NEWSLETTER
For better or worse, Chicago Bears fans have grown accustomed to expecting the unexpected on NFL Draft weekend.
Now, imagine if the entire league had that same feeling?
Well, that’s the vibe that is being put out right now by a pair of NFL insiders. Check out these tweets from league insider Ian Rapoport and draft guru Daniel Jeremiah:
I had a GM tell me, “The media is wronger about mock drafts this year than you guys have ever been.” Point being, players are going to be taken in places no one expects. https://t.co/oyDHSndqkl
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 17, 2020
Players being taken in places no one expects? Ha! That’s business as usual around here in Chicago, Mr. Rapoport.
All kidding aside, I think Rapoport and Jeremiah are onto something with this perspective.
Generally, this is the time of year when a chunk of mock drafts look the same. It might not be all the same names going to the same places, but we tend to get a general feel for what types of prospects teams are looking for and what position groups certain front offices are targeting and where. But because these front office types haven’t been together under one roof since the Combine, the consensus building and groupthink hasn’t come around as we would usually expect at this time.
As for the mock drafts, I’m not sure the point of those was to ever be 100 percent right. Because thinking you’re going to nail every pick in a mock draft is downright foolish. Mock drafts have long been more about being an exercise in prospect prospect information, traits, skills, and frankly, showing off how much of a prospect hipster you can be (not that there’s anything wrong with that). But in the end, if players are going where no one expects, then I’m all for it.
Bring on the controlled chaos of the NFL Draft. If there was ever a time for it, now makes the most sense.
