Each year, we hear NFL teams sell their selections post-draft, and almost all of them say they were surprised to see their guy was still available when it was their time to pick.
Of course, we all know not every pick is a steal, and while the board might swing in a handful of teams' favor, there are also teams that get burned and don't get the player they were coveting, even if they don't admit it.
So, what moves in this year's draft could set up an ideal situation for teams picking in the first round? Here's a look at five of those dream Round 1 scenarios. I'm not suggesting these moves will happen or that they're even likely to happen, but certain teams would walk away beaming with their good fortune if the moves below were to come to fruition.
Titans land Jameis Winston at No. 2 after Bucs pass
The skinny: It's assumed that Winston will go No. 1 overall to the Bucs, but what if they go in a different direction? As my colleague Daniel Jeremiah said on NFL Network's "Path to the Draft" Monday, Winston might actually be a better fit for Tennessee's offense than he would be for Tampa Bay's. His skill set and Ken Whisenhunt's system match up very well. The Titans are chasing Andrew Luck and the Colts in the AFC South, and you don't run down Indianapolis without a big-time quarterback. Winston could be that for Tennessee.
Eagles find Marcus Mariota waiting for them at No. 20
The skinny: This might be the biggest first-round pipe dream of them all. Chip Kelly has said the Eagles won't mortgage the future to make a big trade-up in order to land Mariota, but what if they don't have to make a deal to get him? That would mean 18 teams, including the Browns twice (Nos. 12 and 19), pass on the Oregon quarterback. It seems a highly unlikely scenario, but at least one NFL executive sees a big Mariota fall as a possibility.
Raiders get Leonard Williams at No. 4
The skinny: Most people are linking a wide receiver to the Raiders at No. 4, but what if the Bucs, Titans and Jaguars pass on Williams? It would give the Raiders a chance to pair last year's fifth overall pick, linebacker Khalil Mack, with Williams, who I believe is the No. 1 prospect in this draft, on defense. That's a heck of a duo. In a WR-rich draft, Oakland could find a nice WR later on, and it did just sign Michael Crabtree.
Dante Fowler slides to Falcons at No. 8
The skinny: Atlanta has a screaming need for an edge rusher, and appear to be in good position to land one of the top edge rushers in the draft, whether it's Vic Beasley or Shane Ray, at No. 8. But what if they land the top edge rusher in Fowler? Let's say Winston goes No. 1 and Williams goes No. 2. Then the Jaguars surprise us and take a WR at No. 3 to continue to help QB Blake Bortles, before Oakland also picks a WR at No. 4, taking Amari Cooper and Kevin White off the board. The Redskins decide to select Mariota at No. 5, the Jets continue to shore things up on offense and take a top O-lineman (Brandon Scherff, Andrus Peat or Ereck Flowers) and then the Bears tighten up their defense by taking nose tackle Danny Shelton at No. 7. That would leave Fowler on the board for the Falcons. Yes, some of that might sound far-fetched. It's not totally inconceivable, though.
Todd Gurley falls to Cowboys at No. 27
The skinny: With Gurley, the No. 1 RB in my rankings, coming off a torn ACL, perhaps Melvin Gordon, the No. 2 RB in my rankings, comes off the board first. Maybe the Chargers take an offensive lineman instead of addressing their running back need at No. 17, and Gordon goes to Baltimore at No. 26. That would leave Gurley waiting for the Cowboys at No. 27. So, the top-rated rusher goes to the team that won the NFC East last season while relying heavily on the departed RB DeMarco Murray. That's a scenario that could make Cowboys fans very happy.
Follow Charles Davis on Twitter *@CFD22.*
