NFL Draft: The Picks to Watch

Today is a National Holiday in the United States of America. Move aside July Fourth, Thanksgiving and Halloween, it’s officially NFL Draft day. Today represents a day of hope for millions of fans that have been forced to endure years of heartbreak and disappointment. Will today be the day that Cleveland gets a QB that has long eluded them and leads the Browns to their first win since Christmas Eve 2016? Is this the year that Cleveland finds a player capable of catching a ball or running without tripping over his own feet? Is this the year Cleveland doesn’t blow it? (OK I admit it, most of the disappointment is on the part of Browns fans. But hey, if you go win-less and haven’t been good in a decade and have two of the top four picks, then the pressure is completely on you.) But as you gear up for the Draft tonight, here are the picks you should keep your eye on, not teams or players, but the pick numbers.

Picks 1 through 5

It’s fitting that these would be the picks to keep your eye on since Cleveland owns two of these picks. But the real reason why these picks are so crucial to how this draft plays out is because there is a [possibility that FOUR quarterbacks can be selected in the top 5. There is real potential that Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield and Josh Rosen could all be selected in the first 5 picks, making one of Cleveland’s picks the only non-QB (hopefully, but it’s the Browns so who knows.) If 4 QBs go in the first 5 picks that means that the most talented prospects could possibly fall to teams like the Bucs, Bears and Colts with picks 6, 7 and 8. Could Saquon Barkley, the hands down most talented prospect in the draft fall to the Colts at 6? Does Nick Chubb, a defensive anchor fall to the Bears? Or does Denzel Ward, a ball hawking CB fall to the Bucs at 7? The endless possibilities are what makes the NFL Draft fun, and this year’s draft might have the broadest range of possibilities.

Pick 8

Last season the Chicago Bears traded away 4 draft picks to move up 2 spots in order to select Mitch Trubisky. After a promising start to his career, Trubisky seems like the future of the Chicago Bears. But now it’s time for Chicago to make up ground and get some picks back. With so many teams looking to trade up to get a QB, Chicago may look to trade down and get some of those 4 lost picks back. If a team desperate for a QB – possibly the Bills? – is willing to offer future picks to move up, then don’t be surprised to see the Bears move back.

Pick 15

The Cardinals are one of those teams desperate for a QB after Carson Palmer retired following this season. And no, Sam Bradford is not a legitimate replacement. But the question remains, is Sam Bradford a legitimate replacement? Some people in the Cardinals’ organization must believe so or else they wouldn’t have signed Bradford to a $20 million contract. But if Bradford’s shown one thing it’s that he struggles to remain on the field. If the Cardinals want a long term solution they might think about going QB here, further depleting the QB class in this draft. But they aren’t without other holes. Do they look for a heir to Larry Fitzgerald and start the WR rush by selecting a guy like Calvin Ridley? Or do they look for someone to play alongside Patrick Peterson after the departure of Tyrann Mathieu. The lack of certainty on this pick makes it one of the most intriguing picks to start the late first round.

Pick 12 and 22

Ahhhhh. The Buffalo Bills. The Bills need one thing above all others and that’s quarterback. They dealt away Tyrod Taylor in the off-season and despite what the Bills front office will try to tell you, Nate Peterman is NOT a starting QB in the National Football League. So with that in mind, do they Bills use one, or both, of their first round picks to move up and select a QB? Do the Giants suddenly find themselves selecting 12 and 22? Do the Bears select 12 and the Bills retain their 22nd pick? Of all the picks in the draft this year, these are the two that are likely to be dealt.

Pick 23 and 31

The New England Patriots. Bill Belichick has a habit of shuffling picks during the draft and this year could be no exception. Do they Patriots’ package their two picks and move up and select Tom Brady’s eventual replacement? Or with so many holes across the board do they stay put and fill two potential needs. If Lamar Jackson from Louisville is still available do the Patriots select him at 23 to thin out the QB pool? Or do they reach for Mason Rudolph at 31? If Jackson is available at 23 and the Patriots look elsewhere, does someone trade up to snag him before the Patriots pick again at 31? What the Patriots do at 23 could have severe repercussions for the final 9 picks.