NFL Draft: Picks to Watch

The NFL Draft is just under five hours away. The Draft, for football fans, is like Christmas morning. Like many who wake up early on Christmas to watch Christmas movies like How the Grinch Stole Christmas or A Christmas Story, I woke up this morning and watched the box office hit Draft Day. The day of the NFL Draft is a day of hope, a day of excitement for football fans across the country and across the world. That hope can lead to a realistic chance at the Super Bowl, like the selection of Patrick Mahomes did for the Kansas City Chiefs, or the hopes of a city and of a franchise can come crashing down if your team selects a bust, much like the Raiders did in 2007.

So as we approach the Draft, we take a look at some of the most important picks that will be made tonight. These picks could help shake up the NFL landscape for years to come.

Round One, Pick One: Arizona Cardinals

Of course, the number one pick in the draft is going to be the most important pick in the draft. But the amount of intrigue and mystery surrounding the number one pick is something we’ve never seen. The Cardinals could go in any direction they want with this pick. The consensus number one pick is Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray, but the Cardinals picked a QB just one year ago when they picked Josh Rosen with the tenth pick in 2018. So, do the Cardinals look to fill holes elsewhere on a team that desperately needs help at nearly every position? Or do they go with the best player, a player that new Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury is not shy about gushing over? And if Arizona does go with Murray at number one do they trade Josh Rosen? And to where? Or do the Cardinals trade the number one pick for multiple selections that can help the team across the board? No matter what the Cardinals do at number one, the pick will have a lasting effect on Arizona and the rest of the draft.

Round One, Pick Four: Oakland Raiders

Rumors have been swirling that the Raiders and Head Coach Jon Gruden love Ohio State QB Dwayne Haskins and could use the fourth overall pick to get the signal caller. But the Raiders face a similar challenge as the Cardinals, in that the team already has a QB in Derek Carr, a QB that helped to lead the Raiders to 12 wins in 2016. Also similar to the Cardinals, this pick could be used to help fill another, more pressing need for the soon to be Las Vegas Raiders. If the Raiders do decide to pick Haskins fourth overall, what does that mean for Derek Carr? Could the QB be on the move? And if so, does another QB needy team make a move for the veteran? If we’re being honest I’d be surprised to see the Ohio State product go to Oakland, but it’s the draft, anything can happen.

Round One, Picks Six and Seventeen: New York Giants

The sixth pick is another spot in which Haskins could find himself coming off the board. The New York Giants, like the Raiders and Cardinals, have a QB in Super Bowl Champion Eli Manning. The major difference is the age of Manning, however, as the veteran QB is entering his age 38 season. The Giants would be smart to select a QB at some point in this draft, after passing up a QB last season, instead picking running back Saquon Barkley second overall. But will Haskins be available at six? And if he is, do the Giants select him or do they opt to fill another need in hopes of selecting a QB with the seventeenth overall pick? I’d be shocked if the Giants don’t take home the heir to Eli Manning on day one, no matter who that might be.

Round One, Pick Fifteen: Washington Redskins

The Redskins have been a hot mess for a while now. After the Kirk Cousins drama then surrounded the team for the past couple of seasons, Washington finally thought they had a solid QB after letting Cousins walk and trading for Alex Smith. That plan changed, however, after Smith suffered a broken leg in week 11 of the 2018 season. With Smith still recovering from injury, and not believed to be ready for the 2019 season, the Redskins have a decision to make. Do they select a QB with the 15th pick in hopes of finding their QB of the future, whether that’s Haskins, Duke’s Daniel Jones, or Missouri's Drew Lock? Or do they stick with longtime backup Colt McCoy to get Washington through the 2019 season. Ultimately the decision will come down to whatever Dan Snyder wants, because that's the way things work in DC.

Round One, Pick 32: New England Patriots

Yes, there are 31 other draft selections that will happen prior to the Patriots making their first selection of the day and each of those 31 picks will heavily impact who can be picked at this spot. But despite the pick being the last of the night, the 32nd overall pick will still be one to watch. It’s not uncommon for the Patriots to trade down of the first day of the NFL Draft, and it’s even more common for teams to try and trade back into the first round to try and get a player that may have slid to pick 32, or to try and fill another need, making the 32nd pick the most “tradable” pick in the draft. So, will the Patriots hold onto their pick and potentially find the inevitable replacement for Tom Brady? Or does a team try and trade back into the first round to snag a QB like Will Grier, much like the Ravens did in 2018, taking Lamar Jackson.

No matter what happens tonight one thing is for sure, the decisions made by every team, with every pick, will impact a franchise, a fanbase and a city for years to come. And that alone makes every single pick a pick to watch.