NFL Draft 2016: Fact or Fiction for Most Recent Draft Rumors
This time of year, anything you hear about the upcoming NFL draft feels less like true insider info and more like trying to find the restroom at a cigar bar.
You'll choke on the smoke screens if you're not careful, as many team officials and "anonymous sources" likely use the media at times to disseminate false information in an attempt to throw opposing teams off the scent of their true draft plans.
From potential trade scenarios to private workouts and in-house visits, the predraft news cycle latches onto every bit of information, just in case it provides any possible insight into what could actually take place on draft weekend.
It's time to separate truth from lies regarding the current draft rumors.
Fact: Titans Want to Trade Down from No. 1 Overall Pick
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This just happens to be one of those year's where you can't blame the team with the top overall pick for wanting to trade down.
The Tennessee Titans already have their franchise quarterback in place—last year's No. 2 overall pick, Marcus Mariota—but have plenty of holes to fill around him. They could do that by using the top pick on Mississippi offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, or bolster the defense with Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey, but moving down and stockpiling more picks could be a better course of action.
One team that could be particularly interested in moving up is the San Francisco 49ers. Bleacher Report's Jason Cole has reported both teams have already had discussions about a trade for the top pick, with the 49ers most likely targeting a quarterback.
New head coach Chip Kelly likely wants to hand-pick his quarterback, and if he wants his pick of the litter in this year's draft, he'll have to get ahead of the Cleveland Browns, who hold the second overall pick and badly need a new signal-caller. If the price is right, general manager Jon Robinson and the Titans will be happy to oblige.
Fiction: Cowboys Won't Consider QB in 1st Round
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It's rare to see America's Team picking in the top five, but injuries to some of your most important players have a way of doing that in the NFL.
The biggest injury of the year happened to quarterback Tony Romo, who broke his collarbone not once, but twice in 2015. The Cowboys simply couldn't get anything going offensively without their gunslinger, leading them to one of the team's worst finishes in recent memory.
Owner Jerry Jones has been adamant the team will not consider drafting a quarterback with the No. 4 overall pick, but they'd be wise to do just that. At that spot, they're likely to have a good shot at bagging one of the top signal-callers in the draft, and the coaching staff saw firsthand what North Dakota State's Carson Wentz brings to the table when they coached him at the Senior Bowl.
Jones may be telling the truth about what he wants, but it's time for the Cowboys to start planning for the future as Romo struggles to stay healthy. They'd be wise not to pass up the chance to draft Romo's replacement, hoping not to be in position to draft a top quarterback anytime soon.
Fact: Trade Interest in Bucs QB Mike Glennon
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It might be surprising to see the likes of Brock Osweiler get $18 million per year on the open market, but that's the going rate for a capable young quarterback with even a little successful starting experience.
To that end, trade buzz surrounding one of the league's better young backups—Tampa Bay's Mike Glennon—is understandably picking up yet again this offseason. General manager Jason Licht confirmed as much last month, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.
Glennon is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and the Bucs are unlikely to spend what it would take to prevent him from hitting the open market after this season. With teams like the Denver Broncos and New York Jets still searching for a viable option at the game's most important position, a solid quarterback with decent physical tools and some starting success—29 touchdowns and 15 interceptions over 18 career starts—could entice them to trade a decent draft pick for Glennon.
The Bucs would be best off getting as much as they can for Glennon before he walks for free next offseason, and he would be an instant improvement for multiple teams.
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Fiction: Notre Dame's Will Fuller Will Be First WR Drafted
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Thanks to his pedestrian 40-yard-dash times, there's been a growing belief that Mississippi's Laquon Treadwell may not end up being the first receiver off the board on April 28th.
But among the names usually mentioned with the potential to leapfrog Treadwell—Ohio State's Michael Thomas, Baylor's Corey Coleman and TCU's Josh Doctson—one that hasn't been mentioned much is Notre Dame's Will Fuller.
NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah changed all that Tuesday night by saying he won't be surprised if Fuller is the first pass-catcher off the board, based on the buzz he's hearing from team and league sources.
