It seemed forever until fans saw Teddy Bridgewater taken off the board. As the end of the first round of the draft was near, Bridgewater going to the second day was likely. The Seattle Seahawks traded their No. 32 overall pick to the Minnesota Vikings to select Bridgewater before risking him falling to the Houston Texans with their No. 33 overall pick.
Bridgewater, the Miami native, played football at Louisville for three seasons. He was arguably the No. 1 quarterback in the 2014 class but after a sketchy pro day his draft stock fell. Was it throwing with no gloves the issue for Mr. Bridgewater?
“I learned a valuable lesson that day,” said Bridgewater. “I had a few balls that got away from me, and like I said, I was able to learn walking away from there that just do what got you there. If you’re comfortable with the gloves, continue to wear the gloves. So everywhere I go, I make sure I carry my gloves with me.”
Bridgewater led the FBS in passing completion with 71% which was phenomenal last season. He also averaged 9.3 yards per attempt which was top 10 in the FBS for quarterbacks. There were many rumors on where the ex Louisville star would land until the Vikings decided to trade up and get him.
“No QB in this draft shows on tape a better understanding of his offense and how to read defenses and blitzes than Bridgewater.” –Todd McShay
The 6’2″ 208 lbs quarterback will join a list of 5 NFL quarterbacks who weighs in at 208 lbs and under. The only starter out of that group is Russell Wilson. Bridgewater hands measured at roughly 9.25 inches which was the smallest out of the top quarterback prospects in the draft. With his lack of hand size and inexperienced in throwing in cold temperatures, the Vikings shouldn’t have to worry with that by being inside of a dome.
According to ESPN NFL Scout Matt Williamson, “I think he’s the best of the group, in a vacuum.”I really think he’s got a lot of Drew Brees in him. He’s a plus athlete, but he’s a thrower first, of course. He’s highly accurate.”
2013-14 stats:
171.1 QB Rating, 3,970 yards, 31 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, sacked 23 times, and 78 rushing yards
NFL Comparison:
Best case: Aaron Rodgers
Worst case: Sam Bradford
Cordarrelle Patterson, Greg Jennings, Lestar Jean, and Jerome Simpson will be catching balls from Bridgewater next season. The Vikings offensive line ranked 23 in the NFL in the 2013-14 season. With the help of Adrian Peterson, Bridgewater wouldn’t have to carry most of the load heading into the season.
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