The NFL draft is only one week away, and many fans are already bursting with excitement. Everyone is anxious to see what will happen with their favorite team, and many are curious to see how things will shake out with the top picks and players in the draft pool.
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Of course, the bulk of the speculation has involved the top two available quarterback prospects, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota. It always seems like the draft is most interesting when there are two highly-touted quarterback prospects, and that is part of the fun this year. Unlike most years, however, neither of the elite QBs is planning to attend the draft.
There has been a lot of speculation as to why Winston and Mariota have both decided not to attend the draft in person, but it could be quite simple, according to Bleacher Report. The young man may just want to avoid the fate of Aaron Rodgers.
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In 2005, Rodgers was also projected to be a top pick, along with Utah's Alex Smith. Smith ended up going first overall, but Rodgers had to wait for hours as he slipped all the way to Green Bay at 24th overall.
While it definitely worked out for Rodgers in the long run, he was miserable on draft day, and he did not shy away from showing his displeasure.
Winston and Mariota may have been young when that happened, but they surely know the story, and they may have decided to skip the draft to avoid a similarly embarrassing fate.
Some agents have spoken out and said they agree with the decisions to skip the event.
"Until your name is called, the draft is a miserable experience," said agent Mike McCartney, who is also a former NFL team personnel executive. "Every kid is nervous about that experience, wondering what's going to happen, if they're going to be picked. It's complete anxiety. You go from that to pure ecstasy when you're finally picked, no matter what round it is. To me, I'd rather do that in my living room at home rather than on national TV."
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