2016 NFL Mock Draft: Week 3 edition
By Dani Bostick
Drew Brees isn’t young anymore. In fact, he’s 36. That’s close to retirement age in football years. Soon the Saints might be in the market for a quarterback. If they put that off, or determine that backup Luke McCown is an adequate replacement, they can put that decision off for a while. On Sunday, McCown was the Saints starter and did enough for a victory, had it not been for the Saints defense.
Enter Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Joey Bosa. Widely considered the most talented defensive end in the country, Bosa tallied 13.5 sacks and 21 tackles for a loss last season. CBS Sports had perhaps the most flattering assessment of Bosa: “Bosa is already drawing comparisons to former NFL MVP J.J. Watt and it isn’t hyperbole.” That is the level of “good” we are talking about here.
Also compared to Ryan Kerrigan, Bosa is speedy, powerful, quick, talented. Name a positive football adjective and it probably fits Bosa. This comment sums up how opposing offenses feel about him.
His own teammate, left tackle Taylor Decker, said, per ESPN, that facing off against Bosa in drills is “the most difficult thing I do in practices or games.” Bosa’s draft stock could fall because of his summertime violation of team rules that resulted in a Week 1 suspension. If subsequent character issues do not emerge, he could end up being the top pick. And, if the Saints season continues to disappoint, they could be the first team to draft.
Next: No. 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers