While some teams picking in the top 10 may be blowing smoke about their interest in West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith, he’s apparently willing to assume that at least one of them has rubbed the sticks together hard enough to make a flame.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Smith has accepted an invitation to attend the 2013 draft in New York City.
Unlike last year, when everyone knew that quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III would be the first and second selections, it’s unclear when the top quarterbacks in this year’s draft pool will be plucked. It’s still not completely clear which quarterback will go first.
A loose consensus points to Smith. But no one will know for sure until the time comes to make the picks.
Chances are Smith will go in the top 10, as high as the Jaguars at No. 2 or possibly as low as the Jets at No. 9, with the Raiders (No. 3), the Eagles (No. 4), the Cardinals (No. 7), and the Bills (No. 8) possibly pouncing in between.
If Smith gets past No. 9, he could do a Quinn-Rodgers slide into the 20s, with a team at the top of round two likely to trade back into the first round to stop the bleeding.
The good news for Smith, if he slips, is that the NFL brings far more players to Radio City Music Hall than previously. Even if he’s the last man taken on Thursday night, there will still be other guys in the green room, chewing gum and/or diddling the maid.