The cold winter has passed and spring has sprung. Hope is in the air. Draft weekend is here football fans. No more mock drafts, predictions, or rumors. Tonight, your team is on the clock. What better time than now to bring “No Huddle” out of its offseason hiatus. Before the draft clock starts ticking in Philadelphia, let’s take a look at the top storylines heading into the first round of the draft.

Cleveland Wavering on the Top Pick?

This year brings us a decent amount of mystery at the top of this draft. A few days ago, it looked like Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett and Stanford defensive end Solomon Thomas were locked in as the top-two picks in the draft. In true draft week fashion, that might not be the slam-dunk we once thought.

Now, rumors are swirling that the Browns might be looking to take North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky with the number one overall pick. Could that be a smokescreen to entice a team like the Jets to offer a king’s ransom to move up and grab a much-needed signal caller? Who really knows.

The Browns enter this draft with 11 picks, two of them in the first round (1 and 12). It’s no secret that Cleveland has a ton of work to do with its roster after a one-win season in 2016-17. Realistically, unless they get an offer similar to what the Rams gave up last season to move up to number one (two firsts, two seconds, and two thirds), Cleveland should keep this pick.

While reports seem to indicate that Garrett is “still likely” going to be the pick for Cleveland, owner Jimmy Haslam could throw that plan out the window. There is no guarantee that the Browns will be able to get a quarterback with the number 12 pick either. Ultimately this should make for some drama over the next few hours.

No Offense, It Could Be a Defensive First Round

An interesting dynamic in the first round this year could be the bevy of strong defensive players that are available. Across the seemingly endless number of mock drafts, this looks to be a first round that will lean towards defense over offense. Part of that is due to this being one of the weaker draft classes for offensive linemen.

Barring the Browns going with Trubisky at number one, the first three picks could all be on the defensive side of the football. In total, anywhere from 16-20 picks in this round could be defensive players. This is a draft that is packed to the gills with game changers. Jamal Adams is a hot name on draft boards as the top of a ridiculous class of defensive backs, which is being tabbed as the deepest position in the entire draft.

As the saying goes, “offense wins games, defense wins championships.” The defensive players at the top of this draft can go a long way to help your team climb to the top of the mountain.

Running Backs in Vogue

It’s funny how quickly things change in the NFL. A few years ago, teams were crazy if they picked a running back in the first round. It’s the position with one of the highest turnover rates in the league. That volatility gave many teams pause in selecting a running back because the rate of return was not as high compared to other positions.

Then Ezekiel Elliott ran wild over the NFL last season. Dallas took the former Ohio State star with the fourth pick in the draft and hit the jackpot. It could be the exception to the rule in the modern NFL, but did change the perception that a running back was not a smart pick in the first round.

This season presents us with the potential for three running backs to go in the first round (possibly four according to NFL Network’s Mike Mayock). Each of those top three are completely different players as well.

LSU running back Leonard Fournette is the bruiser of this trio and could be off the board somewhere in the top-five. He has drawn comparisons to Adrian Peterson and Bo Jackson in the past. In a power scheme, he could wreak havoc between the tackles. This is the type of player you can lean on to carry the ball 25 times a game and give your offense a nasty edge.

A versatile skill set is a great thing to have in the NFL. The most versatile player of this running back trio is Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey. A Heisman runner-up in the 2015-16 season there is a lot to love about McCaffrey. Seen as a potential “four-down” player, he can line up in the backfield or in the slot while being your return man on special teams. Another thing that has helped his draft stock is coming from the “pro-style” Stanford offense.

The final player of this trio comes with a bit of baggage, which has made his draft stock a bit uncertain. Regardless, Florida State’s Dalvin Cook has the look of a bonafide first round pick. He is an explosive talent that can run between the tackles and catch the ball out of the backfield. Cook is in the mold of his predecessor at FSU, Atlanta running back Devonta Freeman.

Where Will Deshaun Watson Go?

One of the more intriguing situations of this first round is the fate of Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson. Coming off of a stellar career and a national championship season at Clemson, Watson strangely won’t be the first quarterback off the board. That opens up a myriad of potential landing places for the Heisman runner-up from last season.

Some mock drafts have him going as high as 7^th to the Chargers and as low as 25^th to the Texans. That’s a pretty wide margin. Watson showed that he has a skill set that can help him succeed on Sundays, but is a team willing to go all-in on him. Rumors surfaced this morning that Jacksonville may be the team do so. If those rumors turn out to be untrue, be on the lookout for a team to strike a deal to move up and secure this potential franchise QB.

The Red Flag Players

Each and every season, there are players that come into the league with off-field issues. It is a factor that can turn a player from a top-10 pick into a guy who might be lucky to get taken in the first round. This season is no different for two of the potentially best defensive players in this draft.

Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster could easily been in the discussion to be selected in the top-five of this draft. However, an incident at the combine led to the NFL sending him home before the on-field testing even started. Then reports came to light that Foster tested positive for a diluted urine sample during his pre-combine drug test. To add to his PR nightmare of a draft process, the NFL declined to invite Foster to the draft.

Regardless of all of this bad press, Foster could still find himself selected in the top-ten of this draft. His tape is ridiculous. Foster led the nation’s top defense at Alabama for two seasons, and was a unanimous selection to the AP All-American team last year. When you are drawing comparisons to great linebackers like Bobby Wagner and Patrick Willis, teams are a little more open to taking a chance on you. That’s just the nature of the business.

In a slightly different situation is Michigan safety/cornerback/linebacker Jabrill Peppers. The New Jersey native came into the draft process seen as one of the most versatile defensive players in this draft. Peppers was one of the most dynamic athletes on the collegiate level who literally did everything for the Wolverines. In addition to playing three different positions on defense, he also lined up as a wildcat quarterback, wide receiver, running back, and was the primary returner.

However, it played a bit to his detriment in the eyes of pro scouts, who couldn’t figure out how he would fit in an NFL defense given a lack of statistical defensive production (one INT in three years). Despite his off the charts athleticism, his ball skills and instincts have come into question during the evaluation period. This has led to one of the most uncertain draft stocks among the players who could be drafted tonight.

One of the top draft stories this week came on Monday when it was reported that Peppers failed a drug test due to a diluted urine sample. This further adds ammunition to his detractors in the NFL community and could be the final straw that drops him out of the first round.

The Patrick Mahomes Project

We’ll finish up this first round preview with a player who could be one of the final players off the board tonight. Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes has seen his draft stock rise in the last few weeks. While he likely won’t be drafted ahead of Trubisky and Watson, there are teams who see tremendous value in Mahomes at the back end of the first round.

Mahomes has the makings of a great quarterback in the NFL , but will need time to develop behind an established quarterback. While the NFL has acquiesced to the spread offense over the past decade, the “air-raid” offense that Texas Tech runs isn’t an ideal system to prepare a QB for the NFL. Teams like Kansas City, New Orleans, and Arizona all could be potential landing spots for Mahomes. All three teams have established quarterbacks with coaches known for being “QB whisperers.”

Taken from the category of “you can’t make this up” here is what an unnamed NFC executive had to say about Mahomes in his NFL.com draft profile.

“He’s got a great arm, big balls, and he’s mobile.”

 

That’s it for me today. Be on the lookout for episode seven of the Shooting the Moon Podcast with my instant reaction to the first round of the NFL draft. I’ll also have a playoff primer for the weekend’s action in the NBA and NHL. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney, subscribe to the Shooting the Moon Podcast on iTunes or SoundCloud, and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.