NFL draft features huge talent pool

This year’s NFL draft is upon us, and it is saturated with young talent. Future NFL stars will start their careers on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. This is the first year that the draft will be shown in primetime, and the first year that it will be shown over three nights. Although all of this sounds exciting, many sports fans would argue that the draft is unwatchable. Watching a man in a suit talk into a microphone once every ten minutes to announce draft picks doesn’t exactly describe how most people want to spend their weekend nights – especially while both NBA and NHL playoffs are going on. However, those who follow college football closely find it interesting to watch as NCAA athletes become professionals. Nevertheless, despite the lack of excitement in the draft, your team’s performance this weekend will be immensely important on this season’s outcome. 

“I love the draft. I could honestly watch it from beginning to end. I hope the (New York) Giants get (linebacker) Rolando McClain,” said sophomore Keith Weber. 

Weber’s desires are shaped by the departure of long time linebacker Antonio Pierce, who was the leader of the Giants defense. However, many believe that the Broncos will take McClain with their No. 11 overall pick. They are looking for a new defensive leader as well, as Safety Brian Dawkins will probably retire in the upcoming seasons. Safety Earl Thomas, from Texas, is another possible selection for the Broncos. Others think that the Broncos should draft WR Dez Bryant to replace receiver Brandon Marshall, who was traded last week to the Dolphins. However, Bryant’s biggest flaw is his character concerns, which is the same flaw that may have run Brandon Marshall out of town. 

The St. Louis Rams have the first overall pick in this draft after going 1-15 last season. They released long time QB Marc Bulger after so the season’s conclusion, so most people think they will select a new franchise quarterback, Sam Bradford from Oklahoma University. Selecting a QB with the first overall pick has had mixed results in recent seasons. It has produced top-tier QBs like Peyton Manning, Michael Vick, Carson Palmer, and Eli Manning, huge busts like Tim Couch, David Carr, Alex Smith, and JaMarcus Russell have all been No. 1 overall picks. 

Perhaps the biggest “sure thing” in this draft is defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Suh had an incredible season this year for Nebraska, and almost became the first defensive player to win the Heisman trophy in over a decade. Suh might be the best player in the whole draft class. He is surrounded by high expectations from people who project him to make lots of Pro Bowls, and even be a Hall-of-Fame player. He is expected to go No.2 to the Detroit Lions, who are desperate for defensive upgrades. 

There has also been a lot of talk about two-time NCAA National Championship Quarterback Tim Tebow. Some think that Tebow was a college quarterback who will never make a serious impact in the NFL. Others think he will be a great later round steal. 

“Tim Tebow is a short yardage dynamo with the intangibles and the work ethic to make a huge impact on any team in the league,” said sophomore Henry Marsh. “I would love to see him go in the first round.” 

One possible destination is Jacksonville. The Jaguars franchise is struggling to sell seats, and Tim Tebow is a god in Florida, where he was a Gator. David Garrard also has a subpar year at QB for the Jags. 

You may notice that there has been a lot of emphasis on drafting quarterbacks in this draft. There is loads of QB talent to be had with Jimmy Clausen, Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, and Tim Tebow all entering the draft. This is because of the direction the league moved in last season, when ten QBs threw for 4000 yards, up from six in 2008. Many experts proclaim the league is now a passing league, and the old days of running and the ball and having a strong defense are over. Of the twelve teams to make the playoffs, only two were teams that weren’t pass-dependent.