BC in the NFL Draft: This Draft Stinks, But The Next One Won’t
By Joe Micik
Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports
The general consensus out there in National Football League territory — a sentiment which the editor-in-chief of this website shares — is that the 2013 NFL Draft stinks. This is one of the more underwhelming draft crops we’ve seen in a long while, and those who know a lot more about football than I do seem to agree.
Certainly, there are good players in the draft, but very, very few of college football’s elite, household-name players are in the mix this time around. Let’s be honest: with all due respect to the Chippewas, when the top pick in the draft might be an offensive lineman from Central Michigan, that’s a telltale sign of what we’ve got.
If you’re an NFL fan, the mediocrity permeating this draft will probably give you just cause to find something else to watch this weekend, but if you’re a Boston College Eagles football fan, there are reasons for some guarded optimism. We have known for a few weeks now that two of our offensive linemen, Emmett Cleary and John Wetzel, have a somewhat realistic chance of being taken at the tail end of the draft. Not to say that our players are bad in any way, because if they were, they wouldn’t be in the NFL Draft conversation, but the underwhelming nature of this crop may have helped them stand out a little more and work their way up these draft boards. Granted, we’re only talking mock drafts, but Cleary and Wetzel have gotten noticed, and since we know them both to be capable football players, they’ve both improved their standing relative to the rest of the field. Score one (or two) for BC football.
Of course, there’s bad news. While the 2013 NFL Draft is more or less an affront to humanity, the 2014 NFL Draft could be potentially loaded. If Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater come out early, it’s going to be a very strong class. That’s not necessarily a good thing for one Mr. Chase Rettig, Boston College quarterback.
Rettig is at least in the position of having been noticed: CBS Sports currently ranks him as the #23 quarterback available. That’s all well and good, and he can certainly improve upon his standing with a fine senior season, but looking at the list of names above him, and considering that others may be added, it remains highly unknown just how much upward mobility Rettig might have. A lot depends on how he plays in 2013, but compared to some of the other quarterbacks who will be in the draft in 2014? National champions, maybe a Heisman winner, quarterbacks who have played in BCS bowls, and the list goes on. Unfortunately, with only one year remaining in school, Rettig’s resume is a little too thin to stack up with the upper echelon of the competition. One thing is for sure: he’s going to have to have a hell of a senior season.
Right now, our focus is seeing as many Eagles drafted this weekend as possible, even if that only means one. The rest will almost surely get invites to NFL camps, anyway, so don’t feel too bad for them. If you’re looking to 2014, then yes, you may very well see your BC quarterback get picked if he has his best season in 2013. He just might be a victim of that draft looking quite strong, while our men on the draft board this weekend are helped by theirs being weak.