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The NFL Network's Mike Mayock made a lot of noise in the pre-draft process last season when he ranked E.J. Manuel as his top quarterback. Surprisingly enough (except to Mayock himself), Manuel was the first signal-caller off the board on draft night to the Buffalo Bills at 16th overall. Mayock might be poised to make noise again in this year's draft process by slotting Teddy Bridgewater as the best quarterback in this class, a ranking that has become shockingly unpopular over the last two months. Mayock's full top five at QB are as follows.
1. Teddy Bridgewater, Louisville
2. Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M
3. Blake Bortles, Central Florida
4. Derek Carr, Fresno State
5. AJ McCarron, Alabama
Though virtually nothing has changed since the end of the college football season, late surges in hype by Blake Bortles and Johnny Manziel, as well as the ever present cloud of Jadaveon Clowney's greatness, have pushed Bridgewater further and further down in some mock drafts. Many here at Battle Red Blog have remained staunch supporters of the "Tank for Teddy" movement, and it seems as though Mike Mayock is in agreement with Bridgewater's status as this year's top dog (so far).
NFL Draft Film Study
NFL Draft Film Study
Another notable ranking, or rather lack of ranking, is Stephon Tuitt being left out of the top five defensive ends altogether. Kony Ealy, Dee Ford, Scott Crichton, and Trent Murphy trail the aforementioned Jadeveon Clowney in that category, according to Mayock. Some would find these rankings odd considering that Dee Ford and Trent Murphy are often seen as outside linebacker prospects, though "inside" and "outside" linebackers did not have their own categories in Mayock's rankings. One can assume that as the draft gets closer, Mayock will release his rankings for specific types of defensive ends and linebackers as he did last year; until then, we are left to wonder just how far Tuitt's stock has fallen since the start of the 2013 season.
If there is one thing I do know, it is that a Teddy Bridgewater-Stephon Tuitt double dip at the top of rounds one and two of the 2014 NFL Draft would be about as good a haul as one could hope for your Houston Texans. Make it happen, Rick.
