There's no guarantee that any of these picks is successful in the NFL.
Myles Garrett, Mitchell Trubisky, Deshaun Watson, Mike Williams, and Jamal Adams. Just five of the two hundred fifty three players drafted in the 2017 NFL Draft. These are all young men, who have fulfilled their dream of being drafted by an NFL Franchise. Now comes the hard part: living up to the expectations that have been set for each and everyone of them. Some of these guys, like Myles Garrett, will be asked to contribute from day one. Others, such as Mitchell Trubisky will be asked to sit behind a veteran for a few seasons and learn their respective positions.
The annual draft is always an interesting event. There is so much on the line, three days that make or break an NFL franchise. Fans, coaches, and general managers are excited with the opportunity to add young, fresh talent hoping that everything will click together and will lead to winning a championship. If everything doesn’t click together, then a franchise can experience misery for years to come, then you’ll be referred to as the team that can’t draft right. If the risk you take pays off, people end up praising you for years to come. If not, you’re criticized for years to come.
The Chicago Bears Ryan Pace just gambled and traded up one spot in an effort to grab Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, a move that will make or break the career of the young general manager.
The Washington Redskins decided to gamble on Defensive Lineman Jonathan Allen, while the Indianapolis Colts decided to bet on the injured Safety Malik Hooker.
We see certain players picked to high, some like Trent Richardson, who end up being busts. Then we’ve got certain players, who are picked in the middle of the draft, Tom Brady for example, that end up having an impact on the game. Those that have an impact are the ones that each team looks for. Unfortunately, there are only a handful of those players available each year. Each year, there are players, who everyone seems to overvalue or undervalue. We see the top analysts in the business make bold claims about who really has what it takes to be successful at the next level. Each year, there are hidden gems that are found in later rounds. Last year, the Chicago Bears Running Back Jordan Howard in the fifth round. What happened to Howard? He ended up being selected to his first Pro Bowl as a rookie and also was second in the league in rushing.
Just because a certain player has an excellent college career, there is no guarantee he will be successful at the next level. Look at guy like Quarterback Jamarcus Russell. Russell was drafted number one overall in 2007 by the Oakland Raiders. The former LSU standout was considered to be the next big thing, the savior of an NFL franchise, and yet after just three seasons, he released by the Oakland Raiders. Deshaun Watson’s NFL journey started last night. He now faces more pressure than ever to help a playoff team take the next step and bring a Lombardi trophy home to the city of Houston. How could one forget current Cowboys Quarterback Dak Prescott? Just because Prescott had an excellent rookie season, there’s no guarantee that he brings one or even multiple championships to Dallas.
There you have it folks, the 2017 NFL Draft is finally in the books and the next generation of NFL Players have all finally found new places to call home. Even though the 2017 season hasn’t even started, there is no guarantee that a single one of these players is successful throughout the duration of their NFL Careers. Some of these guys may last three, five, ten, or even fifteen years. Once again, now comes the hard part for these young men: living up to the expectations set for each and everyone of them.
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