Clayton thinks Locker will go in first round
Dec 27, 2010, 5:23 PM | Updated: Apr 4, 2011, 7:54 pm
MyNorthwest.com staff
ESPN’s John Clayton has a much brighter outlook on Jake Locker’s draft stock than many analysts and fans might.
Clayton said Monday on the Calabro show that he thinks it’s “inevitable” that the Washington quarterback will be a first-round pick in April’s draft despite a disappointing senior season that led some to project him to fall to the second or even third round.
“I don’t know if he’s going to be the high first-round pick that everybody thought (he would be) last year, but he’s going to go probably in the top-10 or somewhere between 10 and 15 at the lowest,” Clayton said. “I know some people still do have a second-round grade (on Locker). That’s fine. He’s going to go in the first round because (so many) teams need quarterbacks.”
Rob Rang of NFLDraftScout.com said last month on the Calabro show that he projects Locker to be a top-10 pick, but Locker’s name is absent in Rang’s latest first-round mock draft.
Rang recently told Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times that he thinks Locker can significantly help his draft stock if he plays well in Thursday’s Holiday Bowl. Rang also said that a poor performance won’t necessarily hurt Locker because scouts view Nebraska as a much more talented team.
Chad Reuter, another draft analyst on NFLDraftScout.com, has Locker as the No. 8 pick in his mock draft.
ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper ranks Locker as the 23rd best player – and fourth best quarterback – on his “big board” but doesn’t offer a draft projection.
Clayton also discussed with Kevin and Jim where Seattle might pick in the draft, previewed Sunday’s matchup with the Rams that will determine the NFC West champion and discussed how important it is for the Seahawks to reach the playoffs. You can listen to the entire conversation here.
