I, as a self-proclaimed National Football League fan, forgot that the NFL draft starts tonight and lasts all weekend and televised all weekend on ESPN. It’s like they sponsor the NFL or something…

I’m a Giants fan—because I love to torture myself—and fully understand that Eli Manning will soon not be the quarterback anymore. Thankfully, the Giants got rid of Geno Smith and sent him to the Chargers. He played one game last season when borderline creepy old guy Ben McAdoo thought, “Hey, Eli’s got a streak of 210 games played. Let’s bench him not because my ability to coach is absolutely horrible but because maybe it’ll save my job.” (Spoiler alert: it didn’t.) Also, hey remember that time Smith got punched in the Jets locker room?

That being said, the G-men gotta be looking out for a QB that can be mentored by Eli for when he retires. We have the 2nd overall pick and 34th overall pick (in the second round), and there seems to be a good crop of QBs eligible for the draft. (We also have 66th, 69th, 102nd, 108th, 135th, and 139th, although, no one really watches past the second round. I barely even watch the draft.)

From quickly looking at USA Today‘s list of top QBs, here are the names I know:

• Sam Darnold from USC: will most likely go to the Browns
• Josh Allen from Wyoming: also another possibility for the Browns to choose
• Baker Mayfield from Oklahoma: don’t like him because of his off-the-field stuff and he’s just cocky
• Lamar Jackson from Louisville: honestly thought he was already in the NFL

The teams in immediate need of a QB will draft them, but I don’t know if the Giants will. They need help overall, so I guess really anyone is good. I just hope they make some smart moves and really use that 2nd overall pick.

Now, let’s turn to the other side of the draft: college football.

I’m an Alabama fan—also because I love to torture myself—and I always feel like a proud mama bear when the Tide boys get drafted.

Here’s the list of Alabama players who declared for the draft (from CBS Sports):

• DL Da’Ron Payne: scored a fat-boy touchdown in the Sugar Bowl.
• WR Calvin Ridley: honestly thought he was already in the NFL.
• RB Bo Scarbrough: he proved himself this season as a strong RB and could probably run through a brick wall if he tried.
• DB Ronnie Harrison: not gonna lie, don’t really know who he is but I wish him best of luck.
• DB Minkah Fitzpatrick: also thought he was in the NFL.

(The article is from January 2018, so not sure if any other players have declared.)

The one thing I will never understand about Alabama is how bad our quarterbacks do once they’re drafted. Maybe that’s why they don’t really get drafted.

When I first started following the Tide, Greg McElroy was QB1, and he got drafted by the Jets, played in three games, got signed to the Bengals practice squad in 2013, and then promptly retired in 2014. Now he’s a college football analyst on ESPN.

AJ McCarron was drafted by the Bengals, started a few games, and now is just kind of there. Still.

Blake Sims ended up in the CFL for a while before signing with the Falcons practice squad and then the Buc’s. He’s a free agent now.

Jake Coker signed a free agent deal with the Cardinals after going undrafted in 2016, and then retired in 2017 after he was released by the team.

Greg won one BCS, AJ won 3, Blake won 2, and Jake was a National Champion twice (after they changed the format). AND THEY ALL SUCK IN THE NFL. Explain that to me.

This quickly turned into a “Becky yells about college football” post and it wasn’t my original intention. However, it’s related so I’m going to keep it. So fingers crossed the Giants don’t screw up the draft and a few of my Bama boys go to good teams.