The Indianapolis Colts will have the number one overall pick in April’s draft. In all likelihood, they’ll be drafting Payton Manning’s successor, Andrew Luck. There’s one other off the charts prospect at the quarterback position, and that’s where the draft will get interesting.
Robert Griffin III will be a hot pick on draft day. He’s considered by some to be on the same level as Andrew Luck, but picking him is an interesting prospect. The St. Louis Rams have the second overall pick, but they have a young quarterback in Sam Bradford. Despite taking a step backwards in 2012, it’s hard to imagine the Rams are ready to give up on him just yet.
The Minnesota Vikings pick immediately after the Rams with the third overall pick. Last April, the Vikings drafted Christian Ponder to be their quarterback of the future. Again, it’s difficult to see a scenario where the Vikings give up on Ponder after one season of play.
This creates an interesting dynamic at the top of the draft order. There are a handful of teams that are desperate for a quarterback. They include the Browns, Redskins, and the Dolphins. Those teams all pick in the top 10 this year, and none of them have what we’d call a “franchise quarterback.” If those teams get into a bidding war with the each other over the second or third pick of the draft, the Rams or the Vikings would be in great shape.
On the other hand, there’s the possibility that the Rams, Vikings, or both will set their price far too high. That would move the Cleveland Browns into the catbird seat, and make no mistake about it, they’d take Robert Griffin III with the fourth pick in a heart beat.
In a recent interview on the NFL Network, Rick Spielman said the Vikings would likely be busy on draft day listening to offers. When asked if the Vikings would be open for business on the big day he said, “It will be, I think, very busy on draft day.” The Rams are likely expecting a similar level of interest.
So, who’s it going to be? Who’s willing to make the move?
The Cleveland Browns seem to be the most logical mover of all the teams listed. Their proximity in the draft order means that the Rams or Vikings wouldn’t have to worry about passing on a top-tier prospect by moving down, and they can milk an extra pick or two by simply moving one or two picks down. The Browns would probably be willing to pay slightly more to move up to the second pick, ensuring that no one can jump in line for Griffin III in front of them; I’m looking at you Washington!
This will be a very exciting draft. There’s a lot of leg work yet to be done by teams, scouts, agents, and everyone else involved in the process, but all signs are saying that the Rams and the Vikings will be open for business on draft day.
