Why I Love the NFL Draft

Rounds 4-7 Final Thoughts

The NFL decided to make the final rounds a bit of a gimmicky farce with lots of goofy staged groups announcing the picks. (As if the past year’s end zone celebrations weren’t stupid enough.) Anyway, I don’t really love or even like the later rounds. I rarely watch and usually just follow the picks online. This year was no exception. Here are a few of my final thoughts now that the draft is over.

The most inspirational story was Shaquem Griffin, chosen by the Seahawks at 141. I really hope he succeeds! My Texans picked WR, LB, TE, LB, and CB. Never heard of any of these guys. Oh well. At 233, the Eagles picked Jordan Mailata, a huge rugby player who has never played American football. They plan on trying to make him into an offensive tackle. Should be interesting. And at pick number 256, WR Trey Quinn is this year’s Mr. Irrelevant. Good luck to all those picked and to the undrafted free agents who will try to find a team in the coming weeks!

Round 2-3 Update

Ok, to be honest, I really only love the first round of the NFL Draft. I like rounds 2 and 3. This year, after the first dozen or so picks, I quickly lost interest. Beyond the QBs, and other skill positions, we’re down to the players most of us would not recognize in a lineup. Not to say that there aren’t many good players still available, but the names just aren’t as familiar as the guys from round 1.

Anyway, my thoughts on day 2 of the draft are as follows. My Texans finally got to make a few picks, although none too sexy (S, OL, and TE). I had not heard any of their names before, just saying. The Steelers picked a QB! Maybe Big Ben’s future replacement? The Browns picked the wrong player named Chubb, although this one is actually pretty good. And the Eagles made my night by moving up to steal the TE that the Cowboys wanted, and by mentioning how many years have passed since the Cowboys have actually made it to the Super Bowl. Ouch! #DCHN

Round 1 Update

Well, I have to say I was disappointed in the coverage last night. I even tried all three telecasts. There were only a few of the human interest stories I was so looking forward to and not much in the way of prediction. I had to watch videos online this morning to see all the background info on the players drafted yesterday. And the commentators spent most of their time talking about the previous picks and very little on the ones ahead.

There were some surprises, starting with the first pick. I guess the Browns will always be the Browns. They picked the QB most analysts said was the fourth best one, and then they passed on the defensive lineman everyone expected them to pick. The Saints may have made the biggest reach, trading up to pick a non-QB (and possibly a guy they could have gotten much later.) The Chargers may have pulled off the steal of the draft, picking a top-five DB at number 17.

Biggest winners? Eli Manning ,Case Keenum, and Ryan Tannehill? Big losers? Tyrod Taylor, AJ McCarron, and Sam Bradford?

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I don’t watch a lot of professional sports these days, but when I do, I prefer football. Last season, I pretty much quit watching the NFL altogether until the playoffs started. I wouldn’t call it a boycott, but I was really offended by all the protests and other crap going on, and I went from skipping all the pregame hoopla to just skipping the whole thing. Besides, I am a Texans fan and when we lost multiple starters to injuries, including our new quarterback, it was painful to watch.

Even though I may not consistently turn on the TV this fall to watch a game, I am still obsessed with the NFL Draft. There’s just something about the drama of the live event. I am amazed each year as the event grows and the spectacle gains more and more attention. So tonight, I’ll be glued to the set watching all these college stars take the next step into the world of professional football.

Here’s what intrigues me about the draft. More than anything, I love the human interest stories. Beyond the highlight reels, the profiles of specific players always fascinate me. I love to watch the families gathered to celebrate and support their loved ones. Whether it involves a wife, girlfriend, mother, father, or some other important figure, it is a real life drama better than most of what the networks can offer on their best days. Whether they are at home or sitting in the green room, watching these young men get that phone call is truly touching.

I am also drawn in by the behind-the-scenes intrigue and all the wheeling and dealing done by the teams. The unpredictable trades are the best. When a team suddenly jumps up the board, everyone freaks out. Especially when the so-called experts didn’t see it coming and have no idea who the team is planning to pick. I also love all the false rumors that fly around the draft process. Every year, there are certain players that are become linked to specific teams, either due to positional needs or comments by the coach or general manager or owner, or because he has become a fan favorite, or sometimes for completely unknown reasons. Sometimes spread intentionally, these rumors are often totally false. As fans, we never know until the last minute whether there is any truth involved at all. When the team picks an entirely different player, the commentators are always stunned and it makes for great TV!

I love watching the commentators shock and surprise when the players they are so sure will be chosen are passed over. The abundance of mock drafts and their great variety demonstrate what a crapshoot the draft can be. When a team selects a player that no one had predicted, it is priceless! There is also the sudden rise of certain players and the painful, inevitable slide of others that makes for suspenseful drama. Finally, I love the predictions of which players will be this year’s boom or bust. That determination will not come until the season starts, but the conversation will start tonight.

Just for grins, here’s my opinion. If I were the Browns, unless I was just completely smitten with one of the top three QBs, I would pick Saquon Barkley with the first pick. Whatever happens at picks 2 and 3, I could still get one of the top three guys (who I think are pretty close) at number 4. Then I would walk away with the best young backfield in the league. Probably won’t happen, but it makes sense to me.

I’ll be back with an update tomorrow!