"Rookie! Rookie! Rookie!"
The television broadcast showed an explosion of joy.
But reactions among other teams varied wildly—chaos swept through the league. A running back? The Kansas City Chiefs shockingly chose a running back? Not a quarterback, but a running back? What kind of reckless, money-burning decision was this? Had the Chiefs' front office collectively gone mad on mushrooms?
In the Chicago Bears' war room, silence reigned.
A moment ago, they were ready to pop champagne to celebrate acquiring their franchise quarterback.
The next moment, their summer turned to icy winter. They stood frozen, staring at each other in stunned disbelief.
Ryan Pace gaped at the live feed, his brain grinding to a halt. Not even curse words came to him—he was too stunned to react.
Had Kansas City been gunning for a running back all along?
Everyone thought the Chiefs were throwing money down the drain, but in reality, the true suckers were the Bears. They had spent a king's ransom to trade up and acquire Kansas City's pick for a quarterback they could've selected at third overall anyway—all to make up for Veach's supposed recklessness.
Pace stood there, utterly disoriented. He just wanted some peace and quiet.
Meanwhile, in the Carolina Panthers' war room, a murmur of unrest rippled through the air. But head coach Ron Rivera quickly restored order.
Disappointment was inevitable, but Rivera had already braced himself for this outcome.
He hadn't anticipated Kansas City throwing a wrench into the draft, but even if it wasn't the Chiefs, Jacksonville at fourth overall was bound to take Lance. Carolina was never in a position to trade up into the top three for a running back.
Missing out on Lance was agonizing—painful to the point of breathlessness. But Rivera knew he had to think strategically. Turning to the team's general manager, he said, "Did you see that? Kansas City stopped at nothing to draft a running back. And I'll bet you anything Jacksonville is going to take a running back next."
"If I'm right, we'll draft a running back when it's our turn. But if I'm wrong, you can follow your plan. Deal?"
But the real spotlight wasn't on Chicago or Carolina. All eyes now turned to the Jacksonville Jaguars, sitting at fourth overall.
Kansas City's pick was done. The clock started ticking for Jacksonville.
David Caldwell: Damn it.
Gus Bradley: Utter despair.
They had been so close. Watching Lance get snatched away before their very eyes felt like watching a cooked duck fly off the table.
Caldwell's disbelief turned to anger. "Damn it! Damn, damn, damn!"
The entire room fell silent.
Finally, someone spoke. "We're on the clock."
"I know!" Caldwell barked, trying to compose himself through his frustration.
"Plan B," he said firmly. Every team prepared multiple scenarios for such situations.
"Watson is still available," a voice suggested.
Right—Deshaun Watson.
A headline-grabbing player all through the scouting process, Watson was almost universally expected to go top three. Cleveland, San Francisco, and Chicago all needed quarterbacks. Watson being available at this stage was unheard of.
But Caldwell hesitated for only half a second before shaking his head. "No, I'm not falling for it. The Browns, 49ers, and Bears all passed on Watson. Kansas City traded up and didn't even look at him. Something's wrong. We're not taking him."
In the green room, the tension was palpable.
All eyes turned to Watson, the pressure mounting visibly on his shoulders. Feeling the heat of their stares, he couldn't hold it in any longer. He stormed out, his agent trailing after him.
For the running backs, however, the situation was different.
The draft landscape for running backs had been bleak in recent years, but Lance's top-three selection shattered that narrative. Suddenly, hope was reignited, and a quiet rivalry began to stir:
Who would be the next running back off the board?
The position mattered, as did the order. Just like with quarterbacks, being the first at your position carried prestige.
Trubisky had already edged Watson to become the first quarterback selected. For Watson, every subsequent pass only deepened the scrutiny, turning the draft into a nightmare he couldn't escape.
Leonard Fournette stared at the screen.
From the NCAA to the Heisman race to the NFL Draft, this was his third loss to Lance.
Fournette had believed 2016 would be his breakout year, but Lance had upended everything.
At this moment, the broadcast cut to Roger Goodell stepping onto the stage. The chaos subsided, and even Watson returned to the green room, though his expression was dark.
All eyes turned to the screen.
"...Leonard Fournette, running back, Louisiana State University."
Fournette stood slowly, his confidence radiating. His gaze hardened with resolve—he would surpass Lance. Their next meeting would be different.
In the end, Jacksonville granted Gus Bradley his wish, drafting a running back. Fournette became the second running back selected, following Lance. The draft chatter around running backs was no longer just talk—it was becoming reality. Perhaps this was the start of a new trend.
But the surprises didn't stop there.
After Fournette, Clemson's wide receiver Mike Williams was taken seventh overall by the newly relocated Los Angeles Chargers—before Watson.
Shock rippled through the green room once again.
It was clear: tonight was shaping up to be a long one for Watson.
At eighth overall, the Carolina Panthers selected Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey—a move that was both surprising and yet inevitable.
This marked a historic moment: all three top running backs were taken in the first ten picks. For the first time in years, running backs dominated the early rounds of the draft.
No one had anticipated this.
Then, just as the dust began to settle, another bombshell dropped.
The Chiefs completed a three-team trade with the San Francisco 49ers and Buffalo Bills to acquire the 10th overall pick.
The announcement came.
"...Patrick Mahomes, quarterback, Texas Tech University."
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