NFL Draft: Quarterbacks

A lot of story and press coverage surrounding this group, especially Cam Newton.  Hopefully I can help to set the record straight(er).

Cam Newton QB Auburn
A controversial figure well before he even declared for the draft, he's been a part of 3 National Championship winning programs in 3 years starting at QB for the last two (Blinn JC and Auburn).  No doubting the guy is a winner, but will the football gods keep him in their good graces?

Pros- Athleticism is the nauseatingly used catchphrase when describing Newton, but thats because its true.  He has incredible pocket awareness coupled with elusiveness, think a mix between Mike Vick and Big Ben in terms of how hard he is to sack.  He has the arm strength to make all NFL throws, yes including the deep out.  He also has some proven checkdown to his game but he can make the right decision; throwing only 7 picks in 280 attempts.  But most important about Newton, is he is at his absolute best in the biggest moments, he gets better the more is on the line.

Cons- Newton's offense at Auburn was very simple, I heard somewhere that Auburn's offensive coordinator only had 8 plays installed.  It won them a Championship but the simple is better philosophy of football hasn't made it to the NFL yet, Newton will probably have the steepest learning curve in terms of picking up an NFL offense of any of the QBs.  Newton wasn't asked to do a whole lot in the passing department so nobody really knows what he can and can't do, its a lot of risk for a top draft pick.

Blaine Gabbert QB Mizzou
Blaine Gabbert is lauded by draftniks and Newton haters as the safest QB pick in the draft, and indeed he is, but that's because he's a damned good QB. He is also said to have a photographic memory which even if it were an exaggeration, that means he will be able to mentally handle a large and comprehensive NFL playbook.

Pros- Gabbert can make good decisions and hard throws.  One key importance to his game is he can always fit the ball through a window no matter how tight, and they were tight.  Gabbert also does a quick job of reading blitzes and throwing to the hot read this and his ability to throw the ball through open passing lanes will give him an advantage in the zone blitz happy NFL.

Cons- Gabbert, like Newton will have a steep learning curve transitioning to the NFL.  He played in an offense that almost exclusively utilized 5 WR sets.  He will also have to learn how to play 5 and 7 step drops as his offense was hinged upon 3 step drops and screens.  As a result of how he's played the last 3 years, his accuracy falls sharply the deeper he throws the ball.  He also needs to learn how to identify his receiver and make a throw quicker as he was sacked a too often 23 times his senior year (although that number is probably stretched due to the high number of empty sets and little pass protection.

Christian Ponder QB Florida State
Ponder was a 3 year starter for the Seminoles but unfortunately had a rough senior season.

Pros- Played in an offense that consistently asked him to throw to NFL style passing routes.  He does a good job of finding the open man and attacking weak areas of coverage, especially downfield.  Hard nosed guy who pops up after contact.

Cons- Plays streaky, sometimes great and sometimes pretty average.  Gets caught playing with little urgency and is guilty of throwing a ball that will get his receiver clobbered.  Will get caught locked onto a single receiver and didn't get better at checking out of bad matchups in his senior year.  Also not a physically special QB.


Ryan Mallett QB Arkansas
Another controversial draft prospect.  Ryan Mallett has been accused of damn near everything from academic misconduct to showing up drunk/high to team meeting.  Not many people know the real truth and trust me, NFL front offices are trying to get down to the bottom of it to figure out whether he's worth a roster spot.

Pros- Is the best and most polished passer in the draft.  He made big league throws against very tough competition in the SEC.  Knows when to put mustard on the ball and when to put some touch on it with a savvy not normally seen from college passers.  Regularly places the ball in a spot where only his receiver can catch it, and he shows flashes of mobility evading the pass rush and making things happen with his legs.

Cons- Character is the only con for Mallett, in fact if not for character concerns Mallett would be a lock for the #1 overall draft selection.  Not only is the question will he be able to handle himself making a million dollars a season, but whether he can command the respect of his teammates and manage the responsibilities of a signal caller on football's biggest stage.