My Top Five 2013 NFL Draft Guarantees
Feb 21, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery speaks at a press conference during the 2013 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
On the eve of the NFL draft I have some guarantees for this coming endless weekend of the NFL draft besides the fact that the New York fans will boo their own team’s selections.
1. The Bears will not be picking at #20.
Phil Emery likes the draft process which includes moving up or down in the draft. This looks more like a year where making a move down and stockpiling picks would be the wise thing for Emery to do, but his track record is smokescreens so I could actually see him moving up to get a player high on his draft board that no Bears fan expected him to grab. Either way, everyone that has Manti Te’o and the Bears at #20 in their mock draft will be dead wrong because the Bears will not own #20 when Roger Goodell comes to the podium to announce the selection.
2. The Bears will draft an Offensive Lineman which will excite the fan base but will only disappoint them in the long run.
The Bears and drafting offensive lineman are like oil and vinegar for at least the last 13 years now. The last great offensive lineman the Bears drafted was Olin Kreutz and he was a 3rd round pick in 1998. There is a laundry list of offensive lineman the Bears have drafted and that no matter how much excitement the press conference gives fans, the play on the field never come close to matching it.
3. Despite not going into the draft with a third round pick, the Bears will select a safety in the third round.
Major Wright, Chris Conte, Brandon Hardin just to name the last three third round picks. The Bears will pick a safety in this draft even Phil Emery couldn’t break this streak last season. This is a new era of football and defensive backs are highly coveted and in what is a deep draft at the secondary position you can go to Vegas that one of the Bears selection will be a defensive back.
4. The Bears will pick a quarterback before the draft ends.
One thing you can count on with a new coach bringing in his new system to an organization is that the new coach will want to groom the next quarterback. This is a very weak QB draft but that will not stop the Bears and Coach Trestman from taking a Quarterback late in the draft for them to mold into the next starting QB post Jay Cutler era. Trestman has been very hands on in the draft process so getting the next in line is going to happen.
5. This is the worst draft in over a decade for fantasy football skill players.
As unpredictable as this NFL draft is one thing is certain it isn’t going to be full of offensive studs. Geno Smith and maybe Matt Barkley will be the only single callers gone in the first round. Eddie Lacy is the best running back but he probably won’t be a first round pick and a starter come September. Tavon Austin and Cordarrelle Patterson are the top two wide receiver prospects but nobody is going to be drafting them in their fantasy draft. This is a deep draft but just not at the offensive skill positions. For people in keeper or dynasty leagues that are holding the first couple picks are going to be disappointed this year.
What is your 2013 Draft guarantee?