top seven picks in the draft: Dante Fowler (2015, 3rd) and Mark Barron (2012, 7th). Both Rams' cornerbacks were selected just after the middle of the 1st round: Marcus Peters (2015, 18th) and Aqib Talib (2008, 20th). Five of the seven Rams' 1st rounders starting on defense were originally drafted by other teams: Suh, Fowler, Barron, Peters and Talib. On offense, the Rams' three 1st rounders all play skill positions: quarterback Jared Goff (2016, 1st), running back Todd Gurley (2015, 10th) and wide receiver Brandin Cooks (Saints, 2014, 20th).
As perennial contenders, the Patriots typically have low draft picks, which is reflected in their starting lineup. On defense, the team has a defensive lineman (Malcolm Brown, 2015, 32nd), a linebacker (Dont'a Hightower, 2012, 25th) and a safety (Devin McCourty, 2010, 27th) selected with the 25th pick or later in the 1st round. The Patriots will also start cornerback Stephon Gilmore, selected with the 10th pick in the 2012 draft by the Buffalo Bills. On offense, the only 1st round pick drafted originally by the Patriots is rookie running back Sony Michel (2018, 31st). Wide receivers Philip Dorset (Colts, 2015, 29th) and Cordarrelle Patterson (Vikings, 2012, 29th) were selected in the first round by other teams and were actually only the 4rd and 5th most productive wideouts on the Patriots in 2018 behind Julian Edelman, the now inactive Josh Gordon and Chris Hogan.
Naturally, 1st round draft picks aren't the only players on the field, and they are not always the best, even on their own teams at the same position as the Patriots' wide receivers reflect. But 1st round choices are players generally considered to have superior athletic ability at the time of the draft. Whether they've harnessed that supposed advantage on the professional playing field is another matter. The Rams went all in on filling their 2018 season starting lineup with high round picks which also includes four 2nd rounders on offense, two obtained from other teams, and another on defense. The Patriots are relying to a greater extent on players selected later in draft. With perhaps the best coach of all time in Bill Belichick going against Sean McVay, the rising coaching star in the NFL, Super Bowl LIII will be a match of contrasting team building styles.
Draft Status of Super Bowl Starters | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rams Offense | ||||||||
Position | Name | Drafted | Team | Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
QB | Jared Goff | 2016 | Rams | 1 | 1 | 1 | QB | California |
RB | Todd Gurley | 2015 | Rams | 1 | 10 | 10 | RB | Georgia |
RB | C.J. Anderson | 2013 | RB | California | ||||
WR | Brandin Cooks | 2014 | Saints | 1 | 20 | 20 | WR | Oregon State |
WR | Robert Woods | 2013 | Bills | 2 | 9 | 41 | WR | USC |
WR | Josh Reynolds | 2017 | Rams | 4 | 10 | 117 | WR | Texas A&M |
TE | Tyler Higbee | 2016 | Rams | 4 | 12 | 110 | TE | Western Kentucky |
LT | Andrew Whitworth | 2006 | Bengals | 2 | 23 | 55 | T | Louisiana State |
LG | Rodger Saffold | 2010 | Rams | 2 | 1 | 33 | T | Indiana |
C | John Sullivan | 2008 | Vikings | 6 | 21 | 187 | C | Notre Dame |
RG | Austin Blythe | 2016 | Colts | 7 | 27 | 248 | C | Iowa |
RT | Rob Havenstein | 2015 | Rams | 2 | 25 | 57 | T | Wisconsin |
Rams Defense | ||||||||
Position | Name | Drafted | Team | Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
LE | Michael Brockers | 2012 | Rams | 1 | 14 | 14 | DT | Louisiana State |
NT | Ndamukong Suh | 2010 | Lions | 1 | 2 | 2 | DT | Nebraska |
RE | Aaron Donald | 2014 | Rams | 1 | 13 | 13 | DT | Pittsburgh |
