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The Top 10 takeaways from the 2017 NFL Draft

Apr 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view as Carson Wentz (North Dakota State) is selected by the Philadelphia Eagles as the number two overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at Auditorium Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Anderson-USA TODAY Sports

Quarterback value at an all-time high

Apr 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Mitchell Trubisky (North Carolina) is selected as the number 2 overall pick to the Chicago Bears in the first round the 2017 NFL Draft at Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

We entered the 2017 NFL Draft with the belief that it was one of the weakest at quarterback in recent league history. That entire idea was pretty much thrown out the window within the first dozen picks.

It started at No. 2 overall, where the Chicago Bears exhausted a huge capital to move up just one spot for North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky. All said, Chicago yielded two third-round picks and a fourth-round pick in the trade. It was met with some rather harsh reactions.

But the reality of the situation is that Chicago saw a potential franchise quarterback in the inexperienced Trubisky and went after it. That’s the way you’re supposed to do it.

Then later in the top 10, Kansas City found a potential heir-apparent to Alex Smith in the form of former Texas Tech standout Pat Mahomes. It cost Andy Reid and Co. there first-round pick (27th overall), a third-round pick and the team’s first rounder in 2018. Again, that’s a mighty high price to pay. And again, the Chiefs proved that quarterback value is at an all-time high.

It didn’t stop here. Considered by some to be the top quarterback in the class, Deshaun Watson was still on the board when the Browns were on the clock at 12. Seemingly not valuing Watson at the same clip as other teams, Cleveland moved down to the 25th pick with Houston, who then found both their quarterback of the today and tomorrow in Watson (more on that here).

Houston, having already given up a second-round pick in 2018 to Cleveland in the Brock Osweiler trade, dealt away its first rounder in that draft to the Browns in order to move up for Watson.

Onlookers were absolutely shocked to see what transpired within the first 12 picks on Thursday, but it has been a continual theme throughout the recent past. Remember, the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles moved up to the top two picks last year to select Jared Goff and Carson Wentz respectively. Neither was seen as even a top-five player in the 2016 NFL Draft. This appears to be the new normal.

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