NFL Draft 2013: Landry Jones Considered a “Draft Riser” by Mel Kiper Jr.

Quarterbacks are always interesting to talk about when it comes time for the NFL Draft each year. From Robert Griffin III and Matthew Stafford to lower ranking names like Trent Edwards and Colt McCoy, it’s always fun to chart where quarterbacks you’ve watched come up through college end up being drafted in the NFL. Right now the only clear cut first-round quarterback is West Virginia’s Geno Smith, with guys like Matt Barkley, Tyler Wilson and Mike Glennon coming up close behind him.

But Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones is a name draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. is watching, and he’s even going as far as to say Jones is a “draft riser” who could end up being selected in the second round.

Kiper writes that Jones was “once a likely mid-to-late rounder”, who has suddenly become somewhat of a hot commodity among general managers and that he “wouldn’t be shocked if someone took him in the late second round”.

The problem with Jones while he was at Oklahoma seemed to be that he couldn’t function properly under pressure. This could be something he can work out, but in the meantime it likely will be a  problem early on in his career. He wouldn’t be the first rookie to not be able to get his feet planted with confidence, but second round picks are expected to do so.

Still, after a depressed quarterback market in free agency left a lot of teams still searching for backups, Jones isn’t the worst option out there. But again, it’s all about where you can get him, as reaching for Jones will put more pressure on his success while getting him in the right spot will make the pick look more natural and ultimately less like a bust.