With Los Angeles and Philadelphia pretty much expected to select QBs Carson Wentz of North Carolina State and Cal’s Jared Goff with the first two picks at next week’s draft – in one way or another – in effect the draft really starts with San Diego on the clock with the 3rd pick. The Chargers have reportedly narrowed the choice to three of the usual suspects – Florida State DB Jalen Ramsey, Oregon 5T DeForest Buckner and Ole Miss OT Laremy Tunsil, but otherwise haven’t tipped their hand in any way to date. One thing that the Chargers likely won’t be doing is trading the pick. Indeed, according to SD GM Tom Telesco the phones in the Chargers’ room pretty much stopped ringing literally moments after the trade between Cleveland and Philadelphia in which the Eagles acquired the 2nd pick overall was announced. Prior to that its likely teams were calling the Chargers wondering what it might cost them to move up to that spot if the Browns were to pass on the QB the Rams did not select with the 1st pick …
On the other hand, Dallas hasn’t done anything to hide that fact that FSU Ramsey is at the top of their board and would appear to be a lock to be grabbed by the Cowboys if he were available at the 4th pick. However, if the Chargers were to take Ramsey at #3, then the Cowboys would be faced with a tough choice of their own. And there is growing speculation that the Cowboys could be almost forced to take Ohio State DE Joey Bosa at that spot despite the fact that most teams rate several other defensive players – not to mention RB Zeke Elliott, his OSU teammate higher. The Cowboys, for example, are waiting for the shoe to drop on starting DE Demarcus Lawrence who is expected to be suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Lawrence will make it 2-for-2 of Cowboys’ other projected starting DEs for 2016 on the suspension list to open the season as Randy Gregory has also been forced to sit out the first month of the upcoming campaign. And Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones added a little fuel to the fire when he described Bosa in glowing terms on a local radio interview this week during which he described Bosa as a ‘great football player’ who is ‘certainly one of the best players in this draft, and he’ll certainly get strong consideration from us. I do think he’ll be one of the top players picked, as he deserves to be.’ Jones also added that enigmatic Eastern Kentucky DE Noah Spence, who more than scout thinks is the best pure pass rusher in this year’s draft, remains very much on the Dallas draft board despite his past off-field indiscretions. Needless to say with the off-field stuff, the Cowboys are not going to take him with the 4th pick, but he could be very much in the mix when Dallas makes it second pick early in round two. So far, though, the Cowboys do not appear to be one of the 9 or so teams that have had Spence in for visits this month …
The sense around the league that Jacksonville is enamored with UCLA OLB Myles Jack and could be inclined to take him with the 5th pick next week if as expected he is still on the board at that spot. The Jags worked out Jack last week at UCLA and reportedly came away impressed even though he is still not 100% as he continues to rehab from MCL surgery that ended his season in September. Interesting that Jack remains solidly on the Jacksonville board, Jags’ GM Dave Caldwell has volunteered the information that the team has taken over 40 players off their board either medical or character issues …
