The draft stock of quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is plummeting. The latest mock draft from ESPN's Mel Kiper has Bridgewater falling to the second round of the 2014 NFL draft, where he could land with the Houston Texans or Cleveland Browns.
Analysts once projected Bridgewater to be the possible No. 1 pick of the draft. Now, the former Louisville quarterback is seemingly off the radar and may not even be a first-round pick. Kiper published his fourth mock draft on Thursday, and in it Bridgewater took the steepest plunge: From No. 5 to No. 33.
"...My reading of the tea leaves in speaking with many evaluators around the league is that Bridgewater could drop if he slides past a couple of points early on," Kiper wrote. "If I could project trades, I'd have someone taking him later in Round 1 having moved up. Obviously, he's a steal at this point."
Kiper has Houston selecting defensive end Jadeveon as the first overall pick. Quarterback Johnny Manziel goes No. 4 to Cleveland, and quarterback Blake Bortles goes No. 8 to Minnesota.
Kiper is the latest to suggest Bridgewater could fall to the late-first or early-second round. ESPN's Joe Kaiser reported the Browns are eying Bridgewater and hoping he falls to either their No. 26 or No. 35 pick.
"If Bridgewater is still on the board at No. 26, it's unlikely that the Browns would pick Carr or McCarron ahead of him at that spot," ESPN's Joe Kaiser wrote on Wednesday. "But if Bridgewater is already selected, the Browns could address another position at No. 26 and wait until the second round to land their next QB of the future."
Kiper's Top 10 Picks:
1. Jadeveon Clowney (DE) - Houston
2. Greg Robinson (OT) - St. Louis
3. Sammy Watkins (WR) - Jacksonville
4. Johnny Manziel (QB) - Cleveland
5. Khalil Mack (OLB) - Oakland
6. Taylor Lewan (OT) - Atlanta
7. Mike Evans (WR) - Tampa Bay
8. Blake Bortles (QB) - Minnesota
9. Jake Matthews (OT) - Buffalo
10. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (S) - Detroit
