Peter King: ‘there could be a gold rush on top-10 quarterbacks’

The NFL draft is always one of the most fun topics to talk about this time of year as the college football season comes to a close and the draft order is set for the teams who failed to make the postseason, and MMQB’s Peter King thinks there could be four quarterbacks taken in the first eight picks.

"“It’s 18 weeks away, but if Blake Bortles of Central Florida declares for it in the coming days (and don’t try to hide that you’re coming out, Johnny Manziel), there could be a gold rush on top-10 quarterbacks: Teddy Bridgewater, Bortles, Manziel and Tajh Boyd all will contend to go to Houston (picking first), Jacksonville (third), Cleveland (fourth), Oakland (fifth), Minnesota (eighth) … and maybe second overall, if St. Louis can find a ransom partner.”"

The big surprise on this group has to be Clemson Tigers signal-caller Boyd who will play in tonight’s Orange Bowl against the Ohio State Buckeyes. The other names mentioned by King are the usual suspects, but not many have Boyd mentioned as a first round quarterback, let alone a top 10 pick.

However, given the nature of the position and each of the teams he mentions starved for a franchise quarterback it could resemble the 2011 draft when quarterbacks were pushed up draft boards out of desperation.

That year saw Jake Locker (8), Blaine Gabbert (10) and Christian Ponder (12) drafted much higher than their draft ranking would indicate.

King is one of the smartest guys around the NFL, so he very well may be on to something here.