QBS PREP FOR AUDITIONS
Pro days could determine who’s No. 1 in what many say is a wide-open draft
LOUISVILLE It would be a bit much to say Teddy Bridgewater’s performance during Louisville’s pro day will be his ultimate makeor-break moment for the upcoming NFL draft. Yet it might feel that way. When the quarterback puts his arm on display at the Cardinals’ indoor practice facility today, he will be scrutinized by five NFL head coaches: Bill O’Brien, Gus Bradley, Mike Zimmer, Dennis Allen and Chip Kelly.
Maybe — with such a wide range of possibilities for what the Houston Texans will do with the No. 1 pick — they will get a sense of how Bridgewater deals with pressure.
“We don’t think it’s make or break,” Bridgewater’s agent, Kennard McGuire, told USA TODAY Sports on Sunday. “We think his body of work and his résumé speaks volumes. “But yes, he will be slinging it.” Bridgewater didn’t throw at the NFL scouting combine last month, but that’s hardly unusual for the top quarterbacks.
But it’s showtime now. If Bridgewater is truly the player the Texans can’t afford to pass up, he should leave no doubt. There’s so much debate. Who’s No. 1? A few weeks ago, it seemed the choice was either Bridgewater or Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel ... with South Carolina pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney as the wild-card.
Now, with the clock ticking to the three-day draft commencing May 8, it’s wide open.
Consider a few mock drafts. ESPN’s Todd McShay slots Central Florida’s rising quarterback, Blake Bortles, in the top spot. USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis picks Clowney — and reserves the right to change his mind. ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio went out on a limb for Auburn tackle Greg Robinson.
Mel Kiper, the original ESPN draft guru, goes deeper. His pick: Buffalo linebacker Khalil Mack. It’s that unpredictable. “I see nine players who could be picked first overall,” Gil Brandt told USA TODAY Sports.
Whoa. Brandt, an NFL.com analyst who will watch Bridgewater’s effort, has never considered that many as viable top picks at this point in the process. That covers a lot of ground. Brandt started his former gig as longtime Dallas Cowboys personnel director in 1960.
“It’s just like this basketball tournament this year,” said Brandt, nodding to the NCAAs. “There are a lot of good teams that could win it. And there are a lot of players in this mix.”
Still, chances are better than 50-50 the Texans will draft a quarterback. This is the pass-happy NFL we’re talking about, and it
“I see nine players who could be picked first overall.” NFL.com analyst Gil Brandt
is a position of need. And quarterbacks have been chosen No. 1 overall in 12 of the past 16 drafts.
But which one? It’s likely three teams could point to three players as the top-rated quarterback on their board — Bridgewater, Manziel or Bortles. By the same token, Derek Carr is not considered far behind.
That’s why the workouts for the quarterbacks might be more important than usual.
Bortles will throw at Central Florida’s pro day Wednesday; Manziel didn’t throw at Texas A&M’s pro day last week but will have his own showcase on campus March 27.
“Anything you can do to swing people,” Brandt said. “With the quarterbacks, it’s like the political thing. Too close to call.”
The visits with the teams, however, might be more crucial than the workouts, particularly if the workouts confirm what teams already think about the quarterback’s physical traits.
Those conversations could formulate impressions that provide insight about leadership, communication, character, processing X’s and O’s and then some.
I remember attending Aaron Rodgers’ workout at California in 2005, witnessing a passing clinic by the potential No. 1 pick overall. He was pretty much flawless. At the end, then-Cal coach Jeff Tedford walked up and down the sideline bellowing to coaches and scouts asking them if they needed to see anything else.
They didn’t. Rodgers lasted until the 24th pick — one of the great blunders in draft history.
Decision-makers can analyze so much they miss the obvious. Which makes the process a lot more interesting.