NFL Draft rumors: Teams wonder if Teddy Bridgewater can be ‘face of a franchise’
By Josh Sanchez
It was just one year ago that Geno Smith appeared poised to be the first quarterback selected in the 2013 NFL Draft, but he began getting crucified in the media and watched his stock plummet to the second-round where he ultimately landed with the New York Jets. This year, Teddy Bridgewater is the player who appears destined for a draft day slide.
Once considered the top quarterback in the 2014 NFL draft class, Bridgewater has been consistently knocked in the media since a poor Pro Day and now it is looking more and more likely that he will be falling to Day 2.
According to Mike Mayock of the NFL Network, teams were frightened by Bridgewater’s struggles at his Pro Day and they have some questions about whether or not he is capable of being the face of a franchise.
“I’m hearing a heck of a lot more second-round grades than first-round grades,” Mayock said, via NFL.com.
“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. Number two, when you draft a quarterback in the first round you expect him to be the face of your franchise. 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.”
It is shocking to see the turn Bridgewater’s stock is taking, but someone is going to get a draft day steal.
Not only does Bridgewater have the talent to make every throw at the next level, he is a natural leader that will stay focused on football and avoid any trouble off of the field. Could Bridgewater be the face of a franchise? Absolutely.
It doesn’t take much research to see how great of a guy Bridgewater has been growing up and throughout his collegiate career, so questioning whether or not he can be the face of a franchise is just a silly question to propose.