A quarterback can only look so good to NFL scouts in a pro-day setting, where the environment is sterilized from pads, defenses and pressure situations, but Carson Wentz made as strong an impression as possible Thursday.
And the early reviews glowed.
NFL Media senior analyst Gil Brandt, with more than a half century of NFL scouting experience, called it one of the best pro days he's ever witnessed and said Wentz reminds him of former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens. According to Brandt, Wentz completed 63 passes in a 65-throw script, with one overthrow and one drop. Brandt noted the best pro day by a quarterback he's seen came from the Philadelphia Eagles' Sam Bradford, who was the No. 1 overall selection of the St. Louis Rams in the 2010 NFL Draft.
NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah was impressed with the workout as well, saying "That's an A if not an A-plus."
As he did last week with Cal quarterback Jared Goff, Cleveland Browns assistant coach Pep Hamilton followed Wentz's script by asking him to throw some extra passes with a ball doused with water. The first of those throws from Wentz fluttered and was badly underthrown.
"The first one obviously went right into the dirt," Wentz said with a laugh on NFL Network. "... It was pretty doused; that would've been a torrential downpour."
Wentz's session was witnessed by only 18 NFL clubs because of weather problems.
The narrative that Wentz and Goff are running even as the top two quarterbacks available in the 2016 NFL Draft is beginning to give way to a perceived edge for Wentz, the former North Dakota State quarterback who conducted his pro-day workout Thursday for NFL coaches and scouts. First, there was NFL Media analyst Charley Casserly, who polled 15 NFL executives about the two quarterbacks and found a majority of them favored Wentz. And Mayock is seeing things much the same.
"I've watched every game that he was in this year, and I'm more convinced than ever that he's the top quarterback in this draft," Mayock said on NFL HQ. " ... This kid controls the line of scrimmage. He's under center, he's in (shotgun), he controls all the pass protections, and he can make every throw."
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