Dominate the Super Bowl

Unlike other sports, football, with its numerous on-field positions, makes drafting strategies more complex. In short, there are two types of strategies.

First, choose what you urgently need.

Perhaps the most outstanding player in the draft is a quarterback, but the team holding the draft pick already has a trustworthy cornerstone quarterback. So, even if the rookie is exceptional, they won’t choose a quarterback.

Matching your needs and selecting the best player available for your required positions, or filling in the gaps in your lineup, is the best policy.

What is poison to one, may be honey to another.

Drafting should not be about following trends, picking whoever is the hot topic, but should be about managing your situation. The players with high discussion heat may not necessarily be the best choice for the team. Those top-popular and outstanding players could turn out to be either honey or poison, so teams must stay calm.

Second, choose the best player available.

Often, the player a team needs most has been picked by another team. In such cases, picking the best player available among the rookies can also be an emergency measure.

Either, trade the player away for greater benefits.

Or, keep the player, adjust the team’s own lineup, then head to the free market to patch things up, and build a completely new lineup.

However, this strategy is much more complicated because it involves assessing the market value of the rookie’s position and examining your team’s salary cap and contract renewal situations. Otherwise, a single mistake could lead to a redundant situation in the team’s configuration.

Before the draft, every team conducts mock drafts to prepare for different scenarios, not just second or third plans, but even up to the sixth or seventh plans; yet even so, the draft is full of surprises and unpredictable on-site conditions.

Therefore, the NFL draft has always been especially exciting, like a roller-coaster blockbuster, full of twists and turns and unforeseen developments.

Stories of top draft prospects falling out of the first round, training camp darlings that everyone loves ending up ignored, wild picks like kickers in the first three rounds, or finding superstars in the trash heap of the sixth or seventh rounds are not uncommon.

Until the last moment, no one knows what will happen.

In fact, sometimes, even team managers and head coaches don’t understand what’s happening.

It is against this backdrop that the NFL regularly has some off-the-wall wildcards. Baffling picks and sudden trade positions can disrupt the entire draft, causing a domino effect and catching other teams off guard, basically playing on a whim.

For example, the New York Jets.

In addition, teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins, and others have often provided such jaw-dropping moments.

So, when Brand played coy, Harbaugh did a quick search of his brain data and the name of the Jacksonville Jaguars came spilling out.

All along, "Good Old Man" Head Coach Bradley at the Jaguars had no say in the matter, though he had eagerly hoped to bring in a running back to relieve the pressure of the passing offense. But General Manager Caldwell had his own ideas; he believed that running backs were not cost-effective and not conducive to the team’s "business."

In Caldwell’s view, rather than picking a running back in the draft, it was better to pick a tight end or wide receiver as weapons and then shop for a running back on the free market. There was no need to waste a draft pick on one.

However, Li Wei was different.

Li Wei represented the Hua Xia Market, and even the entire Asian Market. With Caldwell’s business acumen, it wasn’t something he could afford to miss.

Moreover, the League also favored such scenarios, quietly stirring the pot behind the scenes and even setting aside special time within the "League itself" to discuss him.

The wind direction was quietly changing.

Harbaugh had his skills, accurately grasping Caldwell’s lifeline. Enjoy more content from empire

In fact, Caldwell had already informed Bradley of his decision.

"Li Wei."

Caldwell’s eyes shimmered with a brilliant glow, not of a fox’s cunning, but of a merchant’s shrewd competence, and he made a direct decision.

Bradley felt a surge of excitement.

To be honest, Bradley wholeheartedly supported Caldwell’s decision to sign Li Wei—if they could sign him, he’d begrudgingly applaud Caldwell.

But was such haste necessary?

The regular season had just passed the halfway mark, and there were still a full six months until the draft. They really didn’t need to rush to a conclusion.

Bradley hesitated for a moment, "Of course, Li Wei is a perfect choice, but perhaps we could also consider other running backs, like Fournette and McCaffrey..."

Caldwell gently shook his head, "No, you didn’t hear me clearly. I said Li Wei, not running back."

Bradley: ...

Caldwell, "We need Li Wei, and it just so happens he’s a running back, that’s all."

"You know? In the latest Heisman Trophy odds, Li Wei officially surpassed Mayfield and Watson, currently trailing behind Jackson, ranked second."

"There are three weeks left in the NCAA regular season, and although Jackson’s performance is still outstanding, ferocious even, his team’s record can’t compare to Crimson Tide Storm."

"If Crimson Tide Storm makes it to the nationwide championship, but Louisville doesn’t, it means that Li Wei overtaking Jackson to win the Heisman Trophy is not out of the question."

"Hey, Gus, once Li Wei wins the Heisman Trophy, he will not only be the first Hua Xia, but also the first Asian to ever win the Heisman Trophy."

"Do you understand what this means?"

Caldwell’s gaze turned to the world map, landing on that vast land shaped like a proud rooster—

Fourteen years ago, the NBA had its first team to take the plunge, which resulted in an incredible business success.

And now, it was the NFL’s turn.

Caldwell didn’t want to miss out. If the Jacksonville Jaguars wanted to seize this opportunity, they had to act quickly and plan well.

The NFL and NCAA strictly prohibit teams and agents from personal contacts with players before the draft; but they didn’t prohibit scouts from watching games.

Imagine, whether it’s training or a game, a line of scouts wearing Jacksonville Jaguars jerseys watching from the front rows. Crimson Tide Storm sees them, the reporters see them, and naturally, Li Wei notices too. People would definitely be curious about the Jacksonville Jaguars’ plans.

But they didn’t need to be overly eager. Instead, they should build momentum bit by bit, raising suspense and appetites. Everyone would know that the Jacksonville Jaguars were eyeing a star player from Crimson Tide Storm early on, yet no one would know their true target.

In the future, waiting for the right moment, Caldwell would find an appropriate opportunity to reveal the answer—

Praising Li Wei no end.

Imagine, what would Li Wei feel at that moment?

Sincerity doesn’t need face-to-face contact to be conveyed. Even if the NFL and NCAA prohibit them from contacting players, Caldwell could still make a big deal out of it.

The more fanfare, the louder, the grander, the more it would showcase the Jacksonville Jaguars’ commitment to victory.

Caldwell’s eyes were full of anticipation.