When you’re a top quarterback prospect, sometimes two dinners are required during NFL draft season.
At least, that’s what happened to Will Grier on Wednesday when the West Virginia quarterback met with the Carolina Panthers and the Washington Redskins — grabbing dinner with both.
After Grier met with the Panthers coaches over steak and salad, the 23-year-old met with Redskins coach Jay Gruden and had sushi, per The NFL Network.
This news prompts so many questions. First, who knew Gruden was a sushi fan? Are teams secretly judging a prospect’s choice of one sushi roll over another? If that’s the case, what rolls would be too basic — California, definitely — to get at a dinner?
WVU QB Will Grier had two dinners last night: steak and salad w/ the #Panthers Norv and Scott Turner and a sushi roll w/ the #Redskins’ Jay Gruden. He’s meeting w/ the #Giants today. The way he distinguishes himself from other QBs, he said? By showing what a playbook junkie he is
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) March 21, 2019
On a more serious note, Gruden was also in attendance for Grier’s pro day on Thursday. He was there instead of Missouri, where first-round prospect Drew Lock was also having his pro day. The Redskins’ scouting staff, however, was in Missouri to observe Lock, according to 106.7 The Fan’s Grant Paulsen.
Grier is a 6-foot-2 quarterback who’s seen as a Day 2 type prospect. At West Virginia last season, he threw for 3,864 yards, 37 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Draft analysts describe Grier as someone with an aggressive mindset, but has average arm talent.
The Redskins have said they will still look at drafting a quarterback despite trading for veteran Case Keenum last week. Keenum will compete with Colt McCoy for the starting job, though Washington doesn’t have a quarterback under contract for 2020 besides Alex Smith.
Smith’s future, of course, isn’t known as he recovers from a serious leg injury.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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