The Dallas Cowboys needed 15 yards to convert a fourth down with just over a minute left in their regular season finale against the New York Giants. Instead, Dak Prescott went for the whole enchilada with a throw to the end zone.
How one Dak Prescott throw changed 5 of the top 8 picks in the 2019 NFL Draft
The 49ers, Jets, Giants, Jaguars, and Lions were all affected by the Cowboys’ seemingly meaningless win in Week 17.
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Wide receiver Cole Beasley tracked the ball down and made a diving catch for a 32-yard touchdown.
The play didn’t mean anything for the 2018 season. The Cowboys already had the NFC East locked up, but couldn’t catch the Rams, Saints, or Bears. Their ceiling and floor was the No. 4 seed in the NFC.
The Giants were already long gone from postseason contention. The play only meant they finished 5-11 instead of 6-10.
But even if the play didn’t matter much then, the touchdown could matter in the future. Why? Because it changed the draft position of five teams in the top eight of the 2019 NFL Draft order.
Three teams finished with 4-12 records. Among that trio, the strength of schedule tiebreaker put the Raiders behind the 49ers and Jets.
San Francisco just barely edged New York, because 49ers opponents finished 128-126-2 (0.504) in 2018 while Jets opponents were 128-125-3 (0.506).
The 49ers would’ve had the higher strength of schedule with just one more win from an opponent. One of those opponents was the Giants. If Prescott and Beasley hadn’t combined for their touchdown, San Francisco’s strength of schedule would’ve been 129-125-2 (0.508) and that would’ve slotted the 49ers behind the Jets.
Will it matter? It certainly could.
Both the 49ers and Jets could benefit from landing an edge rusher. In the latest mock draft from Dan Kadar, the Cardinals snag Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa at No. 1 and the 49ers get Kentucky pass rusher Josh Allen. With the top two edge rushing choices off the board, the Jets take Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams instead.
It’s too early to know if the 49ers and Jets will end up coveting similar prospects. But either way, San Francisco has reason to be thankful for Prescott and Beasley connecting in Week 17.
The Giants moved ahead in the quarterback sweepstakes
The obvious team affected in the top 10 was the Giants. Because of their loss, the draft order now looks like this:
But if Prescott’s pass attempt was incomplete and the Giants won, it would instead look like this:
6. Jaguars
7. Lions
8. Giants
The difference could be important, because the two teams in the top 10 most in need of a quarterback are the Giants and Jaguars. The Buccaneers are at No. 5 in the order, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported at the end of December that the team plans to bring back Jameis Winston for another year.
For now, it looks like New York and Jacksonville are the two jockeying for position to take the first quarterback off the board. In Kadar’s mock draft, that player is Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins, who announced Monday that he’ll forgo his junior and senior seasons and enter the 2019 NFL Draft.
It might be necessary for the Giants or Jaguars to trade up in the order to secure Haskins, but the cost to do so is going to be less for New York.
And that’s all thanks to Prescott and Beasley, who altered the future of a few teams, and NFL prospects, with their meaningless touchdown.
See More:
