As May comes closer and closer, NFL fans and college football fans alike find themselves talking more and more about the draft; college fans speculating about where their favorite players are gonna go/should go and NFL fans speculating on what direction are the front offices of their favorite teams going to go in the draft. I, along with the rest of UCF Nation, eagerly look for any clues hinting at which team looks to draft Blake Bortles. With 4 four of the top 5 picks likely looking to draft a QB (Texans, Jaguars, Browns, Raiders), where each quarterback goes varies greatly in mock drafts across the country. Some experts link Blake Bortles to the Texans and the #1 overall pick; a legitimate possibilty. Blake's impressive pro day and individual workouts impressed many teams including the Texans and the current head coach at Houston, Bill O'Brien, witnessed first hand Bortles' capability at the head of an offense when he faced O'Brien's Nittany Lions at Happy Valley in week 4. Going to the Texans would be a good situation for Blake to be in, the Texans are not lacking in offensive weapons (Andre Johnson, DeAndre Hopkins, Arian Foster) and the defense is solid (led by JJ Watt, Johnathan Joseph, Brian Cushing). Of the teams potentially looking to pick a quarterback in the top 5 picks, the Texans look like the best fit for Blake.
I firmly believe Blake Bortles is the best quarterback in this draft class, but it must be noted that I do not think going #1 overall would be the best situation for him. Though the Texans would be a good fit for him, a high standard of expectations come attached to the label of being the #1 overall pick, or even a top 10 overall pick. From the perspective of an NFL front office, every draft pick made is assessed as an investment; the higher the round, the bigger the investment. As a high draft pick, the team expects the player to make an impact as immediately as possible; thus where the issue of drafting high and low comes into play. Unfair as it may be, going #1 overall as a quarterback holds him to the standards set by players such as Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning, Cam Newton, Matthew Stafford, Troy Aikman, Terry Bradshaw, Michael Vick, etc. Players who were ready to start as soon as they entered the league and make an impact on the team. Blake has shown he's a fast learner and has tremendous football IQ, but even he himself admits that he would need at least a year to adjust to the speed of the game. Most evaluations of Blake Bortles conclude that he has all the physical ability and talent desired and needed to be a successful QB in the NFL, but his mechanics need polish; his footwork could use improvement and his decision making under pressure could continue to use work.
If it were up to me, I'd rather see Blake Bortles have time to learn the speed of the game then work his way up rather than be the #1 overall pick but be thrown into the fire and expected to succeed immediately while still having to adjust to the pro game.
I firmly believe Blake Bortles is the best quarterback in this draft class, but it must be noted that I do not think going #1 overall would be the best situation for him. Though the Texans would be a good fit for him, a high standard of expectations come attached to the label of being the #1 overall pick, or even a top 10 overall pick. From the perspective of an NFL front office, every draft pick made is assessed as an investment; the higher the round, the bigger the investment. As a high draft pick, the team expects the player to make an impact as immediately as possible; thus where the issue of drafting high and low comes into play. Unfair as it may be, going #1 overall as a quarterback holds him to the standards set by players such as Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning, Cam Newton, Matthew Stafford, Troy Aikman, Terry Bradshaw, Michael Vick, etc. Players who were ready to start as soon as they entered the league and make an impact on the team. Blake has shown he's a fast learner and has tremendous football IQ, but even he himself admits that he would need at least a year to adjust to the speed of the game. Most evaluations of Blake Bortles conclude that he has all the physical ability and talent desired and needed to be a successful QB in the NFL, but his mechanics need polish; his footwork could use improvement and his decision making under pressure could continue to use work.
If it were up to me, I'd rather see Blake Bortles have time to learn the speed of the game then work his way up rather than be the #1 overall pick but be thrown into the fire and expected to succeed immediately while still having to adjust to the pro game.
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