Minnesota Vikings: Eight Quarterbacks Leslie Frazier Will Evaluate Closely

Leslie Frazier and Rick Spielman make up the determining factors in who the Minnesota Vikings will draft this coming April.

The team must address needs, but also act on the best player available guideline. This will most definitely make for interesting and heated conversation among the two of them. From what Les Frazier has been saying, the Vikings focus will be on defense, due to his continuous praise for the defensive class.

He made mention recently at the NFL owner's meetings that the offensive line won’t look very different, with only RG Anthony Herrera’s spot on the block. Consider Spielman’s recent praise of last years fifth round draft pick Chris Degeare and you have a team that believes the offensive line isn’t in question. On a personal note I disagree. But alas! They are the ones being paid millions to play backyard co-captains.

What Frazier tipped his hand on long ago was the desire to find the next Joe Flacco or Matt Ryan, it became clear that the Vikings are looking for a young quarterback to be the future of the franchise. This was reiterated by Frazier at the owner's meetings when asked about it. He described the need to have a young quarterback, regardless of any free-agent signings, that can be groomed and with the team for “years to come.”

So who is he referring to, exactly? Well, it almost appears that even he doesn’t know. Finding a quarterback who can lead the franchise, get the best out of the other players, and be reliable off the field and on the field physically and emotionally, is difficult.

Frazier described that a good quarterback is typically only found in the first two rounds and not to get carried away with the Tom Brady sixth-round phenomenon.

So, does this guarantee the Vikings will be selecting the young man to carry the team, Frazier’s, Spielman’s, and his own job into the future in the first or second round?

It most definitely does.

Les Frazier is of the mindset that has brought joy to New England, Indianapolis, Green Bay, Atlanta and Pittsburgh.

Find your guy and build around him.

But how does one determine who the right guy is? Frazier hasn’t sounded sold on anyone and Spielman hasn’t said a word about it.

Coach Frazier will be like half of Vikings fans in how they think of the draft, by seeking out the best guy and getting him. Spielman represents the other half of fans, getting as much for as little as possible. If the argument between them gets as heated as some of the fans banter, then stay out of the Vikings war room!

However, Frazier possesses a remarkable ability to communicate and I’m sure Spielman will give in to this one request. Does that mean trading up? Staying put? Does trading down still guarantee the guy you want?

They will have to decide that on draft day. But the decision can only come when the right guy has been identified, and that is the point and topic of this article. Who is the right guy? We shall look at the stats, abilities, and some past quarterbacks as comparisons to draw from in these eight quarterback prospects.

Leaving out the combine wonder, many of these names have been smeared or pushed out of consideration by people such as Mike Mayock and Mel Kiper Jr. For example, Nick Fairly has gone from No. 1 overall to sliding to the Titans at eight due to physical shortcomings at the combine. His season should be speaking for itself, but it’s not. We shall only examine what a guy has done in actual games. So I ask that we erase all injected ideas about high jumps and track speed and focus on the stats...

Without further ado, here are the top eight prospects at quarterback in the 2011 NFL draft, in alphabetical order.

Andy Dalton, TCU

Andy Dalton of TCU

Andy Dalton, TCU.

Stats:

Dalton finished his career with 42 wins and his last game was a victory in the Rose Bowl against Wisconsin.  He only lost one game in the final two years of his career.

In 2010, he had an insane passer rating of 166.48, while passing for 2,857 yards, and adding 27 TDs against six interceptions and eight sacks. In his career, his passer rating was never below 118. He had 10,314 passing yards over four seasons, with 71 touchdowns against 30 interceptions.

Dalton is 6'3," 220lbs and 23 years old. He is fast on his feet, has great character and possess a high football I.Q.

Pro: He has been a starter against tough competition in big games for four years. Con: He has a low ceiling, so what you see is what he has to offer.

Former quarterback comparison: Bob Griese. Dalton has a weaker long ball, average arm strength and is excellent at making the right choice to win the game. Plus, winning is all that really matters, right?

Projected Round–Second.

Pat Devlin, Delaware

Pat Devlin, Delaware

Pat Devlin, Delaware.

Stats:

Devlin completed 261 of 384 passes for 3,032 yards and 22 touchdowns, with just three interceptions in 2010. He led the nation in pass completion percentage with a mark of .680 and ranked No. 5 in passing rating with a total of 151.64. He threw for 5,696 yards and 38 touchdowns and won 18 games over two seasons at Delaware.

Devlin is 6'4," 227 lbs and is 23 years old. He has excellent size to be both mobile and see over the linemen.

Pro: He has great accuracy and doesn’t make bad decisions, as characterized by his 12 interceptions over two years. Con: It takes him too long to make the right decision, as he was sacked 50 times over two seasons. It's this indecision that has been the main knock on his draft stock.

