Fanspeak: NFL Draft News

The Carolina Panthers have to draft a quarterback in the first round, right? The team has drafted 10 QBs in its history, including two in the first round: Kerry Collin of Penn State, the team’s inaugural pick at No. 5 overall in 1995, and Cam Newton of Auburn, the No. 1 overall pick in 2011. … More »

As things stand now, Houston will likely wind up with the No. 1 overall pick and is expected to take either Alabama quarterback Bryce Young or Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud. But if Chicago or Arizona wind up with the No. 2 overall pick, then it would create a sort of QB musical chairs for … More »

History shows that most teams don’t draft a quarterback after round 1 unless they’re hoping that quarterback develops into a long-term backup. Sure, there are notable exceptions to the rule. Former fifth-round pick Tom Brady and former fourth-round pick Dak Prescott come to mind. Now retired Hall of Fame QB Drew Brees was a second-rounder. … More »

What if every draft pick was a luxury pick? That only happens when a team feels like it has its proverbial bases covered at every position. That likely means it has above-average veterans or promising, young backups at every position. You almost don’t want to draft certain positions because you’re just not sure how much … More »

Here’s the scenario … Your team can win one Super Bowl, but there’s a catch: Your team will be among the worst in the division for the foreseeable future after winning the big game. Would you still take the Super Bowl win? We all know what Los Angeles Rams GM Les Snead would do. The … More »

How’s this for irony: The reason the defensive-starved Las Vegas Raiders likely won’t have a shot at selecting one of the top three pass rushers in the 2023 NFL draft is because of a play made by three offensive players who might not be on the team next season. When right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor and … More »

Quarterback Lamar Jackson is just the tip of the undrafted free agent iceberg for Baltimore. The Ravens have several other major free agent decisions looming, including cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Kyle Fuller, edge rushers Justin Houston and Jason Pierre-Paul and newly acquired linebacker Roquan Smith, all of whom will be unrestricted free agents at the … More »

Houston has been here before. The Texans owned the No. 1 overall pick back in the 2006 draft. David Carr was the quarterback, but the team had already soured on the former No. 1 overall pick of the 2002 draft. Carr was coming off yet another “meh” season as he passed for 2,488 yards, the … More »

As many as seven teams could be interested in drafting a quarterback in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft. Problem is, only three are widely considered locks for the first round. Still, the 2023 QB Class is much stronger than last year’s group, so teams that reach for one in the first round … More »

Armed with potential young stars at premium positions and a better-than-you-realize offensive line, the Detroit Lions are closer to contention than their record indicates. But all progress hinges on the team finding a franchise quarterback.