{"id":40450,"date":"2016-04-27T15:10:06","date_gmt":"2016-04-27T20:10:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=40450"},"modified":"2016-04-28T17:26:54","modified_gmt":"2016-04-28T22:26:54","slug":"could-2016-nfl-draft-produce-next-endorsement-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/could-2016-nfl-draft-produce-next-endorsement-star\/","title":{"rendered":"Could 2016 NFL Draft Produce Next Endorsement Star?"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Alex Valentine<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 2016 NFL Draft initially looked devoid of high picks who would be immediate marketing\u00a0stars. With offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil projected to go first overall and no compelling\u00a0prospect who attracted mainstream America\u2019s attention in college, buzz was minimal.<\/p>\n

But with the Los Angeles Rams trading up to No. 1 two weeks ago and the Philadelphia Eagles\u00a0trading up to No. 2 last week, the first two picks suddenly belong to big-market teams needing
\nstarting quarterbacks.<\/p>\n

The buzz is back.<\/p>\n

But can that translate into immediate marketing magic? Will the endorsements flow?<\/p>\n

California\u2019s Jared Goff and North Dakota State\u2019s Carson Wentz, once projected as potential\u00a0top-10 picks, now could be the third duo in the past five years drafted 1-2. But both were relative
\nunknowns just a month ago.<\/p>\n

Is flash necessary?<\/p>\n

\u201cFlash guys come and go,\u201d said Jim Gould of Management One Sports Agency. \u201cCompanies are\u00a0tired of flash guys and guys that eventually get in trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, the closer the draft came, the higher the visibility of Goff and Wentz was bound to be. They\u00a0are, after all, quarterbacks.<\/p>\n

The top four off-field earners in 2014, according to Forbes, were all quarterbacks \u2014 Peyton\u00a0Manning ($12 million), Drew Brees ($11 million) Eli Manning ($8 million), and Aaron Rodgers\u00a0($7.5 million) \u2014 but Cam Newton\u2019s numbers were unavailable. The Carolina Panthers\u00a0quarterback is expected<\/a> to leap toward the top of the 2015 list.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Cam Newton looks to be one of the NFL’s highest off-field earners in 2016 (AP Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On April 20, Nike confirmed an ESPN report that it had signed Goff, releasing a cartoon. That\u00a0was the day, by the way, that the Eagles acquired the No. 2 pick. In the April 25 edition of ESPN\u00a0the Magazine, Wentz grabbed with cover with the accompanying blurb, \u201cWho\u2019s ready to bet $20\u00a0million on Carson Wentz?\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the number of quarterbacks drafted high in recent years, the NFL has experienced a\u00a0dearth of top picks at the position who combined marketability, excitement and skill.<\/p>\n

2015 first overall pick Jameis Winston had the skill the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wanted, but\u00a0companies were wary of his off-the-field legal issues, no matter what the result. Second overall\u00a0pick Marcus Mariota signed several local deals in his home state of Hawaii, but did not make\u00a0much a national advertising impact, heading for the small-market Tennessee Titans.<\/p>\n

In late July last year, wide receiver DeVante Parker, the 14th overall pick by the Miami Dolphins,\u00a0seemed to have more endorsements than any other 2015 pick, his agent, Gould, told the\u00a0Louisville Courier-Journal. Parker had deals from adidas; Bose; Proctor & Gamble\u2019s Tide,\u00a0Gillette, Pantene and Olay; and trading card companies Topps, Upper Deck, Leaf and Panini.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf a player has skill, high character, stays out of trouble and has a good agent,\u201d Gould told\u00a0Medill Reports recently, \u201che can get endorsements right away.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, last year\u2019s top two quarterbacks were bound to produce off the field.<\/p>\n

Adam Grossman, president of Block Six Analytics, which created a model for calculating\u00a0athletes\u2019 off-field value for company endorsements, says Winston\u2019s overall off-field value last\u00a0season was $18.2 million. Mariota generated $37.3 million for advertisers.<\/p>\n

