Draft Spotlight: Quarterback

How Many First Round Picks?

Three, and this one is pretty close to a slam-dunk. Matthew Stafford (Georgia) is the number one guy, which is why he is the only signal caller in the conversation for the number one overall pick. If you ever watched a full Stafford game as a Bulldog, you thought at least once or twice, “No one in else in college football could have made that throw”. Of course, that doesn’t guarantee anything at the next level. He didn’t always make the best decisions, but always seemed to be dealing with slippery-handed pass catchers and an inexperienced offensive line. Georgia football coach Mark Richt compares Stafford to NFL legends John Elway and Dan Marino.

“He is very strong and durable, he is very agile,” Richt adds. “His arm is unquestioned in its strength, but he can also make any throw you would want a guy to make. He is highly intelligent. He loves the game. He’s a humble guy who wants to put the team first; he’s exactly what everyone is looking for. I think he will be a very high pick, if not the first pick.”

As for number two, it’s a toss up. Before you put Mark Sanchez (USC) in the top ten, could you find one person who called him a first round pick before his Rose Bowl performance? Didn’t think so. Sanchez has potential, but is a borderline first-round talent who will get over-drafted.

Finally, we come to the brick-house named Josh Freeman out of Kansas St. Yes, he is raw, but he has more potential than Sanchez and maybe as much as Stafford. I like Freeman more than I liked JaMarcus Russell coming out…the difference? Freeman didn’t have Dwayne Bowe, Buster Davis and Early Doucet to throw to or a defense stocked with future NFL talent constantly giving him the ball back.

Who Are the Top Senior QBs?

No senior quarterback will approach the first round and they all may have to wait until day two to hear their name called. The candidates include Pat White (West Virginia), Curtis Painter (Purdue), Thomas Brandstater (Fresno St.), Stephen McGee (Texas A&M) and Brian Hoyer (Michigan St.).

White is the most likely to go in the second round, but that has more to do with his “slash” potential than his ability to go under center in 2009. Hoyer appears to be a rising player on some people’s draft boards despite the fact he struggled to complete 50 percent of his passes as a senior.

The upside that Painter, Brandstater and McGee bring shouldn’t be underestimated. Don’t be surprised if one or more of this trio outperforms one or two of the big three as pros. It happens all the time. Quarterback coach Bob Johnson, who worked with Sanchez, Painter, Brandstater, White and Nathan Brown had especially high praise for the former Boilermaker.

“Curtis Painter is going to surprise people and end up starting in this league,” Johnson told the NFL Draft Bible in a radio interview. Brandstater and McGee may not have the arm strength of Painter, but provide a little more in terms of mobility.

What Happened to So-and-So?

“Sometimes your senior year doesn’t go quite the way it’s supposed to and maybe his didn’t, but there are a lot of things to be said about that whether it was protections or receivers or a new coordinator, whatever it was.”

That was Coach Johnson on Curtis Painter, but he easily could have been talking about Hunter Cantwell (Louisville), Cullen Harper (Clemson), Rudy Carpenter (Arizona St.) or Todd Boeckman (Ohio St.). Of this quartet Cantwell and Boeckman have the best arms. Cantwell is inexperienced and spotty, but if a team can be patient and coach him up, he possesses the raw tools. Boeckman was a victim of circumstance at OSU—after their National Championship hopes vanished, it was time for the Terrelle Pryor era to begin. Boeckman is a statue in the pocket, but he has a pro arm and could be a Free Agent bargain.

Coming out of the Big XII, Graham Harrell (Texas Tech) and Chase Daniel (Missouri) were as productive as anyone in this class of quarterbacks, but they simply don’t stack up physically. Yes, people have questioned the fact they are coming out of spread offenses, but scouts wouldn’t be as worried about the “system” label if Daniel was three or four inches taller and Harrell had a stronger arm.

John Parker Wilson (Alabama) is a solid game manager who led the Crimson Tide to an 11-win season, but he doesn’t offer much potential.

Who Could Be This Year’s Joe Flacco?

If you’re looking for someone who is going to step in as the starter and win a playoff game, the answer is “nobody”. The top small school candidate is Rhett Bomar (Sam Houston St.), who has the size, arm and athleticism to start under center in the League. Like Flacco who began his college career as a Pitt Panther (before transferring to Delaware), Bomar started at the Bowl Subdivision level, leading the Oklahoma Sooners to their last bowl victory before moving on to Sam Houston St. Accuracy is the biggest question make with this small school stud.

