The NCAA championship game footage has been watched over and over again by the entire league, with team managers and head coaches poring over it countless times. Could Reed still find something new in it?
Veach had also watched this footage no less than ten or twenty times, and what struck him most was the second-to-last touchdown of the game—
Li Wei dodged tackles in succession, even managing to shake them off when already in their grasp, and, solely through his own effort, miraculously burst into the end zone.
Honestly, such a player is indeed the object of envy for every team; but to be objective, there are more rookies worth paying attention to in this draft, and the value of a running back really needs careful consideration.
Managing a team recklessly, just look at the Washington Redskins and what happened when they bet everything on Robert Griffin III—that's a lesson from history.
"Coach, we've already seen this part," Veach had to remind him.
Reed shook his head, "No, we all saw it wrong."
"In the last offensive drive, Li Wei clearly had the chance to score the touchdown himself, but instead, he created a diversion for Clark, helping his teammate effortlessly secure the touchdown and catching the opponents off guard."
Veach nodded, "Right, I know, this is Coach Saban's decoy tactic, setting up for the two-point conversion that followed. They tried to use Clark and Hertz as decoys to disrupt Clemson's defensive group's judgment."
"That's correct," Reed nodded and fast-forwarded to the last two-point conversion, "We could only tell this after analyzing post-game, but did anyone anticipate this at the time of the match?"
"The Crimson Tide Storm had a quarterback who could run and pass; tight end Howard was right there in a slant, capable of catching short passes; plus Clark, who had just scored, giving them three, or even four offensive options."
"Saban didn't hesitate for even a second, and even before the touchdown, he had already picked the strategy for the two-point conversion, Hertz, Clark, and Howard were all decoys—from the beginning, Li Wei was in charge of this game-winning play."
"Hey, let's calm down and think about the whole situation."
"With five seconds left in the game, the Crimson Tide Storm could have chosen to kick the extra point to tie the game, but Saban opted for the riskier two-point conversion."
"Moreover, from the start, he chose to trust Li Wei with this critical task."
"Has Saban lost his mind?"
After a pause, Reed turned to Veach, "Now we're very certain that all the tactics revolve around Li Wei, everyone else is just a decoy, and then, look at Li Wei again."
Veach thought Reed was obsessed, completely unable to understand Reed's actions, but out of respect for Reed, he still looked at the screen.
"Look at Li Wei, look how calm and at ease he is."
"The whole of North America, no, the whole of NCAA basketball, is watching this moment. Li Wei, just twenty-one years old, having entered the world of Football barely a year ago, is for the first time on such a grand stage as the NCAA championship, bearing a crucial burden. If he fails, he could become the only blemish on the Crimson Tide's perfect season; all prior brilliance and success would be buried along with this mistake, branding him a sinner."
"Yet, Saban, this old fellow who has proven himself in countless games, among all possibilities, decided to entrust such a critical offensive opportunity to a rookie, why?"
"Because Saban saw what I'm seeing."
"Li Wei isn't nervous, not hesitant, fully immersed in the game, because he knows he can succeed—not believes, but knows."
"He has a big heart; he knows how to lead the team, knows how to shoulder responsibility. Derrick Henry doesn't have this kind of boldness, neither does Adrian Peterson."
"Brett, what we're witnessing is not an ordinary player."
Finally, Veach understood, unable to tear his gaze away from the small screen.
Tik-tok, tik-tok, the closer the draft got, the slower the time seemed to pass, with every second feeling like an arduous century.
And then, just as the heart was about to burst the second before—
At last, under the gaze of all, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell took the stage.
"Welcome to the 2017 NFL Draft. Tonight is of exceptional significance, for the players, the teams, the fans alike, as the new season unfolds."
"The 2017 NFL Draft is now officially underway. With the first round, first overall pick, the Cleveland Browns will now begin their countdown."
When Goodell announced the start of the clock, each team had a full ten minutes to submit their draft lists, and trades and changes to pick orders could potentially occur during this process.
People generally believed that ten minutes should be sufficient, but that wasn't the case in reality.
In 2003, the Minnesota Vikings and the Baltimore Ravens both experienced timeouts. If it happens, the timer automatically resets, allowing the next team in the order to pick first. The offending team must then make their selection after the other has finished.
Thirty-two teams, three hundred and twenty minutes—without a doubt, it was a very long and grueling afternoon, a stern test for both the players and the fans.
First up, the Cleveland Browns took the stage.
All eyes were focused—
No one knew what choice Cleveland Browns would actually make.
Quarterback? Running back? Or perhaps the strongest defensive group in this year's draft?
Right up until the draft, the team's general manager, Sashi Brown, remained an enigma. It wasn't that there wasn't any buzz; rather, there were so many rumors that it was dizzying.
One moment, there was talk about Li Wei, the next about Watson, then rumors about them scouting wide receivers followed by attention on defensive players—it was a circus juggling act that made it impossible even for experts to pinpoint a starting point for analysis.
But unexpectedly, the Cleveland Browns didn't delay much, submitting their list in less than a minute. This also meant that they already had a plan in mind and a player they truly wanted to select, hence they hadn't shopped around willing to cash in heavily on their top pick.
On further thought, it finally made sense why the Cleveland Browns' performance at the end of the season showed some promising improvements, suggesting early signs of a solid plan for the new season.
So, the player tasked with carrying the weight of the entire team and moving forward to Cleveland was—
"Myles Garrett, Defensive End, Texas A&M University."
There was surprise all around.
Not because Garrett wasn't good—on the contrary, he was widely regarded as the most well-rounded player of the year, particularly outstanding even in a year heavy on defense, plug-and-play, capable of instantly becoming an asset to the team. Many professionals thought he was worthy of a top three pick, if not the very first.
But because it was rare for the Cleveland Browns to not throw a curveball, they actually followed the experts' advice and chose Garrett, which left everyone wondering what all those brow-raising moves by the Browns in the previous period were for?
Inside the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Cleveland Browns fans were celebrating wildly, one after another, cheering for the wise choice made by the team:
Finally! Has the team finally stopped tanking?
In the Little Green House, Garrett glanced at Li Wei through the crowd:
Next up, entering the league for another battle!
However, the draft had to continue, and with the second overall pick this year was the San Francisco 49ers, who had experienced a plummet this season. No one expected that before the countdown even had a chance to start, Goodell dropped another bombshell.
"The San Francisco 49ers have just completed a trade. The Kansas City Chiefs now have the second overall draft rights. The countdown starts now."