NFL Draft 2019: 5 Bold Predictions for the first round

2. No running backs are selected

Saquon Barkley isn’t eligible for this year’s draft. He’d be the consensus top running back in the 2019 class too, which is both a compliment to him and an indictment of the options for teams to choose from this time around.

Alabama’s Josh Jacobs has marginally separated himself from the pack, but he’s not the kind of can’t-miss prospect Barkley was. Penn State’s Miles Sanders, Iowa State’s David Montgomery and Jacobs’ backfield partner Damien Harris are all hanging in the mix as well.

Those four are all solid backs who should play meaningful roles on NFL teams this fall. They’re just not worth premium picks. If the Oakland Raiders don’t feel the need to use one of their extra selections on Jacobs at No. 27, there might not be another team who can afford the luxury of a first round running back.