Ranking the 5 most bizarre NFL Draft day rumors
Drama and the NFL Draft go hand-in-hand. Still, in the era of social media and immediate reactions to stories, rumors are starting to have a huge impact on the process.
It can be difficult to imagine how an NFL franchise with their team of scouts and thousands of hours of investigation can be spooked by a rumor about a prospect. But it happens more than you might think.
There are rumors you will never hear about. They are hardly important enough to cause anything more than minor ripples. Yet, some will impact the NFL Draft as well as who is selected with which pick.
Here, we present to you five most bizarre NFL Draft day rumors from over the years.
#5 - Justin Fields’ seizure
Ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft, Justin Fields was one of the most talented quarterbacks behind Trevor Lawrence.
The Ohio State Buckeye was predicted to be taken rather soon after the Clemson prodigy. Yet, he suddenly began to slide during opening night… but why?
This was a process which was ongoing through the offseason. There were rumors getting passed around that Fields had some sort of mystery illness and had even suffered a seizure during Ohio State practice.
This seizure was only a rumor, although it could have been true based on what we now know about Fields.
The quarterback began to appear as though his mystery ailment would hinder his draft prospects, until Fields cleared up the situation in meetings with teams.
He was suffering from epilepsy, a neurological disorder that can cause seizures, but one which ran in his family.
Doctors advised the quarterback to monitor his condition and that he would outgrow it as the older members of his family had done. Fields explained his situation through a statement.
“It has had zero effect on football, I mean, it’s pretty simple for me to manage it, I just have to take three to four pills a night."
Fields would indeed slide in the first-round of the NFL Draft, albeit only to pick #11 where the Chicago Bears selected him after trading up nine spots to secure the star.
Justin Fields wouldn’t be the first NFL player to excel while managing epilepsy. Pro Football Hall of Fame guard Alan Faneca took medication to control seizures throughout his career. Fields was diagnosed years ago, and as long as he's taking his medication, he has had no issues.
This perhaps wasn’t a disaster for the player, but it shows how the reporting and discussion of medical conditions ahead of the NFL Draft can impact a player’s stock.
Also check out: NFL Draft 2022 Live Updates
#4 - Lamar Jackson won’t play quarterback in the NFL
Lamar Jackson was a freak athlete throughout his formative years, showcasing these abilities on a huge stage with the University of Louisville. However, his stock was impacted by rumors about his suitability to play quarterback.
The problem teams had with regards to Jackson is that so few NFL franchises looked at his abilities as an asset rather than a problem.
In two successive years with the Cardinals, he had thrown over 3,500 yards and rushed for over 1,500 yards.
NFL teams should have been falling over themselves to secure such a dual-threat at the most important position in the sport, yet they worried about his running.
The sense was that Jackson was a running back, and his lack of quarterback prowess would be magnified in the NFL.
The rumor-mill began just before the draft, with an unnamed NFL Offensive Coordinator being cited as saying that Jackson couldn’t play as a quarterback in the NFL.
“He will not be able to play quarterback in this league, mark my words.”
All of a sudden, teams started viewing Jackson as a running back only, and naturally, his stock suffered with players in that position worth an awful lot less.
The problem was… Jackson had no intention of not playing QB. He would almost slide out of the first-round as teams panicked and refused to take him, until the Baltimore Ravens traded back into the first-round.
It shows what rumors can do to a prospect as Josh Rosen, Sam Darnold, and Baker Mayfield were all drafted ahead of a future NFL MVP award winner in the NFL draft. Yet, Jackson has perfectly married his insane athletic ability with QB nous, proving to be the ideal double-threat.