Forgotten Kentucky QB is a Still a Stud
Don't listen to these draft pundits. I keep telling you. Joe Montana didn't have the size and the arm. Tom Brady was backup material. Phil Simms would never make it. Dan Marino would wash out in Miami. Tony Eason was the best of the Class of '83. Jeff Garcia and Tony Romo weren't even drafted, and Andre Ware and Akili Smith were labeled as "can't miss."
On draft day, the 6'5" Kentucky QB Andre Woodson got no love from NFL teams. He had a great senior season playing against some of the nation's best defenses.
He had a 154.5 QB rating while passing for 3515 yards with 31 TDs and 7 INTs. He threw six touchdownss against Tennessee, five versus Florida, four versus Louisville, four versus FSU and three against National Champion LSU. In addition, he had respectable numbers in games against defensive powers Georgia and Vanderbilt.
But that wasn't enough to sell scouts and NFL executives on Woodson. Let me remind you that many of these teams adhere to what the pundits are saying players rather than doing the heavy lifting themselves. That is whay so many franchises in the NFL can't get out of their own way.
Because Woodson had so-so Senior Bowl, his stock fell. That doesn't mean anything to me. And didn't mean anything to one of the games' best GMs—Jerry Reese of the New York Football Giants, who adroitly snatched Woodson up in the 6th round.Woodson is possibly as good a prospect as last year's #1 overall pick, LSU's JaMarcus Russell. The only difference is Russell is being asked to turn the Raiders around. Woodson will be asked to hold a clipboard, take in the tutelage of Kevin Gilbride and Chris Palmer and watch Eli Manning take snaps until 2010.
The Giants did not gloat about the pick, however. Its not something they do. In fact, the words used to describe Woodson have all been said before about him, but the tone was a very positive one.
"This was just too good a pick for us to pass up," Head Coach Tom Coughlin said about Woodson. "This is a guy that was rated highly on our board. We found ourselves in a position where we felt like he was a guy we wanted to bring in as a young quarterback who could work in our system and be a guy who we could develop as we went forward."
Should something befall Eli or should the Giants not want to re-sign him, they will have Woodson waiting in the wings.
"For years we have talked about bringing in a young quarterback and developing him in our system. Let him grow up here," Reese said. "This guy has got a strong skill set. We like a lot of things about him. He is very productive playing for Kentucky. He has a lot of production over his years there as a quarterback. He has the arm to make all of the throws. He is a pretty good athlete for that position. So there are a lot of positive things about him down there in the draft room. We are going to bring him along and see if he can challenge for some of our backup quarterback spots."There you have it.
Published from bloggingthegiants.blogspot.com
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2 months ago
Great article - Woodson was a major steal in the 6th round, and while playing in the SEC and starting 2 full years, he had more yards, more touchdowns, a lower rate of interceptions, and a better completion percentage. Yet thanks to a bad senior bowl and the fact that Ryan "looks like a quarterback," he goes #3 overall when Woodson goes late in Round 6.
2 months ago
Funny, when I read the scouting report on Woodson, I saw "University of Kentucky" and something about getting his weight under control in the same sentence, and I immediately thought of another Kentucky QB on the Giants' roster, but Woodson doesn't seem to quite be as out of control as the HeftyLefty.
It looks like from the signing of Carr and the drafting of Woodson, the Giants are attempting to get some backup QBs in camp tat they may actually have some confidence in.
2 months ago
I agree that picking up a qb in Woodson in the 6th round was a steal as he graded out several rounds earlier. However, comparing his talent to a JaMarcus Russell is pretty hard to take seriously.
Woodson does not have the arm strength, mobility, size or pedigree as a winner to compare to the No. 1 overall pick of a year ago (in what is widely held as a much-stronger draft than this last one). I mean, UK's win over LSU was largely because of Woodson's play, but then what do you make of the team's swan dive after? Because of players other than Woodson?
You are right that Woodson comes in with no pressure and can slowly develop before anything will be asked of him though.
from 2 months ago
Russell was a questionable pick by Oakland....Woodson can at least move a little bit
2 months ago
I could see this guy starting eventually. Especially if Eli performs poorly the next season or two.
2 months ago
This guy will never start for the Giants unless Eli gets hurt. Other than that, he's pretty much a backup in NY.
from 2 months ago
When Eli's contract is up in 2 years....we'll see
2 months ago
Really like this pick. He's already the best option for the 3rd QB on the roster and has the upside to jump up to the backup spot over David Carr. Probably not a starter in the end, but he's a good backup QB have.
about 1 month ago
John you must not have watched must SEC football if you think Woodson is more mobile than JaMarcus. I agree with you that he is a steal in the 6th round and could turn into quite the quarterback. But make no mistake about it; JaMarcus Russell is arguably the most physically gifted quarterback since John Elway; he's got very good mobility for his size, a cannon-arm, and he's as big as NFL d-lineman.
By the way as a Texans fan I can tell you this; Ryan is completely right, Woodson will replace Carr as 2nd on the depth chart by the end of the season. Carr has little to no pocket prescence, is scared to throw the ball down the field, and has absolutely no leadership ability and locker-room prescence. He was benched last year in favor of 300 yr old Vinny Testeverde and undrafted rookie free-agent Matt Moore. John Fox's reasoning was that he was afraid Carr would get hurt; if there is a worse comment a coach could say about a football player you'd be hard pressed to find it.
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