AJ McCarron: Alabama Quarterback Slips In NFL Draft, Still Doesn’t Regret Skipping Senior Bowl

AJ McCarron thought he would be a first or second round pick in the NFL draft, but when Friday’s selections came to a close and the third round ended, his name was not yet on the board.

The Alabama quarterback was not among the five signal callers selected in the first three rounds of the 2014 NFL draft, surprising some draft experts.

Going into the draft, McCarron said he had done all he could to convince teams to draft him, and now it was just up to waiting.

“I feel like if you have to convince somebody to take you at this point, then they don’t really want you and that’s not a situation you want to be in coming into the NFL,” he said. “I want everyone in the organization to be behind me and want me so that I can come in there to work and earn my stripes as a rookie. I want the respect of the older teammates and prove that I am ready to win and do whatever it takes to win.”

AJ McCarron was criticized for skipping the Senior Bowl, which is seen as an important opportunity for prospects to show off for scouts and set themselves apart. But McCarron said he doesn’t regret his decision.

“Not playing in the Senior Bowl, my whole thought process was to get my body healthy,” he said. “I never had a break playing at Alabama and not only that I felt like, if I needed to play in an all-star game to tell what type of player I am then it’s ridiculous. To me, that’s my personal opinion. I played in the SEC for 40-something games; if you can’t see anything playing against SEC competition week in and week out, doing what I have done, then you’re not going to see it in one all-star game.”

But AJ McCarron may not have to wait much longer. He is considered among the top prospects remaining when the fourth round of the NFL draft begins on Saturday, and the No. 1 quarterback left.