(Kevin Hoffman/USA Today Sports)
There was plenty to take away from the 2013 NFL Draft, but one of the biggest surprises came in the first round when the Buffalo Bills selected former Florida State quarterback E.J. Manuel at No. 16–mainly because there’s a good chance the team would have been able to select him in the second or third round. Now, the main question on the back of everybody’s mind is whether or not Manuel will be able to win the starting job at quarterback for the 2013 season.
Despite signing Kevin Kolb to a two-year deal during the offseason, the former second-round pick has received numerous opportunities to prove himself as a starting quarterback and if he couldn’t make it with the Philadelphia Eagles or Arizona Cardinals–it’s difficult to imagine him having any success with the Bills. The fact that Kolb struggled to put up big numbers with a wide receiver like Larry Fitzgerald shows just how much he’s struggled in his career and he could be in for a rude awakening in Buffalo.
With this in mind, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Manuel ended up winning the starting job as a rookie for the 2013 season. Obviously, the Bills must see something special in Manuel if they were willing to make him the first quarterback drafted this year–so they might as well give him a shot as a rookie.
The potential is certainly there for Manuel and these next few months will be interesting when it comes to whether or not the rookie has what it takes to beat Kolb out for the starting job.
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