Wentz with Eagles could be the next big thing in Philly

Carson Wentz sat at the head of a table at an upscale restaurant in Fargo, N.D., on March 30, when he raised a glass of water to share a toast. Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie sat on his left. Eagles coach Doug Pederson sat on his right. Team executive Howie Roseman and offensive coordinator Frank Reich, among others, were also at the table.

When Wentz walked into the restaurant, there was an ovation for the 6-foot-5, 237-pound North Dakota State quarterback. On the TV at the bar, ESPN showed his college highlights. Patrons snapped photos with their cellphones. One date was apparently interrupted by Wentz's appearance, prompting the woman at the table to admonish her gawking companion.

To most in the restaurant, Wentz was the attraction. By chance, a 28-year-old Philadelphia native and Willow Grove resident named John Pisula visited Fargo for business and wanted to take clients to a nice meal. He noticed Lurie, Pederson, and Roseman, and his dinner guests asked why his face flushed.

Pisula posted photos on Twitter that quickly went viral. Ten minutes after Pisula identified himself to the Eagles brass, Roseman received a text message from another team executive about the meal. The dinner with Wentz became a source of excitement for Eagles fans.

Roseman used the restaurant encounter as an example of social media's effect on the scouting process. But it could just be an example of Philadelphia fans' appetite for anything to do with the Eagles - and especially their interest in Wentz. That dinner represented more than due diligence. It was part of the team's decision-making process for one of the biggest trades in franchise history: a blockbuster deal to acquire the No. 2 pick in the draft, likely making Wentz the future face of the franchise.

The Los Angeles Rams reportedly prefer Cal quarterback Jared Goff with the No. 1 pick, and the Eagles will take whichever quarterback falls to No. 2.

"I didn't want to blow up their spot, but this was like the coolest thing I'd ever done," Pisula said last week. "It's something I can tell my kids about . . . especially if Carson is the quarterback who leads us to a few Super Bowls."

No pressure.

Most stories about Wentz include similar descriptions: 4.0 student, valedictorian of his high school class, two-time captain, humble, leader, likes to hunt and fish, enjoys the outdoors, man of faith.

"Everything you've read about him, heard about him, probably is true," said Ron Wingenbach, Wentz's high school coach at Century High School in Bismarck, N.D.

Lucas Albers, a former college teammate and roommate, insisted there's little bad to say about Wentz, adding Wentz won't be linked to any off-field misconduct. Wingenbach was asked for some dirt on Wentz, something different from what's already out there. He had nothing to offer.

"Everything that you want in a competitor, a leader of a team, he's been and continues to be," Wingenbach said.

Wingenbach watched Wentz grow nine inches and gain 75 pounds during high school. Wentz didn't become a full-time starter until his senior year of high school.

Albers, a tight end, saw a player with size comparable to his playing quarterback when they arrived in 2011, and he became awestruck at Wentz's ability.

Still, Wentz waited his turn at North Dakota State, sitting three years - all national title seasons - before joining the lineup in 2014 as a redshirt junior.

That's when North Dakota State quarterbacks coach Randy Hedberg first worked with Wentz. Hedberg, a former NFL quarterback and North Dakota native, was already familiar with Wentz. The skills and intangibles impressed him up close. But Hedberg was sold on Wentz's professional prospects during the postseason, when Wentz led the Bison on two-minute drills in back-to-back games.

"I thought he'd be a high draft pick. I didn't know if he'd be a first-round pick," Hedberg said. ". . . I thought he'd be a top-five quarterback coming into the draft."

Last summer, Hedberg tried to help Wentz become a counselor at the Manning Passing Academy. The best college quarterbacks often work at the camp, and Wentz was not considered among the top group.

"This kid's going to be one of the top quarterbacks in college football regardless of division," Hedberg said for his pitch.

Wentz's draft stock ascended during his senior season, even while his campaign was interrupted by injury but finished with a national championship. Still, he was not universally viewed as a top-10 pick. Then came the Senior Bowl, the NFL combine, the pro day, and the eventual trades by the Rams and the Eagles to put quarterbacks atop the draft with the first two picks. Wentz is going to be one of them.

"In the last three months of this year, I think Carson's competitiveness has come out big time, and he's in competition, and he wants to be the top quarterback in the draft," Hedberg said. "And I think he saw that, and he saw that possibility after the Senior Bowl, and I think that's when we saw him competing at a very high level."

Mike Mayock studies NFL draft prospects throughout the season, but in the middle of last autumn, Mayock still hadn't heard of Carson Wentz.

"He was just a name on my quarterback list," said Mayock, an NFL Network analyst.

Mayock watched four games featuring Goff, the likely No. 1 pick in the draft, and thought he had found his top quarterback.

One week later, Mayock watched Wentz for the first time. It was an October game against Northern Iowa. Wentz threw for 335 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 47 yards.

"Holy crap, that was a great tape!" Mayock said. "I hope the next one's as good."

The second tape was as impressive as the first, and the third tape continued astounding Mayock. He deduced that he had just watched a first-round quarterback, one that he knew nothing about before putting in the film.

The season was only one part of the evaluation. Mayock attended the Senior Bowl, the combine, and the North Dakota State pro day. He spent time with Wentz to learn about characteristics film doesn't reveal. Mayock became convinced that Wentz was a top quarterback. He compared Wentz's rise to that of Joe Flacco at Delaware, and thinks Wentz is a superior prospect to Sam Bradford in 2010.

"He's always been my No. 1 quarterback since back in the fall," Mayock said. "He's crossed every checkmark since. I took a lot of abuse a month or two ago for saying Wentz and Goff were every bit in the conversation with last year's [Marcus] Mariota and [Jameis] Winston. I still believe it. And apparently, two other NFL teams do if they're willing to give up that kind of firepower to move up and get those guys."

A draft party is scheduled for a football stadium in Bismarck on Thursday - it had to be moved from the gym at Wentz's high school because of overwhelming interest - with a silent auction to raise money for athletes who cannot afford equipment. There will even be activities that mimic the drills Wentz went through at the combine in Indianapolis.

Wentz will be in Chicago for the draft. Unless the Rams pass on Goff, Wentz will walk across the stage 20 minutes into the event, shake Roger Goodell's hand, and don an Eagles cap. In Bismarck and Fargo and throughout his home state, there will be applause like that inside the restaurant on March 30.

"He kind of epitomizes the working class here in North Dakota," Wingenbach said. "He's a very humble, hardworking young man. I would hope the rest of the United States kind of sees North Dakota as that type of state. And so consequently, you see the whole state rally behind him."

It's already happened in North Dakota. Philadelphia could be next.

zberman@phillynews.com

@ZBerm www.philly.com/eaglesblog