The 2017 NFL Draft that took place on April 27-29 has been touted as one of the most talent-filled classes in the history of the league. Even though the class was filled with many future NFL stars, nobody knew for sure what the exact first round draft order would be from top to bottom.
All of the best ESPN analysts’ mock drafts were completely different from one another. This created much more excitement and curiosity for fans, and it created an element of surprise that millions of fans were hooked on. The television ratings for this year’s draft exploded compared to years prior.
The first round of the NFL Draft is a total of 32 picks. This small number of picks on the first night can leave many hopeful athletes in a state of sorrow if their names are not called.
The unanimous number one pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns, selected Myles Garrett, a defensive end from Texas A&M University. This was not a surprise to many people, considering Garrett is an NFL-ready kid, weighing 272 pounds and running a 4.64 40 yard dash. His skyrocketing off the scrimmage line can break up plays in seconds.
Once the inevitable first pick was out of the way, the real excitement arrived. The San Francisco 49er’s, who originally had the second pick traded with the Chicago Bears who had third pick. Both teams were in need of some star players leading their depleted teams. It almost seemed certain that the Bears traded up to snag the gifted defensive end from Stanford named Solomon Thomas. He would perfectly fit their defensive system and fill the void of a playmaker in the middle of the field. Or so everyone thought.
Commissioner Goodell made the announcement that changed the entire outcome of the draft. With the second pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Bears selected quarterback Mitchell Trubisky from University of North Carolina: a shocking move since Trubisky was projected as a mid first-rounder. The Bears signed quarterback free agent Mike Glennon to a three-year 43.5 million deal just a couple of weeks prior to the draft.
Trubisky is also being questioned for his capabilities at the next level, because he started in only ten games in college. Coaches fear he cannot handle the intense playbooks and schemes with such little experience.
Garrett and Trubisky are going to show the world why they were selected at the number 1 and 2 spots, and ultimately, bring success to their respective teams’ cities.
To find out what happened to star defensive end Solomon Thomas, stay tuned for the next article.
