After emerging from his final season at Louisville as one of the top quarterbacks in this year's draft class, Teddy Bridgewater has seen his stock drop precipitously ever since a subpar pro day in March.
That doesn't mean he's not a hot commodity to some teams, however, and he's been racking up the frequent flyer miles to prove it over the past few weeks. As teams look to firm up their draft boards, Bridgewater is making his way around the country to meet with quarterback-needy teams and show he is the right fit for them as a franchise-caliber player.
The latest stop on Bridgewater's itinerary is Cleveland, according to NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport. The Browns, who have also had a private workout with Bridgewater, are likely to draft a quarterback this year and own two first-round picks -- fourth and 26th overall -- as well as the third selection of the second round (No. 35). After his visit in Cleveland wraps up, Bridgewater will make a stop in Houston to visit with the Texans, Rapoport reported.
"If the Browns don't go quarterback at No. 4, I think a lot of people are going to anticipate them going quarterback at 26," NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah said recently. "Maybe some of those teams picking at the top of Round 2 who didn't go quarterback early might want to leapfrog in front of the Browns if a Teddy Bridgewater is there or Derek Carr is there."
Bridgewater ranks as Jeremiah's 11th-best player in the draft and No. 1 quarterback. That's becoming an uncommon view nowadays, though, as the former Cardinals star has seen his stock tumble from a possible top-five selection to being considered an early second-round pick in some circles.
While the Browns have been linked closely with Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr in recent weeks, the team is undoubtedly doing its homework on a number of different quarterbacks.
Bridgewater was slotted to the Browns with the 26th-overall pick in Jeremiah's latest mock draft. He might be available when the team picks in the second round, but the Browns would have to watch out for Houston taking him at the start of Day 2 if it bypasses the quarterbacks in the first round. Another concern would likely be a team like the Jaguars, Vikings or Raiders trading up into the late first round.
The Browns have visited and/or held a private workout with Bridgewater, Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel, UCF's Blake Bortles, Alabama's AJ McCarron and Eastern Illinois' Jimmy Garoppolo among others at the quarterback position. Which one they end up drafting remains an educated guess at this point, but it's looking like taking Bridgewater in the second round can't be ruled as a possibility.
Follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter @BryanDFischer.
