With The First Pick
Fansided

Reacting to ESPN’s NFL redraft: Why it’s ultimately flawed

By Timothy Rodriguez

MIAMI, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 02: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs reacts during the game against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium on February 02, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 02: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs reacts during the game against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium on February 02, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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BALTIMORE, MD – JANUARY 11: Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens throws the ball during the second quarter of the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Tennessee Titans at M&T Bank Stadium on January 11, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Todd Olszewski/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD – JANUARY 11: Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens throws the ball during the second quarter of the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Tennessee Titans at M&T Bank Stadium on January 11, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Todd Olszewski/Getty Images) /

The problem with the quarterback picks

Congratulations to the hypothetical Cincinnati Bengals, being the worst team lands them the number one overall pick. Without question, Patrick Mahomes is the first pick of the draft. He’s the best quarterback in the NFL by a country mile. On top of that, he will be 24 years old when the 2020 NFL season kicks off.

More from Mock Drafts

After Mahomes, there were a slew of players of varying positions picked. The problem with that is that all of the “elite” young quarterbacks should have been the first eight to twelve picks off the board. After that, there is no reason for a team to use their first round “fantasy draft” pick on a quarterback who won’t give them five years of elite play. Players like Lamar Jackson, Kyler Murray, Carson Wentz and Baker Mayfield, along with some others are the types of quarterbacks that are “first round picks” in this scenario.

In the next rounds is where the older quarterbacks, the young unproven ones and the average starters should go. Not being the first round pick of a franchise at quarterback means it is unlikely that this player can be asked to win with lesser talent around them. That is why the category includes the older greats such as Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees. Having an elite position player picked before them takes pressure off of them. For the first time, Tom Brady needed to be the undisputed savior of the Patriots in 2019. The result? They finished the season with back to back home losses to Ryan Fitzpatrick and Ryan Tannehill.

Rookies fall into this category as well. In ESPN’s version, Tua Tagovailoa and Joe Burrow were both first round picks. Chargers rookie Justin Herbert was taken in the second round. While they provide promise, taking a rookie at a position like quarterback is entirely too much of a risk. It also essentially takes that team out of the conversation for a Super Bowl in the first year.

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