Geno Smith was the best scouted quarterback in this year's NFL Draft, except he was still sitting in the green room when the first round finished up. As teams made a run on linemen and defensive ends, only one team selected a quarterback in the first round and it was not Smith. The buffalo Bills surprised many by draft E.J. Manuel as the first quarterback off the board, leaving Smith undrafted after Day 1. While it is assumed that he will be swooped up early in the second round, Smith said he will not return to Radio City to get his moment at the NFL Draft.
Smith told ESPN's Suzy Kolber that he intended on going home and waiting out the second and third round of the draft there. He declined interviews after the draft wrapped on Friday, only stopping to say that he would be playing with a chip on his shoulder and that he was not surprised with the way the draft developed.
Smith has since received criticism with the way he is handling the adversity of the draft. As a potential leader of the team, he is expected to keep his head held high with things get tough. Backing away from the draft is not sending the best message. All of this is merely just making something out of nothing as Smith is a lock to be drafted by the Cleveland Browns or Jacksonville Jaguars early in the second round.
If there is one highly successful quarterback that has been in Smith's shoes before, it is Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers was assumed to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 Draft, instead slipping all the way to No. 24 before being taken by Green Bay. The MVP took to Twitter to offer words of encouragement to Smith. Rodgers said, "Hang in there Geno, 'good things come to those who wait.'"
Rodgers knows a few things about being patient. He is currently waiting for Green Bay to offer him the next record-breaking contract. Good things will certainly come. Smith's best-case scenario might be at No. 33 with Jacksonville. The team needs a quarterback upgrade and Smith will fall right into their lap. Now, whether or not he is present to have his moment shaking the commissioners hand, remains to be seen.
