As of late, there has been a lot of speculation as to where Teddy Bridgewater will land in the draft. After spending three seasons in Louisville, Bridgewater came into the 2014 NFL Draft as the consensus number 1 overall pick. After a mediocre pro day and NFL Combine, different minds in the league have changed their mind about him, and could potentially slide into the second round. Now the question is, is the combine and pro days a significant indicator as to how an athlete performs in the NFL? Perhaps yes or no, there is no strong answer. Based on Teddy Bridgewater's tape and play in 3 years at Louisville, he has established himself into a good quarterback. Not your typical Andrew Luck-like talent, or play making ability of RGIII or Johnny Manziel, Bridgewater is an old school quarterback who I feel has the talent to succeed in the NFL. Who would've thought in 2000 out of the 6th round and posting the slowest 40-time for a quarterback, Tom Brady, would go on to win multiple Super Bowls, place his name in the record books, and potentially be one of the top 5 quarterbacks of all time? Not one scout or coach. It some times takes the right coaching or the right scheme to adjust a players kinks and make them a better player. I feel it is not fair to label Teddy Bridgewater as a second round pick, but also it is not fair to label him as the number 1 overall pick as he was after his decision to enter the draft. I believe there are two factors as to why Bridgewater is slipping in mock drafts.
Factor number 1: Not related to football, but a basketball example. Entering the 2013-2014, with a team primarily of freshman, Kentucky Wildcats were the unanimous number 1 team in the college rankings to begin the year. Kentucky struggled out the gates and fell hard in the rankings and found themselves out of the top 25 mid-season. One reason could be the fact how young the team is, but the media is to blame for them. Kentucky never deserved to be a number 8 seed. They were better than their ranking. Being ranked so high blinded how well the team truly was despite early season struggles. It was not fair or wise to rank Kentucky so high before the freshman stepped on the court to begin the year. Just like Teddy Bridgewater. It was not fair to label him as the consensus number 1 pick and prospect in the draft. Had not even taken a pre-draft snap yet or to showcase his skills yet.
Factor number 2: In my honest opinion, I think the combine is good to demonstrate one's athletic abilities which could be evaluated, but they're structured workouts and not game situations. The combine should not be the main target for analysis as to how a prospect will do in the NFL. As is the pro day. Wearing a helmet and shorts and no pads during the pro day, or wearing tight body suits to run the 40 yard dash and other measurements does not make an athlete who they are. Athleticism certainly helps, but it doesn't evaluate how a prospect mentally thinks or how strong one's arm is. Bridgewater displayed poor throwing and skills during his pro day. The problem with pro days, they don't depict real game situations. You don't have a full 5 man line, tight ends, running backs, fullbacks, and full wide receiver on the field at the same time. Also there is no full defense lined up to rush and test the quarterback. The best evaluations I feel come from live game tape and that will show you more accurately how a prospect is. Based on my evaluations, Bridgewater seems calm in the pocket and strong enough arm to make the necessary throws down field. During the college season he showed accurate throwing as well too. The combine and pro days don't dictate a prospect.
Whether he slides to the second round, or somehow someone creeps into the first round to take Teddy Bridgewater, I feel they can be rewarded with a good quarterback with leadership who can benefit a team for 8-10 years. He is not your Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, or Philip Rivers, but he will make a name for himself and be a productive pro. I don't feel he is the number one pick or overall prospect in this class, but I do feel he should go round 1 and the teams who passed will regret who's hands he falls into.
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