Over the last eight years, part of ESPN’s pre-draft coverage included the QB Camp series that featured Jon Gruden watching film with and talking to top quarterback prospects.
Gruden has left ESPN to become the head coach of the Raiders, which means a lot of QB Camp for Derek Carr and leaves a hole in ESPN’s schedule. They’ll fill it with a new series featuring one of the quarterbacks who sat with Gruden before being drafted.
ESPN announced that Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson will host four half-hour episodes of QB2QB before this year’s draft and will mentor prospects, share experiences from his transition to the NFL and “explore mental conditioning” during the series. He’ll spend time with Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma State quarterback Mason Rudolph, Ohio State quarterbacks J.T. Barrett and Penn State running back Saquon Barkley (ESPN notes that episode will be QB2RB).
“Jon Gruden’s QB Camp was one of my favorite experiences of the NFL Draft process because it helped prepare me for some of the physical and mental demands of playing in the NFL,” Wilson said in a statement. “Now, I’m excited to have the opportunity to meet Baker, Saquon, Mason and J.T. to try to help them get ready for the next level as part of ESPN’s QB2QB. At the same time, I look forward to feeding off their energy and excitement as I prepare myself for the new experiences that await me this season.”
The episodes will premiere on April 17 with the draft getting underway in Dallas on April 26.