The NFL Draft is coming soon, and the most talked about topic this draft is the number of quarterbacks that could go in the first round of the draft. There could be as many as five, potentially six, taken on opening day.
The five quarterbacks that are most likely going to be drafted in the first round are Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson. A sixth, Mason Rudolph, could be taken toward the end round one.
Looking at these particular players in this draft class, some seem overrated. If it was not for so many teams needing a quarterback, some of them would fall to the end of the first or into the second round.
Sam Darnold is the best signal caller in the draft and is more than likely going to be the first overall pick in this year’s draft. Even Josh Rosen’s former coach said that if he was in Cleveland’s position, he would draft Darnold over Rosen. I still think that Darnold needs some time to develop, but that goes for all the quarterbacks.
Cleveland could potentially trade this pick given that they also have the fourth overall pick and two more in the second. Acquiring more picks and falling back in the first could be beneficial and allow them to draft a different quarterback later. But with Cleveland’s history of trading their pick and failing to take a quarterback should be cause for concern.
Rosen will probably be the next quarterback taken. The question is whether the Giants at No. 2 overall will pick him, pass on him and pick someone else or trade the pick. I don’t think the Giants need to draft a quarterback, but if they are looking for the future, Rosen would be a good pick.
Mayfield is a talented player, but his attitude is something that could be a factor. If it doesn’t go to his head, then I think he will be fine.
I don’t believe the comparisons with Johnny Manziel are accurate. Mayfield can actually win you some games. He won’t be the bust that Manziel was.
Allen should be the next signal caller of the board. If Cleveland does trade their number one pick, then this is the guy that the Browns take. They have Allen underneath Darnold on their board, so taking their second option is still good.
Allen is built like Carson Wentz, has a strong arm and is mobile when needs to run. The one thing giving pause is how he will handle the pressure of games. When it comes to big games in college, Allen struggled. With the right coaching, Allen can succeed in the NFL.
Jackson is someone that is a mystery to me. He can be a guy that can be like Michael Vick, Robert Griffin III or Russell Wilson.
Jackson did say that he is a quarterback and not a wide receiver. I enjoy that and applaud him for it. I think that he only succeeds in the proper system, one that has read options and designed draw plays. Teams are going to prepare for him and be able to stop him. If a play breaks down, Jackson can be dangerous and pick up yards. In the red zone and at the goal line is where defending him will be tough.
The final quarterback that could potentially be taken on the opening day of the draft is Rudolph. I say potentially because he could fall into the early part of the second round. With possible trades and surprise picks, he could continue to fall.
A team that comes to mind is the Pittsburgh Steelers. With Ben Roethlisberger’s career coming to an end soon, the Steelers will need a future quarterback soon.
Rudolph comes from the Big 12 Conference and is coming from an offensive system that can make transitioning to the NFL difficult.
This year’s draft is one of the most interesting and intriguing ones in a long time. One pick in this year’s draft could change the whole landscape of it all. There will be plenty of action between the first time Roger Goodell is booed and the last time on draft day.