NEWSLETTER
I’ll preface this by saying it is lying season in the NFL.
This is the time of year when subterfuge is king. Teams around the league are going out of their way to throw each other for a loop. General managers are doing everything they can to keep their counterparts guessing. In an honest moment, I’d tell you it is fascinating how NFL executives go above and beyond in an attempt to throw anyone and everyone off their scent.
But with that being said, a part of me is concerned that there is a small morsel of truth in what is being put out there here lately. Especially if The MMQB’s Albert Breer is hearing this from an active GM:
“If you have 15 first-round grades, then the class sucks. And I got less than 15 this year.”
So … uh, the 2023 NFL Draft class sucks now? Can’t say I had that on my pre-draft BINGO board.
And to think, it sounds like this anonymous general manager isn’t alone:
Again, this could be shenanigans. After all this is the type of trickery, deception, and chicanery we see from NFL front offices reply this time of year. Nevertheless, it feels like a good talking point to offer up as we approach Thursday’s NFL Draft. Remember when it was around this time last year when George Pickens character concerns were randomly popping? All to see him fall down draft boards and right into the Pittsburgh Steelers’ lap. Pickens excelled as a rookie to the point where the Steelers felt comfortable sending Chase Claypool to the Bears at the trade deadline. In other words, let’s be mindful of what is being thrown out there, who’s behind it surfacing, and why they’re doing it.
As for the Bears, we know they have 6-8 players in mind with the ninth pick. Owning a top-10 pick means Chicago’s football team is in a good spot to get a not-sucky prospect and leave the ones who suck for the rest of the round. At least, that is how I’m choosing to read the situation. Assistant GM Ian Cunningham told reporters the team doesn’t grade its prospects by rounds (h/t Zack Pearson). Which, to me, is probably a better way to go about assessing prospect value. But that is a different discussion for another day. For now, let’s keep tabs on the ever-evolving draft board and rumor mill. Who’s to say what will pop up next?
