NFL writer says the draft results show ‘Mahomesification of the league’ is underway
The first round of the NFL Draft was all about offense.
For the third time since 1967 (when the AFL and NFL first held a combined draft), a quarterback was drafted with each of the first three picks. The others were the 1999 and 1971 NFL drafts.
Each of the first seven picks this year were offensive players, the first time that’s happened since 1967. The previous high was six in 1999.
That 1999 draft came after the high-scoring Rams won the Super Bowl and were dubbed “The Greatest Show on Turf.” Other teams were trying to mimic the Rams’ success.
An NFL writer for the Guardian believes teams are now trying to keep up with the Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Oliver Connolly called it the “Mahomesification” of the NFL.
“Thursday night’s first round of the NFL draft was all about crowning the league’s new batch of stars, it also served as confirmation of the Mahomesification of the league,” Connolly wrote.
“Whether they admit it or not in the immediate aftermath, Mahomes was baked into the decision-making process of every front-office executive on Thursday night: Either they’re chasing a Mahomes-lite, or they’re trying to find a way to keep up with the real deal.
“He has changed both the way quarterback prospects are viewed and how teams go about deploying their precious draft resources.
“The league is now in an arms race, everybody vying to build an offense that can keep up with the Chiefs’ year-to-year juggernaut.”
Connolly said teams aren’t just looking for a quarterback who can be a successful passer. They’re looking for a specific trait that Mahomes has made desirable.
All five quarterbacks selected in the first round have it: Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars), Zach Wilson (Jets), Trey Lance (49ers), Justin Fields (Bears) and Mac Jones (Patriots).
“But it’s not just the players that were selected, it’s their style, particularly the quarterbacks,” Connolly wrote. “As recently as 2017, teams were passing on Mahomes due to his off-script stylings. How could you corral such an unorthodox player, such a scheme breaker, into a traditional, rhythm-based, sophisticated, professional set-up? The answer: you didn’t need to.
“This is the era of pace and space, of quarterbacks who can create off-script. And while being able to create outside of structure has always been a bonus — the tap-dancing stylings of Russell Wilson baked into a traditional system — it is now the trait that teams are prioritizing above all others.”
There is much more in the story, and you can read in its entirety here.