Not far behind is D-III standout Jason Boltus (Hartwick), who throws an impressive fastball. He's an intriguing prospect and it’s amazing that someone with his kind of arm slipped through so many cracks. Two other names to keep an eye on are Michael Reilly (Central Washington) and Nathan Brown (Central Arkansas).

Who Are Some Sleepers?

His stock may have dropped more than any other quarterback's throughout the evaluation process, but there is still a lot to like about Nate Davis (Ball St.), namely his rocket arm. His did not put his best foot forward on his way out the door, playing his worst two games of 2008 in his final two games as a collegian, but if you can snag him anytime after the third round, he could end up being a steal. Another strong-armed mid-major quarterback who could surprise is David Johnson (Tulsa). A one-year starter, Johnson did the most with his opportunity and proved himself to be capable threat. Unlike most spread offenses, the Golden Hurricane stretched the football field and not many throw a prettier deep ball than Johnson. Willie Tuitama (Arizona), like Davis, is short, stocky and athletic with a good arm, while Chase Patton (Missouri) hopes to be the next Matt Cassell and overcome zero college starts before embarking on an NFL career.

Who Are the Stars of Tomorrow?

If you heard enough of Pat White and what position he should play on Sundays…wait till next year! Everyone and their mother will have an opinion on Mr. Tim Tebow (Florida). Is he a quarterback? Tight end? H-Back? Fullback? Maybe even a linebacker? If he does stay “under center”, he will be asked to do very different things on Sundays than he does as the Gators' star. Dan LeFevour (Central Michigan), Zac Robinson (Oklahoma St.) and Juice Williams (Illinois) are three more dual threats, with Colt McCoy (Texas) coming out of the Texas spread. And keep an eye on 6’ 5 mid-major quarterbacks Tim Hiller (Western Michigan) and Rusty Smith (Florida Atlantic).

Red-shirt junior Sam Bradford (Oklahoma) will be the favorite to go number one overall heading into the season, but don’t sleep on former Longhorn Jevan Snead (Ole Miss), with Jake Locker (Washington), Jimmy Clausen (Notre Dame), Colin Kaepernick (Nevada) and Pat Devlin (Delaware) all talented juniors.

No one looks the part of the old school prototypical pocket passer more than the 6’5/255 pound sophomore Ryan Mallett (Arkansas), while fellow second-year studs Terrelle Pryor (Ohio St.) and Robert Griffin (Baylor) are 100 percent new school.

Part I of an VIII Part Series - Tomorrow: Running Backs

Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media, College Press Box (Louisville), Sam Houston State Athletics, Walt Beazley, University of Tulsa, Purdue University Sports Information

Pro Day Rewind: 'Canes, Owls & Cardinals

By ANDREW GARDA

Welcome to week two of Pro Day Rewind where we’ll catch you up on the previous week of Pro Days.

The news from the NFL Scouting Combine wasn’t even cold yet and schools were getting their guys into the spotlight immediately. At this point, it’s largely smaller schools that kick off the post-Combine workout schedule, but from those humble beginnings some mighty stars emerge.

So while the week after the Combine was pretty slow, we’ll talk a little about those few who got us kicked off.

Five schools had their Pro Days last week: Bethune-Cookman, Florida-International, Ball State, Florida Atlantic and a big school as well – the University of Miami. At the end of the week, it was the Florida schools which had made the biggest noise, though Ball State had its say as well.

MIAMI: On the 27th of February, 11 players showed off their skills to the representatives of ten NFL teams including Miami, Philadelphia, Tennessee and Atlanta. CB Bruce Johnson improved upon his Combine performance in the 40 (4.42 and 4.45) and vertical (38.5 inches), and posted a 4.03 shuttle and a 6.92 three cone drill. Fellow CB Carlos Armour made up for not being in Indianapolis by running a 4.55 and 4.59 in the 40 and jumping a 37.5 vertical, but was only able to bench press 10 times. However, none of the players looked good enough to go in the first round, which would end a 14-year streak for the 'Canes. In fact, it’s likely nobody will go the first day with Johnson possibly the lone 'Cane drafted.

