Johnny Manziel, Blake Bortles and Teddy Bridgewater were once considered to be locks to come off the board within the first 10 picks, but since have seen their stocks as quarterbacks take a dip.
Apparently, we can’t say the same about A.J. McCarron.
Widely considered to be a third- or fourth-round pick, the two-time national championship-winning quarterback from Alabama was told he could be drafted in the second half of the first round.
“They felt like I could go anywhere from 16-35,” McCarron said in an appearance on the Paul Finebaum Show. “I believe that, too. At the same time, I don’t have my hopes set on anything. Whatever happens, happens. It’s a blessing for me to even be in this situation.”
“It’s not like the GMs are calling these guys and telling them, ‘Hey, we’re going to draft this guy at this number so go ahead and put that out there. One thing I’ve learned about this whole process, it’s nothing but a big secret.
“A lot of times teams will bring in a guy just to bluff another team and make it seem like toward the media that they like this guy and really they have no interest at all in drafting him.”
It would be a monumental surprise to see McCarron drafted ahead of Bridgewater or Derek Carr — or even the likes of fast-rising prospects like Tom Savage. The Dallas Cowboys own the 16th overall pick, and aside from them, the Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals and the Houston Texans picking atop Round 2 are the most likely landing spots, barring another team in need of signal-caller trading up.
McCarron worked out for the Browns earlier this month. Fellow Alabama alum Chance Warmack said he hoped the Tennessee Titans draft McCarron. The Titans could be in the market for a quarterback this draft if the team is not sold on incumbent Jake Locker. However, McCarron missed his pre-draft visit with Tennessee due to an illness, and it wasn’t rescheduled.
One of those teams picking between 16 and 35, the Cardinals, are reportedly “sweet on a couple of quarterbacks,“ including McCarron. And that’s not the first time Arizona has been linked to McCarron.
A lot of personnel guys believe AJ McCarron makes sense in Arizona. I assumed 2nd rd.
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) April 3, 2014
McCarron also visited with the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars.
