Dominate the Super Bowl-Chapter 1591 - 1590: Draft Storm

The Rookie Training Camp gradually drew to a close, filled with surprises and unexpected turns, anticipation and discussion, creating a buzz. Lucas Oil Stadium deeply felt the atmosphere of the arms race that had extended throughout the off-season, as all the league’s teams went all out, investing two hundred percent of their energy.

The draft event has always been the highlight of the off-season, and this year it went a step further, with numerous topics flying around. One could distinctly feel the intense competition brewing, anticipating the uniqueness of the 2020 season even before it officially began.

Competition. Wrestling. Information war.

Incredibly busy, working day and night to collect and analyze information, seeking the truth from the overwhelming sea of data, finally making judgments.

However, just as everything was advancing vigorously and getting ready, a storm of global proportions arrived, disrupting all plans with its overwhelming force. People who were already rolling up their sleeves for action were forced to hit the pause button, shifting to a different mode of daily life.

Crisis lay ahead, but ultimately the league stood firm —

The draft event proceeded as scheduled.

Originally, this year’s draft was planned to take place in Las Vegas, to celebrate Las Vegas finally acquiring its first football team and to mark the league making inroads into a new city after years of dormancy, opening a new Chapter after the NFL centennial season.

Now, the draft event was moved online.

Thirty-two teams connected via live broadcast from their respective training base offices, all rookie players connected from their homes via live broadcast, awaiting the culmination of information at the NFL headquarters, and finally announced by Goodell’s live broadcast from his home, fully utilizing the advantages of new-era technology to complete the mission.

Everything was arranged, yet a sense of uncertainty still permeated the air.

In previous years, besides the official league rookie training camp, teams would host their own rookie training camps, extending invitations to rookies of interest; universities would hold their own Pro Days, opening up to all teams to promote their players, aiming to attract more attention.

In other words, teams could use the data results from rookie training camps to conduct targeted, in-depth research, face-to-face challenges to rookies, which served as the last round of investigations and screenings before the draft event, to fully define their draft plans.

However!

All training camps were canceled, teams lost the opportunity for close-up evaluations, scouts lost the chance for direct dialogue with players, thoroughly disrupting plans. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

The off-season arms race had already shown that the league’s thirty-two teams were secretly sharpening their blades, full of expectations for the new season, with fighting spirit fully burning and boiling over, all signs pointing to a season poised for bloody confrontation. However, just at the height of enthusiasm and morale, they encountered an obstacle, plunging the thoroughly tense situation into chaos, disrupting the rhythm, and clouding the prospects once again.

Variables, indeed, no one likes them, but faced with variables, for some, it’s a crisis, for others, an opportunity. How to face these variables, and how to adjust and respond within them? How to handle the chaos brought by variables may lead to entirely different outcomes —

Who will be the real hero, now is the time to test true gold.

After all, this unexpected situation was the same for everyone, creating an equal environment where everyone stood on the same starting line, including the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, without exception, and moving forward would truly test the capabilities of the teams’ uniform groups.

In the midst of turbulence and variables, the 2020 draft event proceeded as scheduled.

The atmosphere, completely different!

Not only for the teams and rookies but also for the fans.

Nonetheless, the draft event remained the draft event; without the Little Green House, without live audiences, without the close proximity and pressure of gathering in one place, the sword-edge smoke of battle wasn’t diminished. Instead, due to the limitations of the online broadcast, the inability to see the movements of opposing teams directly made suspicion and speculation grow even more prominent in the slightest commotion, as team managers worried about their ability to accurately gauge their positions.

No tumult, no noise, no air heating up, team managers, coaches, and their draft teams stayed in their war rooms at the team base, ensuring complete quiet and focus, but under the surface of this calm, the undercurrents surged even more violently, creating further tension.

And then —

"...Joe Burrow, quarterback, Louisiana State University."

Unsurprisingly, the Cincinnati Bengals used their first pick to select the highly anticipated and awaited Burrow, welcoming the new cornerstone quarterback with open arms.

Following the rookie training camp, all speculations and concerns about Burrow dissipated, as the Cincinnati Bengals still chose the most notable, confirmed, and popular rookie of the year, which professional experts and scouts referred to as the "no-brainer" choice.

The champion, in the end, went to Burrow.

There were no eyes focused on him, no thunderous applause, no grand moments with the team owner passing the jersey under the flashbulbs, a slight regret for Burrow; however, surrounded by family and friends at home, Burrow still enjoyed his moment of glory.

Standing in front of the live broadcast camera, Burrow gazed clearly and brightly at the lens, without any unnecessary words or actions, just clenched his fists, silently and quietly watching, feeling a surge of excitement and fervor, with muscles trembling slightly due to nervousness and excitement, standing firmly as if declaring something, silently announcing his debut —

Li Wei, are you ready, here I come.

He would prove that Li Wei’s vision and judgment were wrong with his actions; he would prove on the field that he was the best quarterback of this draft, defeating Li Wei with an outright fair game to demonstrate he was the league’s future.

Jalen Hurts?

Hah, don’t be ridiculous! Li Wei attempted to use his influence to confuse and promote his college partner, trying to change the draft event’s dynamics, but Li Wei’s dirty and dark tactics failed in the end, as the Cincinnati Bengals weren’t fooled.

He, Joe Burrow, was the first pick!

Just a glance, focusing intensely and fervently at the camera lens, issuing a declaration more powerful than any roar.

Meanwhile, in Kansas City.

"Rookie..."

"Rookie! It has started! The first pick has already been made!"

Watt’s shouting came from the room but received no response, resulting in Mahomes, Kelsey, and the others joining Watt.

"The draft has begun!"

The backyard: ...

Quiet, no response, just when they thought Li Wei had disappeared, finally, Li Wei’s voice came through.

"The steak is ready, the corn and sweet potatoes need a bit more time, you can bring your plates and come out now."

Apparently, steak was more important than Burrow —

Was that wink from Burrow for a blind man?