Florida-Atlantic: The Owls got an unusual level of interest this year as representatives from 16 teams traveled to the school’s Pro Day, for the most part to see senior linebacker Frantz Joseph. Joseph, one of the players highlighted in last week’s column, was not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine but his body of work certainly made him an attraction to scouts. He did not disappoint, running a 4.83 in the 40, benching 225 pounds 19 times, and measuring in at 6’1” and 242 pounds. Joseph also ran a 4.41 shuttle and a 7.34 three-cone drill. Overall, he continued to build heat and while Joseph is assuming he will need to fight for a spot on someone’s practice squad, he may hear his name called on the second day of the Draft. Of the other 17 players who put on a display for the visiting NFL dignitaries, the one who stood out the most was safety Carldayle Brantley. While he only started two games this past season, Brantley put on an eye-opening exhibition, running a 4.40 time in the 40 yard dash, jumping a 38 _ vertical and a 10’7” broad jump – all of which were tops on the day. Charles Pierre, the team’s 1,000 yard rusher, led the weight room, lifting the bar 26 times. Still, while the exposure may garner his fellow teammates a chance at a practice squad, if anyone is to be drafted it will most likely be Joseph and last week’s effort solidified that.

Ball State: Representatives from 14 teams came to Scheumann Stadium on a rainy day to see what Ball State’s players had to offer, but quarterback Nate Davis and offensive tackle Robert Brewster (both of whom participated in the Combine) sat out, although Davis threw for receivers working out. Both athletes will be working out for teams on March 20th instead and will be joined by punter Chris Williams, who could not work out because the event was held indoors due to the inclement weather. Of those who did participate, the most impressive was tight end Darius Hill. Hill ran a career-best 4.71 time in the 40 and did well in the pass-catching drill. The Cardinal tight end had been highly rated going into the 2008 season, but his stock dropped over its course. He is now hoping for at least a shot as a rookie free agent.

2.23.09 - Pro Day Rewind: Combine Edition


Photo Credit: University of Miami Sports Media Relations Office

Red Raider Duo & Nate Davis Bolt

As expected, Michael Crabtree made it official – he will be playing on Sundays and not Saturdays in 2009. The former Red Raider had two years of eligibility remaining, but the red-shirt sophomore had little to nothing to prove at the college level after winning a pair of Biletnikoff Awards as a freshman and a sophomore. Crab, as he is known in Lubbock, caught 134 passes for 1,962 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2007 and 97 balls for 1,165 yards and 19 scores this past season, when he was slowed down by injury. In a far more surprising move, also leaving Lubbock is junior defensive end Brandon Williams, who was selected to the All-Big 12 First Team after leading the conference with his 13 sacks.

Coming out of the MAC, Ball St. quarterback Nate Davis announced today that he too has decided to forgo his final season of college football and enter the 2009 Draft. The junior signal caller threw for 3,591 yards and 26 touchdowns (eight interceptions), while completing 64.3 percent of his passes – a significant increase from the 56.4 percent he completed in his sophomore campaign. With a mediocre senior crop of quarterbacks, expect Davis to battle with fellow early entry Josh Freeman (Kansas St.) for position behind yet another junior Matthew Stafford - the consensus top quarterback prospect – unless of course Oklahoma sophomore Sam Bradford decides to leave school for the NFL.

Photo Credit: College Press Box (Texas Tech University)

GMAC Bowl: Ball St. vs. Tulsa

January 6, 2009 * 8:00 * ESPN

You can call this one the redemption bowl. After a perfect regular season – 12-0 – it appeared the Ball St. Cardinals going bowling undefeated was a mere formality. Winners of the MAC West – think the Big 12 South of the BCS Buster schools – they were expected to roll over the East representative, Buffalo…until headman Turner Gill’s Bulls played spoiler. Ball State’s junior signal caller Nate Davis completed 31-of-48 passes for 351 yards but couldn’t overcome five Cardinal turnovers. Davis, who says he will return for his senior campaign, saw his completion rate leap by 10 percent from his sophomore season (56.4 percent to 55.9). He’s always had the arm and he really put it all together in 2008. The junior has benefited from a more balanced offense with the emergence of tailback MiQuale Lewis, who rumbled for a school-record 1,701 yards and 22 touchdowns. Donte Love, whose football career was ended early this year, will be up in the coach’s box for the game. Also keep an eye on freshman free safety Sean Baker, who is the most talented defender on either side.

