Every year there is a different story for who will be selected No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft.
Usually, it is a quarterback taken first, as it is, the most important position on the field.
Now sometimes a defensive player or a talented offensive linemen will be the first to go, but for the most part it is always the quarterback that goes first.
And why not? It is the most important position on the field. No other position in any sport is as critical to its sport as the quarterback position is in football.
He’s usually the face of the franchise, the leader of your offense and often times the leader of your whole team.
It’s obviously the most important position when you have the Indianapolis Colts simply tossing the future Hall of Famer and former face of their franchise, Peyton Manning, to the side just for a potentially great rookie quarterback.
It is always fun to see how the draft plays out, to see what teams takes the risk on that quarterback with the hopes that he will one day lead his team to a Super Bowl.
But over the last several years the quarterbacks entering the draft have all been okay but not great. Not since 2004 when you had Eli Manning, Phillip Rivers, and Ben Roethlisberger all coming out in the same year.
Every year since 2004 has featured some good quarterbacks but never any jaw-dropping great quarterbacks that have the potential that teams truly want.
It’s become more of a formality, teams go after these quarterbacks because they have no choice, they can’t afford to wait for the once in a generation guy to come out.
Well fortunately the Colts have great timing this year as there is not one but two once in a generation type quarterbacks coming out.
Often times these top pick quarterbacks only go so high because most teams picking this early are in desperate need of a quarterback, it’s not because they are amazing but because they happen to be the best quarterback that year.
Well this year both Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III could easily be taken as the number 1 overall pick.
Andrew Luck has been touted as the best quarterback to come out in the last decade and has pretty much been named the top pick since last year when he decided to stay for his senior season at Stanford, (he would have gone first overall last year too).
And as far as RG3, the Heisman trophy winner from this past season, he’s no slouch himself. In fact, if it wasn’t for Luck being in the same class as him then RG3 would easily be going No. 1 overall.
That’s why it is so strange to see two incredible quarterbacks like this come out in one year while we haven’t seen one similar or on the same level come out in several years.
It’s pretty much a matter of take your pick, flip a coin, both of these guys will do well in the NFL. I’ll tell you who has the best seat in the house, the Washington Redskins sitting with the number 2 overall pick — the Colts get to make the decision for them.
Colts take Luck? Okay, Redskins take RG3 like they had originally planned. For some reason the Colts pass on Luck and take RG3? Well, then the Redskins still win because they got Andrew Luck. Either way they are coming out looking pretty good.
This year’s draft might be one of the best in quite some time, I strongly recommend tuning in to see what transpires.
Tyler Rollason is a Winder-Barrow High School graduate and mass communications major at the University of West Georgia. You can e-mail comments about this column to
tyrollason@yahoo.com.
