North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz is reportedly a wildcard in the 2016 NFL Draft, and is expected be drafted in the first round, according to Charlie Campbell of Walter Football. Wentz switched from wide receiver to quarterback in high school, and went widely under-recruited before going to North Dakota State, according to Dane Brugler of CBS Sports.
The Bison quarterback started the first six games of this season before suffering a wrist injury that would require surgery. Wentz had thrown 16 touchdowns to two interceptions while completing 63.7 percent of his passes his senior year.
The senior quarterback is listed at 6-foot-6, 235-pounds and teams reportedly love his size, as well as his talent, according to Campbell. Wentz is expected to play in the Senior Bowl on Jan. 30, and could drastically improve his draft stock with a great performance. NFL scouts will want to see how Wentz performs against the top defenders in college football, as well as see what he can do with legitimate top-tier wide receivers. A great performance in the Senior Bowl could skyrocket Wentz up draft boards, but a poor performance could send him into later rounds.
ESPN's Todd McShay released his first 2016 Mock Draft, and has Wentz landing with the Arizona Cardinals late in the first round. Wentz reportedly would be the ideal quarterback for head coach Bruce Arians, and would have time to develop behind 36-year-old quarterback Carson Palmer, according to McShay. Wentz could be a strong pick for Arizona, but there is truly no telling where he will land in the draft. Multiple teams could be searching for their future franchise quarterback, and Wentz is going into the draft as one of the biggest wildcards, which could intrigue many teams.