Some of the most recognizable figures in recent drafts didn\u2019t manage to turn their fame \u2014 or\u00a0infamy \u2014 into sustained success and and off the field.<\/p>\n

In 2014, Texas quarterback Johnny Manziel had the buzz, but also off-field issues, and he\u00a0couldn\u2019t produce with the Cleveland Browns or stay out of trouble. First overall pick Jadeveon\u00a0Clowney signed a deal with Puma before the draft, but injuries limited the Houston defensive\u00a0end to four games his rookie season.<\/p>\n

\"Devante
Devante Parker was one of the highest off-field earners from the 2015 draft. (AP Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the 2013 draft, offensive lineman Eric Fisher went first overall to Kansas City. Linebacker\u00a0Manti Te\u2019o was arguably the name with the most buzz, but again mostly for off-field reasons,\u00a0and he didn\u2019t get drafted until the second round, by San Diego.<\/p>\n

2012 first overall pick Andrew Luck had the skill and the position, but the new Indianapolis\u00a0quarterback did not immediately soar as an off-field marketer. Not like second overall pick\u00a0Robert Griffin III, who signed with Subway, Castrol Motor Oil, EA Sports and others before
\ntaking a single snap as Washington\u2019s new quarterback. But after just 28 starts and a myriad of
\ninjuries, he was relegated to clipboard duties and now is on Cleveland.<\/p>\n

Newton holds the record for a single rookie endorsement deal, signing for more than $1 million\u00a0annually from Under Armour in 2011. Generally, it can take time to break through for the major
\nendorsement money. And it isn\u2019t always the top few picks who find endorsement success.<\/p>\n

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was a third-round pick in 2012, but after having\u00a0success in the league, eventually signed deals with Bose, Duracell, Braun and others. And\u00a0Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, a first-round pick in 2011, was No. 5 on Forbes\u2019 list for\u00a02014 off-field earners with endorsements totaling $7 million.<\/p>\n

As for Goff and Wentz, whichever quarterback goes to Los Angeles will have the advantage of\u00a0being the face of the franchise, now that it has returned from St. Louis. Assuming there are no\u00a0Draft Day shockers, both quarterbacks will have the advantage of heading to decent teams,\u00a0considering the Rams and Eagles were both 7-9.<\/p>\n

Goff and Wentz appear to be smart and don\u2019t seem to have any character questions, which should\u00a0help.<\/p>\n

\u201cCompanies want athletes who are recognizable,\u201d Grossman said, \u201cand who will represent the\u00a0company well off the field.\u201d<\/p>\n

But can they play?<\/p>\n

Concerning Wentz, North Dakota State coach Chris Klieman told Texans Radio in February,\u00a0\u201cHe\u2019s an extremely confident guy without being arrogant or egotistical. He\u2019s just got a great\u00a0presence about him and confidence. He\u2019ll command a room.\u201d<\/p>\n

Concerning Goff, ESPN analyst Jon Gruden said in a recent conference call,\u201d He is a quick study.\u00a0He’s got a real strong group of intangibles for him. He’s got a great family background that has
\npushed him and pushed him to this level.\u201d<\/p>\n

Photo at top: Peyton Manning, the longtime advertising face of the NFL, retired this offseason.(Spots USA<\/a>\/YouTube<\/a>)<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Alex Valentine The 2016 NFL Draft initially looked devoid of high picks who would be immediate marketing\u00a0stars. With offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil projected to go first overall and no compelling\u00a0prospect who attracted mainstream America\u2019s attention in college, buzz was minimal. But with the Los Angeles Rams trading up to No. 1 two weeks ago […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":149,"featured_media":40455,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2677,27,492],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40450","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2016-nfl-draft","category-business","category-nfl-draft"],"yoast_head":"\nCould 2016 NFL Draft Produce Next Endorsement Star? - Medill Reports Chicago<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/could-2016-nfl-draft-produce-next-endorsement-star\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Could 2016 NFL Draft Produce Next Endorsement Star? - Medill Reports Chicago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Alex Valentine The 2016 NFL Draft initially looked devoid of high picks who would be immediate marketing\u00a0stars. 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