The Philadelphia Eagles selected quarterback Carson Wentz of North Dakota State with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Eagles draft QB Carson Wentz with No. 2 pick in 2016 NFL Draft
Wentz went off the board after quarterback Jared Goff was taken with the No. 1 pick.
Wentz, alongside Cal’s Jared Goff, has been considered one of the only starting-caliber and NFL-ready quarterbacks in this year’s draft. Unlike Goff though, Wentz spent much of his college career under the radar.
His meteoric rise from relative unknown to top quarterback prospect was met with the usual skepticism surrounding players who rise up the rankings while no games are being played, but at every single turn in the process, Wentz impressed those that mattered.
After the Los Angeles Rams traded up to the first pick where they eventually landed Goff, Philadelphia didn't waste much time ensuring they would get a crack at Wentz. A little more than a week before the draft, the Eagles acquired the second pick from the Cleveland Browns and, with reports that the Rams would take Goff, it was assumed that Wentz was the target for Philadelphia.
While Goff will likely be asked to man the franchise immediately in Los Angeles, Wentz may begin his NFL career on the sideline after the Eagles locked up Sam Bradford on a two-year, $36 million contract and signed Chase Daniel to a three-year, $21 million deal in free agency.
Bradford was unhappy with the trade made by the Eagles, but the team insists that he’s still a player they wish to keep in Philadelphia and, considering his salary, he’s still the likely starter for 2016. But the key for the Eagles won’t be Wentz making a quick transition from the FCS to the NFL, and instead the goal will be to groom the quarterback into realizing his big potential that wowed scouts and decision-makers throughout the pre-draft process.
Reports suggest he interviewed well at the NFL Scouting Combine and most importantly, he turned heads big time at his pro day.
Eighteen teams made it to Wentz’s pro day, though a lot more wanted to make it there. A snowstorm prevented other teams from getting to watch Wentz, who drew rave reviews from just about everyone involved.
Franchise NFL quarterbacks simply don't come out of the FCS very often. As far as first-round picks out of the FCS go, there was Joe Flacco -- who transferred from Pittsburgh -- in 2008 and Steve McNair back in 1995. After his pro day, NFL talent scout Gil Brandt compared Wentz to Flacco.
“One of the best pro days I’ve ever witnessed,” Brandt said. “Wentz reminds me of Joe Flacco. He had two 55-yard passes that were as pretty as I’ve seen.”
.@CJ_Wentz (@NDSUAthletics) goes DEEP.
— NFL (@NFL) March 24, 2016
Oh... Hello https://t.co/7X4ALrQYsm
Wentz’s college career was pretty remarkable. He was a backup for two seasons with the Bison, but earned the starting job in 2014. He went on to lead his team to a 15-1 record, starting all 16 games, and played in his first national championship game against Illinois State. He threw for 287 yards, put up another 87 on the ground and had a pair of touchdowns to give the Bison the lead with just 37 seconds left on the clock.
Poised to lead his team to another national championship as a fifth-year senior last season, Wentz started six games before he sustained a broken wrist. He completed that game with said broken wrist, and went on to miss the next eight weeks of the season. Fortunately, Wentz returned to practice in December and was cleared to play in the title game.
He helped the Bison take home their fifth -- yes, fifth -- consecutive national title, throwing a touchdown and rushing for two more. Wentz missed 10 games as a senior before returning to win a national championship in his final game. It’s basically a microcosm of his rise to prominence this offseason.
It’s not the be-all, end-all metric, but Wentz scored a 40 on the Wonderlic, and was a 4.0 student, his coach for the last two seasons, Chris Klieman, said.
“His ability to process information is second to none,” NDSU coach Chris Klieman told CBS Sports.
Given North Dakota State’s strength in recent years, Wentz never should have went under the radar. But he did, and now he’s coming to the NFL to prove he has what it takes -- again.
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