By the end of the day, a few Buckeyes will be millionaires, and I will be performing the noble task of writing about it online.
ICYMI
- Dan Hope's final NFL Draft projections.
- Justin Fields could make us forget about the transfers.
- Terry McLaurin is confident entering the draft.
- Cincinnati quartet plans to commit on July 4.
Word of the Day: Impecunious.
HASKINS TO THE 'SKINS? So far, over the past few months, I've heard and wrote about rumors of Dwayne Haskins going to the Giants, Broncos, Bengals, Raiders and Dolphins.
Just hours before the draft, we can now add one more team to the rumor list.
From Justin Terranova of the New York Post:
The Ohio State star quarterback has become the target for the Redskins, who draft at No. 15, according to ESPN.com. Washington traded for veteran Case Keenum this offseason, but still seeks a quarterback of the future and its interest in trading with the Cardinals for Josh Rosen is waning.
Haskins has become one of the more polarizing players in the draft, replaced by Kyler Murray as the top quarterback in the draft and seemingly plummeting on some draft boards. It’s unclear if the Redskins would have to trade up from the middle of the first round to get Haskins or if he would still be sitting there at No. 15.
...
“There’s definitely something there,” Haskins told NFL Network on Monday of the Redskins. “I feel like there’s a great relationship with the Redskins. My mentor Shawn Springs played for the Redskins. Great relationship with [owner] Mr. [Daniel] Snyder and the rest of the Redskins ownership. Whatever team picks me, I’ll be excited to be a part of, but there’s definitely something there in D.C.”
The prevailing thought seems to be that the Redskins are indeed looking to trade up into the top-five picks to select a quarterback. But their reported quarterback of choice is rather... creative.
Reports that Washington is looking to get into Top 5 are 100% accurate. From what I have been told the QB they want is Daniel Jones
— Greg Gabriel (@greggabe) April 24, 2019
If a team ends up with Daniel Jones instead of Dwayne Haskins on purpose, they deserve to miss the playoffs for the next 10 years. If a team trades into the top five to select Daniel Jones over Dwayne Haskins, the franchise should be forcefully stripped from the ownership and given to the world's best Madden player instead.
As for where Haskins actually ends up, I have absolutely no idea, which is honestly the most entertaining way to enter the evening.
LEARNING FROM A LEGEND. The game's changed quite a bit since Paul Warfield's days, but that doesn't mean the Ohio State legend can't pass on some knowledge to the next great Buckeye receiver.
Parris Campbell is as talented as any receiver prospect, but HOF WR Paul Warfield teaches small tricks that separate the greats
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 24, 2019
From @Ford X B/R pic.twitter.com/AB2upXn3fL
As far as mentors go, there might not be a better one for Parris, cause these two are cut from the same cloth. Warfield was speedy too. People forget, in high school, he set state track records in the 100-yard dash, and 180-yard hurdles and was a track star at Ohio State too.
If anyone can help Parris transition his skillset to the NFL, it's Warfield.
NO EXPANSION TALKS. For those of you itching for playoff expansion, I have bad news: it ain't happening anytime soon.
In January, just hours before the national championship game between Alabama and Clemson, Mississippi State president Mark Keenum, chair of the playoff board of managers, released a statement making it clear that the university presidents were not ready to entertain expanding the playoff field.
"As far as expanding the number of teams in the playoff, it's way too soon -- much too soon -- to know if that is even a possibility," Keenum said then. "It's fair to say the speculation about expansion has outdistanced the reality of what the commissioners and the presidents have discussed. If a decision were to be made down the road, the presidents would be the ones to make it, and we are not there."
They're still not.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said that statement still stands, and that his biggest takeaway from Wednesday's meetings was that "the College Football Playoff works well."
"The four-team college football playoff has achieved exactly what it was stated up front," Sankey said. "I have not heard a variance from the principals. I think the board of managers, the presidents, were very clear in where we are."
I'm still holding out hope that I'll see a college football playoff game in Ohio Stadium in my lifetime. A postseason college football game on an actual college campus would be absolutely electric.
DRAFT. TERRY. MCLAURIN. This is my final plea for an NFL team to select the safest player in the draft.
Reason # 12,794 why one NFL Franchise will hit the jackpot in drafting @TheTerry_25 this weekend:
— Keenan Bailey (@CoachKeeOSU) April 24, 2019
Ive never seen a player get so genuinely excited when his teammates succeed! From practice reps to the biggest stage, Terry is as selfless as it gets!#HeIsDifferent #DraftHim pic.twitter.com/yHTLBR7W03
He's probably not going to be A.J. Green or Julio Jones, but he's so versatile, smart and willing, if you can't find somewhere for him to benefit your football team, you probably shouldn't be coaching.
Even if Terry McLaurin were a career special teamer, he would find a way to be the best special teamer and teammate in history. You just can't miss with him.
DRAFT DAY CHARTS. As a fellow with a marketing degree from The Ohio State University, charts and data visualization really get me going, so when some extremely relevant draft day charts pop up in my Twitter feed, I'm obligated to share.
Here's graphical proof that the Saints are basically just the New Orleans Buckeyes:
From 2000 thru 2018, the Ravens drafted 10 players from Alabama, about 6 more than the typical team. Here's each NFL team's favorite college to draft from pic.twitter.com/SJ4GLySjWa
— Michael Lopez (@StatsbyLopez) April 24, 2019
And then there's this beautiful visualization, showing exactly when the Buckeyes began to dominate the first round of the NFL Draft.
Couldn't exactly pin down a bar chart race in #rstats, but here's cumulative Rd. 1 choices over time by each Power-5 school (and ND) pic.twitter.com/h1sEpBkJBj
— Michael Lopez (@StatsbyLopez) April 24, 2019
There's an outside chance Ohio State matches or passes USC for most first round NFL Draft picks tonight.
The Buckeyes currently have 79, and USC leads all programs with 81. Given that there's not a shot in hell a Trojan goes in the first round and Ohio State's all-but guaranteed two, if Parris Campbell, Dre'Mont Jones or Terry McLaurin slip into the first round, the Bucks will own the record. Otherwise, they'll tie tonight.
LIVE ON LINKEDIN. Forget ESPN, Fox or the NFL Network, y'all can get the best draft analysis possible on LinkedIn tonight.
Braxton Miller is providing his unique take on the NFL Draft tomorrow night -- and doing it in a unique place. The former Ohio State quarterback/wide receiver continues to show off his different entrepreneurial skills. pic.twitter.com/VgijA0OFg2
— Austin Ward (@AWardSports) April 24, 2019
Hilarious that I was in business school for five years and my most productive use of LinkedIn will be as a sports blogger watching a live stream of a former football player as he talks about the NFL Draft.
I don't know if that says more about me, or LinkedIn's product.
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