2016 NFL Draft: Quarterbacks at a premium
The 2016 NFL Draft is still more than three months away. Not everybody has even declared for the event, making it a bit of a guessing game as to who might be interested in what player at what time.
Each year, people like myself and other national media members will pour over every prospect, trying to figure out the man’s strengths and weaknesses. From there, we try to figure out what round he will go in and what teams might have their eyes on him. In reality, this is a fool’s play.
However, the quarterback situation heading into the 2016 offseason seems to be fairly obvious. In the first round, there are three men who are definitely going in the first 31 picks (there will be no 32nd pick in the first round, after the New England Patriots were forced to forfeit their selection due to DeflateGate).
Paxton Lynch, Jared Goff and Connor Cook are all destined to be labeled as franchise guys before this process is set and done. They will appear a million times to the soundtrack of men such as Charlie Casserly, Mike Mayock, Charles Davis, Daniel Jeremiah, Curtis Conway, Mel Kiper Jr., Todd McShay and many more in the coming months. They will be spoken about in reverent tones, as true players who can change the game. In actuality, it is more likely that two become total busts than all three become great in the National Football League.
Goff appears to be the most polished of the group. After starting for three seasons with the California Golden Bears, Goff has shown off a quality arm and the ability to make quick decisions without a bunch of interceptions. Citing stats would be nothing more than word filler, because frankly, college stats don’t mean much in the final analysis. Playing from the spread will do that.
Lynch is a big boy and perhaps a touch too big, but nobody will mention that because it does not fit the narrative of becoming a franchise quarterback. Lynch was also rancid in the Birmingham Bowl against the Auburn Tigers, looking more like a fifth-round pick instead of a first-round selection. Regardless, the 6-foot-6, 225-pound youngster will head into the winter with ample expectations.
Cook is a tough man to gauge. He played in a pro system at Michigan State and alternated between mediocre and brilliant. Against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff semifinal, Cook was terrible and the Spartans were shut out. Still, in this day and age of desperation for a quarterback, some team will pull the trigger on him earlier than should be.
Get ready for all three of those men to hear their names called in the first round, along with some other dark horse candidate. You have to love this time of year.
