An unnamed NFC scout identified Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater as a clear step below a "franchise savior" like Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III in an interview with Sports Illustrated.
Of course, if Bridgewater goes to the Houston Texans at No. 1 overall, he would not have to save the franchise. Instead, he would have to merely supplement a gifted defense, distribute the ball to playmakers in Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins, and avoid the turnovers that sunk the team in 2013.
"Now if he went to the Houston Texans, which is a damn good team already, could he turn them around kind of like the Chiefs did this year? Yeah, he could," the scout said, according to the report.
That approach worked for each of the last two NFC representatives in the Super Bowl, with Colin Kaepernick and Russell Wilson -- a frequent comparison for Bridgewater, taking into account accuracy and improvisation -- at the helm.
But it doesn't seem to be worth passing on a potentially transcendent talent in South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, which is why three of four mock drafts by NFL Media analysts have Clowney and not Bridgewater in the top spot.
Bridgewater is praised for his mobility, poise and leadership, but concerns are raised over his physical tools, notably his lack of top-tier arm talent.
Take it all into consideration and a player once regarded as the lock No. 1 quarterback in the draft could be in for a fall. NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah already passed along the viewpoint of several teams that Bridgewater is not a first-round talent.
But if Bridgewater ends up as the next Aaron Rodgers, who dealt with similar concerns coming out of college and still ended up as one of the top quarterbacks in the game, that's a comparison that would certainly be welcomed.
Follow Dan Greenspan on Twitter @DanGreenspan.
