O.K. I am going to give this a go. My list might seem dumb to some, but this is how I feel. I have read tons and watched as many videos as I can of these guys. I have changed my mind many times, but I think these are my final thoughts on the QBs prior to the draft.
I put a lot of weight into intelligence, whether or not the QB comes out early and character. I don’t necessarily think these guys will or should be drafted in this order. Newton is probably going in the first and at the latest the second. As you can see, he is last on my list.
1. Christian Ponder – Obviously love his intelligence, especially since he is working on his second Masters Degree. He is more athletic than people give him credit for. They say he is not fast, but his 40 speed was only slightly slower than the athletic Locker, he just does not throw his body around.
There are also questions about his health, but I think that can be overcome the shoulder injuries once he gets some strength training at the next level. Bradford had some problems coming out last year and has done pretty well so far. Stafford did not have problems, and where has he been?
His arm strength is not really a negative IMO. His arm is strong enough to be a solid starter in this league. It is reported that he has great accuracy on the short and intermediate throws, but lacks accuracy on the long ball. Coincidentally this is a trait shared by Drew Brees coming out of college.
2. Andy Dalton – I think this guy may be best fit for the Skins in this draft. He broke a bunch of records at TCU. Most of them were owned by some guy named Sammy Baugh. Who is that? I have no clue Dalton’s major flaws are that he plays in the spread offense and he is a ginger.
He can make any throw asked of him. He is going to have to learn to take a snap from center, like many QBs that have been drafted in the last several years. How quickly he can learn will determine his immediate impact, especially since he is already 24.
Dalton is a student of the game. He genuinely loves football and studies hard. Even though he played in a spread offense, a lot of the terminology he dealt with in college is very similar to what the NFL will ask of him, plus the TCU offense is fairly complex. Dalton ran this offense without a hitch.
3. Jake Locker – This guy is not just a QB, he is a football player. He will put his body on the line to gain that extra yard. However, that can be a huge negative for a QB because of injuries. Of course, he has had plenty, but usually battles through them.
He has a strong arm, but has lacked accuracy in college. He was a baseball player which explains his poor footwork and pocket accuracy. He is very accurate on the run.
He seems anxious in the pocket, of course, that could be because he has a poor supporting cast. Locker will need a great QB coach and one that is cocky enough to believe they can fix his faults, someone like Shannahan. I do not think he fits the Skins right now because he has not shown that he is accurate. Kyle needs an accurate QB. Therefore, I think the Skins would be better looking elsewhere.
If Locker is drafted and is not accurate, the Shannahans may be looking for new jobs in a couple of years. One more thing I do not like about Locker was his pro-day. Pro-days are setup to show a player’s strength. Locker only threw a couple of deep balls which were incomplete. He did no throw any balls outside of the numbers. I think a good question is 'Why not?’ Why do you avoid throwing outside the numbers when you plan on throwing 50+ passes?
4. Ricky Stanzi – Top 5, what???? This guy has been compared to Tom Brady. Not that he is going to be Tom Brady, but his body has not fully developed. He is not even close to the physical specimen that he can be.
He is big, works hard and is fairly accurate. He comes from a pro style system and managed to throw 25 tds, 6 int this past year and had a 64% completion percentage. He is also fairly mobile.
There are not too many videos to watch on Stanzi. From what I read his negatives are questionable pocket presence and he lost more close games than he won. But, those aren’t my words. Pocket presence could change, but losing more close games than he won concerns me.
I think he will be successful if he gets the proper coaching.
5. Blaine Gabbert – Yeah, I have him way down on my list and yes, I know that nobody else does. I am just not enamored with him like others. I really do not think he deserves the hype. I hardly ever see him set prior to throwing. His feet always seem to be bouncing around.
He definitely has the arm strength and the intelligence to be great. He is also very athletic. However, I never see him take chances. He always checks down to the safe throw. His long ball accuracy is horrible. Now, to be fair, that could all have to do with the system he is in.
He has not taken a snap from center. Does not mean he cannot, but on Gruden’s QB show, they showed him with a lackadaisical effort getting out from under center. He lacked explosion. I definitely don’t think he is a first round talent.
6. Ryan Mallett – Too bad there are character concerns surrounding him. He has admitted to drug use to some NFL teams. I am not totally opposed to some recreational use, but you are paying this guy a crap load of money to be the face of the franchise. He has to be squeaky clean IMO. I know not all are, just look at Roethlisberger and Vick.
His arm is second to none and he also has a very quick release. He is very tall, 6’7”, and can see above the O-line easily. However, that makes me question him taking snaps under center in the NFL. It seems to me he would have to bend down more to take the snap which would make him slower getting back to throw.
I have no question about his arm, but whoever drafts him will have to have a pretty solid O-line. I know some say he is mobile, but I just don’t see it. I have seen a couple of his games and he looks like he lumbers to me. I believe he got away with some stuff in college that is going to kill him at the next level. There is so much more speed in the NFL. I have also seen him get rattled by the pass rush. How do you beat Mallett? The same way you beat Bledsoe..blitz..blitz..blitz.
Also, he does not do well in interviews that question anything about his character. I know interviews do not win you games, but when is the last time you saw a solid QB do poorly in interviews and was still great on the field? I think it says a lot about his composure and how he will handle the pressure in the future.
7. Colin Kaepernick – this guy has a huge arm, a flick of the wrist and the ball is gone. He is tall at 6’5”, but he is also very thin. This makes me question how well he is going to take hits at the next level. Will he stay healthy? He also worked out of the pistol offense. I do not know too much more about him, but I doubt he is going to be anything significant at the next level.
8. Cam Newton – Not fond of this guy at all. He is very athletic. Of course, everyone knows that. He can run and has a strong arm. But there are character concerns. You have to wonder if he is going to rely on his athletic skills more than his brain at the next level. He seems to be all about 'swagger.’ Yep, that is the word he uses. If you have swagger, and demand respect, you will be good. He seems to be forgetting about all of the studying that he should be doing. He is more concerned about looking good than playing good.
He is all about whatever is fast and easy. He only made a couple of reads in college and he is a one year wonder. I typically hate one year wonders. Newton will be a solid QB if he sticks his nose in the books and outworks everyone on his team. Sadly I see him going the way of Vince Young. He has all the talent, but will not work hard and put it all together. His teammates will not respect him. He will not be Jamarcus Russell because he will stay in shape and continue to look good.
I am not going any further. I am tired – Greg McElroy would be next on my list, but he won’t go until the 5th or 6th round, if at all. He lacks arm strength, even more so than Ponder. He is intelligent and may end up on a team like the Browns. Although, I could make a case to put him ahead of Kaepernick and Newton.
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