2010 NFL Draft: Getting Immediate Results from First Round Quarterbacks

Mark Sanchez was the second rookie quarterback in two years to lead his team into a conference championship game.

The quarterback position causes more headaches than any other position on draft day because of the importance and money involved in the position, and the high risk of failure.

However, there appears to be a recent trend suggesting that a team that needs a quarterback does not necessarily mean a team should draft a quarterback.

Sanchez’s success mirrors the success from the 2008 season when Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan both led their teams to the playoffs in their rookie seasons.

Sanchez’s Jets, Flacco’s Ravens, and Ryan’s Falcons were all constructed very similarly. The 2009 Jets were successful mostly due to the league’s top ranked defense and top ranked running game.

In 2008, both the Ravens and Falcons were top five in the league running the ball. The Ravens were also second in the league in total defense. Though Atlanta was 24th in total defense, they were 11th in points allowed.

This trend shows that teams can get immediate returns on their rookie quarterback investments, but they can also damage very talented players.

Matthew Stafford learned that lesson the hard way by getting beaten up in his rookie year with a poor Detroit team that allowed 43 sacks and 95 quarterback hits this season.

While Stafford played admirably given the circumstances, the Lions run the risk of ruining Stafford before the rest of the team catches up to him, like the Texans did with David Carr.

If you look back at the recent quarterback draft picks, there would be a high correlation between their success and the talent they have around them.

JaMarcus Russell was surrounded by two rookie starting wide receivers, a porous offensive line that allowed the third most sacks in the league, the seventh worse defense in the league, and he is widely considered a bust.

These examples show more than anything that football is all about fitting the pieces together.

This year's quarterback class may not continue to pay the immediate dividends of the previous two.

First, none of the teams expected to select a quarterback in the first round have the supporting casts that Sanchez, Flacco, and Ryan walked into. 

Also, questions are arising about the top quarterback prospects' ability to become a franchise quarterback.

History has shown that not being set up for success does not mean a team will not select a quarterback so high that they are forced onto the field for a bad team.

Fans and the front office just have to remember that the quarterback is only one of eleven guys on the field.