I love the NFL. It is unpredictable. No one knows what’s going to happen at any time, anywhere. Not the players during the games. Not the fans. Not even the front office of these teams. And nothing exemplified that more than last Thursday. The Los Angeles Rams traded for the first pick in the draft.
The team that originally had the pick -- Tennessee -- had been open to trading the pick if that got a substantial offer. They seemed to have gotten it. For the first pick and their fourth and sixth round selections, the Titans got the Rams first round pick, two second rounders, and a third round pick this year, as well as first and third round picks next year.
I’m going to let that offer sit for a second. That’s quite the quantity of draft picks. The only recent reference we have for this is the RGIII trade which, funny enough, also featured the Rams, this time on the receiving side of the trade. Most experts say that the Rams got more in that trade than they gave up for in this trade. Their first round picks lasted three years, more than they’re giving up, and they even moved down more the same draft. The Rams received eight players total. That’s not to say that the Titans won’t do something similar, but we won’t know that for sure until draft day rolls around. Instead, let’s look at what where the trade leaves the first round of the draft.
Los Angeles is going to select a quarterback. I say that with 99.99 percent percent certainty. However, they -- at least for appearance -- seem unsure of who exactly they want to draft. This may be to expand hype for the draft. If you know who will be first overall, why tune in for the excitement? Sure, there is 31 other picks (30 this year) to speculate, but the first one is the most fun to watch, at least from a fan perspective. LA is leaving that open, at least for the time being.
The two top quarterbacks are Jared Goff from Cal, and Carson Wentz from North Dakota State. I know what you’re thinking: North Dakota State? Preposterous, I agree, but everyone loves him. And North Dakota State has had a good run. He led the team to two FCS championships, the second after he returned mid-season from an injury.
There are some circles saying the Rams are leaning toward Goff, however, Wentz is the bigger name, at least by competition. He played in a stacked Pac-12 conference, leading the Golden Bears to a bowl win against Air Force. That alone is impressive, but the game he had was a doozy. He threw for 467 yards and six touchdowns. Apparently, an anonymous NFC exec said he wanted a Goff rumor started to have him fall in the draft. Is it impractical to speculate that this exec works for the Rams? They were one of the NFC teams not selecting very high but need a quarterback above all else. Again, this is speculation, but both quarterbacks are in play right now.
For Tennessee, they were linked to offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil. He shouldn’t be available at 15, here the team now stands. The Titans were already concerned with him because he had no experience on the right side the Titans already have a left tackle. Now, Notre Dame Prospect Ronnie Stanley is at play. He may not be available, but he might be a safer bet because he has experience from both sides of the line. Stanley is an athlete, so he’ll be a hot commodity. If he’s available, the Titans should be rushing to hand in their card.
