NFL scouts and general managers had their draft prep disrupted this year – a pandemic will do that – and NFL Network analyst Andrew Siciliano believes that absolutely will affect teams’ draft strategy and execution.
“I think they will play it safer,” Siciliano said on The DA Show, “especially in later rounds – or even in the early rounds.”
Oklahoma linebacker prospect Kenneth Murray, for example, is a projected first-round pick. Many draft analysts have him going somewhere in the 20s. But would it be that surprising if, say, the Cleveland Browns take him at No. 10?
“He’s a safe pick,” Siciliano said. “Most people project him in the 20s, but could you go wrong taking him at 10 because it’s a safe pick? When you haven’t had all the meetings and you haven’t had all the private visits and you haven’t flown down to some small high school field and said, ‘Hey, meet me over there and let’s do a private, quiet workout and don’t have your agent tell anybody’ – you can’t do those. So maybe you just go with chalk. I think that is going to be really interesting.”
While Joe Burrow is seemingly a lock for the No. 1 selection, many analysts are split on Tua Tagovailoa. Some believe he’s without question the No. 2 quarterback in this year’s draft class, while others are staying away due to Tua’s extensive injury history.
“I think there are legitimate concerns,” Siciliano said. “I am not in any way a doctor, but that was a horrible injury. He seems well down the road of recovery . . . but it’s a legitimate concern. When he’s great, he’s great – meaning when he’s healthy, he’s a fantastic quarterback who you might take 1 overall ahead of Joe Burrow. That’s an individual risk analysis. I’m not going to sit here and tell a team that decides we don’t want to take that risk that they’re crazy. These are different times, and if you want to poke and prod the kid and see him with your own two eyes – and without that you don’t want to take him – then I say, ‘Good for you. You’re just playing it safe. He’s probably going to go be a fantastic football player somewhere else, but I get your concern.’”