Some crazy predictions for NFL Draft
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With the NFL Draft now only hours away, the ridiculous four-month frenzy of pre-draft speculation, misinformation and perturbation finally is at a merciful end. Well, almost.
I’m finally weighing in, with these cranky, crazy Kryk predictions:
The Bills will trade up for a QB, and it won’t be cheap.
Buffalo wants to trade up further from No. 12 overall to select a long-needed difference-maker at quarterback — and every one in the league knows it.
It’d cost a fortune of draft stock for the Bills to move up to first, second, fourth or fifth overall to snare one of the top three QB prospects. That is, one of Sam Darnold (USC), Josh Rosen (UCLA) or Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma).
Fortunately for the Bills and their fans, (a) the Bills have such a stockpile of picks (two first-rounders, 12th and 22nd; two seconds, 53rd and 56th; and two thirds, 65th and 96th), and (b) the second-year “Mc/ Beane” brain-trust of GM Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott already has a track record of making bold, big-onions decisions on a moment’s notice.
Still, you’ve got find a dance partner to execute such a blockbuster trade-up. If the quarterback they really want is still available at a cost and spot at which they are prepared to accept, then I expect the Bills at the last moment will indeed pull the big trigger.
Saquon Barkley won’t sparkle as a traditional running back.
Because of that, it’s possible he might not even be selected in the top five. But probably he will.
Regardless, the top five team that selects Barkley will get 5-10 jaw-dropping plays from him this coming season, which highlights shows will eat up. But by season’s end Barkley will come closer to 1,000 yards receiving than rushing.
Look, the Penn State product is as electrifying a player with the ball in his hands in open space as any running back — or any player for that matter, period — to come out of college in a long, long time.
But until he figures out that he won’t succeed in the NFL for long as a traditional pro running back if he keeps running as he did in college — like a C.J. Spiller, ever looking to bounce it outside — then Barkley overall will disappoint and won’t realize his potential, or justify his lofty selection.
Cleveland will take a quarterback No. 1 overall, or else.
Or else the city will burn down. Or else the NFL should revoke the franchise. Or else the rest of us will point and laugh until we faint.
The Browns passed on Carson Wentz two years ago and passed on Watson last year. The climate in Cleveland is such that new GM John Dorsey cannot possibly even consider trading down from the top spot. Not after 17 losses in a row and 38 losses in their past 40 games. And not in a year with (right or wrong) one of the most celebrated quarterback classes of the modern era.
Whether it’s Darnold or Rosen (likely) or perhaps Mayfield (less likely), the Browns will take a quarterback first.
The Jets will select Baker Mayfield.
Talk about a match made in Arrogance Heaven. The big braggart in the Big Apple.
Mayfield is so over-soaked in cockiness he unhesitatingly said at last month’s NFL Scouting Combine that he intends to become the best quarterback ever. All Jets quarterbacks since the club landed Joe Namath out of Alabama half a century ago have fallen considerably short of that goal.
Listen, if Mayfield succeeds as a Jet, it’ll be fun. If he’s a flaming disaster, it’ ll be even more fun.
Josh Allen will fall, then fail.
He will fall in the draft. Maybe to Miami at No. 11. Or farther. Wherever he goes Allen then will fail, as a starting NFL quarterback. At least initially.
He has an incredibly powerful arm, but not much else ready to go at this point as a pro. He’s a project.
Allen might fall so far that ...
Two Notre Dame offensive linemen will be picked before Allen.
Yup. I predict it will happen. ND’s two celebrated offensive linemen — the draft’s top-rated guard in Quenton Nelson and top-rated tackle in Mike McGlinchey — are slam-dunk first-round picks. Some rate Nelson as the best talent in the whole draft. With so many teams desperate for an offensive line upgrade, don’t be surprised if these Fightin’ Irishmen are gobbled up before the draft is 90 minutes old. And before Allen is selected.
Canada’s Nathan Shepherd will be drafted by No. 59.
The resilient defensive tackle from Ajax, Ont., shone after walking on at Division II Fort Hays State University. The 24-year-old is rated as high as No. 43 overall by NFL Network’s Mike Mayock. Most other top draftniks place him at or around No. 50, including NFL. com’s Gil Brandt (50th). That projects to early/middle second round.
The Eagles will trade down from No. 32 overall.
The defending Super Bowl champs possess the fewest number of draft picks of any team ( just four) and none on Day 2, when Rounds 2 and 3 are held. They look to trade down from the last pick in Round 1 (32nd overall) in exchange for a Round 2 pick and a few Day 3 picks.