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10 bold predictions for the first round of the NFL Draft
The NFL Draft begins Thursday night. The Washington Post/Getty Images

10 bold predictions for the first round of the NFL Draft

The first round of the NFL Draft commences Thursday night, and with that we will see 31 prized prospects (sorry, Patriots fans) fulfill a childhood dream and begin their professional football careers. It’s the most exciting part of the offseason for NFL fans as it offers drama, intrigue and a chance for fans to publicly boo commissioner Roger Goodell.

All in all, the NFL Draft is just a wonderful spectacle. So with that in mind, here are 10 bold predictions for the first round of the NFL Draft.

1) Goff goes No. 1, Wentz follows

With the Rams and Eagles trading up (at an absurd cost) for the first and second picks of the draft, we know the first two names called Thursday will be Carson Wentz and Jared Goff. But in what order?

If the Rams get this pick wrong, their first decade back in Los Angeles could be a miserable one. Given his physical tools, Carson Wentz may have a higher ceiling than Jared Goff, but Goff would appear to be the safer pick and overall just makes more sense for the Rams given the state of their franchise.

Now back in the L.A. market, the Rams need to make a splash to regain credibility with their old fan base. So ask yourself, what makes more sense: Selling L.A. fans on a Division II quarterback they’ve barely heard of and have certainly never seen, or selling them on a Pac-12 quarterback from Northern California who played USC once a year? This really shouldn’t be that close of a call. Although scouts seem split as to which player will become the better NFL quarterback, Goff stands out as the better fit. The Rams would be setting themselves up to succeed if they draft Goff, so expect it to happen.

And with Goff going No. 1 overall, the Eagles follow suit and take Wentz with the second overall pick.

2) The Cowboys draft for need

Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has made his love for Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott no secret. However, since Jerry began involving his son, Stephen, in player personnel decisions a few years back, the Cowboys have not been the show-stealers in the draft and free agency that we are used to them being.

Instead, the Cowboys have taken a far more measured and disciplined approach in building their team. Part of this new philosophy has been to draft for need. With that said, expect America’s team to draft either Joey Bosa or Jalen Ramsey. Both players would fill needs, as pass rushers Randy Gregory and DeMarcus Lawrence are both suspended, and the Cowboys had one of the worst secondaries in the NFL last season.

3) An amazing pick falls to the Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens are in the unfamiliar position of having a top 10 draft pick — No. 6 overall to be exact. Expect either the best player in the draft, Jalen Ramsey, or the best offensive tackle, Laremy Tunsil, to fall right into their laps. Here’s why:

Goff and Wentz will go one and two, the Chargers will take either Ramsey, Tunsil or defensive end DeForest Buckner third, followed by the Cowboys taking either Ramsey or Joey Bosa, followed by the Jaguars selecting a linebacker or defensive end. If you’ve managed to make it through all the possible scenarios that last sentence described, you'll see that the Ravens will have either Ramsey or Tunsil to choose from. Regardless of whether Baltimore selects Ramsey or Tunsil, both players look like surefire future All-Pros. Once again, Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome will look like a genius come Thursday.

4) The 49ers draft Paxton Lynch

At some point, the San Francisco 49ers and new head coach Chip Kelly are going to have to address the quarterback position. With Colin Kaepernick wanting a trade and Blaine Gabbert (shudders) the presumed starter for the 49ers as of today, Kelly and GM Trent Baalke must do something.

Enter Memphis Tigers quarterback Paxton Lynch. Given his mobility, arm strength and raw skills, Lynch would appear to be just the type of player Kelly would love to mold into the NFL quarterback he’s always desired. Granted, the 49ers have a number of holes on their roster, but none is more glaring than the quarterback position. Whether they stay at the seventh overall pick or trade back is another story, but expect the team to surprise some pundits and end up with Paxton Lynch.

Which leads us to our next topic:

5) The Broncos trade for Colin Kaepernick

The 49ers and Broncos have been tantalizingly close to agreeing to trade for quarterback Colin Kaepernick. In fact, the only holdup in getting a deal done has been figuring out how much of Kaepernick’s $11.9 million salary the 49ers will eat.

Not wanting to pay more than $7 million of Kaepernick’s contract, team president John Elway has held his ground. At some point, however, even Elway may forced to give in. The Broncos are defending Super Bowl champions, and with the defense they have, the team could be right there once again come next winter. But that only happens if Denver is able to successfully replace Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler. There isn’t a better option out there to do just that than Kaepernick. It might not happen Thursday night, but the energy needed to get this deal done will be sparked soon enough.

6) Ezekiel Elliott falls out of the top 10

Widely considered the best skill position player in the draft, running back Ezekiel Elliott has a number of potential suitors in the top 10. The Cowboys, Browns and Giants all love the former Ohio State bell cow, but needs elsewhere on their rosters will likely take precedent. Expect Elliott to fall to either the Bears at the 11th pick or the Dolphins at the 13th pick.

7) Laquon Treadwell won’t be the first wide receiver drafted

For months, it has been a forgone conclusion that Ole Miss wide receiver Laquon Treadwell will be the first wideout drafted. However, in the last few weeks, Treadwell has been falling on draft boards and is no longer thought to be top receiver in the draft by many teams. After outstanding combine performances, both Josh Doctson of TCU and Will Fuller of Notre Dame could be drafted ahead of the stud SEC wide receiver.

8) Five wide receivers will be drafted in the first round


Sticking to the topic of wide receivers, there are a number of teams near the middle and tail end of the first round that are in need fresh talent outside the numbers. In fact, as many as five wide receivers could be selected Thursday night.

Along with Treadwell, Doctson and Fuller, Corey Coleman of Baylor and Tyler Boyd of Pittsburgh are both potential first-round picks. The Titans, Lions, Texans, Bengals, Vikings and Panthers could all use another wide receiver, and in the case of the Bengals and Vikings, it’s a desperate need. Expect five of those six teams to use their first-round picks on new wideouts.

9) The Seahawks take Robert Nkemdiche

One of the most talented and athletic players in the draft, Ole Miss defensive end Robert Nkemdiche hurt in draft stock in the past few months due to maturity issues. If last year’s draft selection of Frank Clark didn’t make it any more clear, Pete Carroll and Seattle Seahawks are willing to look past character issues.

Additionally, with Bruce Irvin now gone, the Seahawks need a new pass rusher. Don’t expect Nkemdiche to fall past the Seahawks, who hold the 26th pick.

10) Sam Bradford is traded

Understandably, quarterback Sam Bradford doesn’t want to be a placeholder and wants out of Philadelphia. Given the fact that Howie Roseman, Philadelphia VP of football operations, now has a shortage of draft picks after trading up for the No. 2 pick, it would stand to reason that the Eagles would want to move Bradford in attempt to regain a few of the picks they lost.

Sure, they might not get anywhere near equal value, and Philly did give up a lot in the first place to get him, but at some point Roseman is going to have to cut his losses with Bradford. The Eagles have backed themselves into a corner with Bradford, and the sooner they are out of that corner, the better.

Expect Bradford to get his wish and for the Eagles to trade him.

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