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The first round is a formality, it’s the second day of the draft that will be most exciting.
Once draft day is finally here, it’ll come with welcome arms as we’ve been through just about every single scenario that we could think of. It’s about time for the event to hurry up and get here so we can hurry up and wait for the 28th pick only to find that the Cowboys trade out of the first round. Jokes aside, it’s an exciting time for every NFL fan. However, if you’re really all about draft day excitement, you may have to wait another day.
The quality of depth in this year’s draft class at many positions outside of offensive tackle has been well-documented. It’s especially good at positions of interest for those in need of defensive backs or defensive ends. Without a doubt, that depth is going to cause plenty of quality players to get pushed down just because of the oversaturated market. That’s not great news for those prospects but it is for teams in need.
The more you analyze this draft and try and pin how it will shake down, the first round is looking more and more like a formality. It’ll be business as usual in the first round with few trades because the value just won’t be there for teams to move much. The party won’t truly start until the second round begins on Friday. The first round is where we will see all the safe bets being made and that’s going to make for one heck of a ride from there on. Think about the talent that will be available in the second round, mixed with all the troubled players, or injury risks? The same goes for the third round as well that will see its share of talent still on the board. Scrolling through Twitterland, you can find some nuggets:
Teams picking between 33-45 will need to make sure they are comfortable with R. Foster, cause he will be there.
— Michael Lombardi (@mlombardiNFL) April 21, 2017
Whether or not that actually takes place for Reuben Foster, there will be teams that shrug their shoulders at the idea of taking him with all this surrounding chatter. Then you have to think about guys like Tim Williams, someone who Bryan Broaddus thinks is the second-best pass rusher in this draft but has a rap sheet longer than Randy Gregory’s. Another player to think about is Teez Tabor, a cornerback who has the first-round tape but his 40 time was 4.6 at the Combine followed by 4.7 at his Pro Day. There is going to be a ton of talent coming off the board on day two that’s going to ignite a lot of discussions. If there are going to be trades, it most likely will occur in these middle rounds when the risk is lower and the reward potential is high.
This isn’t a new theory that the excitement begins on day two. Just last year, talented-but-injured players like Jaylon Smith and Myles Jack were taken within the first few picks on the second day. The Cowboys in 2015 dominated the headlines when they landed Randy Gregory at #60, a guy that many pundits believed was a Top-5 pick if not for his issues. You can look back at all the drafts and find some examples but this year will likely be even better.
The talents that will be on the boards in those rounds are going to cause a flurry of movement, especially if they’re perceived to be first-round talents. That could carry on through the draft as teams continue to find players that would normally be off the board. Think about where the Cowboys sit at 60, that’s basically a third-round pick. Will Dallas get anxious and make a move for a player they really like or will they sit still and wait to see how the chips fall?
In the past, the Cowboys have shown that they can be a little impatient when a player they want is sitting there waiting to be picked. Then again, the Cowboys probably have plans for their picks and aren’t looking to lose any capital.
Everyone typically gets super pumped for the first-round selections but the majority of rosters aren’t built off first-rounders, you got to get some hits on day two and three picks. This year is shaping up to be an interesting draft to say the least. There is no doubt that a plethora of really valuable prospects will still be lingering. The only problem will be the fans who are sitting on their hands as the second round begins and they watch these talents start flying off the shelf one by one.
Just like every year, there will be surprises with risers and fallers all over this draft. Something tells me that we’ll be pleasantly surprised with what the Cowboys may be able to acquire.
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