Mid-American Conference QB Preview: Blazing Saddles

Pro Draft Guide

In the not so distant past, a former Mid-American quarterback won the Super Bowl. His name was Ben Roethlisberger. He hails from The Miami of Ohio University and is the starting gunslinger for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Before him though, MAC quarterbacks were graciously making headlines in the NFL, most notably Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich. Still, MAC quarterbacks are known to be worthy of landing active, 55-man roster spots on the next level.

Who are the MAC quarterbacks to watch for in 2008? Well, if you have not realized yet, we at Pro Draft Guide scout and evaluate talent for the NFL Draft. Here is our top ten list of MAC quarterbacks, based upon our determined value for the NFL Draft, from tenth to first.

10. Dan Nicholson -- Northern Illinois (Sr.): Nicholson, the starting signal caller from Northern Illinois is lucky to still have a job. He has been banged up with injury after injury since joining the Huskies and may eventually work his way out of a starting gig since he has two mobile freshman quarterbacks lurking in his shadow. Nicholson's value is sitting at rock bottom. At this point, it is highly unlikely that he will get any looks from any NFL personnel at this point.

9. Adam DiMichele -- Temple (Sr.): DiMichele, a scrambling quarterback, has a lot to prove and to be quite frank, NFL personnel rarely travel to the City of Brotherly Love to scout Temple Owls football players. While we will not knock his athleticism, we will bring up the fact that he originally signed a letter of intent to play football for Joe Paterno and the Penn State Nittany Lions. Last season, he passed for just 1,595 yards while rushing for 220. Is he a possible camp body in 2009? Yes. Is it very likely? We doubt it.

8. Andy Schmitt -- Eastern Michigan (Jr.): This Eagle is nothing more than a poor man's Matt Grothe (South Florida Bulls QB). He is efficient while running the ball, but has sloppy mechanics and uses poor judgment. Still, he is good enough to avoid turnovers but Andy Schmitt will not deliver from the sideline to the huddle to behind center. Get familiar with him though because he wants to make a big splash at Michigan State on September 6th.

7. Aaron Opelt -- Toledo (Jr.): This Rocket is a less than intriguing prospect due to poor mechanics and a low accuracy rate. What he lacks with his arm he can make up with his running ability. Opelt somehow finds room in the pocket, even when it is collapsing. He has shown to be a clutch performer, leading the Toledo Rockets to wins over Ohio, Northern Illinois, and Eastern Michigan. At 6'2, 222 pounds, Opelt could be an interesting center of discussion at this point next season if he can work on some of his flaws.

6. Tim Hiller -- Western Michigan (Jr.): At this point, we have yet to include a bona fide pro prospect, but after 2008 is under his belt, QB Tim Hiller will have made a case for his name to be mentioned with other prospects for the 2010 NFL Draft. Impressively enough, he threw for more than 3,000 yards last season and 20 touchdowns. He was also one of the more efficient passers in the country. On August 30th, the Broncos march into Lincoln to face-off with the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Tim Hiller could become a household name across the Great Lakes region if he shows up and plays up to the level we think he can.

5. Drew Willy -- Buffalo (Sr.):If you want a game managing quarterback, you will find one with Drew Willy. He is a poor man's Kyle Orton. That may not sound like much to you but guys like him often find their way onto NFL rosters. Just ask Craig Nall, Charlie Whitehurst, and A.J. Feeley. His frame is a bit smallish, but his numbers are impressive. He doesn't turn the ball over plus he has a good feel for the game.

04. Julian Edelman -- Kent State (Sr.): Call this one a hunch, since Edelman didn't do a darn thing impressive last season, but with opponents so focused on Kent State running back Eugene Jarvis, we believe that Edelman will find room to run in their spread-bootleg. Edelman is nothing more than a training camp roster spot at this point but he could impress enough to get playing time in preseason, next year, like Tyler Palko with the New Orleans Saints.

3. Tyler Sheehan -- Bowling Green (Jr.): We highly doubt that Sheehan is the next Omar Jacobs. Sheehan has solid mechanics and a good head on his shoulders. He has yet to buckle under pressure plus looked sharp against Michigan State and Boston College in 2007. Is he up on the same tier as Dan LeFevour or Nate Davis? Not yet. We could be talking about Tyler Sheehan in the first four rounds of the 2010 NFL Draft though.

02. Dan LeFevour -- Central Michigan (Jr.):LeFevour, a potential Heisman candidate, has the goods that remind us of Ben Roethlisberger, except more fleet-footed. In 2007, he threw for more than 3,600 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. Mix that in a bowl with his 1,122 net rushing yards and you have yourself one hell of an NFL prospect. One thing we are down on LeFevour about is his ability to maintain his poise while the pocket collapses. He looks like he wants to run first, pass later.

01. Nate Davis -- Ball State (Jr.):The epitome of a professional quarterback prospect, Davis has a quick release and makes sound decisions. He can find space to operate within the pocket yet will check down his targets before scrambling. He is actually pretty mobile, too. This Cardinal can see the whole field. He has elite vision and is vastly underrated compared to the love that Dan LeFevour is receiving. If Nate Davis can guide the Cardinals to wins at home over Navy and at Indiana, the Ball State Cardinals could (gulp) be staring down the barrel of an undefeated season.

Write that down.