There are still about 3 months until April's NFL Draft, but it's never too early to start speculating. The first 24 picks are now set after the Wild Card Round, and fans have a clearer image of who may go where. Here, we will be looking at some of the biggest storylines from early in the draft process.
Deion to the Cowboys = Shedeur to the Cowboys?
After Dallas and HC Mike McCarthy parted ways, Colorado's Deion Sanders emerged as an early contender for the vacant job. With his son as a top 2 QB in the draft, the natural question arises: If Deion gets the job will the Cowboys trade up? I personally find it unlikely that he gets hired as the Cowboys Head Coach in the first place, but for the sake of this hypothetical, we'll assume he does. Jerry Jones isn't exactly known for explosive trades, although he did send a 4th round pick to Carolina at the deadline this year for Jonathan Mingo, who went ahead and had 46 receiving yards in 8 games. I'm sure Deion would try his best, and it may even be an unofficial condition for him signing the HC contract. Ultimately, whichever team Dallas tries to trade up with would go into the negotiation with a huge upper hand. I can't really imagine a scenario where he gets the job and doesn't end up with his son after the draft.
Who is QB3?
It's no secret that this is considered a weaker than usual QB Class. The clear cut top 2 -- Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward - would both have ranked outside of the top 5 in last year's draft. After them, though, the position rankings get a little hazy.
Alabama's Jalen Milroe was the pretty clear consensus 3 at the start of the College Football season, and probably still is now, but it has certainly gotten closer. Milroe has shown tremendous ability on the ground, which could make him an attractive, high upside prospect for teams later in Round 1, but his decision making has lacked at times through the air, and he would likely need at least 1 year on the bench to develop in the NFL.
Quinn Ewers probably slots in right behind Milroe ever since Carson Beck announced his intentions to stay in college for another year, and promptly transferred to Miami. Ewers had a solid CFP and is a decent option for teams in the 2nd round who didn't feel he was worth a round 1 selection, which he likely isn't. He's definitely more of a pocket passer, although he has shown a willingness to run at times. It's the type of healthy balance that scouts are looking for, especially if they can get hum outside of the 1st round. If I had to pick, Ewers would probably be QB3 for me, but not nearly by enough to end any debate.
Jaxson Dart, who will likely be QB5 on most teams' boards, declared for the draft after 4 total years in college that included 3 solid starting seasons at Ole Miss. Even if he starts in Week 1 (he won't), Dart wouldn't play his first NFL snap until he's 22 years old. Although it doesn't sound good compared to other players in this draft class, Bo Nix was a 24 year old rookie, though, and led the Broncos to the playoffs for the first time since Peyton Manning's Super Bowl run. Dart could be an interesting prospect for a team in Round 3 or 4 to take and develop, but history has shown that teams often reach for QBs, so I expect him to go earlier.
TO trade back or not to trade back?
After untimely late season wins from the Giants and Patriots, the Tennessee Titans took control of the #1 overall pick. Despite the afore mentioned weak QB class, I fully expect a signal caller to go #1 solely due to the tremendous value of the position. After a horrid season from Will Levis, and a lackluster fill-in job from Mason Rudolph, Tennessee and new GM will certainly be in the market for a QB this offseason. I'm just not entirely sure that the solution will be through the draft. Sometimes, like the Bears last year (although I guess that didn't work out), teams are a QB away from contending, so it's the natural pick. The Titans, however, have needs all over the team on both sides of the ball. In my opinion, it would be wise for them to trade back and acquire capital, as opposed to reaching for a QB in a class with higher value players at different positions that you could get later in the draft.
Multiple teams would be willing to move up to #1, including the Browns and Giants, who are picking at 2 and 3, respectively. Both teams could move up to have their selection at one of the top 2 QBs. Cleveland and NY have both made the playoffs at one point in the last 3 years, and with out much roster or coaching turnover, they have proven that they may just be a decent QB away. With aging rosters and after watching multiple solid QBs slip away last year, they could decide this is their time and take a flier on Sanders or Ward.
Eli Knight
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