2019 NFL Draft: Matching top prospects with Marvel’s Avengers
By Ryan Roberts
The Hulk: Devin White, LB, LSU
The balance between the innovative, mild-mannered genius of Bruce Banner and the overall brutish figure of the green, muscle-bulging, somehow lovable Hulk has been one of the more interesting character arcs during the sequence of Marvel movies. The recent disconnect between Bruce and the Hulk has added even more of an interesting layer to the character.
To play my Hulk, I need a guy who is a polar opposite on and off the field. Enter in, by all omissions, my favorite player in the 2019 NFL Draft class. LSU linebacker Devin White stands as the unquestioned best linebacker in the class, at least in my opinion.
On the field, he is a dynamic athlete who presents a physical force in the middle, who consistently makes his presence known. Then you see Devin White off the field, riding his horse Daisy Mae through LSU stadium, smiling ear to ear, without a care in the world.
Of all the 2019 NFL Draft prospects, there is no player I’d rather see attempt a Hulk smash on the football field. I’m drafting both personalities for Devin White, but I am hoping to see the green guy come out soon before the battle rages on.
Captain Marvel: Rashan Gary, DE/DT, Michigan
Perhaps the most powerful Avenger of them all, Captain Marvel has not been seen in years now following her dramatic entrance into the MCU. Similarly, Rashan Gary has also been rather quiet since entering college football as the top overall recruit coming out of Paramus Catholic in New Jersey.
Carol Danvers has just entered the fun with a bang, revealing the idea for the Avengers by Nick Fury was a result of his exposure to the ultra-powerful Captain Marvel in the mid-1990s. Equipped with supreme power gained from an explosion of a light speed engine that was empowered using the Tesseract, this provided Captain Marvel with power that may just place her as the most powerful hero amongst all of the Avengers. She is cleared for a return to the arc after 20+ years absent from Earth. She will without a doubt be a tremendously important catalyst in deciding the fate of the universe in Endgame.
Gary has taken a similar path to get to this draft season. Entering the University of Michigan, he was a consensus No. 1 recruit with immeasurable potential. Gary showed flashes during his college career but was nowhere near the consistent force his reputation would lead a casual fan to believe. He has gone through the draft season in a similar vein, a world of potential who has not been seen nearly enough. The upside is unquestioned. The talent is tantalizing.
The only question is, will the Gary we have all heard about return soon — at least in time for this impending battle in the endgame? My hope is yes. Rashan Gary, move to the front; you are the forgotten hero I need.