2014 NFL Draft Prospects: The Rundown

Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Blake Bortles – 6’4 230lbs – Central Florida

Blake Bortles has been flying up draft boards for the last month. He wasn’t even a blip on the radar when I wrote my quarterback prospects piece but since then, you can’t read a mock draft without seeing his name. The most common comparison you will hear when it comes to Bortles is Ben Roethlisberger. Though a bit smaller, the mystique of coming from a small school and physical build is what is drawing these comparisons. While I think it would be a mistake for a team to draft Bortles based on a comparison, I still believe he will be taken in the first round if he declares knocking players like Tajh Boyd even further down the draft board. Prior to his bowl game this year, Bortles completed 68 percent of his passes for 3,280 yards, 22 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.