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AJ McCarron a first-round pick in the 2014 NFL draft? Scouts see it differently

AJ McCarron won three championships at Alabama. (Simon Bruty/SI)

AJ McCarron a first-round pick in 2014 NFL draft? Scouts disagree

Former Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron isn't shy about his talent.

A three-time champion at Alabama, McCarron believes he can excel at the next level, too, a fact seemingly affirmed to him during the pre-draft process. Appearing on the Paul Finebaum show on Monday, McCarron said that teams are telling him he's a first-round talent who "could go anywhere from 16-35."

That is news to a handful of NFL scouts who are "befuddled" at the notion of McCarron as a first-rounder, according to Pro Football Talk.

MORE: 2014 NFL Mock Draft | 2014 NFL draft needs: AFC | NFL draft needs: NFC

Some reports have suggested that McCarron could go as high as No. 16 to the Dallas Cowboys, while ESPN's Chris Mortensen says there is a team that "loves" McCarron as a first-round pick. That said, McCarron has continually had his name left out of the top-tier QB conversation (which includes Manziel, Bridgewater, Bortles and Carr), and it seems somewhat odd to think McCarron would be drafted before that group comes off the board.