Fuller's blazing speed is impressive, but he's a thin-framed receiver who struggled consistently with drops throughout his career. Too many NFL teams in recent memory have pinned first-round hopes on receivers with similar strengths and weaknesses, with fairly dismal results. He's a promising prospect, but there are plenty more complete players at the position, at least one of whom will come off the board ahead of him.
Fact: Texans Targeting Braxton Miller at No. 22
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There are a handful of receivers who could be in the mix in the latter part of the first round, but one name that could surprise is Ohio State's Braxton Miller, who made the switch from quarterback for the 2015 season.
Bleacher Report's Matt Miller reported late last month that the Houston Texans are so enamored with Miller, they're strongly considering him with the 22nd overall pick.
Some might expect Miller to be extremely raw, having just switched to the position so recently, but he proved at the Senior Bowl how refined his skill set already is. He's a sharp route-runner with strong hands and the explosiveness that made him such a dynamic playmaker for the Buckeyes.
Houston needs a speedy target to line up opposite DeAndre Hopkins and take advantage of the attention opposing defenses pay him. They'll have plenty of options at receiver in the first round, but picking Miller shouldn't come as a shock to anyone.
Fiction: Eagles Trading Up for a QB
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The Philadelphia Eagles had plenty of quarterback woes last season, as injuries and inconsistency plagued Sam Bradford in his first season in Philly. That's why it shouldn't be surprising the team is doing their homework on the top signal-callers in this year's draft, such as North Dakota State's Carson Wentz.
Per NFL.com's Lance Zierlein (via Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com), new head coach Doug Pederson is so enamored with Wentz, he's trying to find a way to move up from the eighth overall pick to secure him.
While it's certainly possible the team wants Wentz—owner Jeffrey Lurie joining the convoy that went to work him out speaks to their level of interest—it's doubtful the team will give up what it will take to move up far enough on draft day.
The Eagles already moved up from the 13th pick via a trade with the Miami Dolphins, and while they own a pair of third-round picks, they don't have a second-rounder to use as ammunition for a significant move up. That's exactly what it would take to get Wentz, who could go as high as No. 2 overall to Cleveland, which would require Philly to move up to the top overall spot.
Fact: Florida State K Roberto Aguayo Will Go on Day 2
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A kicker on Day 2? Get used to the idea.
As Bleacher Report's Matt Miller reported last week, Florida State's Roberto Aguayo is likely to come off the board somewhere in the second or third round, despite the rarity of seeing a kicker go that high in recent years.
The first kicker to declare early for the draft in 16 years—fellow former Seminole Sebastian Janikowski was the last to do it, going in the first round—Aguayo is just the second player in FSU history to be named an All-American three times, joining NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders.
It's a little early to fit Aguayo for a gold jacket, but he's the best kicker to come along in years. With recent rule changes presenting new challenges to NFL kickers, a rare talent like Aguayo is likely to be valued even higher than usual in this year's draft. Don't be shocked if he comes off the board sooner than later.
Fiction: Ronnie Stanley's Stock Falling
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Mississippi's Laremy Tunsil is the consensus top offensive tackle—perhaps even overall player—in this year's draft, but some believe the No. 2 spot at that position is in doubt as the draft draws nearer.
According to Matt Lombardo of NJ.com, Notre Dame's Ronnie Stanley could fall in the first round, citing multiple sources with concerns about his strength, work ethic and passion for football.
This sounds like your typical smoke screen, with certain teams trying to talk down a top prospect in the hopes he'll fall into their lap at a lower pick. Stanley would have been arguably the top tackle in last year's draft, but elected to return to South Bend for another season to refine his skills. He did just that, and is the most polished pass protector in this year's draft.
Stanley is a Day 1, plug-and-play starter at left tackle, and should be a top-10 lock. Once the smoke clears on draft night, he won't wait long to hear his name called, and teams picking outside the top 10 will be disappointed when he doesn't make the fall they were hoping for.
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