Injuries taking a toll on 2019 NFL draft picks

The 2019 NFL Draft brought hope and excitement to fanbases around the league, as every draft always does. But the harsh reality of football suggests injuries will impact April’s draft class. We’ve already seen several talented players lost for part or all of the year.

Here’s a look at four rookie hopefuls who are beginning their careers all banged up.

Drew Lock, Denver Broncos

Drew Lock suffered a thumb injury during the Denver Broncos’ preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers. Lock’s return is questionable, they expect him to be fully healed in 6-to-8 weeks, but they don’t want to rush him back.

His head coach, Vic Fangio, has even questioned whether or not he could become an NFL quarterback, calling him a “hard-throwing pitcher that doesn’t know how to pitch yet.”

With Joe Flacco at the helm, the likelihood of Lock playing this year was slim to none to begin with, but his injury will give him more time to study the playbook and prove everyone wrong. Lock now has the chance to turn what could have been a negative into something positive.

Hakeem Butler, Arizona Cardinals

The big-bodied receiver (6-foot-5, 227 pounds) was viewed by many as a steal; he was selected with the first pick in the fourth round by the Arizona Cardinals. Many expected Butler to have a solid rookie season in coach Kliff Kingsbury’s air-raid system.

Kingsbury’s offense likes to fire the ball downfield, pairing perfectly with Butler’s strengths. In college Butler was quite the vertical threat making several contested catches for Iowa State. It seemed like a match made in heaven for both Butler and the Cardinals, but the two will likely have to wait a full season.

Butler has an avulsion fracture, likely sidelining him for the rest of the 2019 season.

Jace Sternberger, Green Bay Packers

Jace Sternberger has had a rough start to his NFL career. In his first preseason game against the Houston Texans, he took a hit that resulted in a concussion. When he returned to action in the preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs, he suffered an ankle injury leading to the decision to put him on IR.

Sternberger was a big part of Texas A&M’s offense in 2018. He made 43 receptions and averaged 17.3 yards per catch. He was expected to be a similar vertical threat for the Packers in 2019. Paired with Jimmy Graham, QB Aaron Rodgers finally had the kind of talent at tight end to maximize all three levels of the passing game.

His return date, however, is still up in the air, but the Packers hope to see the rookie on the field in 8 weeks.

N’Keal Harry, New England Patriots

N’Keal Harry had high expectations when the New England Patriots selected him in the first round; it’s the first time the Patriots selected a WR in the first round since 1996 when they picked Terry Glenn. He set the bar high for Harry, hauling in more than 1,000 receiving yards his rookie year.

During New England’s first preseason game against the Detroit Lions, Harry suffered an ankle injury; it was an issue he’d been dealing with all offseason.

Expected to return as soon as possible, both the Patriots and Harry will look to continue the momentum from his debut once he returns to action.