I love playing NFL general manager. For all 32 teams, no less.
It’s the fun part of this business, evaluating players, second-guessing moves, praising others and trying to gauge just how I would do in that role. After all, it’s just football.
At times, NFL people act like it’s so complicated. But the reality is that it isn’t. Do the work. Watch the tape. Scout the players. Dive into their personalities and off-field issues.
We can do the first part of it, but the latter part is the tough evaluation for those of us who don’t have access to the tools the NFL teams have. Figuring out what’s inside a player’s head is the complicated part.
Will money change them? Will it make them better? Will it make them work less? What about how they treat people? Can they fit in?
The football part is the easy part.
That’s why I do my annual “who-they-should-take” mock draft. It’s my chance to play GM. Rather than trying to figure out who teams will take, I plug in guys I think they should take.
Usually, it differs from the mocks and the actual draft. This one is no different.
If you are looking for Liberty quarterback Malik Willis in this mock, you won’t find him. I just don’t think he’s a first-round talent. He’s my fourth-ranked quarterback. And, no, I don’t think he’s a running back. He just played like one a lot at Liberty, sometimes out of necessity. I do have two passers in the first round in Pittsburgh’s Ryan Pickett and Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder.
Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton is another player I don’t love as much as most — including many in the NFL. So he’s down the line for me. He also doesn’t play a value position. Plus, I think he will struggle some in the deep middle.
So go ahead, get it out. I know the rips are coming. Oh, well. There will be hits and misses.
Just like the teams. Only mine won’t cost me my job, just more Twitter cult nastiness.