Former quarterback comparison: Dan Marino. While Dan didn’t have great arm power, he had excellent touch. And that is what Devlin has, great touch and accuracy. His arm isn’t super strong, but that doesn’t mean everything. Plus, he lost his going out game.

Projected rounds Fourth or Fifth.

Blaine Gabbert, Missouri

Blaine Gabbert of Missouri

Blaine Gabbert, Missouri.

Blaine Gabbert is the most highly appraised quarterback this season.

Stats:

In 2010, Gabbert passed for 3,186 yards, with a rating of 127.03, while adding 16 touchdowns to 9 interceptions. Modest numbers compared to the last two guys, right? And he ran a spread offense.
His first year as a starter went better for him. Over his two-year career as a starter, he had 6,822 passing yards, 40 touchdowns to 18 picks, was sacked 42 times, and won 18 games against seven losses. Blaine Gabbert lost in his final game.

Gabbert is 6'5," 235lbs and he is 21 years old. His size and quickness have helped him scramble around and make throws while on the run, regardless of if there is a defender in the passing lane.

Pro: He has all the tools and the highest ceiling in the draft besides Newton. His accuracy is a big plus. Con: He ran a spread offense, which means he isn’t used to dropping back and identifying receivers after he sets yet.

Former quarterback comparison: Randall Cunningham. This may surprise some. But in today’s NFL Cunningham would have been a top ten pick. The similarities in arm strength, accuracy, and speed in the pocket are quite close.

Projected round–First.

Colin Kaepernick, Nevada

Colin Kaepernick

Colin Kaepernick, Nevada.

Kaepernick is generating a lot of steam among certain teams. His arm strength and physical ability are impressive.

Stats:

In 2010, Kaepernick had a good year, passing for 3,022 yards with a 150.46 passer rating and 21 touchdowns against eight picks. Over his four-year career, he managed to pile up 10,098 passing yards and 82 touchdowns against 24 interceptions. He never had a passer rating of less than 132. He was sacked 57 times, but only ten times in 2010 and 13 in 2009. Kaepernick went out a winner in his last college game.

Kaepernick is 6'6" and 225lbs. He is 23 years old. He lost one game in his final season and is incredibly fast for his height. 2010 was his best year in completion percentage, when he posted a 64.9.

Pros: Kaepernick possesses the second strongest arm in the draft, second only to Ryan Mallet. His accuracy is decent, although not impressive, and he can move around to buy time. Cons: He ran a spread offense and was still prone to being sacked. His decision making ability is therefore brought into question.

Former quarterback comparison: Terry Bradshaw. Bradshaw had an excellent arm for throwing the long pass. Kaepernick will excel in an offense that has him rolling out and making long throws to take advantage of his strong arm. If nothing is open, he will take off like Bradshaw used to and get the first down…or die trying.

Projected round–Second.

Jake Locker, Washington

Jake Locker

Jake Locker, Washington.

As far as quarterbacks and Vikings fans are concerned, the elephant in the room is finally being talked about.

Stats:

Locker struggled in 2010 compared to his previous season, posting 2,265 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and a rating of 124.20. Over his four year career as a starter, he posted 7,639 total passing yards and 53 touchdowns against 35 interceptions. He never had a rating below 103, but never reached anything higher than 130. His team lost six games in his last year as a starter, but won the last four, including the bowl game win against Nebraska. He was sacked 84 times over his four years.

Locker is 6'3", 230lbs and is 22 years old. Locker has had accuracy problems his whole career, so his personal best completion average is 58.2 in his 2009 campaign.

Pros: Locker has played under center and is used to a pro style offense. Big games are where he excelled and he made his average team a contender every time he stepped onto the field. Cons: He has struggles with accuracy and his large number of sacks indicate hesitation while making decisions in the pocket. He has been injured off and on his whole career.

Former quarterback comparison: Steve Young. While Young was still working on his motion and his accuracy was bad, his team wanted to move him to another position. He asked to be given one more chance.

Young ended up becoming a great passer and his running ability is legendary. Locker has to figure out his motion and when that happens, his passing numbers could take off. His athletic ability has rivaled that of super athlete Cam Newton. The injuries are worrisome. But all in all, Locker has a high ceiling with abilities that can’t be coached.

Projected–First or Second Round

Ryan Mallet, Arkansas

Ryan Mallet

Ryan Mallet, Arkansas.

Ryan Mallet is the bad boy of the draft this year. With character issues that abound off the field, it will be interesting to see what team takes him based on football performance.

Stats:

163.65 is a huge passer rating! That is what Mallet put up in 2010, along with 3,869 passing yards, and a touchdown to interception ratio of 32-12. Over his two year career as a starter at Arkansas, he posted a rating of no less than 152. He passed for 8,388 yards, and 62 touchdowns against 19 picks and 49 sacks. He lost three games in his last year including the bowl game. Mallet’s completion percentage rose drastically in 2010 from 55.8 in 2009 to 64.7. However, Mallet lost his final college game.