OLB | Samson Ebukam | 2017 | Rams | 4 | 19 | 125 | LB | Eastern Washington |
ILB | Mark Barron | 2012 | Buccaneers | 1 | 7 | 7 | DB | Alabama |
ILB | Cory Littleton | 2016 | LB | Washington | ||||
OLB | Dante Fowler | 2015 | Jaguars | 1 | 3 | 3 | LB | Florida |
CB | Marcus Peters | 2015 | Chiefs | 1 | 18 | 18 | DB | Washington |
CB | Aqib Talib | 2008 | Buccaneers | 1 | 20 | 20 | DB | Kansas |
FS | Lamarcus Joyner | 2014 | Rams | 2 | 9 | 41 | DB | Florida State |
SS | John Johnson III | 2017 | Rams | 3 | 27 | 91 | DB | Boston College |
Rams Special Teams | ||||||||
Position | Name | Drafted | Team | Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
K | Greg Zuerlein | 2012 | Rams | 6 | 1 | 171 | K | Missouri Western |
P | Johnny Hekker | 2012 | P | Oregon State | ||||
KR | JoJo Natson | 2017 | WR | Akron | ||||
PR | JoJo Natson | 2017 | WR | Akron | ||||
LS | Jake McQuaide | 2011 | G | Ohio State | ||||
H | Johnny Hekker | 2012 | P | Oregon State | ||||
ST | Micah Kiser | 2018 | Rams | 5 | 10 | 147 | LB | Virginia |
Patriots Offense | ||||||||
Position | Name | Drafted | Team | Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
QB | Tom Brady | 2000 | Patriots | 6 | 33 | 199 | QB | Michigan |
RB | Sony Michel | 2018 | Patriots | 1 | 31 | 31 | RB | Georgia |
RB | James White | 2014 | Patriots | 4 | 30 | 130 | RB | Wisconsin |
RB | Rex Burkhead | 2013 | Bengals | 6 | 22 | 190 | RB | Nebraska |
WR | Julian Edelman | 2009 | Patriots | 7 | 23 | 232 | WR | Kent State |
WR | Chris Hogan | 2011 | WR | Monmouth | ||||
WR | Phillip Dorsett | 2015 | Colts | 1 | 29 | 29 | WR | Miami (FL) |
WR | Cordarrelle Patterson | 2013 | Vikings | 1 | 29 | 29 | WR | Tennessee |
TE | Rob Gronkowski | 2010 | Patriots | 2 | 10 | 42 | TE | Arizona |
LT | Trent Brown | 2015 | 49ers | 7 | 27 | 244 | G | Florida |
LG | Joe Thuney | 2016 | Patriots | 3 | 15 | 78 | G | North Carolina State |
C | David Andrews | 2015 | C | Georgia | ||||
RG | Shaquille Mason | 2015 | Patriots | 4 | 32 | 131 | C | Georgia Tech |
RT | Marcus Cannon | 2011 | Patriots | 5 | 7 | 138 | T | Texas Christian |
Patriots Defense | ||||||||
Position | Name | Drafted | Team | Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
LE | Trey Flowers | 2015 | Patriots | 4 | 2 | 101 | DE | Arkansas |
DT | Lawrence Guy | 2011 | Packers | 7 | 30 | 233 | DT | Arizona State |
DT | Malcom Brown | 2015 | Patriots | 1 | 32 | 32 | DT | Texas |
RE | Deatrich Wise Jr. | 2015 | Patriots | 4 | 25 | 131 | DE | Arkansas |
OLB | Kyle Van Noy | 2014 | Lions | 2 | 8 | 40 | LB | Brigham Young |
MLB | Elandon Roberts | 2016 | Patriots | 6 | 39 | 214 | LB | Houston |
OLB | Dont'a Hightower | 2012 | Patriots | 1 | 25 | 25 | LB | Alabama |
CB | Jason McCourty | 2009 | Titans | 6 | 30 | 203 | DB | Rutgers |
CB | Stephon Gilmore | 2012 | Bills | 1 | 10 | 10 | DB | South Carolina |
FS | Devin McCourty | 2010 | Patriots | 1 | 27 | 27 | DB | Rutgers |
SS | Patrick Chung | 2009 | Patriots | 2 | 2 | 34 | DB | Oregon |
Patriots Special Teams | ||||||||
Position | Name | Drafted | Team | Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
K | Stephen Gostkowski | 2006 | Patriots | 4 | 21 | 118 | K | Memphis |
P | Ryan Allen | 2013 | P | Louisiana Tech | ||||
KR | Cordarrelle Patterson | 2013 | Vikings | 1 | 29 | 29 | WR | Tennessee |
WR | Julian Edelman | 2009 | Patriots | 7 | 23 | 232 | WR | Kent State |
LS | Joe Cardona | 2015 | Patriots | 5 | 30 | 166 | C | Navy |
H | Ryan Allen | 2013 | P | Louisiana Tech | ||||
ST | Matt Slater | 2008 | Patriots | 5 | 18 | 153 | WR | UCLA |