2011 NFL Draft Preview: The Top 10 Quarterbacks
I’ve been seeing a lot of people downgrading the strength of this year’s quarterback class over the last month or so, and I still can’t really figure out why it’s happening.
I know it’s the fashionable thing to bust on the top quarterback prospects. It happens every year. But just because everyone’s favorite quarterback, Stanford’s Andrew Luck, said no thank you to the NFL, that doesn’t mean that the rest of the players available this year are just a bunch of scrubs.
Blaine Gabbert and Cam Newton both have the potential to become franchise quarterbacks, whether people want to admit it or not.
Not only are Gabbert and Newton quality choices; there are also about five or six other legitimately intriguing quarterback prospects available this year.
In my humble opinion, this is one of the strongest and deepest classes we’ve seen in a while.
Sure, each guy has some sort of noticeable flaw.
But then again, exactly how many surefire, perfect quarterbacks have we seen emerge from the college ranks recently?
This is a good group and they deserve their proper due.
Here’s a look at the top 10 quarterbacks available for the 2011 NFL Draft.
5 Who Missed the Cut
1 of 11
1. Tyrod Taylor, Virginia Tech
2. T.J. Yates, North Carolina
3. Jeff Van Camp, Florida Atlantic
4. Pat Devlin, Delaware
5. Scott Tolzien, Wisconsin
10. Nathan Enderle, Idaho
2 of 11
Class: Senior
Height: 6'4''
Weight: 240
2010 Statistics
Completions/Attempts: 271/478 (56%)
Passing Yards: 3,314
Touchdowns: 22
Interceptions: 16
Rating: 123
Summary: The one late-round sleeper who is worth keeping an eye on this year is Idaho’s Nathan Enderle.
Yes, we all know Enderle blew his one big chance to show that he could compete against a top-notch defense when he fell apart against Nebraska early on in the 2010 season.
But one bad outing shouldn't make or break a player's future.
Enderle has the look of an NFL quarterback, even if his overall skills leave something to be desired.
The facts are that Enderle doesn’t have a huge arm, he’s not the most accurate passer and he’s spent the last four years going up against fairly weak competition.
But—and this is a big but—he could be one of those quarterbacks who walks into a mini-camp and makes some noise.
We've seen it happen before.
9. Greg McElroy, Alabama
3 of 11
Class: Senior
Height: 6'2''
Weight: 220
2010 Statistics
Completions/Attempts: 222/313 (71%)
Passing Yards: 2,987
Touchdowns: 20
Interceptions: 5
Rating: 169
Summary: I’m not sure exactly how to say this right.
I would never ever want Greg McElroy behind center, taking a meaningful snap for my NFL team. But he’s exactly the type of guy I want on the sideline, wearing a ball cap and pair of headphones, standing right next to my offensive coordinator.
I guess what I’m trying to say is McElroy is the ultimate No. 3 QB.
McElroy is the most intelligent prospect in this entire draft class. He’s also a proven winner who has shown that he has what it takes to navigate a team to a championship.
He certainly doesn’t have the tools to be an NFL starter, however.
McElroy is the type of player you want in the film room next to your top quarterback, helping him break down a defense week in and week out.
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8. Ricky Stanzi, Iowa
4 of 11
Class: Senior
Height: 6'4''
Weight: 223
2010 Statistics
Completions/Attempts:221/345 (64%)
Passing Yards: 3,004
Touchdowns: 25
Interceptions: 6
Rating: 157
Summary: Although Iowa took a step in the wrong direction in 2010, QB Ricky Stanzi stood out and really showed a lot of maturity as a senior.
Stanzi cut down on the mistakes and interceptions that plagued him during his first two years as a starter.
He ended up putting together a very impressive sendoff campaign.
He’s got the size, smarts and sneaky athleticism to eventually become a starter, if he’s groomed properly.
Stanzi could be one of those Matt Cassel/Matt Schaub types who develops for the team that drafts him and then makes his living as a starter somewhere else.
