In today’s Fact or Fiction — NFL Draft edition — I look at three big recent topics around the NFL Draft and decide whether the statement is indeed FACT or if it’s FICTION.
1. Bryce Young needs to throw at the combine.
Farrell’s take: FICTION
Nope. People with any sense of film breakdown know that Young is far and away the best QB in this draft and the best passer when it comes to touch and accuracy. So throwing next to guys with cannon arms like Will Levis or standing next to massive QBs like Anthony Richardson at the combine is worthless. He just needs to have a good pro day (and everyone has a good pro day) and let someone trade up to No. 1 for him.
2. Zay Flowers has emerged as WR1 in the draft.
Farrell’s take: FACT
Emerged isn’t a great word as not much has happened recently but when there is no surefire WR1 in a draft players emerge after further film review. Quentin Johnston from TCU is the big receiver in this draft and Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the elite slot despite missing much of last season, but Flowers can play all over the field. He wasn’t showcased as much as the others because the BC passing offense hasn’t been good, but he was the one guy teams had to stop and they couldn’t. The Boston College WR is elite.
3. There is only one true OT that is first round worthy.
Farrell’s take: FACT
Paris Johnson from Ohio State. That’s it for me. And that’s not good, as the NFL needs elite tackles to keep these $40-$50 million QBs alive. But when you look after Johnson it’s iffy. Darnell Wright from Tennessee is not a first-round kid to me at all. Broderick Jones from Georgia has that athletic ability and upside, but he’s still raw. And after that, it gets weaker. The combine will allow us to see some guys jump up, but this is a weak, weak tackle class, and Johnson is a mid to late first rounder to me at best. But there is good news. Many have Northwestern OL Peter Skoronski as a guard, but I think he can play tackle at an elite level, and he should be the first OL off the board as a top-10 pick.
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