2008 Woodie Awards
NFL Draft Preview Zack's Top 5 Quarterbacks
Zack Gugenheim
Issue date: 2/15/07 Section: Sports
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For the next few weeks, we will be taking a look at some of the premier positions in football, and seeing which of the top college players will translate to the pro level.
1. Brady Quinn, Notre Dame
Although I have busted on Brady throughout the season, this young man is by far the best pro prospect at the quarterback position. He has great size, standing at 6'3" and 224 pounds, has a very accurate and live arm, and also is surprisingly mobile. He succeeded in a very complex system, and made huge strides under former New England Offensive Coordinator Charlie Weis. He is intelligent and is a good leader. He did struggle against better defenses, but a lot of that has to do with the deficiencies in his offensive line. He did not have a true, signature win throughout his last two years as a starter, but again, more of that blame must be placed on the rest of his team (defense and offensive lines). He played amazingly well despite being surrounded by mediocre talent.
Projection: Top five picks of the draft.
2. JaMarcus Russell, LSU
He stands 6'6" and 255 pounds, and has the strongest arm of any quarterback in this class. His draft stock has been rising and many are projecting him to be the top pick of the draft to the Oakland Raiders. He has tremendous upside, but he would be a very huge project in my opinion. He has been compared to Vince Young, but that comparison is invalid. Young is much more agile. Russell was able to bowl over defenders in college, and was able to get away with throwing while being tackled; it won't work in the pros. If he can work on mechanics, and truly learn a system, he could be a Daunte Culpepper like QB. Too raw in my opinion to really know how he will play in the league, however, I feel he will be a major bust.
Projection: Top five Picks of the draft.
3. Troy Smith, Ohio State
Until the National Title Game, many mock drafts had this young man at number nine overall in the draft. After the game, his stock plummeted. Standing at 6'0" and 220 pounds, he has decent mobility and running ability. He has great arm strength and goes through his progressions well. Smith has shown tremendous maturity and personal growth in the past two years, going from being a cancer on the team, to taking over the team with an infectious, positive attitude. He will struggle with finding throwing lanes because of height issues, but he has benefited from tremendous offensive talent surrounding him.
1. Brady Quinn, Notre Dame
Although I have busted on Brady throughout the season, this young man is by far the best pro prospect at the quarterback position. He has great size, standing at 6'3" and 224 pounds, has a very accurate and live arm, and also is surprisingly mobile. He succeeded in a very complex system, and made huge strides under former New England Offensive Coordinator Charlie Weis. He is intelligent and is a good leader. He did struggle against better defenses, but a lot of that has to do with the deficiencies in his offensive line. He did not have a true, signature win throughout his last two years as a starter, but again, more of that blame must be placed on the rest of his team (defense and offensive lines). He played amazingly well despite being surrounded by mediocre talent.
Projection: Top five picks of the draft.
2. JaMarcus Russell, LSU
He stands 6'6" and 255 pounds, and has the strongest arm of any quarterback in this class. His draft stock has been rising and many are projecting him to be the top pick of the draft to the Oakland Raiders. He has tremendous upside, but he would be a very huge project in my opinion. He has been compared to Vince Young, but that comparison is invalid. Young is much more agile. Russell was able to bowl over defenders in college, and was able to get away with throwing while being tackled; it won't work in the pros. If he can work on mechanics, and truly learn a system, he could be a Daunte Culpepper like QB. Too raw in my opinion to really know how he will play in the league, however, I feel he will be a major bust.
Projection: Top five Picks of the draft.
3. Troy Smith, Ohio State
Until the National Title Game, many mock drafts had this young man at number nine overall in the draft. After the game, his stock plummeted. Standing at 6'0" and 220 pounds, he has decent mobility and running ability. He has great arm strength and goes through his progressions well. Smith has shown tremendous maturity and personal growth in the past two years, going from being a cancer on the team, to taking over the team with an infectious, positive attitude. He will struggle with finding throwing lanes because of height issues, but he has benefited from tremendous offensive talent surrounding him.