PFF’s Brad Spielberger Talks NFL Draft, Rodgers to Jets

The NFL Draft is approaching and on Thursday night, 32 names will be called and former college stars will find their new home. Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus joined Sport Scene Tuesday to discuss the upcoming draft as well as the Aaron Rodgers trade.

First Pick

The Panthers have the first overall pick in this year’s draft after trading with the Chicago Bears. According to Spielberger, their pick is “fairly set in stone.” All signs point to Carolina selecting Alabama quarterback Bryce Young first overall on Thursday. Young played brilliantly for two years and won the Heisman trophy as a member of the Tide, but questions about his smaller frame are of concern for many draft experts.

Richardson vs. Levis

Anthony Richardson and Will Levis are both supremely talented athletes who are projected Top 10 picks in this year’s draft. Both SEC East quarterbacks have drawn praise and criticism from experts. Spielberger believes Richardson will be taken higher, potentially by the Colts with the fourth pick.

While there are rumors of Levis going second or fourth, Spielberger boldly predicted that he falls out of the top five, maybe the Top 10. Spielberger said he’s “not believing the hype” of the Kentucky quarterback.

Spielberger’s Underrated Prospect

Kansas State’s Felix Anudike-Uzomah is Spielberger’s pick for the player who will get drafted lower than he should. He raved about the young defensive end, saying that Anudike-Uzomah should be a first rounder and that he’ll be a “steal” if he falls to the second.

Florida’s O’Cyrus Torrence

O’Cyrus Torrence never gave up a sack in college and was a consensus All-American at Florida last year. Despite his unbelievably good collegiate career, Torrence is still a question mark at the pro level. According to Spielberger, Torrence performed poorly in the NFL Combine and Florida Pro Day tests. He also noted that the guard will have to slim down a bit before he’s NFL ready. Despite these shortcomings, he’s still the No. 1 guard prospect in the draft and his dominance in the SEC proves he can hold his own against elite talent.

Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets

The Jets got the Rodgers deal out of the way before the draft in order to fully focus on the weekend’s event, according to Spielberger.

While Spielberger doesn’t think the Jets got fleeced, he does think that Green Bay won the trade. The kicker for him was the conditional deal that came with the trade. The deal is that the Jets’ second rounder will become a first rounder if Rodgers plays 65% of snaps, something that’s all but guaranteed barring a major injury.

He called the deal a “huge risk” for the Jets, as Rodgers is no spring chicken. The quarterback is 39 years old, making him the oldest active passer in the league. The last time Rodgers was fully healthy, Spielberger noted, he won back-to-back MVPs.