NFL Draft 2018

Well, the Bozos have snuck their way into the Draft and here are a few tidbits on what we think might happen in the first 45 minutes, along with a very hopeful scenario for the N.Y. Giants, who of course have the second overall pick.

Obviously, the hapless Browns hold the key to the Draft with the first and the fourth picks. Browns GM John Dorsey said he hasn’t even told his wife who the first selection will be. Historically inept at picking QBs with their first pick, if they blow this one, Dorsey will soon be hustling SUVs at Cleveland Ford.

The Brownies have to take a QB either #1 or #4, and the intelligent thing to would be to take the RB (aka Saquon Barkley) #1 and take whatever QB is available #4 out of Darnold, Rosen, Mayfield or Allen. There is no real discernable predictable difference among these four. Odds are two or three out of the four will end up busts and with Cleveland’s luck and lame evaluation prowess, they’ll find the Ryan Leaf of the group. If the pick the QB #4 and he’s a bust and the RB is as solid as he appears to be, then the downside of this strategy is limited, however our Draft scout, Carnac the Magnificent senses that the Browns will pass on Darnold and shock the football world with Wyoming and first-team Mountain-West Honorable Mention Josh Allen. If this occurs, the Browns are banking on Allen sitting behind Taylor for a season and the evolving into a Wentz type prodigy. Passing on Darnold is a risk but who’s to say he’s going to turn out to be the elite QB of this class?

The Giants, at second, are going to take the RB, Barkley, if the Browns don’t grab him. This is the ideal scenario for the G-Men. Barkley could be a top 3 RB in this league for 6-8 years barring injury. The Giants have never had a top tier RB like Dickerson, Emmitt Smith or Tomlinson and this would provide the security Eli and the next Giant QB requires to run a successful offense. Eli still has a little time left and drafting a QB like Darnold with Davis Webb not given a chance is just plain dumb. Eli, at his advanced age, should be on a tight leash. New Head Coach Pat Shurmur, if after 4-6 games, the Giants are two games under .500 like 1-3 or 2-4, they should sit Eli and see what Webb has, before the season is lost. With Barkley, the pressure should be off. He will get you 4-5 yards on first down and keep you out of all the third-and-long situations the Giants faced last year. Worst case for the Giants is if Cleveland takes Barkley. Then the Giants may trade the pick or select Darnold. If they trade the pick, they could get some strong Defensive help or even Rashaad Penny, the high scoring RB from SDSU, who will be a steal and also an NFL top RB. If they take Darnold, then Webb is in limbo and the Giants are stuck with another potential USC first round QB bust like Leinart and Sanchez. Please Mr. Gentleman, take Saquon if available!

The Jets at #3 need the franchise QB they haven’t had since Namath. Why not take the guy the Browns or the Giants don’t take, Rosen, Darnold or Mayfield? We think they like Mayfield and he could thrive in New York with his cowboy attitude. He’s a work in progress but there is lower expectations and more patience in N.Y. for Gang Green as opposed to their MetLife Stadium partners.

If the Browns don’t take the QB first, then they have to take the next one on the list, be it Rosen, Mayfield, Allen or Darnold. If they take the QB and Barkley’s gone, the must take DE Bradley Chubb from NC State and team him with last years #1 pick, Myles Garrett on the other side for the potentially most dominant D-line in the league.

Denver, with #5 also is in dire need of a QB. Elway will take the guy that’s left here, probably Rosen.

Hall of Fame lock OG Quenton Nelson from ND won’t last long, neither will Chubb and Georgia LB Roquan Smith. The Colts, Bucs and Bears have a lot of talent to choose from depending on how things go and how they want to address their more pressing needs.

All the endless predictions from the talking heads will come to a thankful conclusion at 8pm in Dallas. The 2018 Draft is shaping up to be much more interesting than most of them, with some surprises and trades for sure.

HB

2 Comments