Associated Press
For once, the key to the first round of the NFL draft doesn't belong to the team picking first.
Or second.
With the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles having traded up to secure the top two spots, where they have said they will take quarterbacks, it’s the San Diego Chargers who are likely to determine the flow on Thursday night. What will the Chargers do with the third selection?
Perhaps defensive back Jalen Ramsey of Florida State University, considered one of the best athletes and most NFL-ready players available. Maybe Laremy Tunsil, the University of Mississippi offensive tackle who can pile-drive blockers into submission.
Pass rushers Joey Bosa of Ohio State University and DeForest Buckner of the University of Oregon could be in the mix, too. Maybe linebacker Myles Jack of UCLA.
Chargers general manager Tom Telesco has not been shy about making draft-day deals, either.
“Like Tom talked about last week at his press conference,” coach Mike McCoy said in a web chat with fans, “we were looking at every scenario with trade possibilities.
“When those two teams traded ahead of us, that settled things down a bit. The phones weren’t ringing quite as often.
“We’re excited to get on the clock at pick No 3.”
The Dallas Cowboys follow right behind San Diego, and they could be thinking defence or even running back if Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott suits their tastes. Their offensive line is strong enough from recent drafts that selecting Tunsil is a long shot.
Then again, some scouts have rated Tunsil the top prospect in the entire crop, and left tackles are a premium commodity. So a bunch of other clubs in need of help on the O-line could be lining up to get the fourth overall pick.
Two other intriguing selections in the top 10 belong to the San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns. Both could be in the market for a quarterback such as Paxton Lynch; Colin Kaepernick has said he would like out of San Francisco, and Cleveland, despite adding Robert Griffin III, are always looking for a QB.
The Niners have the seventh spot, and the Browns, after trading down from No 2, will go eighth.
Of course, considering the mega-trades pulled off so far, the top 10 could look very different by the time the Rams open the selection process. Not to mention how the rest of the 31-pick round (the New England Patriots forfeited their pick in the deflated footballs saga) might go.
2016 NFL DRAFT ORDER
1 LA Rams*; 2 Philadelphia Eagles*; 3 San Diego Chargers; 4 Dallas Cowboys; 5 Jacksonville Jaguars; 6 Baltimore Ravens; 7 San Francisco 49ers; 8 Cleveland Browns*; 9 Tampa Bay Buccaneers; 10 New York Giants; 11 Chicago Bears; 12 New Orleans Saints; 13 Miami Dolphins*; 14 Oakland Raiders; 15 Tennessee Titans*; 16 Detroit Lions; 17 Atlanta Falcons; 18 Indianapolis Colts; 19 Buffalo Bills; 20 New York Jets; 21 Washington Redskins; 22 Houston Texans; 23 Minnesota Vikings; 24 Cincinnati Bengals; 25 Pittsburgh Steelers; 26 Seattle Seahawks; 27 Green Bay Packers; 28 Kansas City Chiefs; 29 Arizona Cardinals; 30 Carolina Panthers; 31 Denver Broncos
*Not original draft position, acquired in trade
– New England Patriots have no first round pick as a result of league penalties
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