Good news for fans of the Cleveland Browns - assuming another team doesn't leapfrog the No. 2 pick in the draft, trading up to No. 1 with the no longer quarterback-needy Titans, your long-suffering franchise is going to have the opportunity to take a guy that several teams in the league apparently believe has a ceiling "not far off" from that of Indianapolis Colts franchise quarterback, Andrew Luck. According to Peter Schrager of Fox Sports, former NDSU quarterback and recently anointed top signal-caller available in the 2016 NFL Draft, Carson Wentz, "won the week," at the NFL's rookie scouting combine.
It's fair to say Schrager's report was gushing, which presumably was a result of the manner in which the information regarding Wentz's performance in interviews was conveyed to him by sources. Per said sources, via Schrager, Wentz "aced his interviews" and his workouts, which left plenty of teams with the impression that a comparison to Luck, a three-time Pro Bowler, and the first-overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, are "not far off."
That's a pretty lofty comparison to make for a guy who spent his four-year college career playing in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Luck, of course, spent his collegiate career at Stanford, playing in Jim Harbaugh's pro-style offense. He also came into the league something like Miley Cyrus - a wrecking ball - racking up 339 completions for 4,374 yards, 23 touchdowns and 18 interceptions his rookie season. His numbers became more efficient each of the next two seasons, with Luck finishing his third year in the league with 4,761 yards passing, 40 touchdowns and 16 interceptions, before the bottom fell out in 2015 thanks to injuries and some behind the scenes nonsense in Indy.
Wentz, while he did lead the Bison to two NCAA Division I Football Championships, being named Most Outstanding Player each time, is much more of a question mark at this point of his football career. Yes, he's been outstanding throughout the pre-draft process so far and has tested well and thrown well. But comparing him to Luck, however tentatively, is questionable at best.
Maybe Wentz's ceiling is that high. And if the Browns, or any other team selects him in the first few picks, that's probably an indication that they agree with Schrager's sources.
But anyone saying anything definitive about Wentz at this point is either a liar, or clueless.
