This is one of the most interesting drafts in terms of the jockeying and strategy going on up until the day before the draft.
The Chiefs are sitting at
#1 and have a dilemma on their hands. They gotta pay Branden Albert $9 million this year to play LT and the rest of the league knows it. They also are gonna select a LT with the 1st pick, and again, everyone knows it. So they have zero leverage. The Dolphins are trying to land Albert by low balling the Chiefs, but they may have more leverage once KC actually selects a LT at
#1 . Problem is, the leverage turns a little bit in KC's favor once the top 3 LT's are off the board before the Fins pick.
If the Fins say fukk it and don't trade for Albert before the draft, I think KC takes Fisher at
#1 because he can play RT for a year and they can keep Albert at LT. Joeckel is strictly a LT and can't play RT (same with Albert), so they'd be fukked for this coming season. If the Fins DO trade for Albert, then I can see KC picking Joeckel
#1 overall as they have a hole at LT that he can fill.
What I could see happening is this... Fins say fukk that, it's not worth the price, and don't pull the trade. Then the top 5 happens as follows:
1) KC- Fisher
2) Jags- Dion Jordan
3) The Dolphins trade up to Oakland's spot and take Joeckel.
4) Eagles- Mingo or Star or Ansah
5) Detroit- Warmack or Lane Johnson
I don't think the Eagles will take Geno Smith at 4. I think the Jets could possibly take him at 13, but if not, there's a real possibility he falls out of the 1st round all together. Nassib is likely the first QB that will be taken, probably by Buffalo. They saw what pairing Sherman and Tannehill did for Tannehill's transition to the NFL and might consider emulating that same strategy.
Carradine and Hayden are gonna be taken way above where Kiper has them. Those two dudes are gaining crazy buzz. Same with Eifert. If the Fins stay at 12, I can see them drafting Eifert there, assuming the Jets don't take him at 9. He could even go as high as 6 to the Browns. Chuds loves TE's.
There's no way Trufant is the 2nd CB off the board. Likely 4th after Millner, Hayden, and Rhodes.
Sharrif Floyd, Geno Smith, and Jarvis Jones are the three guys I think could fall further than most would anticipate.