A Guidebook to the First 3 Picks of the NFL Draft
The NFL Draft is already one of the biggest events of the year for football fans. Normally, fans are intrigued, but also paying more attention to the NBA postseason and beginning of the MLB season. With the coronavirus pandemic cancelling all sporting events, the NFL Draft has become must-see TV for sports fans. The first few picks can change the fates of teams for the better or worse, with the 49ers vaulting themselves into the Super Bowl with the selection of Nick Bosa, and other teams making less wise decisions that force them to watch the NFL Playoffs on TV for another year (I'm looking at you, Daniel Jones). The draft can be hard to navigate, with hundreds of possibilities, some leading to postseason play, others shoving teams into another sub .500 season. Even just the first few picks present a wealth of opportunities with a mixed bag of outcomes. We created a guidebook to the first 3 picks to help weigh the options ahead of Thursday's excitement, with the hope that some of these teams won't have time to go sightseeing next January.
#1 Pick: Cincinnati Bengals
Presumed Pick: Joe Burrow (QB out of LSU)
Joe Burrow is as close to a lock in the #1 spot as you can get. Gambling on him going #1 is such easy money it could force the most devout of Christians to commit a sin for a few extra bucks. An Ohio kid, Burrow was disregarded at Ohio State, before transferring to Louisiana State, where he had one of the most extraordinary seasons college football has seen, carrying LSU to a 15-0 season and a national championship where he flirted with countless of the sport's records. Burrow's so perfect, the media has taken to freaking out over his small (read: average for most humans) hands. The Bengals have a QB vacancy and a desire for the best talent they can get. The Heisman winner and 2 hours away from hometown hero checks both boxes. Unless the Cincinnati front office decides they don't want a winning football team and would rather alienate their fanbase, expect the former "Bayou Bengal" to become a Cincinnati Bengal.
#2 Pick: Washington Redskins
Presumed Pick: Chase Young (DE out of Ohio State)
Young may have been the most dominant football player in the country last year. Teams would double-team him and he'd still bring their quarterback down a few times a game. On snaps when he was 1-on-1, scorekeepers would spring to their books to count another sack for Chase Young. In basketball, "gravity" is an oft-used term for players like Stephen Curry and James Harden who demand the constant attention of the defense. Young does the same thing in football. With him on the roster, a mediocre defensive line surrounding him can excel because of the blocking he needs to stop him. The Redskins would love this, as besides Montez Sweat (who is more famous because of his Old Spice ads than his football), their pass rush is all but listed in Merriam-Webster as a synonym for depleted. Washington drafted Dwayne Haskins last year, so they don't have a good reason to draft another QB this year. Plus, Young should be the most talented player when the Redskins are on the clock. So what stops the football world from pencilling Young in as the second pick? Well, the biggest question mark the NFL Draft has had in years lies here in Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa was the definite #1 pick before Joe Burrow exploded and Tua injured his hip. Now, he has the highest ceiling and lowest floor in the first round. Tua's a freakish talent, but Washington has already checked the QB box and would be foolish to throw in the towel on Haskins after one solid year. The other option is a trade. You could go all the way to China with all the holes the Redskins have dug at most positions. Young is a slam dunk, but if they traded the pick away, they could conceivably get a few players to fill the gaps as big as 2nd grader's teeth. Chase Young is probably the correct pick, but nobody should be surprised by anything that the laughable 'Skins front office pulls.
#3 Pick: Detroit Lions
Presumed Pick: Jeff Okudah (CB out of Ohio State)
The first couple picks seem pretty certain, but the Detroit Lions are where things get interesting. They probably shouldn't be in this position after severely underperforming with a roster that looked good enough to be "meh." Instead, their record made them out to be the lovable losers the football world knows them as. As a result, they have a plethora of possibilities. Jeff Okudah was the best cornerback in the country last year, and is the most likely option as a result. However, the Lions won't get any better if they just swap out Darius Slay Jr, who was traded in the offseason, with Okudah, who likely won't reach Slay's level for at least a few years. Clemson Swiss Army Knife linebacker Isaiah Simmons is another option if the Lions want to go the defensive route. Detroit has always played safe and stayed in mediocrity as a result, signing so-so quarterback Matthew Stafford to a massive extension in 2017. To win big, the Lions must roll the dice and put some chips on the table with it. One option is Tua. Stafford is 32 and not getting any younger. He probably won't see the playoffs in a Lion uniform. However, in having a veteran QB, Detroit has the luxury of time. If they draft Tua, they could allow him to learn under Stafford for a year, before shipping Stafford off and letting the Tua regime begin in Michigan. The other option is a trade. A trade is never the sexiest option with the fanbase, but it makes a lot of sense here. With a healthy Matt Stafford, the Lions have enough mediocrity at each position to be only a few wins away from the newly added 7th playoff spot. A lot of teams will want Tagovailoa and start a bidding war that could give the Lions a massive haul of future picks and starting-caliber players ready to bring a playoff game to Ford Field. The Lions have 3 viable options that all could pan out. All bets are off on this.
