Patriots.com

The time for talking and projection is almost over, and mercifully the picking is about to begin. In our attempt to mock out the first-round events that will transpire in Nashville Thursday night, we still have no definitive clarity on how the top of the draft will unfold. Will it be Heisman-winning quarterback Kyler Murray of Oklahoma at No. 1, or will the poker-faced Cardinals seemingly call the first reverse of the Kliff Kingsbury coaching era and take a defensive prospect first overall? A quick reminder: A quarterback has been selected No. 1 three times in the past four drafts, seven times in the past decade, and 15 times in the 20 years since the Colts made Peyton Manning their No. 1 pick in 1998. So history favors Arizona doing the expected and starting over at the game's most pivotal position for the second time in two seasons. But it's still not a lock, and we don't mean the first-round passing prospect who happened to play at Missouri.