2014 NFL Draft News: Blake Bortles, Jeremy Hill
Blake Bortles speaks to the media in a press conference during the 2014 NFL Combine. Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
UCF Knights product Blake Bortles could be the first quarterback taken in this year’s draft, and multiple reports have stated that Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien would prefer to take Bortles with the first pick. Most people believe that the Texans are between Bortles and Johnny Manziel (owner Bob McNair has an affinity for the Texas A&M Aggies signal-caller), but it’s always important to note that these reports could be smokescreens and are also subject to change. Even though I think Teddy Bridgewater is the best QB in the draft class and would be a great fit for O’Brien and the Texans, Bortles is a perfectly logical choice and has more upside than Bridgewater.
CBS Sports’s Dane Brugler tweeted out yesterday that Bortles stated that he models his game after Andrew Luck and Ben Roethlisberger, who are named as two loose comparisons for Bortles when draft analysts give their “comps”. Therefore, it definitely isn’t surprising to hear him name off both of those two prospects. It’s always interesting to hear draft prospects talk about players they model their games after, because sometimes they do match up directly with pro comparisons. For instance, Oregon State wide receiver Brandin Cooks has been compared to Carolina Panthers wideout Steve Smith by some analysts, and he stated that he models his game after “Papa Smurf”.
A more interesting draft note is a report yesterday, as the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted that LSU Tigers running back Jeremy Hill mailed a letter to all 32 teams with details of his two arrests, as well as character references. Hill has a huge amount of red flags, but he also has good size and could be viewed as a franchise back at the next level. His draft stock will be predicated on how teams view his potential and his character, and Hill will also need to have a strong combine in order to prove that he deserves to have a shot at a starting gig somewhere.