With The First Pick
Fansided

AFC East: Team Needs for the 2019 NFL Draft

By Thomas Welte

FOXBOROUGH, MA - DECEMBER 23: Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills and Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots meet on the field after the New England Patriots defeated the Buffalo Bills 24-12 at Gillette Stadium on December 23, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MA - DECEMBER 23: Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills and Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots meet on the field after the New England Patriots defeated the Buffalo Bills 24-12 at Gillette Stadium on December 23, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 5
Next
Will Josh Allen lead the Bills to an AFC East title in the near future?
FOXBOROUGH, MA – DECEMBER 23: Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills and Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots meet on the field after the New England Patriots defeated the Buffalo Bills 24-12 at Gillette Stadium on December 23, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

The NFL season is quickly wrapping up, so let’s take a look at the needs of teams that hail from the AFC East.

The New England Patriots winning the AFC East division has been the safest bet in all of sports for the last decade. The other three AFC East teams have some intriguing pieces, but none have been able to keep pace with Bellichek and Tom Brady. Teams will look to change that, while New England has to deal with the aging coach and quarterback tandem.

The Patriots have a tough decision to make as Tom Brady continues to grow older and while Brady has fared better than most, father time is still undefeated. Additionally, there are rumors that New Englands most prolific weapon Rob Gronkowski may be riding off into the sunset sooner rather than later. New England may be faced with the difficult task of trying to replace two future Hall of Famers.

The Miami Dolphins have been stuck in mediocrity for several years, and the Dolphins may be ready to give up on quarterback Ryan Tannehill. While the Dolphins have some potential rising stars in Minkah Fitzpatrick and Xavien Howard but will need to upgrade their pass rush and offensive skill positions.

The Buffalo Bills have had a rollercoaster season but are optimistic about the future of their young quarterback Josh Allen. The Bills defense has been outstanding this year, which means Buffalo can focus on surrounding their franchise quarterback with offensive weapons and upgrading his protection.

Similar to the Bills, the New York Jets are also optimistic about their young quarterback Sam Darnold. Unfortunately for Darnold, the cupboard in New York seems pretty bare and it is likely that there will be a new head coach for the Jets in 2019. The Jets will likely focus on protecting their investment in Darnold, while also restocking a defensive unit that lacks playmakers outside of young safety Jamal Adams.

Let’s take a look at each of the AFC East’s team needs in more detail, as well as prospects that may fit for each franchise.

Home/NFL News