For
the first time in a few years, the NFL Draft does not boast a
talent at quarterback that has teams salivating. Last season it
was
JaMarcus Russell and his cannon arm that had scouts drooling, and Brady
Quinn parlayed his final season at Notre Dame into initially favorable
draft stock. Let’s not forget that at one time, the Raiders,
Lions,
and Browns all saw him as someone to potentially use a top three pick
on. Granted it did not turn out that way, but the potential was there
and Quinn has shown capability and a live arm when he has had a chance
to get out and throw both in week 17 and in his preseason debut that
electrified the lakefront in August.
Let’s take a look at some of this year’s QB prospects now that we know
what the draft order will look like. Understood here is the fact that
yes, this is very early and yes nobody has had any workouts or
meaningful bowl games yet. However, it is still worth a look because as
I always say, “it’s never too early to start thinking about your future
quarterback.”
Matt
Ryan
Ryan looks like the best pure passer in this year’s group and the
Virginia Tech game may have helped answer some questions about his
mobility. His arm strength has never been in question but is not like
Russell’s. The thing that I like most about Ryan is his ability
to
stand in against a rush and take a hit while throwing, and still
managing to be accurate most of the time. He appears to be a good
pocket passer and that could help him since quarterbacks with most
recent success have all been in that mold. A team like Kansas City or
possibly even the Jets could look at Ryan, but it don’t sleep on the
Rams who have oft injured Pro Bowler Marc Bulger and could look to get
their man of the future if a top offensive line prospect either does
not emerge or is off the board when they pick. |
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Andre’
Woodson
Woodson’s stats for most of the season were eye popping. However, he
did appear to struggle at time in the face of a pass rush consisting of
more than four guys. Some of that could be attributed to his backs not
being great in pass protection but some of it could also be a poise
issue. While he is widely perceived as a very mobile QB, he did
not strike me as someone who wants to run a whole lot, instead electing
to stand in and try to make plays with his arm. Andre’ might have
the strongest arm of the group and should find himself somewhere
between picks 7 and 14. Atlanta, Chicago, Baltimore, and KC
should, and will, all take looks at the Wildcat prospect and he could
have a real chance to start at any of those places if he gets into cap
on time and avoids the JaMarcus Russell situation from this past summer.
Brian
Brohm
This is a classic example of a guy who probably regrets not coming out
last season. Brohm had a nice season but nothing spectacular as
the Cards failed to take flight in the wake of Bobby Petrino leaving. A
mobile, run and shoot type of guy, what worries me is his ability to
stay in the pocket and make plays if they take some time to
develop. I think what worries me the most is that he will be
entering his third system in as many years next season in the NFL and
that could take a toll on his confidence as well as his
decision-making. You can be as accurate as you want and throw it as far
as you want to, but poor decisions result in picks and it has yet to be
seen if he can thrive in a pro-style system. Atlanta appeared to be the
no-brainer place for him but since Petrino left him…again…it’s going to
be interesting to see where he goes. I have him somewhere between 10
and 19 where teams like Carolina, Minnesota, Detroit, and Philly will
give him looks since he could develop for a season or so before having
to start right away.
Colt
Brennan
To me, he is the most intriguing of the group. A live arm and good
decision making abilities make him very attractive, but, like Brohm,
there are questions as to whether or not he is strictly a system
guy. Mobility is not his strong suit although he did demonstrate
an ability to avoid a rush and step up to throw if a play takes time to
develop. A lot of people will say “yeah, he had great stats, but
he threw a million times a game”. I don’t see that as a bad
thing. To me, that means that there aren’t a lot of throws that he
doesn’t make comfortably. Plus, a lot of NFL teams have had
success in 3, 4, and 5 wide receiver sets. What does worry me is
that in the NFL he will have to use a tight end, which is not something
he did at Hawaii. While teams in the top 5 such as the Rams will
give him a look, I think he fits into the lower third of the first
round as of right now where teams like Carolina, Minnesota, Seattle,
and maybe even Green Bay will strongly look at selecting Colt.
Joe
Flacco
The thing here is that nobody, including myself, got to see him play
enough to really know a lot about him so I will talk mainly in
empirical data and measurables here. He is big at 6-6 230 and did throw
for a lot of yards and a nice 23-5 TD to INT ratio. Again, he
played for Delaware so the competition is suspect at best. However,
with a nice arm and good size for an NFL QB, Flacco will garner some
attention sometime between the last few picks of round 1 and the first
few picks of round 2. Perhaps one of the teams in the top five or six
does not go QB in round 1 and decides to take a bit of a flier on
Flacco in the first part of round 2 similar to what the Dolphins did
with John Beck last season. Flacco is definitely someone that I will be
watching closely in the coming weeks and months, as will a lot of NFL
teams that don’t lineup someone named Brady, Manning, or Roethlisberger
every Sunday.
Also, let’s not forget about former Oregon Duck Dennis Dixon.
Coming off of a stellar season and an ACL injury provides and
interesting dichotomy for this hyper-mobile signal caller. One thing
that I do know is that I project him as a quarterback. Some think he
will make a nice receiver/special teamer like the Browns’ Josh Cribbs,
but I think that his game changing abilities merit more attention under
center than anywhere else on the field.
Since running backs are usually the easiest position to assess before
the combine, I will be previewing my top five WR next week. Also, my
first mock draft is underway and slated for sometime in the first week
of the New Year.
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