Despite the presence of a handful of others available in today’s NFL Supplemental Draft, today’s big name is undoubtedly Terrelle Pryor. It’s quite possible that the Ohio State quarterback lands in the AFC West at 12pm CT today since the Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers all attended Pryor’s workout.
Perhaps the favorite among the AFC West teams interested — and even the entire NFL — is the Raiders franchise. Al Davis is well known for loving the skill positions and those who possess the best on-paper abilities, whether he’s selecting a receiver like Darrius Heyward-Bey or a running back like Darren McFadden or an offensive tackle like Jared Veldheer.
Wes Bunting comments on just that for the National Football Post when he writes, “It’s no secret that owner Al Davis loves athletes that can run and Pryor certainly fits that bill. Add in the fact that the Raiders haven’t had a legit signal caller leading their offense since Rich Gannon and that they are in desperate need of a franchise QB. Pryor is going to be a work in progress, but when you look at his athletic skill set/upside and figure he is only going to warrant a later round pick, he seems like the kind of guy the Raiders front office would certainly be willing to gamble on.”
The Chiefs also checked him out and perhaps there’s room there on the roster for Pryor’s talents. A strong developmental quarterback/receiver like Prior could be tempting for the Chiefs front office, and yet the team already has plenty of mouths to feed and limited roster spots for a player who would mostly sit and learn for some time. If the Chiefs put in a bid on Pryor, it likely will be too low to actually win Pryor’s services, and the Chiefs should be considered one of the more surprising possibilities.
The Chargers, meanwhile, could be considered the sleeper here. Phil Rivers gives the team enviable security at the quarterback position and they also have Vincent Jackson and Malcolm Floyd at receiver, which means Pryor could learn from some of the NFL’s best at his potential positions. The Chargers have to love Pryor’s tall frame since that’s become characteristic of the receivers already on the roster, so GM A.J. Smith might surprise with a higher bid here.