You Watching The Draft Tonight?

Besides the Super Bowl

...it's the most exciting time of the year for football fans. My book club meets at 7 PM tonight. The draft starts at 8 PM. Since I want to engage in both of these fun events, I’m off to the book club at 7 PM. I will have recorded the draft, so I’m back home at 9 PM to tune in.

The NFL draft happens each year. The NFL teams select eligible college football players. It consists of seven rounds, and each team has one pick per round. Kinda like drafting a Fantasy League but more important and potentially worth millions of dollars. That’s pretty cool.

The previous season's standings determine the draft order, with the worst team picking first and the Super Bowl champion picking last. That makes it fair. ‘Cause if you’ve already got a winning team, the teams that suck will have first dibs on getting better talent.

The NFL draft is a crucial part of building a successful football team. A team can boost its playing and winning power by drafting players who are strong in a position where the team may be weak. They may need a Quarterback, Tight End, or defensive players. Actually, any other player position can be had. The draft gives them the opportunity to potentially build a better squad.

Some really well-known NFL players have been drafted in the later rounds. You’ve heard of the GOAT, Tom Brady, right? He was a sixth or seventh-round pick. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was picked number 250 and drafted in round seven. So it's essential to watch for all the selected players.

Sometimes teams make trades with other teams so that they can move up in the draft position, Anything can happen. This is what makes it so exciting for the fans.

I’m going to tell you some of the players who have been highlighted and who to watch for in the 2023 draft class. These players have been in many mock drafts. They are slated to be drafted in the early rounds. We’ll see. As I said, anything can happen!

1. Bryce Young – Alabama - Quarterback
2. Jalen Carter – Georgia – Defensive Lineman
3. C. J. Stroud – Ohio State – Quarterback
4. Bijan Robinson – Texas – Running Back
5. Peter Skoronski – Northwester – Offensive Tackle
6. Tyree Wilson – Texas Tech - Edge Rusher
7. Will Anderson – Alabama – Edge Rusher
8. Devon Witherspoon – Illinois – Cornerback
9. Christian Gonzalez – Oregon – Cornerback
10. Deontae Banks – Maryland – Cornerback
11. Will Levis – Kentucky – Quarterback
12. Quentin Johnson – TCU – Wide Receiver

The scouts have looked at these players’ college careers.

For each position, their physical condition, height, weight, and strength are taken into account. They also have to be fast. Think about how fast they must be to intercept a ball and carry it back to the end zone and not get caught.

Their off-the-field factors are considered as well. Character, team skills, and injury history can affect their draftability. I just made that word up.

So when you look at this list, know that these guys have been scrutinized.

The draft will be held in Kansas starting tonight at 8 PM and will end on Saturday. It will be broadcast on ESPN, ABC, and NFL Network.

M & T Stadium - Home of The Ravens

By the way, my hometown team is the Ravens. You may know our QB situation is tenuous what with the Lamar Jackson thing going on. Here’s hoping that will get resolved and we will have a strong team this year.

Go Ravens! Just thought I'd throw that in.