Only four players could be selected number one overall in the NFL Draft
By Brian Miller
The NFL Draft is still a bit away but with the NFL Combine kicking off next week, the immediate focus of the NFL will indeed be on draft prospects.
When the NFL Combine comes to a close on March 1st, the shift in focus will return to veteran NFL stars for the next month before shifting back to pro-day workouts and incoming rookies. Looking at the players that are coming out of college, it is hard to believe anyone other than Joe Burrow will be the number one pick. But what if he is not?
Looking at the make-up of the top of the draft, only four players could be taken at number one overall. While the Cincinnati Bengals could surprise everyone and take someone named Burrow, only four players add up to be the potential number one, no matter who actually makes the pick.
Joe Burrow
Burrow is widely considered the best QB in this class and after the season he had at LSU that culminated in a National Championship title and a Heisman Trophy award, Burrow has been the top draft pick since the college football season ended.
Burrow has the accuracy, the arm strength, the leadership qualities, and the intangibles that NFL teams covet, the only thing lacking is consistent winning for more than one season. The fact that Burrow has only one season of truly successful college football under his belt, has not hurt his status. Burrow has not said much about his draft status and there are some who believe that he will try and force the Bengals to draft someone else. It bears watching as the draft approaches.
Burrow should be the number one overall pick, but if he is not, one of the next three will be.
Tagovailoa may have been the consensus number one quarterback had he not been injured last season. He has the same qualities as Burrow but with more consistent winning. His biggest knock, however, is the durability concerns.
After his injury, Tagovailoa was expected to drop in the draft but as his medical tests continue to be positive for recovery, his stock continues to rise. Like Burrow, there is some speculation that he will not play for the Bengals. A recent report suggested that Tagovailoa’s family made a comment that he would only play for Miami or the Chargers. That can easily be debunked if he is selected number one overall.
Tagovailoa will be an interesting prospect to watch on draft day because he could literally go anywhere in the top five.
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No one believes that Herbert is a number one overall talent, but consider that if the Bengals want a quarterback and if Tagovailoa and Burrow stress to them in interviews that he has no intention of playing for them, the Bengals may be forced to either trade the pick, or select Herbert.
It would be a shock if Herbert is the first name called on draft day but stranger things have happened and frankly, I tend to believe if Tagovailoa and Burrow convince the Bengals to look somewhere else for a QB, they are likely to draft one in round two instead.
Young is the best defender in this year’s class and if it were not for the quarterback-needy teams this year, Young would clearly be the top player taken in the draft. He probably should be.
Young consistently receives comparisons to Nick Bosa with an added “he is a better prospect than Bosa” attached to his mentions. He is physically gifted and loves the game. His career at Ohio State was outstanding and he will translate well in the NFL no matter who drafts him.
Top four
This is it, the list begins and ends with these four. If another player’s name is called when the NFL Draft opens in April, it will be a major shock as no one stands out to go in the top spot.