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(STATS) - The Los Angeles Rams trade up to the No. 1 draft pick and then the Cleveland Browns open the possibility of No. 2 being available in another megadeal.
All signs points to the two top picks being Jared Goff and Carson Wentz or Carson Wentz and Jared Goff.
Right?
That appears to be the scenario whether or not the Browns make a trade.
At least that's what the media keep saying.
Of course, how often do the media make a selection for a team?
And when hasn't a team put up a smokescreen with its potential top pick?
OK, to keep North Dakota State fans from panicking that Wentz won't become the highest FCS selection in the modern draft - the Houston Oilers plucked quarterback Steve McNair out of Alcorn State with the No. 3 pick in 1995 - again, the expectation is the Rams moved up to get Goff or Wentz, the Browns have been on the Wentz bandwagon and a team trying to nab the No. 2 pick wants a franchise QB.
In the top 10, the Rams, Browns, Dallas (No. 4), San Francisco (No. 7) and Philadelphia (No. 8) are believed to covet a quarterback.
"I think QBs go 1-2 this year, but always a chance a player could slip," Dane Brugler, senior draft analyst for NFLDraftScout.com and CBS Sports, said Tuesday. "I don't see (Wentz) getting past San Francisco and Philadelphia at 7 or 8. I think the likeliest scenario is we see one of those two teams trade up to 2 to get Wentz."
Uh ... No. 7 or 8? Even talk of that would be a huge disappointment for Wentz considering how quickly he has risen above those spots in mock drafts.
He is coming from the FCS level, so it's been unchartered territory for some time. Plus, he wouldn't be the first highly touted player to fall in the first round.
While Eric Galko, the director of scouting of Optimum Scouting, believes Wentz has won over numerous teams in the buildup (Senior Bowl, combine, NDSU pro day) to the draft, he cautions how crazy things happen during the draft.
"Still, there is a scenario where he slips a bit," Galko said. "The Browns are likely - from what I've heard - to draft Wentz second overall, or trade down with a team that wants him. However, the Browns appear open to potential passing on the quarterback, as there are voices in the front office that are advocating for taking a non-quarterback, which I agree with. If they pass in favor of Laremy Tunsil, let's say, and Jalen Ramsey is available for the Dallas Cowboys at No. 4 - he may be their top-ranked player - Wentz could be available after pick No. 5.
"That all said," Galko added, perhaps hearing Bison Nation breathe a sigh of relief, "I can't stress enough that it's highly likely he's gone by the second pick, with the Browns being the likely destination for him."
