Alas, Thursday April 30 has come and gone: the Rookie Draft is officially over. Many sports fans eagerly watched some eager rookies sit around awkwardly, dressed to impress, in a room for three days trying to get bought. No, this is not an auction; it is the National Football Association Rookie Draft.
With 82 of the best and brightest students tossing aside academics to bash each other for big money. This year may be the most intense NFL draft yet. Turns out, some people care: 45.7 million people. Tampa Bay Buccaneers had first pick, because they are terrible. The Mr. Irrelevant, the last player picked, went to The Arizona Cardinals.
According to my sources (Wikipedia), there is some controversy about the first player selected, named Jameis Winston, just because he shoplifted some crabs and may have sexually assaulted someone. While this would land a normal person in jail, Winston is a football player and above the law. Winston was the first pick, and celebrated by tweeting himself eating some crab. These young men are tragic heroes, turning down their National Collegiate Athletic Association eligibility for a greater cause, professional American football.
One interesting team this year was the Tennessee Titans. No one knew who they were for a really long time, but they bought and traded for a large quantity of new players, including Marcus Mariota; now, somehow, they are more interesting. The New York Jets have weak players, but they are emotionally attached so their strength is the strength of ten prematurely deceased football players. The Carolina Panthers just randomly choose some people, but that could turn out well. Or not.
The small local school University of Washington had four of its players successfully bought. Danny Shelton has become a nose tackle for the Cleveland Browns; the Kansas City Chiefs selected cornerback Marcus Peters. Shaq Thompson and Hau’oli Kikaha were picked as linebackers by the Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints, respectively. One must ask: With all this talent, why are the Huskies unable to cobble together a wining season?
The Seattle Seahawks gained six new assets this year: defensive end Obum Gwacham, defensive back Ryan Murphy, center back Tye Smith, defensive tackle Kristjan Sokoli, and offensive guards Mark Glowinski and Terry Poole. According to the experts (not me) the team is working pretty well: “’Without any hesitation, they all move really well,’ Carroll said. ‘They all come out of their stance and they can move well enough to be in the zone-scheme.’”
Many players were not picked at all. Unfortunately, they now have to realize that if you devote your life to something, you need a backup plan in case everything fails. This is why you need to get good grades!!
