2017 NFL Draft Holiday Wishlist

Nov 26, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes safety Malik Hooker (24) is congratulated by teammates following his pick six during the second quarter at Ohio Stadium. Michigan Wolverines lead at half 10-7. Mandatory Credit: Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

It’s the holiday season and everyone has a running wishlist. Things aren’t any different in the sports world so here’s a wishlist for the upcoming 2017 NFL Draft.

As a fan of the NFL draft I always wish for an exciting weekend filled with intriguing storylines. It seems that every year my wish is met as the NFL and its teams always find a way to excite. This year I have some specific wishes for the 2017 NFL Draft.

1. Ohio State Defensive Backs decide to enter the draft early.

The 2017 NFL Draft defensive back class is very talented and deep. However, there are few underclassmen who have yet to announce their intentions. This is the case for three Ohio State stars in Malik Hooker, Marshon Lattimore and Gareon Conley.

These three players all have 1st round talent with Lattimore in the top-10 range. Lattimore and Hooker are redshirt Sophomores and Conley a Junior. The NFL doesn’t see a lot of redshirt Sophomores enter the draft early, but these two are absolutely ready for the challenge.

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Hooker is a rangy safety prospect who does a good job in coverage. He has the ball skills need to generate pass breakups and interceptions. Hooker doesn’t hesitate to support the run and routinely makes sound tackles.

Conley isn’t a flashy player but he knows how to play the game. His use of angles helps put him in proper position. He consistently works to keep his head on the football which allows him to keep the ball out of the receiver’s hands.

Lattimore combines fluid movement skills and good size to matchup with any target. He has the change of direction ability to keep in-phase with the receiver and limit separation. He’s the most talented of the trio but all could make an immediate impact as rookies.

Dec 3, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) throws the ball in the second half against the Virginia Tech Hokies during the ACC Championship college football game at Camping World Stadium. Clemson Tigers won 42-35. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports

2. The run on quarterbacks doesn’t start until the 2nd round.

This draft will be very intriguing for a lot of reasons but the top one will be the uncertainty at the quarterback position. The quarterback class has talented prospects, but each of them come with a ton of question marks.

It’d be in everyone’s best interest for the run on quarterbacks to start in the 2nd round. This would benefit the prospects by avoiding unrealistic expectations. It would help the teams because they wouldn’t be dealing with a situation where they’re force to play a quarterback who isn’t ready.

My top rated quarterback prospect is Washington State’s Luke Falk. He features the height, arm strength and mental makeup needed to succeed in the NFL. The knock on Falk is that his experience comes in Mike Leach’s spread attack.

However, Falk is asked to go through his progressions and read the defense. He’s more pro ready than most quarterbacks that come out of this type of offense.

Deshaun Watson is my No. 2 quarterback as someone with tremendous upside. Evaluators will need to overlook his struggles this year, but based on his raw talent he deserves to come off the board in the first few rounds.

Jan 1, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Jaylon Smith (9) cries as he is carted off the field after suffering an injury un the first quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the 2016 Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Bowl Season is injury free.

As the college season comes to an end, there are a lot of teams and high profile prospects getting ready to enjoy the bowl season. The bowl season has its positives, but it also comes with a lot of risk. NFL prospects are risking a lot of money by playing in these basically meaningless games.

Last year, Notre Dame’s Jaylon Smith suffered a devastating knee injury during the bowl game and it cost him. He was projected as a top-10 pick and was the top rated prospect on my big board. The injury cost him to slip to the 2nd round and miss his entire rookie season.

His long-term future is still in question with the problems in his knee not healing as expected.

This year we’ve seen LSU’s Leonard Fournette and Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey elect to sit out their bowl game in order to prepare for the draft. Their decision has created a lot of controversy with supporters on both sides of the fence.

The biggest thing is to keep your fingers crossed that nobody suffers an injury during the bowl season. These kids have worked to hard to have their future jeopardized based on an injury in a meaningless game.

Sep 18, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) makes a pass while being defended by Miami Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso (47) during the second quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Jimmy Garoppolo is actually traded prior to the draft.

The draft is fun all by itself, but it’s always more entertaining when major trades take place. Last year’s draft was made more exciting by the aggressive trades made by the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles.

This year’s draft could be shaken up if the New England Patriots decide to move Jimmy Garoppolo. The need for starting caliber quarterbacks in the NFL is very high. This means that the Patriots have a valuable commodity that could fetch them some significant draft capital.

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Garoppolo was a 2nd round pick of the Patriots and has spent the past few years learning behind Tom Brady. His value jumped after his strong showing this year filling in for Brady during the deflategate suspension.

Trading for Garoppolo might be more appealing for quarterback needy teams because of the uncertainty surrounding this year’s quarterback class. He comes with actual NFL experience and would’ve been rated close to the 2017 quarterbacks had he been in this year’s draft.

The Cleveland Browns are the one team getting mentioned the most as a potential suitor. They have plenty of draft picks to trade and are in desperate need of a quarterback.

Aug 26, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon (12) catches the ball for a touchdown as Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive back Brent Grimes (24) misses the tackle during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

All combine drug screenings come back clean.

The combine is an event that creates a lot of pressure on the prospects. They’re asked to perform drills that could have a major impact on their draft stock. These drills have little to do with actual football skills and require the prospects to undergo special training.