A pair of accomplished SEC quarterbacks taken with back-to-back picks in the fifth round highlighted the early action of Saturday's final segment of the 2014 NFL Draft.
The Kansas City Chiefs selected Georgia standout Aaron Murray with the 163rd overall choice, one spot before the Cincinnati Bengals took 2013 Heisman Trophy runner-up A.J. McCarron.
Murray finished his collegiate career as the SEC's all-time leader in passing yards (13,166) and touchdown throws (121), but likely fell to the third day due to a lack of preferred size for the position.
McCarron piloted Alabama to back-to-back BCS national championships in 2011 and 2012, then claimed the Maxwell and Unitas Awards this past season after throwing for a school-record 3,063 yards and 28 touchdowns. He went 36-4 as a starter for the Crimson Tide.
Two other signal-callers came off the board in the fourth round, with Arizona nabbing Virginia Tech's Logan Thomas with the 120th selection and the quarterback-needy Houston Texans choosing Pittsburgh's Tom Savage with their compensatory pick (No. 135).
Both players are noted for their size and arm strength. Thomas stands 6-foot-6 and set a record for velocity at the scouting combine, with the 6-foot-4 Savage also faring well in that category.
LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger, who saw his stock slip by a torn ACL and reports that he failed a drug test at the combine, lasted until the second pick of the sixth round (No. 178). He was taken by the Tennessee Titans.
The fourth round, which Philadelphia kicked off by snaring Florida defensive back Jaylen Watkins at No. 101 overall, also featured another Heisman finalist in Boston College running back Andre Williams, whom the New York Giants landed with the round's 13th pick.
Williams, the 2013 Doak Walker Award recipient, led the nation with 2,177 rushing yards during his senior campaign with the Eagles to place fourth in the Heisman race.
Watkins is the older brother of new Buffalo Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who was plucked with the fourth overall pick of Thursday's first round following a draft-day trade with Cleveland.
Missouri defensive end Michael Sam, seeking to become the NFL's first openly gay player, had yet to be drafted through the first five rounds.
[SportsNetwork.com]
