NFL
By: Ryan Cooley
The NFL Draft is sometimes a lot of smoke and mirrors. Last years draft was pretty clear cut for the QBs. The Browns, Jets, Bills, and Cardinals all needed a QB for the future, with a couple of teams like the Giants and Ravens on the border of needing one. The QB class was the strongest it had been for years, so all of those teams looked as if they hit the jackpot. The only question was which quarterbacks were going where.
Fast forward to 2019, and most of those QBs found success or at least seem capable of being a successful NFL signal caller. Now, let’s take a look at this year’s draft and the teams that need a QB. This year there is not one team at this point that is 100% taking a QB.
Cardinals: 1st pick
The Cardinals have the first pick in the draft and have shown much interest in taking Kyler Murray with that pick, but that does not necessarily mean Murray will be packing his bags and moving to Arizona. Last year, the Cardinals moved up to take Josh Rosen and believed he was the future, but after a disappointing season and a new head coach, the Cardinals seem to be torn on whether or not to move on from Rosen.
Raiders: 4th, 24th, & 27th pick
The Raiders are another team that has shown interest in Kyler Murray. However, I believe they will stick with Carr because they need many more pieces before they can become successful. However, Jon Gruden is somewhat of a wild card, and most are unsure of his plan moving forward.
Giants: 6th & 17th pick
The Giants desperately need a QB, but for some reason, their GM Gettleman refuses to accept the reality that Eli’s days in the NFL are over. He hopes Eli can somehow resurrect his career on a team that still has an offensive line problem and now lost their best WR in Odell Beckham Jr.
Broncos: 10th pick
The Broncos are an interesting team that may take a QB. Ever since Peyton Manning retired, the Broncos have been on a QB carousel. They recently acquired Flacco through trade, and while most people believe he is washed up, reports say John Elway thinks Flacco is just reaching his prime.
Dolphins: 13th pick
The Dolphins are another team that needs a quarterback desperately, but they seem content on waiting for a QB in the draft next year and using Ryan Fitzpatrick as a bridge QB. Reports have been saying they have their eyes on Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to be their guy for the future.
Redskins: 15th pick
Last but not least are the Redskins. The Redskins have gotten themselves into a real dilemma. Last year they traded for Alex Smith and signed him to a long term deal. In week 11, Smith severely broke his leg and is already out for the upcoming season. Many speculate that they will draft a QB at 15, but the Redskins are very unpredictable and tend to make questionable decisions.
This is the first time in a while that the draft has been this unpredictable for the QB position. Many teams seem to be playing the smoke and mirror game to throw others off their plan. However, the position is so important and valued that I would not be surprised if Murray, Haskins, and Lock are taken top 10.
