NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers at St. Louis Rams
Sep 27, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams (34) and head coach Mike Tomlin talk as they walk off the field after defeating the St. Louis Rams 12-6 at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Home » Blog » April brings talk of the NFL Draft to a cresendo

April brings talk of the NFL Draft to a cresendo

Matt Verderame News NFL

The NFL Draft is getting closer, and that means intrigue begins to ramp up. Some years, the interest is centered around who is going to go with the top pick, something we have this time around. In other instances, the drama is focused on the quarterbacks, with a frantic argument about who is going to be a savior, and who might end up busting. Again, we have that in 2018.

In short, the 2018 NFL Draft should be filling with a litany of storylines. This time of year, with free agency winding down and the players not yet near a field, we all need some of those.

It’s impossible to predict what is going to happen, despite millions of mock drafts telling you otherwise. Everyone can believe they have the exact formula figured out, only to watch a team shock everybody with a selection, or a trade to happen that blows the order up.

This year, look for the Buffalo Bills to be the team that shakes everything up, and has everybody talking throughout the weekend afterwards. Yes, Buffalo is the team with the picks to make something happen, with multiple selections in the first, second and third rounds. The Bills are also in desperate need of a quarterback, and with Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Josh Rosen, Baker Mayfield and even Lamar Jackson projected to go in the first round, there could be real movement to secure one of them.

Another team to watch? The Arizona Cardinals. Arizona doesn’t have near the ammunition of the Bills, but the desire to move up and nab a quarterback should be there in spades. At some point, the Cardinals have to make their move and get a signal-caller, something they didn’t do last year despite picking 13th-overall. While Arizona stood pat, the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans jumped ahead of them (Houston got to 12th, just one spot in front), to take Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson, respectively. Look for general manager Steve Keim to make a move this time around should the opportunity arise.

Finally, what are the Pittsburgh Steelers thinking? Pittsburgh has to be realistic and look at inside linebacker while Ryan Shazier continues his comeback attempt. The Steelers also have to be thinking about life after Ben Roethlisberger, which seems like it could be a reality come January. Josh Hobbs is on the roster, but he can’t be viewed as the answer. Is Jackson an option in the back half of the first for general manager Kevin Colbert? If Mayfield slips to the teens, would the Steelers make an aggressive play?

So many questions, so few answers at the moment. Welcome to draft season.

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