An NFL general manager who recently moved his team into the first 10 picks of the 2016 NFL draft believes there’s a steep dropoff after the top 10 players in this year’s class.
“In the past few drafts, often we’d be picking lower in the first round, and we’d just miss out on a guy we had targeted,” Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said, via MMQB. “This year we felt there was a big dropoff after 10 players, so I talked to people about trying to move into the top 10.”
Roseman successfully moved the Eagles up in the draft last week, sending cornerback Byron Maxwell, linebacker Kiko Alonso and the No. 13 overall pick to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for the 8th overall pick.
But Roseman isn’t alone in thinking the 2016 draft lacks depth at the top.
At the combine last month, one NFL general manager said this year’s class lacks a “special player,” while another said no player “really stands out.”
Among the top prospects are Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey, Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa, Ole Miss left tackle Laremy Tunsil, UCLA linebacker Myles Jack and Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott. The Eagles don’t need a quarterback, but Jared Goff of Cal, Carson Wentz of North Dakota State and Paxton Lynch of Memphis are widely considered the best players at the position.
Roseman said the Eagles still need a receiver with deep speed.
If more teams agree with Roseman’s assessment of the 2016 draft, it’s possible more trades up the board and into the top 10 could surprise come April.
