Now that we're all caught up on those Netflix series that have been in the queue for months, and we've run through our Disney+ playlist, this year's NFL Draft couldn't come at a better time.
Perhaps more than in any other year, the 2020 draft fills a substantial void for the hardcore and casual sports fan.
It's the closest thing we have to live sports for the foreseeable future. It gives us something to both consume and analyze for three days, beginning with Thursday night's first round. And everyone will be curious as to how the television productions will work, as the 32 NFL franchises submit their picks remotely in as close to a real-world version of fantasy football as one can find.
But this is no fantasy for the players who expect to hear their names called this week. And the reality for American Athletic Conference fans is that the league could have its most prosperous draft yet. Here is a look at some of the storylines around The American as we all get ready for Thursday night:
The First Round
Beginning with UCF's Blake Bortles, who was taken by Jacksonville at No. 3 overall in the 2014 draft, and continuing through last year, when Houston's Ed Oliver went to Buffalo at No. 9, The American has had at least one player chosen in the first round every year since the conference's formation and has had 11 total first-round picks.
Will that trend continue in 2020? Most projections have Houston offensive tackle Josh Jones as a first-round pick, though there is significant variance as to his exact landing spot. Jones started 45 games at left tackle for the Cougars and earned second-team all-conference honors as a senior in 2019. He has the size (6-7, 319 pounds), foundation, footwork and athleticism that should translate into a starting spot in the NFL.
The only thing that could potentially push Jones out of the first round is the high-end depth at the offensive tackle spot in this year's draft. As many as seven tackles have first-round projections, so Jones has been slotted as high as the top 10 by some prognosticators to the early second round by another.
The Line
While Jones is generally considered the top draft prospect in The American, he is one of three offensive linemen from the conference who could be chosen in the first two days of the draft (covering Rounds 1-3). In fact, it wouldn't be a surprise if The American's first three players chosen were offensive linemen.
Temple's Matt Hennessy is a veteran of 36 starts who played his way to Associated Press third-team All-America status as a senior. The 2018 American Athletic Conference Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Hennessy could become the third Temple player in four seasons to be chosen in the first three rounds of the draft, joining linebacker Haason Reddick (a first-round selection of the Buffalo Bills in 2017) and cornerback Rock Ya-Sin (a second-round choice of the Indianapolis Colts in 2019).
Matt Peart of UConn was a first-team all-conference choice last season, culminating a college career in which he started all 48 games. Pro scouts love his size (6-7, 318 pounds) and leadership traits as well as a skill-set that belies Peart's relative inexperience as a football player. Peart had not played offensive tackle until his senior year of high school, but he played at both left and right tackle during his career at UConn, giving him a good chance to become the Huskies' first early-rounds selection since safety Obi Melifonwu was taken in the second round in 2018.
The Lead
Since the American Athletic Conference's formation in 2013, Temple leads all conference schools with 11 players taken in the NFL Draft, one more than UCF and Houston. Matt Hennessy figures to be the Owls' 12th selection, and a number of additional players could add to Temple's lead. Cornerback Harrison Hand, linebackers Shaun Bradley and Chapelle Russell, wide receiver Isaiah Wright and offensive guard Jovahn Fair are all in the mix for the 2020 draft.
UCF's first player off the board figures to be wide receiver Gabriel Davis, while the Knights' recent run of success could send a group of players including running back Adrian Killins Jr., linebacker Nate Evans, center Jordan Johnson, offensive guard Jake Brown and defensive lineman Brendon Hayes to the NFL.
Tulsa has surprisingly been without an NFL Draft selection since the Golden Hurricane joined The American, but that likely changes this season as defensive end Trevis Gipson is projected as a Day 2 or early Day 3 pick, and cornerback Reggie Roberson II expects to hear hear his name called as well.
The Skill Positions
The American has a nice track record of producing high-level NFL talent at the offensive and defensive skill positions – players like Marlon Mack (USF), Byron Jones (UConn), William Jackson III (Houston), Courtland Sutton (SMU), Anthony Miller (Memphis), Darrell Henderson (Memphis) and Tony Pollard (Memphis) have all made highlight reels in the NFL.
The leading candidate to join that group this year appears to be Antonio Gibson of Memphis. Gibson is projected as one of the top running backs in the draft after his breakout 2019 season, where he scored 14 touchdowns on 77 offensive touches and had seven plays of 50 yards or more, along with an NFL Combine performance where he ran a 4.39 40-yard dash.
Gibson's true strength is in his versatility. He can line up in the backfield, in the slot and is especially dangerous on special teams. While running backs as a whole seem to have declined in value – there are no surefire first-rounders from that position projected for 2020 – Gibson's all-purpose skills will make him a valuable addition to the team that selects him.
Other skill position players to watch from The American include Navy quarterback-turned-running back/wide receiver Malcolm Perry, UCF wide receiver Gabriel Davis, SMU wideout James Proche, Cincinnati running back Michael Warren II, Memphis running back Patrick Taylor and Tulane wideout Darnell Mooney and cornerback Thakarius Keyes.
Mr. Irrelevant
Fans of The American will want to stay to the end of Saturday's final day of the draft, particularly for the final selection. The conference has had two players earn the title of Mr. Irrelevant, which has been bestowed upon the last pick in the draft since 1976.
Former Memphis safety Lonnie Ballentine was taken by the Houston Texans with the last pick in 2014. Ballentine not only made the team that year, but spent the better part of three seasons with the Texans before a string of injuries ended his time in Houston.
Trey Quinn of SMU was the final pick in 2018 when he was taken by Washington. He ended up starting two of the three games he played as a rooke and had nine catches for 75 yards and a touchdown before suffering a season-ending injury. He played in 12 games and made six starts in 2019, finishing with 198 yards and a TD on 26 catches.
The Haul
From a numbers standpoint, the two most successful years for The American in the NFL Draft were in 2017 and 2018. The 2017 draft saw 15 players from The American chosen, a notable number on one hand as the largest from the conference to that point and one that ranked fifth among all conferences, or one more than the more-established Big 12 had that year.
In 2018, The American had 18 players chosen, bettering its mark from the previous season.
After finishing with 11 draft picks last year, The American could get back to its 2018 form in this year's draft. A record 20 players from the conference were invited to the NFL Combine, and every team in the conference could be represented by the time the draft is complete.
2020 NFL Draft Schedule (April 23-25):
-- Thurs, April 23 (8-11:30 p.m. ET): NFL Draft, Rd 1 -- ABC, ESPN, NFL Network, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio
-- Fri, April 24 (7-11:30 p.m.): NFL Draft, Rds 2 and 3 -- ABC, ESPN, NFL Network, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio
-- Sat, April 25 (12-7 p.m.): NFL Draft, Rds 4â??7 -- ABC, ESPN, NFL Network, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio