2014 NFL Draft: Scouts Torn on UCF QB Blake Bortles
Jan 1, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; UCF Knights quarterback Blake Bortles (5) runs the ball during the fourth quarter against the Baylor Bears at University of Phoenix Stadium during the Fiesta Bowl. The Knights won 52-42. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
It couldn’t have been a better end to a college career for Blake Bortles, if that’s indeed what it was. Central Florida beat Baylor 52-42 in the Fiesta Bowl, an upset that may very well have earned Bortles a top five draft status, if he chooses to declare.
Bortles will spend the next few days or maybe the next couple of weeks trying to gauge what his draft stock is, what the advisory committee had to say, and what his family and coaches think he should do.
Ultimately, this looks like a no-brainer on paper. UCF isn’t going to contend for a national title next year, and if you want to strike while the iron is hot, it’s never going to be more on fire than it is right now for Bortles.
Compared by some as a poor man’s Andrew Luck or Ben Roethlisberger, Bortles has a great frame at 6’5″ 230 pounds with plus athletic ability and the ability to make any and every throw that he’s asked to make.
Still, despite dominating the Fiesta Bowl to the tune of 301 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, scouts are torn on where Bortles’ stock lies. There are some who have him rated as the top quarterback in the draft. Some have him as the second best signal caller in the class. Then there are some that think he’s not even worth a first round pick.
In a draft where there is a huge demand for quarterbacks, that’s quite a statement to make about a guy at the position.
There’s no denying Bortles’ toughness and ability to win ball games. I think he’d be a top 10 pick if he comes out, especially after what he showed in the Fiesta Bowl.
This is a player that could rise faster than anyone anticipates, not unlike what we saw from Eric Fisher last year before he was drafted first overall by the Kansas City Chiefs.