The NFL Draft is not the only star-studded popularity contest that will be hitting the airwaves in the near future. The season finale of “The Bachelor” will air Monday, after two-and-a-half long months of bachelor Nick Viall courting 30 women in an attempt to find his future wife.
In January, columnist Daniel O’Boyle compared NBA teams to this season’s Bachelor contestants. But that was before the contestants showed their true colors. Now that we’ve seen what each woman truly has to offer, I think it is fair to draw parallels between them and another group of people who have put everything on the line in an attempt to engage in a winning partnership: the entrants of this year’s NFL Draft.
Rachel is Myles Garrett.
The Texas A&M defensive lineman will be the first player to go in April’s draft. His combine performance alone should be enough to secure him one of the top picks, but when you consider his college statistics in combination with the fact that the Cleveland Browns, who have the first pick, need help at pretty much every position, he has nearly secured the No. 1 pick.
Just like Rachel. Although Rachel was unable to steal Nick’s heart on “The Bachelor,” she has the top pick on lock, as it was already announced that she would be the next Bachelorette. And if Garrett doesn’t go first, the Browns will have made a mistake, just like ABC did when it announced Rachel would be the next Bachelorette before Nick had even eliminated her.
Taylor is Jabrill Peppers.
The Michigan linebacker is perhaps the most versatile player to enter the draft, playing a wide variety of positions over the course of his time as a Wolverine. Taylor also showed us various sides of herself during her stint on “The Bachelor,” appearing sweet and caring at first, before letting her defensive claws out the moment she began to feel threatened by her competition. And, similarly to Taylor, who graduated from college in three years and never let anyone forget it, Peppers will be in and out of Michigan in three years, although under completely different circumstances.
Liz is Leonard Fournette.
Liz’s appearance on the show, while short-lived, provided plenty of excitement to the show, just as Fournette’s nearly 4000-career-yards did to LSU games. Liz revealed early on that she and Nick had had a relationship before the show began, although she was unsure whether Nick would remember their interaction. However, she was hoping the relationship would come to fruition this time around. After a stellar sophomore season, Fournette could have flirted with the idea of entering the draft, but ended up waiting it out for another year. Fournette’s NFL career, however, is likely to be significantly more successful than Liz’s attempt to get Nick back.
Danielle M. is DeShone Kizer.
The Irish quarterback is considered one of the more personable participants in the 2017 Draft, just like Danielle M., the Nashville based neonatal nurse. How could you not like a neonatal nurse? Danielle’s Bachelor appearance, like Kizer’s college career, got off to a hot start, as she got the first one-on-one date with Nick. However, their relationship petered out as time went on and Danielle was “friend-zoned.” Some mock-drafts have the same thing happening to Kizer, dropping to the end of the first round, when he entered the season with a claim to a top-10 pick.
Jasmine is John Ross.
The Washington wide receiver broke the combine record, running a 4.22 second 40-yard dash, a time that Jasmine could potentially match if she were challenged to. The NBA dancer established herself as the ultra-competitive member of the group, often forgetting of the competitions on group dates were meant to impress Nick and instead caring only about winning them. Jasmine was sent home before she even had a chance to get to know Nick, just as Ross’ ACL tear slowed his career.
Corinne is Jonathan Allen.
The Alabama defensive lineman had both shoulders surgically repaired over the course of his collegiate career. Allen had been projected as a top-10, even a top-three, pick, but his disappointing showing at the combine has led some to believe he needs more time to work on his upper-body strength and stability. Enter Corinne: queen of rest and relaxation. Corinne may not be the most emotionally intelligent member of the cast, but she certainly knows how to nap. Corinne is the villain we all loved to hate, just like every player out of Tuscaloosa. And, let’s be real. If any coach were going to invest in a nanny for his players, it would be Nick Saban.
The Bachelor, Nick Viall, is Tony Romo (draft class of 2004).
The Cowboys quarterback went undrafted in 2004, just like Nick. Except Nick has gone undrafted three times already. Romo was able to rebound and become the Cowboys’ starter, which is what Nick is trying to do this season as he takes his love life into his own control as the Bachelor. Romo took a back-seat to rookie Dak Prescott this season, leaving his future uncertain and with many asking “What are you still doing here?” That’s a question Nick has heard daily since he was named the Bachelor, as this season is his fourth attempt to find love through the Bachelor franchise.
