Will a fool's gold rush on quarterbacks send an unexpected playmaker to the Washington Football Team at No. 19?
It could be 2018 all over again when nose tackle Daron Payne dropped from the expected top six to 13, where Washington eagerly took him. Payne has been a steady lineman whose stats aren't clear as an interior lineman. But, his play in the middle helps ends Chase Young and Montez Sweat provide more pressure.
Four quarterbacks were taken before Payne. This year might see six go before Washington chooses. Oh, teams always downplay passers in a smoke-and-mirrors routine before the April 29 draft. But it's already lining up like another major quarterback rush.
Jacksonville probably opens the draft with Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The league has waited two years for him. No. 2 is BYU quarterback Zach Wilson, which may put Sam Darnold on the trade block. Maybe Washington offers a mid-rounder for him. It's a fire-sale price.
No. 3 suddenly becomes interesting after San Francisco traded a Robert Griffin III-like ransom of three firsts and a third to Miami. Seems 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan learned something from his father Mike over the 2012 trade that started well for Washington before ending badly.
San Francisco is obviously going for a quarterback with the pick. The 49ers aren't attending Ohio State QB Justin Fields' workout to see Alabama's Mac Jones' workout. Is this smoke and mirrors with San Francisco not staring at Fields? Then again, why bother deception given the first two teams seem firm in their coming picks and no one else can jump ahead of San Francisco? However, Mike Shanahan was known for deception during his Washington days, so why wouldn't Kyle do the same?
No mock drafts have Jones going third. Some don't have him in the first round and the 49ers don't have the guts to trade so many picks for someone who's not beloved league-wide. They probably go with North Dakota's Trey Lance cause the 49ers aren't leaving without a passer.
Atlanta needs a passer at No. 4. Most likely, it's Fields. That's four passers in four picks.
Cincinnati stops the madness after taking Joe Burrow first overall last season. Look for Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell. Miami also took a quarterback in the first round last year so it opts for Florida tight end Kyle Pitts, who may eventually prove the best player in the draft.
Detroit takes LSU receiver Ja'Marr Chase at No. 7. But, Carolina is looking for a quarterback and the gossip has the Panthers choosing Jones.
Denver goes Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons at No. 9. Dallas is the first real wild card on the board. The Cowboys won't go quarterback after paying Dak Prescott $160 million recently. No. 11 (New York Giants), No. 12 (Philadelphia), No. 13 (Los Angeles Chargers) and No. 14 (Minnesota) won't take a passer, but No. 15 New England might. Still, it's a stretch for the sixth-best arm to go at 15 so the Patriots might opt for a defensive end.
Arizona is looking for defensive help at No. 16, Las Vegas badly needs offensive line help at No. 17, and Miami could go defensive line at No. 18.
That leaves Washington with a chance for the second- or third-best left tackle who in past years might be gone in the top 10. Southern Cal's Alijah Vera-Tucker, Alabama's Alex Leatherwood and Virginia Tech's Christian Darrisaw could be the choices. Vera-Tucker is more liked league-wide, but don't sleep on Darrisaw.
If Washington hadn’t signed free agent cornerback Will Jackson, it might have taken a corner at No. 19. But, thanks to the run on passers, it has a chance to gain a left tackle for the next decade after two years of playing temps.
In 2018, the four passers chosen ahead of Payne were Baker Mayfield at 1, Darnold at 3, Josh Allen at 7 and Josh Rosen at 10. Like the traditional 50 percent success rate of choosing quarterbacks high in the draft, only Mayfield and Allen proved worthwhile.
Meanwhile, Payne is among the NFL's top defensive linemen. Maybe Washington now helps its offensive line the same way thanks to others' quarterback envy.
Rick Snider has covered Washington sports since 1978. Follow him on Twitter: @Snide_Remarks.