Image via CBS Sports.com
With the first round of the NFL Draft wrapping up last night, teams around the league are doing their due diligence to make sure their new chess pieces fit within their sets. LSU’s Joe Burrow was selected as the first overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals and a number of other bluechip prospects were scooped as the evening went along. So who were the big winners and losers from the draft? Well you can Google that pretty easily and find an assortment of opinions and hot takes that would fit the bill for pretty much anyone. What I want to find is which picks make the most sense economically for the teams selecting in the top 10 of the draft and their impact later on this off-season.
Los Angeles Chargers: Ah yes, my beloved Bolts. The Chargers selected Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert with the No. 6 overall pick and also traded back into the first round to select inside linebacker Kenneth Murray of Oklahoma. While the Chargers have a glaring need at QB since the departure of franchise stalwart Philip Rivers, the team has a strong defense with a handful of weapons on the offensive side of the ball along with a bolstered offensive line. So how does this stack up on an economic scale for the Chargers? Well they need to fill seats in their stadium that they will be sharing with the Rams and a potential franchise QB and playmakers on both sides of the ball fit the bill. Also with Rivers moving on, the team has cap space to move and find playmakers which it did this off-season by signing a handful of ex-Pro Bowlers in G Trai Turner, CB Chris Harris Jr. and DT Linval Joseph.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Well, signing Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski is one way to energize a stagnant franchise. With the Pats, I mean Bucs, having one of the splashiest off-seasons in recent memory, the draft was meant to help bolster some of their other needs and the team made another great choice by selecting Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs in the first round. Tampa now has another great talent to help protect and help TB12. So with the Bucs really readying to win now, Tampa is in a great position to win this season and make a lot of money. If there is a season that is.
Cincinnati Bengals: As mentioned at the top of the article, the Bengals opted to go with Heisman Trophy winner Burrow as their top pick and for good reason. The Ohio native won the national championship last season as the leader of the Tigers and will be able to transition into being the eventual leader for Cincy. Burrow was touted as the top pick by multiple sources and should fire up a stagnant franchise since they drafted Andy Dalton in 2011. In terms of economic appeal, it is hard to quantify the success of Burrow, but the excitement is palpable in Cincy. Plus the Bengals just drafted Tee Higgins out of Clemson to start day two of the draft which will hopefully compliment disgruntled All-Pro A.J. Green.
As day two of the draft kicks off, let me know which team will make the biggest splash in 2020.
Paid In Full: Chris Boline's Blog on Business and Pop Culture 