Draft Analyst Dane Brugler: 'Fascinating Year To Have A Top 10 Pick'

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"It's a really fascinating year to have a top ten pick."

Those were the words of Dane Brugler, an NFL Draft analyst for The Athletic. But fascinating doesn't necessarily mean good. Brugler joined OutKick360's Paul Kuharsky from the NFL Combine in Indianapolis yesterday and shed some light on the rare Draft that lacks both star power and major storylines.

There's no franchise QB like Trevor Lawrence, Joe Burrow or Kyler Murray, and the top four picks are owned by the most uninteresting quartet of franchises possible (Jacksonville, Detroit, Houston, NY Jets). In other words, this draft has all the buzz of an worn-out electric razor.

"Maybe the top storyline is the fact that there aren't obvious storylines," Brugler told Kuharsky. "We don't have that this year, and it makes for an interesting Draft."










In what appears to be a bland draft, especially at the top, Brugler sees the potential top selection of Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson as being the most captivating storyline.

"The top of this draft is just different than most top tens that we usually see. We don't have, necessarily, the star power that we usually see.

"Aidan Hutchinson, one of the best players, if not the best player in the Draft...does he go top ten last year? Probably not."

Though the Draft seems to lack any "wow" players or franchise cornerstones, Brugler notes that there is value, particularly towards the back end of the first round.

"The depth in the late first, early second round...that's as good as it usually is in most Drafts," Brugler said via OutKick360. "It's a good year if you have a pick in that (late first round, early second round) range where you can add starters (and) get better as a football team."

The 2022 NFL Draft is scheduled to begin on Thursday, April 28 and runs through Saturday, April 30th. FanDuel Sportsbook currently lists Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal as the favorite to be selected first (-110) with Hutchinson's odds second-best (+300).

 














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