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Earlier today I tweeted about how this Thursday could prove a really exciting and unpredictable first round because of the “down on quarterbacks” vibe about this draft class, the number of top-10 drafting teams that have made moves to secure veteran quarterbacks already, and teams that don’t project to get a great combination of need and value at their pick position. A large part of this is because many executives and experts are rather down on the 2013 NFL Draft class as a whole.
“When we look back at this draft in five or 10 years,” a team executive told Yahoo Sports’ Mike Freeman, “we might view it as one of the worst we’ve seen in some time.”
A general manager also told Freeman that “there will be 13-15 players picked in the first round that are true first-rounders. That’s a fairly low number.” Freeman then added that the same general manager considered 20-23 players who were drafted in the 2012 first round to be true first rounders.
Peter King has compared this draft to the 2008 class in that it’s not top-heavy; but analysis itself carries a bit of a negative connotation. The top of that class has received a fair amount of scorn in retrospect, with only Matt Ryan proving the saving grace and Jake Long, Chris Long and Jerod Mayo proving good-but-not-great in the years since. The later rounds of that draft certainly added their value, however, with Ray Rice in round two, Jamaal Charles in round three and Tyvon Branch in round four among others.
Many general managers probably hope that what they perceive this class to lack in blue-chippers, it makes up for in quality depth.
Thomas Emerick is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ThomasEmerick, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
