The Cincinnati Bengals, Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins will meet with Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett ahead of next month's NFL draft, league sources said Monday.
Some analysts project Mallett, who is coming off strong performances at the NFL Scouting Combine in February and Arkansas' pro day in March, sneaking into the first round, where the Bengals pick fifth overall, the Vikings 12th and the Dolphins 15th.
NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks said Mallett displayed good arm strength and accuracy during his March 8 pro day, suggesting that his natural athletic ability is unrivaled among this year's crop of quarterbacks.
NFL.com's Steve Wyche has Mallett going 25th overall to the Seattle Seahawks in his latest mock draft, and analyst Pat Kirwan predicts the Buffalo Bills will use the 34th pick on the quarterback in the second round.
The Bengals could be searching for a new starter if incumbent Carson Palmer makes good on his threat to not play in Cincinnati again.
Minnesota is in the market for a quarterback after Brett Favre retired and the team decided not to tender a contract to Tarvaris Jackson, which likely indicates he will not return. Joe Webb, Patrick Ramsey and Rhett Bomar are the quarterbacks the Vikings currently have on their roster.
The Dolphins have much-criticized Chad Henne as their starting quarterback.
