In ridiculous take, analyst says former South Carolina football player could be first pick of NFL Draft

The 2024 NFL Draft was less than two months ago, and the four South Carolina football players picked (wide receiver Xavier Legette, 1st round, Carolina Panthers; quarterback Spencer Rattler, 5th round, New Orleans Saints; defensive back Marcellas Dial, 6th round, New England Patriots; offensive lineman Nick Gargiulo, 7th round, Denver Broncos) were well-deserving of their selections. However, from the moment the draft ended, there have been talking heads thinking about next year's festivities.

One of the most ridiculous takes about the 2025 NFL Draft came in on Tuesday.

In an article on ten candidates who could be the 2025 NFL Draft's top pick, CBS Sports' Chris Trapasso included former Gamecock defensive end Jordan Burch as a potential 1st overall pick in next year's draft.

Jordan Burch was a former 5-star prospect out of Hammond School in Columbia, and he's a good college football player. But the 1st overall pick in the NFL Draft? Not a chance.

To Trapasso's credit, he named Burch a "dark horse" to be the top pick, but still, the take is hilariously bad.

In four years of play (three with the South Carolina football program and one with the Oregon Ducks after transferring before the 2023 season), Burch has 7.5 sacks and 20 tackles for loss. That's less than an average of 2 sacks and just 5 tackles for loss per season.

As much of an athletic freak as Burch is (6'6" and around 290 pounds while possessing borderline elite athleticism), he has been a moderately productive starter at the college level. That is not the type of player taken with the first pick of the NFL Draft.

For reference, some other notable defensive ends who were taken with the top pick include Jadeveon Clowney (ever heard of him?), all-time sack leader Bruce Smith, Dallas Cowboys legend Ed "Too Tall" Jones, and 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett.

Could Jordan Burch have a strong final year at Oregon and turn into a good NFL player? Absolutely. Picking him as a possible #1-overall NFL Draft pick, though, might be the worst take of the summer, and the season doesn't even officially start for another day.