The time has come. College Football (CFB) players have been evaluated throughout their years in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), Big Ten, Pac-12, or one of the many other conferences in the CFB. For some, they have the honor of participating in the playoffs, and for a select few, the National Championship. Throughout the NFL Combine the players fight and improve their draft stock by participating in strength and agility drills. All of it, leading up to the NFL Draft, is where all their hard work will hopefully pay off.
This draft has no shortage of talent, especially at the quarterback position. The consensus No. 1 overall pick, USC’s Caleb Williams, followed by LSU’s Heisman winner Jayden Daniels, and UNC’s superstar Drake Maye, spearhead this year’s QB class, and many predict that these three will be selected inside the top three picks. The wideouts of this year’s draft are no slouches either. Superstars like Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr, LSU’s Malik Nabers, and Washington’s Rome Odunze are all expected to be selected inside the top 10. Other potential top 10 candidates are Notre Dame offensive lineman Joe Alt, Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, and Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
Speaking of McCarthy, his draft stock is one debated by many. Previously thought to be a late first to early second round pick, McCarthy’s draft stock skyrocketed after he helped the Michigan Wolverines to a National Championship over the Washington Huskies. Now, many draft experts claim he will be selected well inside the top 10; however, others say that he was carried by his elite running backs and defense, which could very well be true. The question remains: does McCarthy have what it takes to win in the NFL?
While the top 10 can be very chaotic, multiple teams in the latter sections of the first round have glaring weaknesses that they will look to remedy. Teams like the Philadelphia Eagles and the Buffalo Bills, who desperately need cornerbacks and wideouts respectively, could be looking to trade up in the draft to select players like Terrion Arnold, Cooper Dejean, and Rome Odunze. Both of these teams had disappointing ends to their playoff runs. In the Eagles case, underwhelming offense and a downright abysmal defense spelled an embarrassing end to their season. Meanwhile, the Bills suffered a stunning 27-24 loss to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs. The Bills then lost both of their top two wideouts, leaving them with no true No. 1 target. The Eagles, on the other hand, had a miserable secondary all year long, and will likely be looking to turn their defense around with their first round pick.
The savior for teams like the Bills and Eagles could be QB-needy teams currently in the deadzone for QBs. This year, the dead zone will be the middle and latter parts of the first round where all the top QBs will have already been taken, but it would be too early to draft a QB from the next tier. Teams like the Broncos and Vikings could be looking to trade back into the last few picks of the first round. This would help them acquire valuable draft capital, while still being able to draft the QBs they are likely targeting. These QBs are none other than Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon’s Bo Nix. Both QB’s are expected to be available in the last few picks of the first round and could be just what the Broncos and Vikings need.
