Hold onto your hats folks, we’ve got some juicy NFL draft news for you. Apparently, according to the experts in scouting circles, the Carolina Panthers are just chomping at the bit to select Alabama’s Young as their first pick. Now, Young may not have the typical size and weight you’d expect from a first pick, but he’s produced plenty at Alabama against the best competition in the country, so he’s got the skills to pay the bills.
But wait, there’s more! If that’s the case, it looks like Ohio State’s Stroud is practically a shoo-in to go second to the Texans, who’ve been tanking for years to get into this position. Except, plot twist, there have been some rumors that the Texans might go rogue and choose Alabama outside linebacker Will Anderson Jr. instead. This anonymous personnel executive (who’s probably just trying to sound important by speaking on the condition of anonymity) seems to think the Texans aren’t feeling Stroud, which is totally understandable because who even likes Stroud anyway?
Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Colts have been positively drooling over Kentucky’s Levis, so it’s widely assumed whichever team moves to pick three will take Ohio State’s Richardson instead. The Colts will then just swoop in and grab Levis with the fourth selection, like a waiter snagging the last slice of pizza before anyone can even say “parmesan.”
After all these quarterback picks, every defensive player eligible for this draft will be like, “Helloooo, is anybody out there?” But fear not, defense-needy Seattle Seahawks, because there are still some great names left on the board. According to executives who are probably just guessing like the rest of us, the top contenders for the remaining top 10 spots are Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr., Georgia’s Jalen Carter, Texas Tech’s Tyree Wilson, Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski, Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez, and Texas’ Bijan Robinson.
Wilson, in particular, is a hot commodity because teams are always looking for those special athletes who can terrorize the quarterback. Plus, with so many teams picking fifth to 10th, it seems like every team could make the case for why Wilson is their guy. The Seahawks, Lions, Raiders, Falcons, and Bears are all interested, and the Eagles need to beef up their defense because they’re “getting long in the tooth,” which we’re pretty sure is a pirate euphemism.
Speaking of beefing up, executives are pretty sure at least one offensive lineman will go in the top 10, with most putting their money on Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr. But one GM seems to think that Peter Skoronski, despite his “lack of ideal arm length,” is the man for the job. The Bears have seen him up close, and Northwestern Coach Pat Fitzgerald has some serious ties to Halas Hall, so maybe they’ll take a chance on him.
As for the final spots in the top 10, we’ve got some cornerbacks (take your pick between Oregon’s Gonzalez and Illinois’ Witherspoon) and, wait for it, a RUNNING BACK. Now, it’s frowned upon to take a running back this high, and we all know how well the New York Giants’ Barkley turned out. But according to one personnel executive, Texas’ Bijan Robinson is a special player who could really turn a team around. He’s the kinda guy who could make your team better on Day 1 and never has to come off the field. Can you imagine a run on something as basic as a running back? Madness! But hey, given the lack of truly superlative players in other positions, maybe it’s worth taking a chance.
Serious News: washingtonpost
