NFL Draft fifth round results 2014: Bengals select QB AJ McCarron with no. 164 overall pick

With the 164th overall pick in fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft on Saturday, the Cincinnati Bengals went out and selected Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback AJ McCarron, saving him from the embarrassment that he was feeling from having fallen so far.

After having told folks that he had been told by some that he had a first-round grade, McCarron kept steadily falling down the board until the Bengals decided to pull the trigger on the two-time national championship winner and 2013 Heisman finalist.

McCarron was selected right after Georgia’s Aaron Murray was taken by the Chiefs, meaning that two of the SEC’s top quarterbacks from the last four years went off the board back-to-back.

Coming into the draft, the Bengals were said to be in the market for a signal caller at some point, especially with the uncertainty surrounding Andy Dalton, in particular his playoff woes. McCarron definitely won’t see that field immediately, obviously, however there will be time for Marvin Lewis and the Bengals coaching staff to groom him in case they decide to part ways with Dalton some time soon down the road.

McCarron is one of the more well-known prospects in the draft this year, whether the reasons for that notoriety are good or bad. Early in the day on Saturday, there were reports that McCarron was falling so far due to the fact that he rubbed some teams the wrong way in the interview process, saying that he came off as too arrogant and cocky.

But you can’t ignore his success at Alabama. In four years as the starter for the Crimson Tide, McCarron won two national championships while throwing for a combined 9,019 yards with 77 touchdowns and just 15 interceptions.