NFL First Round Mock Draft, Seahawks get defensive
By Dan Viens
Pick #4: Dallas Cowboys – Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State
Knowing when to draft a young quarterback to groom behind an established star is one of the trickiest propositions NFL GM’s face. In some instances teams wait too long, assuming their franchise signal-caller will maintain his effectiveness well into his later years. Arizona never prepared themselves for Life After Kurt Warner, and they paid dearly for it until Carson Palmer arrived.
New Orleans doesn’t have a succession plan in place despite signs that Drew Brees is breaking down physically. Meanwhile, New England believes they may have someone for Tom Brady to hand the baton to when he’s finished (Jimmy Garrapolo), and there’s no better example of quarterback foresight than when the Packers took Aaron Rodgers well before Brett Favre was finished.
What happened in Green Bay was partial luck, because Rodgers wasn’t expected to fall as far in the draft as he did that year. Likewise, Dallas never anticipated having a season that would earn them the fourth pick in the draft. But here they are. And there’s Carson Wentz. Considered more of a project than Goff or perhaps even Paxton Lynch because he played at a lower level, Wentz has all the prototype tools you look for in a franchise NFL QB.
He’s 6’5″ 233lbs, athletic, and can make all the NFL throws with smooth mechanics. And while he did play at FCS level North Dakota St., he won two national championships with the Bison. So why wasn’t he recruited by big-time programs? Believe it or not, Wentz was 5’8″ and 125 pounds as a freshman in high school, and didn’t start at quarterback until his senior year. He’s the ultimate late bloomer.
The time is now for the Cowboys to draft a guy they can groom to take over for Tony Romo, and Wentz is that guy.
Next: On the clock: Jacksonville