With less than three weeks to go before the start of the 2016 NFL draft, a clearer picture is starting to develop about where the top quarterbacks in the class will come off the board.
According to Peter King of MMQB, four quarterbacks look like strong bets to be first-round picks.
“Even this far out, the lines are drawn here: (Jared) Goff and (Carson) Wentz in the top five, Paxton Lynch in the teens, Connor Cook around 30 and then it’s anyone’s guess,” King wrote.
Goff and Wentz have long been first-round locks, with each quarterback being rumored as a potential option for several teams in the top 5-10 picks. The Cleveland Browns at No. 2 appear to be a strong possibility for both players.
King said Goff is the name “coming out of the (Browns’) building right now,” but he also admits Wentz was the popular pick for Cleveland as recently as last week. It’s certainly possible the Browns are going back and forth on which quarterback they want to pair with Robert Griffin III moving forward.
Later on in the first round, Lynch could become a potential option for a team such as the Los Angeles Rams, who pick No. 15 overall. The New York Jets (No. 20) could entertain a move up for Lynch, while the Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers—who have early picks in the second round—have been rumored as teams interested in trading back into the first round to take a quarterback like Lynch.
Cook hasn’t warranted considerable first-round hype in the lead up to the draft. But NFL teams will do anything to find a franchise quarterback, so it’s completely believable to think at least one team views the Michigan State star as capable of becoming a competent NFL quarterback.
Last year, only two quarterbacks came off the board in the first round. In 2014, four were taken within the first 36 picks. The last time four quarterbacks were taken in the first round was 2012, when Andrew Luck, Griffin III, Ryan Tannehill and Brandon Weeden all became top-32 picks.
