The annual NFL Draft was held in Chicago, Illinois for the first time since 1964. For the past 9 years it has taken place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
This particular draft had some of the most build up in regards to talent and at the same time uncertainty.
It seemed as if former Heisman trophy winner and National Champion Jameis Winston was the favorite to be the number one overall pick. That is until a 6’4” kid out of Hawaii stole the spotlight in Oregon.
That kid was Marcus Mariota who not only shocked the world and knocked off the reigning and defending National Champion Florida State Seminoles in college football’s first playoff.
En route to that victory Mariota also claimed the prestigious Heisman trophy. Mariota would eventually fall in the National Title game to Ohio State.
Following the college football season Winston and Mariota expressed their intentions to enter the NFL Draft, then the debate began: Winston or Mariota.
After months of anticipation and build the draft was upon us and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hoped they made the right decision when they selected Jameis Winston with the number one overall pick.
Despite many people thinking Mariota was the guaranteed next pick, the Tennessee Titans were openly shopping their pick in the weeks leading up to the draft. The potential suitors were the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets and the St. Louis Rams.
All doubt was put away when the Titans kept their picked and selected Marcus Mariota with the second overall pick.
“I’m not surprised [that the Titans kept the pick], Mariota is an awesome quarterback. Oregon’s offense is reaction based, if they can implement that in the professional ranks there’s no stopping them,” said Cerritos defensive tackle Dalton Bradford.
Bradford added, “Heisman is always the way to go.”
From that point on the draft was a toss up. USC’s top defender, Leonard Williams, who many analysts thought was the best talent in the draft was almost penciled in as the third overall pick however, he would subsequently fall to the sixth spot to the New York Jets.
Upon making that pick and taking wide receiver Devin Smith from National Champion Ohio State in the second round the Jets could have possibly ensured their potential future championship contending team.
Not to mention they selected possibly the third best quarterback in the class in Bryce Petty from Baylor.
“I’m not worried about [the moves] the Jets made. We still have Gronkowski, in plus the Patriots have never had a problem with the Jets before,” said avid Patriot fan Eduardo Ozaeta.
The top two backs in the draft Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon did not have to wait long to hear their names called on draft night.
Gurley who has had his fair share of knee issues especially after his major ACL injury. Gurley went tenth overall to the St. Louis Rams.
The draft pick prompted Rams running back Zac Stacy to be moved to the Jets.
Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon might be in a better off situation in San Diego after being selected fifteenth overall.
One interesting fact was the draft stock of both Shane Ray from Missouri and Randy Gregory of Nebraska. Ray was caught with possession of marijuana and since then his draft stock plummeted.
Ray was eventually selected in the first round after being picked by the Denver Broncos with the twenty-third overall pick.
Randy Gregory’s situation may have been under the spotlight more so than Ray’s. Gregory failed a drug test at the NFL Draft Combine and tested positive for marijuana.
Gregory fell all the way to the sixtieth pick in the second round to the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas has been known for taken chances on players with troubled pasts Adam “Pacman” Jones, Dez Bryant and potentially Adrian Peterson.
The problem that raises here is the question of where do we draw the line of discipline in the NFL.
Jameis Winston had a potential sexual assault case lingering over his head and he was still selected first..
However, both Ray and Gregory had their professional careers in question behind marijuana. Which is worse marijuana or sexual assault?
Florida State led the way with 11 total picks in the draft. Alabama followed with seven picks, while USC was a close third with six picks.
While crosstown rival UCLA had three picks.
Both teams who competed in the national title game Ohio State and Oregon with five picks.
LSU had four players be drafted. However, top offensive lineman La’el Collins was not drafted and is still a possible suspect in the murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend Brittney Mills.
