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Auburn University's Cam Newton is expected to be the first overall pick. Photo: Getty

America's favourite sport has been dragged through the mud in recent weeks and even President Obama has chipped in with his two cents-worth. The very latest in this ever-changing legal landscape is that a judge has ruled against the owners and lifted the lockout, meaning league business should continue as normal for now.

The NFL owners are not finished just yet, however, and will take their case to the Court of Appeals in May. While this situation is far from settled, I genuinely think there is too much at stake for both sides to endanger the 2011 season and the NFL will kick off on time with the ' visit to the on Thursday 8 September.

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at the draft - which sees teams pick players in reverse order based on the previous season's final standings and makes for compelling drama.

It turns the leading college players into instant millionaires and can turn even the most hardened head coaches, general managers and scouts into quivering wrecks.

You can do all the scouting and research in the world but that won't guarantee an athlete is going to succeed at the game's highest level, rather than getting lazy after signing a mega-dollar deal, which usually includes a healthy bonus up front.

Meanwhile, you could take a chance on a long shot in the lower rounds who becomes a star. It can be a total lottery.

The thought they were getting a future legend when they selected quarterback JaMarcus Russell with the first overall pick in 2007. He could fire a football 70 yards downfield with a mere flick of the wrist and had all the physical tools needed to be a star.

But it turned out he lacked commitment, got lazy after inking a $61 million deal that included a bonus of $32 million just for signing on the dotted line, and was out of the NFL after just two-and-a-half seasons. If you want to know just how far Russell has fallen in recent times,

The famously hit on a late superstar in 2000 as they waited until the 199th pick overall before choosing an unassuming, low-profile quarterback out of Michigan by the name of .

The now-infamous list of quarterbacks taken before Brady featured Chad Pennington, Giovanni Carmazzi, Chris Redman, Tee Martin, Marc Bulger and Spergon Wynn. Carmazzi, Martin and Wynn played in NFL Europe and weren't even good enough to throw incompletions! The other three - most notably Pennington and Bulger - have had their moments.

But Brady has won three Super Bowls, appeared in another and is still considered one of the best quarterbacks in the league.

This year's opening round could see five or six quarterbacks picked early, yet we should not be fooled into thinking this is an indication of quality in the college ranks.

The leading six passers - Cam Newton, Blaine Gabbert, Jake Locker, Andy Dalton, Ryan Mallett and Christian Ponder - all have question marks against them but at least 10 NFL teams (mainly picking in the upper half of the first round) are in need of a "franchise quarterback" so they are likely to be drafted higher than they might otherwise have been.

JaMarcus Russell's failure at Oakland proves the draft can be a risky business. Photo: Getty

The NFL heavily favours the passing game so if you have an elite quarterback, you have a shot at glory every single season. You would have to go back a long way to find a team that won the Super Bowl without a superstar quarterback - probably .

When NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announces the first overall pick at around 0100 BST, it is expected he will send to the .

But Newton is a young man who divides opinion. Some scouts marvel over his cannon arm and the fact he is the best running quarterback since , while others say he is selfish, egotistical and unable to lead his team-mates in the heat of battle.

The other big winners in tonight's opening round should be defensive linemen. Up to 13- led by the likes of Marcel Dareus, Nick Fairley and Robert Quinn - could fill the 32 picks that make up round one.

If quarterbacks are the stars of the NFL it makes total sense that a high value be placed on those who can make the lives of the glamour boys a total nightmare.

The quarterbacks will always garner lots of headlines but in terms of this year's draft, it could very well be a case of big being beautiful.

While we watch the finest products of the student game in the US, the continues to go from strength to strength with more than 60 teams and close to 4,000 players and coaches involved each and every weekend.

I was at the National Championship Game in Leeds earlier this month and was impressed by the standard of play as the .

But the most surprising aspect of the day? The teams played for the Neil Reynolds Trophy. I kid you not. Move over Vince Lombardi; you're not the only one to have a championship trophy named after you!