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Off the heels of the monster trade which secured the second pick of the draft, Eagles fans have just three days until they find out which of the two quarterbacks will be playing in Philadelphia this season. Who will it be? It's the final edition of Draft Buzz ...
1. I'm told that while the Los Angeles Rams know which quarterback they will select, presumably Jared Goff of Cal, don't expect an official announcement until sometime Thursday. Sources tell me while the Rams want to go through final checks and balances before publicly announcing the pick, there's a belief the league is pressuring the franchise to hold off on making an announcement until the first day of the draft. The NFL Draft has become such big business that the league hopes to build speculation around who will ultimately end up as the top selection.
2. Paxton Lynch is universally considered the third quarterback is this year's draft but where will he end up? Some believe he'll be a top 15 selection either by a team holding the pick or another franchise willing to trade up. His physical skills are unmatched when comparing Lynch to the top quarterbacks in this draft and many feel it's just a matter of getting acclimated to the NFL game.
But there's also the belief Lynch could fall deep into the late part of round one.
Why the disparity?
Lynch reportedly posted an alarmingly low score on the Wonderlic test at the Combine. And while some teams are not concerned believing the Wonderlic is not the be all and end all, it is a test administered to measure intelligence, problem solving and the ability to think quickly on one's feet. Several franchises around the league significantly mark down signal-callers who score poorly on the test. I was informed Lynch was not asked to retake the test.
3. Some in the league tell me they believe Christian Hackenberg will be selected ahead of Lynch. I do not buy this opinion, but expect Hackenberg to be off the board during the early part of the second round as the San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins are all considering him in the top half of that frame.
4. Finally, contrary to reports from the Combine recheck two weeks ago that defensive end Shaq Lawson's injured shoulder was medically cleared, I'm told not all teams are comfortable with the situation. There are more than a few franchises who believe the condition in Lawson's shoulder is degenerative and will cause problems down the road.
Scouts say Lawson knows one speed, all-out, which leads to a battered body. If Lawson falls on draft day, it's likely a result of red flags on his shoulder.
Tony Pauline has been a draft analyst for more than 25 years, and is president and editor of DraftInsider.net, a site dedicated year-round coverage of the NFL Draft. You can follow on Twitter @TonyPauline*
