Quarterback-needy teams reportedly aren't impressed by the 2014 NFL draft class and may decide to select a signal caller in the late-first to early-second round. With the stocks of quarterbacks Johnny Manziel, Blake Bortles and Teddy Bridgewater reportedly falling, teams with top picks -- such as the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars -- may wait until the second round for A.J. McCarron, Derek Carr or Jimmy Garoppolo.
The draft stocks of Manziel, Bortles and Bridgewater are dropping, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Quarterback-needy teams reportedly aren't impressed enough by the quarterback draft class to use a top pick on any signal caller and, per Peter King of MMQB, may wait to grab a quarterback in the second round.
"I've heard that at least four quarterback-needy teams -- Houston (first pick), Jacksonville (3), Cleveland (4) and Oakland (5) -- are strongly considering passing on quarterbacks with their first picks and waiting until their second or third selections," Peter King of MMQB wrote on Monday. "Simple reason: They're not in love with any of the quarterbacks, and there are too many other good players who are surer things than a quarterback you have sincere doubts about.
"For that reason, there could be more quarterbacks taken in round two than round one. For instance, Jacksonville really likes Jimmy Garoppolo of Eastern Illinois, and he'd likely be there high in the second round when the Jags pick again, at 39."
Manziel, Bortles and Bridgewater are considered the top three quarterbacks in the draft. Their value, though, is somewhat marginalized by the talented prospects at other positions, such as defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, receiver Sammy Watkins, linebacker Khalil Mack and offensive tackles Greg Robinson and Jake Matthews, to name a few.
With Houston, Jacksonville, Cleveland, Oakland and Minnesota (No. 8 pick) all needing quarterbacks, however, it seems unlikely that at least one passer won't be off the board within the first 10 picks.
