Zach Mettenberger ranked first at QB by ‘at least’ one team sans ACL tear
LSU Tigers quarterback Zach Mettenberger (8) throws against the Texas A&M Aggies during the second half of a game at Tiger Stadium. LSU defeated Texas A&M 34-10. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Teddy Bridgewater, Blake Bortles, Johnny Manziel, and Derek Carr are generally regarded as the “big four” quarterback prospects in this year’s draft class, as all four of them have clear franchise QB potential and could find themselves being drafted in the top ten. Those four signal-callers are really the only ones with a strong chance of being selected in the first round of the draft, but there are a number of second-tier guys who are intriguing and are worth watching closely in rounds 2-4. One of those interesting second-tier passers is LSU Tigers product Zach Mettenberger, who broke out in a big way last season under offensive coordinator Cam Cameron.
Armed with better coaching, technique, and talent around him (Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry are excellent wideouts, with Jeremy Hill providing Mettenberger with a strong running game to fall back on), Mettenberger lit things up last season before tearing his ACL. There are a few people who are very high on what the strong-armed QB can do, especially if he finds himself in the right system.
The NFL Network’s Albert Breer reports that “at least” one team is so high on him that they have him ranked as the best overall quarterback in the 2014 NFL Draft if he never tore his ACL. That may seem crazy, but it goes to show you how interesting Mettenberger is to some people and how much opinions on QBs fluctuate. Breer reports that the QB will “entice” teams, and it’s clear that at least this one team is more than just enticed by Mettenberger; they are downright smitten.