Who will be No. 1?

LAS VEGAS -- Like all sports these days, the NFL is uncertain as to what the future holds.
As of right now, the question of when the league will be able to get back to normal is the elephant in the room. Teams are relegated to virtual workouts and classrooms.
As of three weeks ago, the NFL still had plans to begin the regular season on time; that according to Executive Vice-President Jeff Pash.
“All of our discussion, all of our focus, has been on a normal traditional season, starting on time, playing in front of fans, in our regular stadiums, and going through a full 16-game regular season and full set of playoffs,” Pash said. “That’s our focus.”
The prevailing thought, however, is that players will not report to team facilities until training camps open up in late summer. If that happens, there is a strong possibility of the NFL modifying their season.
With the players unable to use the team facilities and get themselves in football condition, the NFL Player’s Association may just step in and let the league know that player safety may be affected.
With that being said, the business side of the NFL is still in full motion. Teams are in full on roster building mode, as they move players in and out via free agency.
One important part of roster building that will definitely take place is the NFL Draft. Beginning tonight, the teams will get the opportunity to fill the voids that are needed in their depth charts.
It will be a draft for the ages, no dout, as the NFL will not be holding the event live for the first time in over 40 years. Instead, the league will hold a virtual draft because of the Coronavirus pandemic.
It will be very interesting to see how the draft unfolds, not only from perspective of who the teams select, but also if there are going to be glitches in the system.
The biggest question on everyone’s mind heading into tonight’s event is will the Cincinnati Bengals select LSU quarterback Joe Burrow number one overall. Fans will not have to wait long for that answer, as the Bengals have only 10 minutes to make their decision once the draft officially begins.
The prevailing wisdom is that Cincinnati takes Burrow as the first pick and tries to build their franchise around him. But, their are those experts that believe the Bengals move instead to select Ohio State defensive end Chase Young.
Cincinnati has other options as well. The Bengals could trade their No. 1 spot, move down in the draft and pick up some extra valuable picks in this draft and future drafts. That move would probably not sit well with the die hard Bengal fans.
The franchise could also draft Burrow and trade him to another team to once again secure more picks. But, once again, probably not a smart move.
As of right now, it feels as if Burrow is the choice for Cincinnati and they are marking him as their best shot at turning the franchise around.
Speaking of LSU Tigers, there are numerous scenarios that show the National Champions producing as many as four to five first round picks. Along with Burrow, players like Justin Jefferson, K’Lavon Chaisson and Patrick Queen are projected to fall in the first round.
Cornerback Kristian Fulton, safety Grant Delpit and running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire are all slated to be picked in the second round, although some project Fulton as a possible first round selection. All told, there are 19 legitimate LSU players that could be drafted when all is said and done.
With those numbers, LSU could break the record for most players from one school selected in a draft. Since 1994, when the NFL went to a seven round draft, the most selections from any one school is 14. The LSU record is nine players.
New Orleans Saints fans are also eager to find out which direction General Manager Mickey Loomis and head coach Sean Payton go in when their time on the clock begins. New Orleans has been as active as they can thus far in the off-season.
The Saints re-signed some key players, including future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Drew Brees. New Orleans also made some important additions when they signed veterans Malcolm Jenkins and Emmanuel Sanders.
As far as the draft goes, the Saints still have needs to fill, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The biggest concern for New Orleans maybe at the linebacker position.
Veteran A.J. Klein left and signed with the Buffalo Bills. On top of that, three core players, Kiko Alonso, Demario Davis and Alex Anzalone, are all in their final year of their contracts.
That means that the Saints need to find a way to fill that area as quickly as possible.
The question becomes will there be a linebacker worthy enough of a first round selection when it comes time for New Orleans to announce their pick?
What the Saints are hoping for is that either Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray or Queen are there at the No. 24 selection. If not, New Orleans would more than likely take a cornerback to help out with a sometimes shaky defensive backfield.
Offensively, New Orleans will have to start thinking about hauling in a quarterback, especially with capable back-up Teddy Bridgewater moving on to Carolina. As of now, the Saints have only one signal caller on the roster, as Taysom Hill has not signed his tender offer.
Hill, who wants to be considered as the heir apparent to Brees, must sign the 4.7 million dollar deal or get traded if he wants to play this season. But, there are doubts as to Hill’s ability to take over the helm at quarterback considering his lack of experience at the position in the NFL and his age; Hill is 29 years old.
One thing you could bet on and not lose the house is the Saints trading up to get in a better position in the draft. New Orleans has traded up in the last two drafts and with them not having a second round choice this year, don’t be surprised if they do not try to get in a better position.
Regardless of what the Saints do, it will be interesting viewing considering that people have been starving for anything to do with sports for the last month and a half.