Tim Tebow or Jimmy Clausen: Who's the Bigger Risk in the 2010 NFL Draft?

ESPN’s Mel Kiper and Todd McShay debated last night about the top five quarterbacks in the draft. Among the issues discussed was which quarterback was the bigger risk.

What stands out is that both of them had Tim Tebow listed as the fifth best quarterback on the board, despite his troubles during Senior Week and all the perceived negatives attached to him going into April’s draft.

Tebow’s scouting report says, despite his huge numbers, that he can’t take snaps under center well, his delivery is elongated, and his mechanics are a mess.

Jimmy Clausen goes into the draft with a lot more positives, but it begs the question, which quarterback is the bigger risk?

Clausen has all the coaching, experience, and intangibles going into the draft. He has what the NFL is looking for. Coach Charlie Weis prepared him for the NFL. The scouts report Clausen has good mechanics, makes good decisions, and already played through one injury.

Tebow, until the Senior Bowl, never really took a snap from under center while under Urban Meyer at Florida.

Meyer has been called “selfish” for his approach. Even though it’s won him National Championships and made Tebow one of the most successful QBs in NCAA history, he really didn’t do Tebow any favors.

Tebow is a project who most likely won’t take one snap under center in the NFL in 2010. Most scouts agree Tebow’s mechanics have to be completely broken down and built up again, not something you can really do in one training camp.

You can lay good money down on Clausen starting in Week One if he goes to St. Louis or Buffalo.

Clausen is more polished, but Tebow has the flashier NCAA career numbers and the athletic ability to prove his detractors wrong.

Tebow threw for 2,895 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2009 with a 112.7 QB rating and a 68.7 completion percentage. Clausen threw for 3,722 yards and 28 touchdowns with a 113.3 QB rating and a 68 completion percentage.

Clausen’s contract will demand he excel early and often and have a year similar to Mark Sanchez's.

However, Tebow will be taken in the second or third round and will be judged like any other quarterback. Whoever takes Tebow will be judged against the rest of the draft class.

So it’s a matter of perception.

Clausen goes in the first round and gets first round money. While Tebow may go lower, he’ll still go relatively high, get a large contract, and shift focus from another position of need at his draft spot.

Given the drama that seems to emanate from Tebow, he presents a risk to whomever drafts him.

The question is, how big of a risk is he?