Tulsa saw their chance at perfection rubbed away much earlier in the season when they went into Fayetteville to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks of the SEC. The Golden Hurricane lost the next one as well at Houston, but recovered to win their next two and advance to the Conference USA Championship, which they played host to. Like Ball St., Tulsa was a prohibitive favorite – after all, they were 6-0 on their home field, where they averaged 60 points per game. That explosive offense was shutdown by the East Carolina Pirates and, like the Cards, the ‘Canes fell short of their goal. They will look to bounce back behind the big right arm of senior quarterback Doug Johnson. Johnson had to wait his turn behind Paul Smith, but made the most of his lone season at the helm, throwing 43 touchdown passes this season. He may not have the fastball Davis has, but not many in college football throw a prettier deep ball. When they look to stretch the field, the go-to man has been Brennan Marion who averaged an eye-popping 25.9 yards per catch on his 43 receptions. Tulsa also has balance as Tarrion Adams turned in his second straight 1,000-yard season.

Conference USA is 3-2 thus far in the bowl season, while the MAC needs Ball St. to come though. If they don’t, the mid-major conference out of the Midwest will be winless this bowl season – not exactly the way to garner national respect. Not only will the Cardinals represent the MAC, they will bring home the first ever bowl victory in the program’s history behind the arm of Davis and an improved defense.

CFI Prediction: Ball St. 38, Tulsa 28

Photo Credit: College Press Box (Ball St.)

FIVE QUARTERBACK MATCH-UPS TO WATCH

1. Sam Bradford (Oklahoma) vs. Tim Tebow (Florida): The last two Heisman winners play for the National....um BCS Championship – enough said.

2. Graham Harrell (Texas Tech) vs. Jevon Snead (Ole Miss): Graham Harrell has topped 40 touchdowns once again and needs just 253 yards in the Cotton Bowl for his second 5,000-yard season. Jevan Snead is coming home after transfering from Texas, having led his club to five straight wins to close out the season with 13 touchdowns (two interceptions) over that span.

3. Nate Davis (Ball St.) vs. David Johnson (Tulsa): If you like flamethrowers, this is the game for you. Nate Davis has always had a plus fastball and this season he has added control to his resume, while not many can throw a pass farther or prettier than David Johnson’s deep ball. The GMAC Bowl (Jan. 6) is a tasty appatizer for college football fans waiting for OU/Forida.

4. Dan LeFevour (Central Michigan) vs. Rusty Smith (FAU): Last season, Dan LeFevour accounted for over 400 yards of total offense in the Motor City Bowl versus Purdue and Rusty Smith tossed five touchdown passes on his way to a 336-yard day against Memphis in the New Orleans Bowl making the 2008 Motor City Bowl a must watch.

5. Colt McCoy (Texas) vs. Terrelle Prior (Ohio St.): While Colt McCoy has supassed many of Vince Young’s accomplishments, no one is more reminiscint of the former Longhorn than Ohio St. freshman Terrell Pryor.

Photo Credit: College Press Box, OU Athletics Department

Heisman - The Best of the Rest

Texas Tech teammates quarterback Graham Harrell and wide receiver Michael Crabtree – pass or catch 2008 – finished fourth and fifth in the voting. There is little doubt Harrell should have been extended an invitation to the selection show – a belief most agreed with at the presentation – and received more respect from voters – his 213 points were 1,391 points less than Colt McCoy. Didn’t Harrell beat McCoy head-to-head with the best “Heisman moment” to boot?

Heck, Crabtree should have been invited as well. The Heisman should go back to the days of inviting five players to the City that never sleeps. If not Crabtree, why not bring Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Shonn Greene of Iowa or the lone defensive player in the top ten USC’s Rey Maualuga? Although, it says here Aaron Curry was the nation’s best defensive player and may have warranted an invite. Rounding out the top ten were WVU quarterback Pat White (snubbed last year), signal caller Nate Davis of Ball St. (whom many consider a better pro prospect than either Tim Tebow or McCoy) and Michigan St.’s senior running back Javon Ringer.

Photo Credit: College Press Box (Texas Tech University)