It’s been an odyssey for Teddy Bridgewater, but in the end, his path concluded in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. The Minnesota Vikings used the 32nd, and last, pick of the first round to grab the former Louisville quarterback.
Bridgewater was once expected to be a top-three pick, but his draft stock took a nosedive after he received a D- grade during his individual pro day at Louisville. It had become a mystery where he would eventually end up, but he found a home in the first round after all.
Bridgewater was the third Louisville player taken in the first round, following Calvin Pryor at No. 18 and Marcus Smith at No. 26. The Cardinals had never had two players picked in the first round in the same year, much less three.
The Vikings currently have two quarterbacks on their roster — former Florida State signal-caller Christian Ponder and Matt Cassel. While Bridgewater will have to beat those two guys out for the job, the fact remains that teams don’t use first-round picks on quarterbacks to sit them on the bench. Bridgewater will enter fall camp as the starting quarterback for the Vikings.
Bridgewater threw for 3,970 yards and 31 touchdowns against just four interceptions in 2013. He tossed for 447 yards and three touchdowns against Miami last year. One of the games that put him on the national map was against North Carolina in 2012, when he completed 23 of 28 passes for 279 yards and three touchdowns.
Bridgewater hails from Miami and was committed to play for the Hurricanes before switching to Louisville. He was the third quarterback taken in the draft, after Blake Bortles at No. 3 and Johnny Manziel at No. 22.