Why the Draft Is Slightly Overhyped (or, the Manning Rule)

You should probably listen to this while reading this article.  (And this.)
Remember when I told you that I wouldn't be writing football columns from now until the beginning of the 2013 season?
I lied.
I should write a baseball article soon, but my favorite team is on its way to having the worst year ever.  I'd write basketball/hockey playoff articles if I had any interest in basketball/hockey playoffs.  Playoffs?  You kiddin' me?  I could compare the Devils' 2012-13 collapse to those of the 2011 Red Sox and Braves, but that would be a frivolity.  So I'll write about the NFL Draft and why I'm not overly excited about it.
Considering that the Heisman Trophy winner (and by far the best offensive player in the NCAA) was a redshirt freshman who may not enter the NFL for another four years, how excited can you be for a whole crop of additional quarterbacks?  Currently, there are 16-17 quarterbacks in the NFL whom I would classify as "very good" or better.  You can only have five elite quarterbacks in the league at one time (here we go again), but right now, you're either "very good," "elite," "below mediocre," or "downright terrible."  There are no "good" or "average" QB's anymore.
And it's hard- no, impossible- to predict a QB's success in the NFL based on his college performance.  Let's look at the top 10 all-time passing TD leaders in NCAA history.  Ty Detmer is probably the only player (besides the current college seniors) that you've heard of.  Case Keenum, the all-time leader, has merely been on the Texans' practice squad for a year.  Now look at the all-time passing yards leaders: there's one "very good" QB at #8, and one "I get injured too often to judge my performance" passer at #10, but #9 turned out to be relatively unsuccessful with the Browns.  Other than the current seniors, who else have you even heard of in the top 10?  The current "elite quarterbacks" are all the way down at #28, #39, #53, and #72.
Of course, quarterbacks are only a small part of each team.  But they get all the attention and all the credit for every win (and loss).  While so much attention is focused on where Geno Smith will end up, I'm most interested in seeing which team is foolish (or wise) enough to draft Manti Te'o.  The defensive players, with fake girlfriend issues or not, are the ones who will really have the greatest impacts on their teams.  Ideally, since the Saints' defensive woes are over, the Raiders or Titans should select him.  Ice Cube's "let's throw a bomb on first down, let's throw a bomb on every down" strategy can only take the Raiders so far, because their defense is as porous as a mesh jersey.  I don't see how the Raiders or Titans could finish above third place in their respective divisions in 2013, but if they don't choose solid defensive standouts, they'll fall to the bottom.
What the NFL really needs is a "Coaches' Draft" immediately after the Super Bowl.  Teams with vacant coaching positions should be ranked from least to greatest win totals.  Members of the Fired Football Coaches Association (founded by a commentator who actually thought Megatron's receiving yards record was tainted!), along with current NCAA, XFL, USFL, and arena football coaches, would be eligible.  If a team selected a coach, that coach must be required to work for the team.  No trades allowed, no "that team isn't successful enough for my son" garbage.  "I lost 100 games for the Saints; why should my son, a standout at Ole Miss, play for the Chargers?!"  (All right, I really should forgive the Mannings).  Coaches are a greater asset to a team than any of its players.  When they're terrible (*cough Jim Schwartz cough*), it doesn't matter how many "very good" to "elite" players are on the team; that team will fail.

-AQ, future 21st-round kicker for the Lions