Thursday Trivia

Okay, so you might have noticed I love asking questions about when someone was drafted. I love all major sports drafts: they give a tangible “what if” for each player and team. It’s where the story of legacy begins. For every diamond in the rough, there is an all-time bust.

Of all the drafts, the NFL draft provides the most intrigue: the players in the draft can have a greater impact across the board than the other major leagues. Rookie contracts in the NFL can give teams a distinct advantage in the salary cap era, and the variation of positions makes it more difficult to draft the “best player available.”

A few things to note for tonight’s NFL draft (8pm ET on ESPN in Green Bay):

• This is the first time in the modern NFL draft era where every team still holds their original first-round pick. That is expected to change: multiple reports are predicting a lot of movement across the first round tonight

• Strengths of the draft: This is getting called a historically deep class at running back, which is even more exciting after the Eagles’ success with Saquon Barkley last season. The position has taken a hit in value in recent years, so perhaps this is the class to change that narrative. Other strengths include defensive and offensive linemen; we are expecting to hear a lot of big fellas’ names getting called in the first few rounds

• Expected to go first overall: Cam Ward (QB) - Miami

• There are several QB-needy teams in a weak class: the Titans (1), Browns (2), Giants (3), Raiders (6), Saints (9), Steelers (21). Will we see teams reach for a QB or try to move back into the late first/early second rounds to grab a falling prospect? There is usually a surprise team or two that is sneakily looking at the QB position: remember when the Falcons paid Kirk Cousins $100M guaranteed and then went and drafted Michael Penix Jr. 8th overall?

• Also, last thing about the draft: do NOT pay attention to draft grades afterwards. No one knows a thing about how these 21-year-olds are going to turn out. Example: the Chiefs got absolutely ripped apart for trading up to draft Patrick Mahomes when they already had Alex Smith on their roster. That one turned out okay, right?

TODAY’S TRIVIA: This year’s running back class is getting compared to the historically great 2017 draft class.

Hint: These are all RBs from that year. These RBs were drafted 4th, 8th, 41st, 48th, and 67th. The class also featured guys like Aaron Jones, Kareem Hunt, and James Conner