We remain uncertain about how the dominos will fall in May when the NFL Draft finally arrives, but the teams picking at the top that could be in the market for a quarterback have been doing their due diligence.
According to TFY Draft Insider Tony Pauline, Central Florida’s Blake Bortles has already met extensively with the Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders, and the Minnesota Vikings prior to his Pro Day workout Wednesday.
Blake Bortles/QB/UCF has already met extensively with the Texans, Jaguars, Raiders & Vikings today prior to Wednesday’s pro-day…
— Tony Pauline (@TonyPauline) March 19, 2014
Bortles name is oft-connected with the Texans picking No. 1 overall, but uncertainty at the top of the draft could allow the quarterback to slip to the other interested teams in the top 10 or even into the second round. The news that Bortles has been having these sorts of meetings makes it more likely he will come off the board early in Round 1, though it could just be teams doing necessary research.
Sammy Watkins is the best wide receiver available in this draft, and he sees a lot of himself in Torrey Smith’s game.
In his own words, @sammywatkins compared his game to Torrey Smith. I saw the same traits when I studied the tape. http://t.co/s9LqmCRlGU
— Bucky Brooks (@BuckyBrooks) March 18, 2014
Watkins’ sentiment was echoed by NFL.com draft analyst Bucky Brooks, who believes like Smith, Watkins is a home-run threat that can stretch the field. However, Brooks believes Watkins is a more well-rounded product coming out of Clemson than Smith was coming out of Maryland. Smith was taken in the second round of the 2011 draft, while Watkins should come off the board sometime in the top eight picks.
MEETINGS: Alabama safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix visited with the Detroit Lions and could be the team’s pick at No. 10 overall. The Lions have a major need in the secondary and are likely to address it via the draft. The Lions could also nab a cornerback — perhaps Justin Gilbert of Oklahoma State — but many teams have rebuilt their secondaries with top-caliber safeties such as Earl Thomas III or Eric Berry.
Virginia tackle Morgan Moses met with the Carolina Panthers, who need to address both their offensive line and wide receiving unit in the draft. Tackle Jordan Gross was one of many Carolina linemen to hang up their cleats this offseason, and Moses could be his successor. Moses could land somewhere in the first or second round.
