The stock for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has plummeted to the point that he may become a second-round pick in the 2014 NFL draft. NFL analyst Mike Mayock reports teams are not only concerned about Bridgewater's arm strength and accuracy, but also his ability to be the face of a franchise.
A subpar pro day isn't the only thing working against Bridgewater, according to Mayock.
"What I'm hearing is two things. Number one, when we saw him throw live we didn't see arm strength and didn't see accuracy," Mayock said Wednesday on "Path to the Draft", via NFL.com. "Number two, when you draft a quarterback in the first round you expect him to be the face of your franchise, you expect him to embrace the moment. I think people had some concerns about whether or not this young man is ready to step up and be the face of a franchise."
Mayock added, "I talked to a lot of teams, and I'm hearing a heck of a lot more second-round grades than first-round grades."
The latest mock drafts from both ESPN's Todd McShay and Mel Kiper don't have Bridgewater going in the first round. In Kiper's mock draft, Bridgewater tumbled 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."
Bridgewater finished his 2013 season for Louisville with 3,970 passing yards, 31 touchdowns and four interceptions, but he struggled down the stretch.
The NFL draft begins on Thursday, May 8.
