Carson Wentz: Latest News, Rumors and Buzz Surrounding QB's Draft Stock

No name is rising up NFL draft boards faster than that of North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz. If recent buzz from draft evaluators is any indication, Wentz could be the main focus on April 28.

Continue for updates.

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Rams Interested in Wentz

Monday, April 18

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Saturday the Los Angeles Rams will meet with Wentz and Jared Goff before April 28 to help them decide who to take with the No. 1 pick. NFL Network's Rand Getlin reported Monday that Wentz will arrive in L.A. on Monday to meet with the Rams "over the next few days."

After the Rams traded with the Tennessee Titans to secure the No. 1 overall pick in the draft Thursday, as announced on the Titans' official site, Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times reported the Rams are targeting Wentz. However, Farmer also reported that "Goff [is] still heavily in the mix" and that the Rams "will turn over every stone."

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller reported multiple sources believe the Rams will draft Goff, not Wentz, with the top pick:

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, citing a source, reported earlier Thursday the Rams worked out Wentz "a few weeks ago."

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Multiple Teams Reportedly Give Wentz High Marks

Friday, April 15

Getlin reported he has been told "multiple times" that Wentz and Jared Goff have graded higher than either of last season's top two picks, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota.

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Wentz Linked to Browns

Monday, April 11

Peter King of The MMQB reported he heard last week that Wentz was strongly considered to be selected No. 2 overall by the Cleveland Browns.

However, it appears that is no longer the case, as King stated, "This weekend one of my panelists said: 'It’s definitely Goff. Believe it.' Next week, could it be Brian Sipe? But I will say this about the pick: Goff’s the name I hear coming out of that building right now. We’ll see."

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Wentz Contemplating Attending Draft

Friday, April 8

Dom Izzo of WDAY in Fargo, North Dakota, noted, "Wentz told me a couple weeks ago he's torn about spending draft night in Bismarck or heading to Chicago."

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Wentz to Meet with Cowboys

Monday, April 4

Todd Archer of ESPN.com reported Wentz will visit the Dallas Cowboys' facility this week but added the franchise has "already been linked to the Cowboys through the Senior Bowl," where they coached the quarterback.

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Wentz Dines with Eagles Owner

Thursday, March 31

Schefter reported Wentz had dinner with Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie as well as team executives and coaches Wednesday.

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Gruden Comments on Wentz

Tuesday, March 15

"I think he's the most NFL-ready quarterback that we've had in the last couple of years," ESPN's Jon Gruden stated during his QB Camp series that will air on ESPN in April, according to Archer.

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Wentz Impresses at Combine

Monday, Feb. 29

Fox Sports' Peter Schrager reported Wentz "won the week," adding that the "Andrew Luck comparisons [are] not that far off" after Wentz aced his interviews and workouts.

However, Miller feels the Luck comparisons are taking the hype "overboard."

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Mayock: Wentz Has 'Similar' Ceiling to Andrew Luck

Tuesday, Feb. 23

Speaking to reporters during a conference call, NFL Network's Mike Mayock compared Wentz favorably to Goff and threw out a reference to Luck.

"Goff is more polished, ready to go today. Wentz has more significant upside," Mayock said, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. "Wentz is as athletic or more athletic than [Luck]. I see a ceiling similar to Luck."

Wentz and Goff have clearly established themselves as the draft's top two quarterbacks, leaving Memphis' Paxton Lynch behind.

That runs in stark contrast to the beginning of the draft process, when Lynch and Goff were allegedly battling as Wentz was a dark horse. Listed at 6'6" and 235 pounds, Wentz threw for 1,651 yards and 17 touchdowns against four interceptions in 2015. He appeared in only seven games after suffering a broken wrist but was still able to come back to lead the Bison to an FCS national championship.

If Wentz goes No. 1 or No. 2, he would be the highest-drafted FCS quarterback in history. Steve McNair currently holds the mark, having been selected No. 3 overall in 1995. An FCS quarterback has not been drafted in the first round since Joe Flacco in 2008, the only such signal-caller taken this century.

It speaks to both Wentz's prodigious physical skills and the skepticism regarding this quarterback class overall that he's probably locked into a top-five selection at this point. The first-round FCSers have a pretty good history of finding NFL success, though, so maybe Los Angeles or Cleveland will find its long-sought-after quarterback off the beaten path after all.

Follow Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) on Twitter.