We have reached the end of a unique draft, arguably one of the strangest in recent times. Teams have doubled down on their desire to draft raw athleticism and gamble on future talent at almost every key position, but suddenly shied away from projecting raw athleticism at the quarterback position.
What gives? What does it mean?
A few months back, Sports Illustrated ran a story about the evolution of quarterback play. Aaron Rodgers and, later, Patrick Mahomes, altered the way private coaches and tutors thought about the position. Those changes creeped their way into the modern game and made the NFL accessible for quarterbacks with unique talents we’ve never seen before. A few months later, I talked to some pass-rush coaches who noticed a similar trend with edge rushers. Big and stiff? Small and speedy? It really doesn’t matter, as long as you get to the quarterback.
