West Virginia's Geno Smith might be viewed as the best quarterback prospect in the 2013 NFL Draft, but NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock shook up the landscape Thursday when he propelled Florida State's EJ Manuel to No. 2 on his top-five list of signal-callers.
Breer: 2013 QB class unsettled
Think Geno Smith is a lock to be the first QB drafted? Think again. Albert Breer says Matt Barkley still has time to climb. **More ...**
Another passer gaining steam? How about Matt Scott, the 6-foot-2, 213-pounder out of Arizona.
NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah noted Thursday that Scott has teams intrigued. "Buzz is building," Jeremiah tweeted. "According to a good source, he has several private workouts on tap."
Scott's timing is right on the money. This year's crop of passing prospects is widely regarded as mundane, but the free-agent market is equally thin. With Matt Moore off the list, teams are looking at a menu of David Garrard, Jason Campbell and Brady Quinn, among equally bland fare. Chase Daniel is intriguing, but thin pickings could mean a player like Scott goes earlier than expected.
Scott has been praised for his velocity and accuracy. Scouts have talked about his ability to thread the needle and it's clear teams -- every one of them, looking for that diamond in the rough -- wants to find that guy they can pluck closer to the third round than the first. Considering the circumstances, Scott might not last that long.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.