North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz is now considered the favorite to be the the first quarterback off the board in April’s draft, reports Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Of six executives polled by Peliserro, four believed Wentz would be the first QB selected, while two placed votes for Cal’s Jared Goff.
“I knew once (Wentz) got around the coaches and stuff, they’d eat him up,” one scout told the USA Today scribe. “This guy’s unique. He’s just different. And obviously, he’s 6’5″, 230, and can spin it like a mother.”
With the draft just over two months away, let’s take a look at the latest news and notes:
- A report earlier this month indicated that UCLA linebacker Myles Jack was not yet cleared to participate in the combine due to a knee injury, and according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com, NFL teams still have some questions about the ailment. Jack tore his meniscus and then underwent surgery in September, and Archer writes that medical issues surrounding Jack will be cleared up following today’s tests at the combine.
- Florida safety Keanu Neal is generating “glowing reports” around the NFL, and it’s possible he could sneak into the first round, per Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com, adding that the only concern about Neal is recurring hamstring issues. Both the Steelers and the Cardinals have been linked to Neal, reports Pauline.
- We’ve heard before that the Cardinals plan to target pass rush help this offseason, but as Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic writes, pass rushers might be hard to find in the 2016 draft class, which is said to be deeper in interior line prospects than in edge defenders. But as Somers notes, Arizona’s defense has shown a history of malleability, so if a top interior prospect falls to them at pick No. 29, the club can take him and mold their defense to fit their new addition.