At one point during the 2013 season, Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was seen as one of the two best draft-eligible players. Now, NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah says there are teams that don't consider Bridgewater a first-rounder.
It's hard to argue with Bridgewater's production; he finished this season with 31 touchdown passes -- a school single-season record -- and just four interceptions. He led the nation with a 70.96 completion rate. He also gets high marks from most for his mobility in the pocket and his leadership ability.
But Bridgewater's size looks to be a negative for some teams. He was listed at 6-foot-3 and 196 pounds by Louisville, but he definitely lacks bulk and looks almost fragile at times.
NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks wrote thatAaron Rodgers overcame concerns about his size to become one of the league's top quarterbacks.
Jeremiah and fellow NFL Media analyst Charles Davis said in December that while they like Bridgewater, both think he will be overdrafted.
Brooks and Jeremiah had Bridgewater in the top five of each of their first mock drafts. Brooks had him going third to the Jaguars, and Jeremiah had him being selected fifth by the Raiders. While no doubt there are teams that don't have Bridgewater high on their draft boards, there also is no doubt other teams would draft him early. With a little less than four months to go until the draft, look for opinions on both sides to strengthen -- but also weaken. That's what makes following the draft process so entertaining.
Bridgewater threw for 3,970 yards this season. In 2012, he passed for 3,718 yards, 27 TDs and eight picks. He owns a career completion percentage of 68.4 on 1,142 attempts in a pro-style attack. As a freshman in 2011, he threw 12 picks as a first-time starter but showed vast improvement in his decision-making the past two seasons.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.