Geno Smith will be back at Radio City Music Hall on Friday after going undrafted in the first round.
The quarterback had been expected to go in the first night but never did. In a night that saw a plethora of lineman selected, E.J. Manuel was the only quarterback to be picked in the first round, going to the Buffalo Bills with the No. 16 pick.
Growing speculation suggests that Smith will go early in the second round. The New York Jets are said to be looking at Smith with the No. 39 pick.
The Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 33) and Philadelphia Eagles (No. 35), could also look to take a quarterback to fill a need and are predicted to do so.
The athletic, 6-foot-3 quarterback enjoyed a fantastic season with the West Virginia, where he threw for 4,205 yards and 42 touchdowns. He's an accurate passer and can make plays with his feet, which would make him a solid fit in Chip Kelly's new offense with the Eagles; it'd also give him time to adjust to the NFL behind presumed starting quarterback Michael Vick.
Where Smith eventually falls is up in the air. He has competition with USC's quarterback Matt Barkley and Syracuse's Ryan Nassib.
Smith generated headlines earlier this week by lashing out at critics.
"Just want to thank all those so called 'experts' who say I can't be an NFL QB," he tweeted on Tuesday. "Thursday will be a special day but the work has only begun,"
Smith isn't the only high-profile player still waiting to come off the board.
Manti Te'o, whose play has been overshadowed by off-the-field drama, is also likely to go in the second round. NFL analyst Bucky Brooks predicts that the San Diego Chargers will pick the Notre Dame linebacker with the 45th overall pick.
Regardless of whether the Jets select a quarterback, Tim Tebow could be used as trade bait for the team to snag additional draft picks. Few teams have overtly pined for the controversial quarterback, but Jacksonville is routinely mentioned as a possible destination.
If the second round of the NFL draft is anything like the first round, fans should expect an exciting night.