Mallet is 6'6", 238lbs and is 22 years old. Mallet has absolutely no athleticism, but being 6-6 helps him to see over the linemen and to make throws without a throwing lane. And his arm is superior to everyone else's in this QB class.

Pros: His amazing arm strength and ability to make every throw necessary would have set him completely apart from the rest of the class if not for his cons. He can make everything throw and is a good field commander. Cons: He can’t run to save his life. And his off the field issues are very concerning.  What’s more concerning is how he treats these issues, because the entitlement he strides around with is very off-putting.

Former quarterback comparison: Joe Namath. Joe was well known for his brashness and attitude. Mallet possesses these traits. Namath, however, is proof that they can useful traits on the field if controlled off the field. The aggressive throwing motion and accuracy, along with commanding the offense makes these two a good comparison. But of course, even Namath could run faster than an offensive lineman.

Projected–First to third round

Cam Newton, Auburn

Cam Newton

Cam Newton, Auburn.

The icon, the entertainer...the biggest bust in the draft? When players like this come into the NFL, there are no half measures. There is only greatness or shame.

Stats:

Cam really only has played one year, that year was nothing short of amazing. He put up a rating of 182.05, with 2,854 passing yards, and a touchdown to interception ratio of 30-7 with 23 sacks. 66.1 completion percentage is pretty good too. He didn’t lose a game in his one year as a starter. His decision making is a big question, particularly in the championship game that should have been a high scoring affair.

Newton is 6'6", 250lbs and is 21 years old. His size makes him tough to tackle for little defenders and his speed is hard for big men to run down.

Pros: His athletic ability is astounding. His arm is strong and he is used to pressure put on by the spotlight. Cons: He didn’t display great decision making and that, combined with playing in a spread, makes teams wonder if he can play under center at all.

Former quarterback comparison: I’m afraid no one like him played long ago. But Donovan McNabb is a good side by side comparison. Many people forget that McNabb was a run first kind of QB. Newton is that type of guy right now, but with coaching, he can develop into a pocket passer like McNabb did. They both display odd decision making, but are winners.

Projected–First Round

Christian Ponder, Florida State

Christian Ponder

Christian Ponder, Florida State.

My favorite of them all. Ponder is quite fragile, however.

Stats:

His 2009 campaign is his best. But in 2010, he hit a career high in touchdown passes, with 20. Ponder threw for 2,044 yards, with a 135.68 passer rating. A three year starter, his career mark in passing yards sits at 6,872, with a touchdown to interception ratio of 49-28. He was sacked 57 times, which might explain away his injury concerns. His record over three years was 26-14 and he won his last game in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl.

Ponder is 6'3", 227lbs and he is 23 years old. Ponder had his ups and downs, but always displayed great poise when passing, with over 60 percent of his passes going for completions in each of his last two years.

Pros: Ponder made a point of beating the Seminoles' rivals and bigger schools, so tough situations bring out the best in him. He is very accurate and ran a pro-style offense the last three years. He owned the senior bowl and the only offensive player to really stand out. Cons: He is very fragile and was often hurt. But the sacks could be a huge reason to that, so he will need a stable offensive line.

Former quarterback comparison: Joe Montana. Montana and Ponder share the ability to play their best under stress. The senior bowl is huge and it is essentially the American idol section of college football. If you do good at it, you can change your life. Ponder was the game's MVP. Montana struggled with injuries, but showed that one can endure and be the greatest ever. Ponder has a chance to do amazing things.

Projected–First or Second round

Frazier and Spielman

Fran Tarkington

It's been years since the franchise had a man under center who could operate the offense and win games like Fran Tarkington.

The Minnesota Vikings are in a difficult situation. You’ve heard it said, but now you have seen the stats and statures side by side. It really is as hard as finding a needle in a haystack. One might think they all could be successful...possibly but unlikely. Only two or three  will be stars and Frazier, along with Spielman, have made it their missions to locate which one will be a star for the Purple and Gold.

The repercussions of making the wrong choice could eventually lead to another fired head coach. Coaches follow quarterbacks out the door typically. Just look at Chilly and T-Jack.

On a personal note, I believe Newton and Mallet have great potential, while also being the most likely busts. Ponder and Gabbert are suspect, but intriguing. Locker has the potential to be the best out of them all with his overall skill, but the accuracy is a really big concern. I’m not here to make anymore mock drafts. I have written to get your thoughts. Of the eight quarterbacks reviewed, who do you hope to see in purple next season?

I've seen highly paid analysts mock Gabbert and Newton to the Vikings, so don't hold back on who is your favorite!

Thank you.