It's time for a favorite End Around tradition: Sharing with you, the loyal reader, the songs that each prospect will hit the stage to tonight in Philadelphia for the 2017 NFL Draft.
As always, we'll provide (free of charge) a Spotify playlist with every song that will blare on the speakers as Roger Goodell engages in extended bro-hugs with complete strangers. Fun times. Let's get into it.
» Trubisky told NFL.com's Conor Orr that a buddy suggested a host of Lil Wayne songs filled with obscene lyrics. He opted for a more tame Drake option. "I was actually kind of pleased with my song choice," he said. " ... I actually went with 'Forever' by Drake. It plays in the LeBron (James) documentary 'More Than A Game.' I grew up listening to that song and it kind of has more meaning."
» We've been doing this exercise for four years and this is the first time Kanye is nowhere to be seen. Talk about your sneaky wake-up calls. Yeezy needs to escape Calabasas and start connecting with the kids again.
» Kendrick Lamar might be the hottest MC in the game right now, so consider us surprised that DeShone Kizer is the only rookie to rep the South Central rapper. Major upset not to see "HUMBLE" on this list.
» You could usually count on at least one country song in the mix, but the genre was shut out entirely this year. Last April, Carson Wentz took the stage in Chicago to "Flyover States" by Jason Aldean.
» Achieving sustained relevance is no easy feat in hip hop, so credit to Drake, who remains a constant on this playlist year after year. Infamously, at least in retrospect, Johnny Manziel took the stage at Radio City Music Hall to Drake's "Draft Day" in 2014. "Draft day, Johnny Manziel/Five years later how am I the man still" At least one of them is the man still.
» "Hey man, Dan here, nice to meet you. I didn't catch your name." "Oh, sorry. It's YoungBoy Never Broke Again."
» Chidobe Awuzie's parents emigrated from Nigeria. His song choice comes from Magic System, a duo from the Ivory Coast. Here's what Wikipedia said: "The song contains an autobiographical account of lead singer Salif "A'Salfo" Traoré about his ex-girlfriend who tried to hook up with him again when he became famous." Sounds like Awuzie's got his guard up already.
» The oldest song on this list? That would be House of Pain's "Jump Around", which had slamdancing suburban white boys giving each other nose bleeds at school dances in 1992. Afraid to say I was one of them.
