Reports emerged in January suggesting former Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron was informed he will be a first-round pick in May's draft. Now, with just days remaining before things kick off next Thursday, McCarron says he still believes he'll hear his name called during the first day of the draft.
In an appearance on "The Paul Finnebaum Show," via al.com, McCarron said "pretty much everyone so far" he's met with in the pre-draft process, including representatives of NFL teams, told him he'll be a first-round pick.
"They felt like I could go anywhere from 16-35," McCarron said. "I believe that, too. At the same time, I don't have my hopes set on anything. Whatever happens, happens."
If you believe most draft analysts, McCarron won't hear his name called in the first-round. Or the second round. In many rankings, McCarron is considered a mid-round pick at best. Though he led Alabama to consecutive national titles, he's regarded as a game manager with very limited skills.
No one questions McCarron's intelligence, however, and he sounds like he realizes the information he's being fed by teams could all be a smokescreen.
"It's not like the GMs are calling these guys and telling them, 'Hey, we're going to draft this guy at this number so go ahead and put that out there,'" McCarron said. "One thing I've learned about this whole process, it's nothing but a big secret."
