Written by Michael Johnson, April 22, 2016, at 6:30 a.m.
NFL PROSPECTS WORTHY FOR TOP SPOTS
The 2016 NFL draft begins April 28 and two teams have made headlines that will shake up the draft.
The quarterback is valued highly because they’re the face of the franchise, so it’s not a surprise that two quarterbacks will be the first two selections. Formerly known as the St. Louis Rams, and the Philadelphia Eagles jumped up to the top two spots. The Rams made headlines first when they struck a deal with the Tennessee Titans. The Titans sent the top selection along with its fourth – (No.113) and sixth-round (No.177) picks this year to the Rams in exchange for Los Angeles first-round pick (No. 15), two second round selections (No. 43 and 45) and a third-round pick (No. 76) in 2016. The Titans will also get the Rams’ first and third-round picks in 2017.
The Philadelphia Eagles made the next blockbuster trade when they struck a deal with Cleveland Browns. The Eagles sent five picks to the Browns: the No. 8 pick in the first-round, a third-round pick (No. 77) and a fourth-round pick in 2017 and second-round pick in 2018.
This will be the second year in a row that this has happened and the seventh time since the 1967 NFL merger that two quarterbacks were selected one and two, according to nfl.com.
University of California’s Jared Goff and North Dakota’s State’s Carson Wentz are the reasons why the Eagles and Rams made such trades.
Goff finished the 2015 season with 4,719 yards, 43 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Wentz only played seven games in 2015, but he had 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions as he led NDSU to their second consecutive Football Championship Subdivision title.
Both quarterbacks had amazing seasons, but analyst and scouts alike have different perspectives on the two prospects.
Carson Wentz won multiple championships at NDSU, but the only problem is that it was in the FCS and his games against that type of competition are hard to evaluate towards the NFL. He started only for a year and a half, so not having enough game experience is another dilemma.
Goff played in the spread offense, which is unconventional to the pro style played in the league where the quarterback is mostly under center. The upside to it is that he’s been around the NFL environment and has played against competition in Division one, similar to what he’ll see in the pros.
A Rams source said that their more likely towards picking Goff, although they do like Wentz and what he can bring to the field.
The Eagles are in love with Goff, but they also feel very strongly about Wentz, which is not surprising because they wouldn’t have moved up to the number two spot if they didn’t think either guy could be the answer.
It’s too early to pre-determine what these prospects future may hold, but espn.go.com has shown that four of the six times that quarterbacks have gone number one and two; one excelled in the pros while the other one struggles.
What are some of your hopes and predictions for the 2016 NFL Draft? Let us know in the comments below!