NFL Draft Talk Volume I
As the NFL draft draws closer and closer here are some questions that are circulating that pertain to prospects and their draft stock as well as their potential and projected impacts at the next level.
How far will Marquise Brown fall after his Lisfranc injury?
Brown is considered the best big-play threat in this year’s draft as the man nicknamed “Hollywood” recorded 75 receptions for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns. The All-American was Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray’s favorite target last season at Oklahoma and both are projected to be a sure-fire first-round pick in the upcoming draft.
Brown recently had surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury he will not be participating in the NFL Combine later over the upcoming weekend but is expected to be ready by training camp for whatever team drafts him. However, there are some draft pundits that believe that this recent development might cause Brown to slide down some teams’ draft boards and possibly out of the first round entirely.
Can the Bosas rival the Watts for sibling pass rush supremacy?
The projected number one overall pick in this year’s upcoming draft is Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa, younger brother of Los Angeles Chargers Pro Bowl defensive end Joey Bosa. Joey was the third overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft and has been terrorizing quarterbacks ever since, and his brother will be looking to get drafted a little higher and do more of the same.
There is another pair of brothers currently in the league that is a renown sack artist in their own right. Houston Texans’ defensive lineman JJ Watt and Pittsburgh Steelers’ outside linebacker TJ Watt are two of the best pass rushers in the league.
Both were first-round selections and have combined for 36 sacks since TJ entered the league in 2017 and that’ taking into account that JJ missed nearly the entire 2017 season with a lower leg injury during his younger brother’s rookie year. JJ is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, a five-time Pro Bowl selection and was named to the All-Pro team on each of his trips to the All-Star game. TJ received his first Pro Bowl nod this past season after logging 13 sacks, nearly doubling his total from his rookie year and forced six fumbles.
Like the Watts, who both attended the University of Wisconson, the Bosas were Buckeyes before they declared for the draft and both brothers missed significant time for their respective teams last season due to injury.
While the Bosas are legacies in the NFL as their father John was the 16th overall pick in the 1987 NFL draft, the Watts are quickly building a legacy of their own and cementing their status among the league’s elite. Only time will tell if the Bosa brothers will be able to match or top that of the Watt brothers, but if they can stay on the field it will definitely be fun to watch, except for the opposing quarterbacks and offensive game plans that they will wreak havoc upon.
