The NFL Draft is almost, mercifully, finally upon us. The fates of Jimmy Garoppolo, Malcolm Butler and hundreds of young men with the hopes and dreams of pigskin fame hangs in the balance. It isn't exactly western civilization we're considering here but for whatever reason, I'm far more interested in football. I mean, western civilization is so 20th century, am I right?
As a Patriots fan, I'm used to being disappointed by the draft. New England is usually drafting at the end of the 1st round (when they're allowed to have a 1st round pick), if Bill Belichick doesn't trade down, of course. There are exceptions, of course, but the Patriots not having a 1st or 2nd round pick doesn't feel all that different from years past.
Pigskin pundits and bobbleheads keep trying to get New England to watch tonight's 1st Round of the draft, telling us the Browns - maybe even the Texans - might make a move for Garoppolo. There's still a chance New Orleans gives up enough draft capital for Belichick to give up Malcolm Butler. That would be exciting, of course, but it's impossible to say those moves would make the Patriots a better team.
I get the feeling that four or five years from now, this is a draft the gridiron cognoscenti will be talking about for all the wrong reasons. Have you read any stories about trade rumors for any of the top three picks in this draft? I haven't. Do you think that's because the other 31 general managers in the NFL suddenly came to their senses and realized it's crazy to give up 3, 4, or 5 picks for a single prospect? (I suppose that's mathematically possible but seriously, that did not happen.) Put it this way: This is a draft lacking the star power of Jared Goff and Carson Wentz.
Maybe you think Christian McCaffrey is a transcendent, game-changing talent who somehow will be available at pick #12. Would you give up Jimmy G straight up for McCaffrey? Maybe you think Jabrill Peppers is Troy Polamalu 2.0 who (despite this assessment) could fall to the bottom of the 1st round with the New Orleans on the clock. Would you give up Butler for Peppers?
Yes, I would do both of those trades but what do I know?
I wonder if there's any player in the draft Belichick would take in the 1st or 2nd round in this year's draft. If he did have picks in the top 64 I think he'd happily trade down for more 3rd and 4th round picks. And that, as it would happen, is exactly where we are. Minus the extra picks Belichick would've picked up in trading down, of course.
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