#1 Pick: Cincinnati Bengals
Presumed Pick: Joe Burrow (QB out of LSU)
Joe Burrow is as close to a lock in the #1 spot as you can get. Gambling on him going #1 is such easy money it could force the most devout of Christians to commit a sin for a few extra bucks. An Ohio kid, Burrow was disregarded at Ohio State, before transferring to Louisiana State, where he had one of the most extraordinary seasons college football has seen, carrying LSU to a 15-0 season and a national championship where he flirted with countless of the sport's records. Burrow's so perfect, the media has taken to freaking out over his small (read: average for most humans) hands. The Bengals have a QB vacancy and a desire for the best talent they can get. The Heisman winner and 2 hours away from hometown hero checks both boxes. Unless the Cincinnati front office decides they don't want a winning football team and would rather alienate their fanbase, expect the former "Bayou Bengal" to become a Cincinnati Bengal.
#2 Pick: Washington Redskins
Presumed Pick: Chase Young (DE out of Ohio State)
Young may have been the most dominant football player in the country last year. Teams would double-team him and he'd still bring their quarterback down a few times a game. On snaps when he was 1-on-1, scorekeepers would spring to their books to count another sack for Chase Young. In basketball, "gravity" is an oft-used term for players like Stephen Curry and James Harden who demand the constant attention of the defense. Young does the same thing in football. With him on the roster, a mediocre defensive line surrounding him can excel because of the blocking he needs to stop him. The Redskins would love this, as besides Montez Sweat (who is more famous because of his Old Spice ads than his football), their pass rush is all but listed in Merriam-Webster as a synonym for depleted. Washington drafted Dwayne Haskins last year, so they don't have a good reason to draft another QB this year. Plus, Young should be the most talented player when the Redskins are on the clock. So what stops the football world from pencilling Young in as the second pick? Well, the biggest question mark the NFL Draft has had in years lies here in Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa was the definite #1 pick before Joe Burrow exploded and Tua injured his hip. Now, he has the highest ceiling and lowest floor in the first round. Tua's a freakish talent, but Washington has already checked the QB box and would be foolish to throw in the towel on Haskins after one solid year. The other option is a trade. You could go all the way to China with all the holes the Redskins have dug at most positions. Young is a slam dunk, but if they traded the pick away, they could conceivably get a few players to fill the gaps as big as 2nd grader's teeth. Chase Young is probably the correct pick, but nobody should be surprised by anything that the laughable 'Skins front office pulls.
#3 Pick: Detroit Lions
Presumed Pick: Jeff Okudah (CB out of Ohio State)
The first couple picks seem pretty certain, but the Detroit Lions are where things get interesting. They probably shouldn't be in this position after severely underperforming with a roster that looked good enough to be "meh." Instead, their record made them out to be the lovable losers the football world knows them as. As a result, they have a plethora of possibilities. Jeff Okudah was the best cornerback in the country last year, and is the most likely option as a result. However, the Lions won't get any better if they just swap out Darius Slay Jr, who was traded in the offseason, with Okudah, who likely won't reach Slay's level for at least a few years. Clemson Swiss Army Knife linebacker Isaiah Simmons is another option if the Lions want to go the defensive route. Detroit has always played safe and stayed in mediocrity as a result, signing so-so quarterback Matthew Stafford to a massive extension in 2017. To win big, the Lions must roll the dice and put some chips on the table with it. One option is Tua. Stafford is 32 and not getting any younger. He probably won't see the playoffs in a Lion uniform. However, in having a veteran QB, Detroit has the luxury of time. If they draft Tua, they could allow him to learn under Stafford for a year, before shipping Stafford off and letting the Tua regime begin in Michigan. The other option is a trade. A trade is never the sexiest option with the fanbase, but it makes a lot of sense here. With a healthy Matt Stafford, the Lions have enough mediocrity at each position to be only a few wins away from the newly added 7th playoff spot. A lot of teams will want Tagovailoa and start a bidding war that could give the Lions a massive haul of future picks and starting-caliber players ready to bring a playoff game to Ford Field. The Lions have 3 viable options that all could pan out. All bets are off on this.
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