The 1997 NFL Draft

[tondi]

You take luck out of this draft and nobody will want the first pick. Outside of luck this has to be among the weakest top 5 in recent memory. There is not even a clear cut number 2 pick because the candidates are all so uninspiring. If luck stays we are screwed whether we were going to take him or not.

[Grammer]

And just think had he declared in 97. First off, no way in hell Parcells is trading that pick - so you'd have the Jets with Peyton and Parcells. With no Peyton in 98, you'd have Leaf likely in Indy - he could've wrecked them right into LA.

yep, its so funny how one draft pick, one player, just changes nfl history.

also, new england almost drafted another guy in the 6th round instead of brady... imagine if that had happened, san diego might have had a ring!! (no offense)

[OneBadassCat]

If Luck stays in school we should trade down to #7 or #8. We could probably pick up a 2nd and 3rd with that. Take AJ Green and shore up the rest of the team in the draft. A WR core with Smith, Green, LaFell, and Gettis should do a pretty good job at making Matt Moore and whoever else we bring in look good. From what we've seen Clausen should be buried on the depth chart and fight for his spot.

[Squirrel]

See, some people just want to experience life. Money isnt everything. Now if Luck does stay we will still be able to trade the #1 pick. With a rookie salary cap and there will be one. That will increase the value of the #1 pick. Teams will be more willing to trade up to get a player. Yes Luck is the prize gem this year but there are plenty of players that teams will be willing to trade up for with the rookie cap.

[Cat'sGrowl]

Green won't get out of the Top 5.

[TANTRIC-NINJA]

You take luck out of this draft and nobody will want the first pick. Outside of luck this has to be among the weakest top 5 in recent memory. There is not even a clear cut number 2 pick because the candidates are all so uninspiring. If luck stays we are screwed whether we were going to take him or not.

AJ Green and Patrick Peterson are considered two "special" players... Price Aka..just outside that tier...its uninspiring in a LT, QB way if Luck is not there. No less than any other draft..Lineart, Young were celebrated....

Id say with a rookie cap taking a non traditional player at No.1 is more likely now..

[tondi]

AJ Green and Patrick Peterson are considered two "special" players... Price Aka..just outside that tier...its uninspiring in a LT, QB way if Luck is not there. No less than any other draft..Lineart, Young were celebrated....

Id say with a rookie cap taking a non traditional player at No.1 is more likely now..

I'm not saying there are not some good players. What I'm saying is that there is no concensus top player (other than Luck) that a team is going to be desperate to trade up to #1 to get. There have been many drafts in the past where there was a clear separation between the top 2 or 3 guys and everyone else. Excluding Luck, that doesn't appear to be the case right now. I have seen Green going anywhere from top 3 to outside the top 10. Peterson is a great CB prospect but who was the last CB drafted number one overall? If I'm a team looking to move up, I would be looking at getting into the 3-5 range instead of 1 because the cost will be so much less but the player will be essentially the same (assuming Luck isn't there).