Despite their faults and the question marks, and no matter the fact that we still could be operating in a system whereby highly picked rookies receive massive contracts, the demand for quarterbacks coupled with the labor uncertainty and the lack of free agency has created a perfect storm. Quarterbacks will go high in the draft; some will say far too high.
First round could be QB-heavy
There could be a big run on QBs on Thursday, including potentially four passers going in the top 15, but that's not the only potential surprise Jason La Canfora sees.
Cam Newton goes to the Carolina Panthers at No. 1, and I have the Washington Redskins taking a quarterback, whether through trading up for Blaine Gabbert, having Gabbert fall to them or going with Jake Locker at No. 10 perhaps. The Tennessee Titans are strongly considering the quarterback position as well, and in this here scatter-brained scenario of mine, I'm giving them Andy Dalton. So that's three quarterbacks in potentially the top eight picks for me. (Be bold, or go home; that's my motto for quasi-mocks).
The Dolphins could take Florida offensive lineman Mike Pouncey. But they don't have a quarterback who inspires any degree of confidence on the roster, and they don't have a second-round pick. Locker and Colin Kaepernick excite them. Both are elite athletes. But as we're going bold here, and as I'm already projecting a rather surprising run on passers, I'm going to say the Dolphins continue that trend and take Kaepernick at 15.
If you throw in our quarterback-centric projected trade at the back end of the first round, we're up to five quarterbacks selected in the top 32 (my money would be on Locker being the other first-rounder here). And if it does in fact go down somewhat like this, then we could see seven signal-callers taken in the top 50, which would be a record pace.
Follow Jason La Canfora on Twitter @jasonlacanfora.
