As for Bijan Robinson, I don’t think that Howie will take him…particularly not at 10. Howie cares about what the media and people say, so I just can’t see him taking a RB early when everyone says you shouldn’t take one in round 1.
If you ask me, Howie will take Nolan Smith at pick 10, if he keeps it. Think about it:
- Smith is from a big SEC school, which is what Roseman has decided to do to stop his early round blown picks that he has had every year since about 2013. He takes SEC stars early (Smith from Alabama round 1 in 2021, Dickerson from Alabama round 2 in 2021, Davis from Georgia round 1 in 2022, Dean from Georgia round 3 in 2022). The only early round pick he really didn’t get from a big SEC school was Cam Jergins in last year’s 2nd round… and that is because he didn’t really even make that pick. He told Kelsey to find a replacement at Center for him, and he told Howie to take Jergins. I don’t really blame Howie though. His drafting had been so bad that he had to do something different (and spend a ton in free agency). Once he drafted Reagor over Justin Jefferson, he absolutely couldn’t keep doing the same things. He had to change. So he’s been letting Nick Saban and Kirby Smart (and Kelsey) tell him who is good.
- Everyone praises Howie for “always drafting the trenches early”. He eats that up, do not doubt it. Nolan Smith plays edge, so he will fit the “trenches early” narrative.
- Nolan Smith also lit up the combine. Howie loves those guys so much that he actually traded up in last year’s first round for a two down run stuffer that ran a fast 40. For a guy that never has and never will get to the QB on any kind of regular basis. Howie didn’t just use an early first round pick on Davis, which would be bad enough… He traded up two spots and gave up picks 15, 124, 162 and 166 to draft a guy that will come off of the field on money downs. Howie never would’ve succumbed to that lunacy if Davis wasn’t the talk of the NFL after he ran a fast 40. This time though, Nolan Smith is a good player and can effect the QB… so that won’t be nearly as bad as the Davis pick.
So yeah, I’m relatively sure that Roseman will find a way to get Nolan Smith, who fits all of Howie's criteria. It is the only way he can avoid this kind of drafting:
2014 Marcus smith - BUST
2015 Nelson Agholor - BUST
2016 Carson Wentz - well, y’all know.
2017 Derrick Barnett - BUST
2018 No Pick
2019 Andre Dillard - BUST
2020 Jalen Reagor - BUST
And really, the best of that bunch, Agholor, was a Chip Kelly pick, lol. It was during the one year where Roseman was ousted from power. Agholor being the best one let’s you know a little bit about just how bad Howie had been missing in the first round.
So yeah, Howie had to change. Thank you SEC.
