The NFL draft finally begins Thursday night, which means the silly season around the annual event is reaching a fever pitch.
How many quarterbacks will be taken in the first round? Which team is going to make a big swing? Which player will unexpectedly slide?
Those are just a few of the big questions on people’s minds as the draft approaches.
Follow along for live coverage of Round 1 of the NFL draft
What are the experts predicting amid all the chaos? Here’s what we can learn — and maybe expect — based on the latest mock drafts.
Is there any question who will go first overall?
It appears not.
NBC Sports’s Kyle Dvorchak and Connor Rogers, ESPN, The Ringer, Sharp Football Analysis and Yahoo Sports all feature mock drafts with the same player going first overall to the Tennessee Titans: Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward.
While the Titans haven’t confirmed whom they’re taking, they have confirmed they’ve made a decision, with general manager Mike Borgonzi saying Tuesday the front office had “come to a consensus.”
While Ward was sensational in his lone year with the Hurricanes, his path to being the (potential) No. 1 overall pick was equally unique and unlikely, as NBC News’ Andrew Greif reported this week.
What will the Giants do with the third pick?
New York seems to be in a bit of a swing position with the third pick of the first round. There’s an overwhelming likelihood Ward and Colorado star Travis Hunter will go with the first two picks.
The Giants, meanwhile, have been rumored for Hunter’s collegiate teammate Shedeur Sanders, who told NBC News this month that no quarterback would be better prepared to handle the New York spotlight than he.
But the Sanders-Giants hype may be more wishful thinking than anything else.
Dvorchak, ESPN, The Ringer, Sharp Football and Yahoo all have New York taking Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter third overall. While the Giants need help all over the roster, New York's deciding to forgo a quarterback could speak to the lack of faith in passing prospects in this year’s class.
New York is seemingly set at the QB position in the short term after it signed Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson this offseason. But as the saying goes, if you have two quarterbacks, then you have none.
So, where will Sanders go?
Sanders is sure to draw a lot of intrigue and interest wherever he lands. Though he’s seemingly not a sure bet to go in the first round, there is one popular destination for the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders: the Pittsburgh Steelers.
ESPN and Sharp Football both have the Steelers selecting Sanders with the 21st pick in the first round, though Dvorchak, The Ringer and Yahoo disagree. (Yahoo’s Charles McDonald and Nate Tice notably have Pittsburgh taking Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe.)
The lack of clarity on Sanders is instructive about this draft as a whole. Outside of Ward, there doesn’t seem to be a quarterback everyone can agree on.
At the same time, teams often get desperate when it comes to finding a player at the sport’s most important position. That means whether it’s Sanders, Milroe or someone else, one organization could be taking a massive swing whenever the second quarterback of the draft is ultimately selected.
Will there be trades?
Perhaps the most difficult part of the draft to anticipate is which teams will trade up or down. Is there a prospect someone has fallen in love with and has to go get? Is there a team with too many needs that has to amass picks?
The Cleveland Browns, for example, have long been connected to Hunter with the second pick, but they may also be a trade candidate.
One player who could cause movement alone is Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who is mocked by many to go early in the first round, anywhere from five to 10.
Which teams will be aggressive? We’re close to finding out all the answers.
