Set aside your nuts and crackers to test your ballpark knowledge in these five dream areas!

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Three days to go. Let’s dive into…

• I said this morning that I doubt the Eagles would take Bijan Robinson No. 1. 10. I think so because most of their history says they won’t: in Howie Roseman’s 23 Philadelphia drafts, they took five. defensemen in the top 100 and none in the top 50. Since he became a grandmaster in 2010, the Eagles have played once in the top 100 – and Roseman just let it come back, Miles Sanders – without incident, in free agency.

My intuition tells me that in this matter they will stand their ground.

However, over the weekend I was told and later confirmed a story about them from 2017. The Eagles were ready to take Christian McCaffrey with the 14th pick (Sam Bradford’s pick), the ex-Stanford star went to them. . McCaffrey didn’t, and Philadelphia got Tennessee pass rusher Derek Barnett instead. Nine months later, the Eagles won the Super Bowl, Barnett was just fine, and McCaffrey became and remains a big star among the professionals.

So why were the Eagles willing to break their habit of passing running backs to McCaffrey? My understanding is that this was due to the value he brought to the passing game: McCaffrey was considered a good enough receiver after high school to be drafted solely as a slot.

The question for me is whether you see Robinson like this or not. And I think, in the end, he’s not quite the same as a pass catcher. “He does a great job in all tasks and is also very good in defense,” said one of the coaches. “But you won’t call him to play passes that aren’t screen or flat routes.” That is, he is good in this area, like, say, Ezekiel Elliott. It’s just that Robinson isn’t as special as McCaffrey.

In any case, the McCaffrey story made me think a little more about Philadelphia and Robinson.

• Bengals OT Lael Collins briefed reporters on Monday about his Cincinnati media status, saying he won’t give a timetable for his recovery, but feels well enough to likely put a brace on his surgically repaired knee and go tomorrow. if Bengals played the game.

It is, of course, a bit aggressive. Collins was less than five months away from tearing his anterior cruciate ligament, an injury that occurred at 16 weeks. However, positive signs of his progress could potentially make the Bengals a little more willing to trade John Williams, whom they were hoping to trade. switch to right tackle after signing Orlando Brown Jr. (and who requested a trade because he didn’t want to make the switch).

Another thing that helps Cincinnati is the zeal for picking in the top 20 in the draft. We are going to get to the point in adolescence where there will be a tackle-hungry team left without him, which obviously could create a trading partner for the Bengals.

• Another name to watch out for as a potential trader this weekend is Dalwyn Cook. The Vikings have been in touch with their star tail and have been receptive to the idea of ​​bringing it back, but that just won’t happen if he pays $11 million this fall.

The Minnesota didn’t buy Cook, but if he returns in the first three rounds, I’m betting the Vikings will consider moving him on Saturday.

Of course, I assume that the sales team for him will also want to amend his contract.

• We mentioned the Steelers (for the offensive lineman) and the Chiefs (for the skill player) as potential trade teams in the Monday column. I would put the Saints in this category as well, as their history is such that they bring out the guys and are not afraid to step up for them (last year they moved up for Chris Olav), even if it costs them future capital.

• There could definitely be teams like these destinations looking for capital for 2024, especially those that could make it past the quarterback class this year — with USC’s Caleb Williams and UNC’s Drake May looming as arguably the top two prospects this year. positions since Trevor Lawrence came along. in the NFL in 21st.

• Just because Derrick Henry’s name pops up in trading conversations doesn’t mean anyone is willing to part with what it takes to get him off the Titans. And there are a couple of reasons for that. First, few teams value Henry as much as Tennessee, so from their point of view, they will charge 5 cents on the dollar for him. Then there is his run. He was in the same draft class as Elliott, had 1,750 career carries to his credit, got promoted in the last couple of years, and turned 30 eight months later.

Add to that his contract, and it’s hard to imagine new Titans CEO Ran Carton being offered a trade package that would be better for his team than just hanging on to Henry.

• I love how 49ers general manager John Lynch responded to the idea of ​​calling Nick Boza: “This hotline is closed. which never opened.” Of course, Lynch knows why this question is being asked, and he also knows that he will have to make Boz an even richer man before he takes another shot for the Nine. (Lynch also said he expects Trey Lance to be a No. 9 in 2023. We’ll see if they take QB this weekend.)

• There are two guys I mentioned the NFL above on your dummy design website think: I might see Ohio State’s Paris Johnson go third to the Cardinals, seventh to the Raiders or ninth to the Bears; and I could see Devon Witherspoon from Illinois go to the cards, raiders or lions at number 1. 6. Both made a very strong impression during the preparation for the draft.

• Even though the S2 test is now being abandoned, I would tell you that there are a lot of people in the NFL who are putting real money into it. And that could affect some things in the first round on Thursday night.