Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
NFL’s Future readers know I have two weekly reads; Peter King’s Monday Morning Quarterback and Eleven Warriors. Each Monday, I look forward to Peter King dropping NFL knowledge on readers, particularly this time of the year. There’s usually tidbits of draft knowledge from one of the more connected sources in the game. Therefore, when King speaks, I’m all ears.
Today’s MMQB offered a couple very telling paragraphs on what King is hearing as it pertains to four very high profile 2013 draft prospects.
I think with the first round of the draft one month from tonight, I’m hearing doubts on Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner (could drop out of the top five), hopes about West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith (the Jags are interested, preliminarily, at No. 2), no holes on Texas A&M tackle Luke Joeckel (still the odds-on favorite to go No. 1 overall) and one very big workout and interview extravaganza coming on Wednesday: Matt Barkley, the USC quarterback, will throw in earnest for the first time in front of NFL scouts since injuring his shoulder in November.
The doubts on Milliner come as no surprise as the Alabama corner was a full-time starter for one-year, although he played significant time in 2011 in nickel packages. Since 1990, only nine corners have been taken in the top five selections of the draft and all of them came with more collegiate seasoning than Milliner. Given the free agent market at the position, it seems to be a longshot that Milliner will be off the board before Cleveland selects at No. 6.
For those that think the Jaguars are posturing on their interest in West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith, King opines that the Jags are interested, preliminarily in adding a new quarterback to their roster at No. 2. It’s debatable whether Smith is worthy of consideration that high but the Jags new leadership team have no ties to Blaine Gabbert and could be quick to wash their hands of the young, erratic quarterback in favor of someone that could spring hope in their fanbase.
Luke Joeckel has sat in the No. 1 spot in our rankings since November, for the exact reason that King states in his MMQB. Not that we think there are no holes in Joeckel’s game but there are very few. He carries a higher grade than last year’s No. 4 overall pick Matt Kalil for us, making him a legitimate candidate to be taken first overall.
Matt Barkley could be one of the most polarizing prospects in the 2013 NFL Draft. We haven’t seen him throw a football since November and he is looking to prove the arm strength critics wrong this Wednesday at his pro day. King believes that a strong pro day workout ‘could propel him into the top half of the first round’.
