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Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

Sometimes it's not who you know but what you know.

Heading into the 2019 NFL draft, teams, media members and fans knew all about the top prospects, or at least most of them. What no one knew was how the coming season would unfold. If that knowledge were available, you can bet that a lot of teams would have approached the first round differently.

How might have things gone? That's what we're going to examine. We'll approach the 2019 draft as if decision-makers had a time machines. This means that everything over the past season—rookie performances, emerging needs, injuries and team fits—will be considered.

We'll be using the post-free-agency, predraft order. This means that early deals like the Khalil Mack, Frank Clark and Odell Beckham Jr. trades are included, but draft-day moves have been axed from the equation.

Let's dig in.