7. Christian Ponder, Florida State
5 of 11
Class: Senior
Height: 6'2''
Weight: 229
2010 Statistics
Completions/Attempts: 184/299 (61%)
Passing Yards: 2,044
Touchdowns: 20
Interceptions: 8
Rating: 135
Summary: Christian Ponder is this year’s quintessential West Coast quarterback.
Ponder, who entered his senior season with first-round aspirations, has battled the injury bug the past two years.
But when he’s been healthy, he’s displayed the type of tools it takes to be a successful pro signal-caller.
Ponder may lack the gun to get the ball down the field with consistency, but his accuracy between 5-25 yards will make him a valuable commodity for a team running the West Coast Offense.
If Ponder ends up in the right situation with a coordinator who maximizes his strengths, he has a chance to be a steady starter in the NFL for a long time.
6. Andy Dalton, TCU
6 of 11
Class: Senior
Height: 6'2''
Weight: 215
2010 Statistics
Completions/Attempts: 209/316 (66%)
Passing Yards: 2,857
Touchdowns: 27
Interceptions: 6
Rating: 166
Summary: If you were to look at what Andy Dalton brings to the table from just a pure physical standpoint, you’re going to be left wanting more. But Dalton’s physical skills don’t come close to telling his whole story.
Dalton, who guided TCU to victory in 25 of his last 26 starts, has the all-important winning trait that every NFL team covets in a quarterback.
Although he’s maxed out in terms of his potential, you know exactly what you’re going to get from Dalton.
He's the kind of smart, hard-working leader that a locker room will rally behind.
5. Ryan Mallett, Arkansas
7 of 11
Class: Junior
Height: 6'6''
Weight: 253
2010 Statistics
Completions/Attempts: 266/411 (64%)
Passing Yards: 3,869
Touchdowns: 32
Interceptions: 12
Rating: 163
Summary: Ryan Mallett is the one prospect in this year’s class who you just want to get a hold of and say, "Hey kid, get your act together and straighten up."
Mallett has the natural gifts to be a top-10 pick, but alleged issues with alcohol and drugs as well as questions about his leadership capabilities have sabotaged his stock.
There’s no question Mallett has an absolute cannon attached to his right shoulder.
He probably has the strongest arm we’ve seen from a quarterback prospect since Jay Cutler.
Still, there's no changing the fact that he just doesn't possess the type of intangibles you would want out of your franchise quarterback.
Some team that can afford to take a shot in the dark on a quarterback is going to take a chance on Mallett, and depending on how far he ends up falling, they could be getting a real bargain.
But it’s going to be up to the coaching staff that inherits him to make sure they keep Mallett under control and on the right path as both a football player and a person.
4. Jake Locker, Washington
8 of 11
Class: Senior
Height: 6'2''
Weight: 231
2010 Statistics
Completions/Attempts: 184/332 (55%)
Passing Yards: 2,265
Touchdowns: 17
Interceptions: 9
Rating: 124
Summary: Back in August, Jake Locker had the football world at his fingertips.
Sadly, he let it all slip away.
Locker, everybody’s preseason favorite to be the No. 1 pick, looked downright lost at times during the 2010 season, as he failed to capitalize on the momentum and hype he accumulated over the summer.
What we learned from this past season is that Locker is only streaky accurate.
He likely doesn’t have the ice water running through his veins that sets apart the great quarterbacks when it comes down to crunch time.
That doesn’t change the fact that Locker is one of the most physically gifted and athletic quarterback prospects of this millennium.
He’s one of those prospects whose pro success is really going to depend on what kind of system he ends up in.
Locker can be a solid starter in this league if he ends up in the right offense, working with the right coaching staff.
But if he doesn’t, things could go downhill in a hurry.
3. Colin Kaepernick, Nevada
9 of 11
Class: Senior
Height: 6'4''
Weight: 233
2010 Statistics
Completions/Attempts: 233/359 (65%)
Passing Yards: 3,022
Touchdowns: 21
Interceptions: 8
Rating: 150
Summary: Colin Kapernick is set to be one of this year’s biggest risers, and right now I wouldn’t bet against a team trading up into the late first round to snag him.
Oakland Raiders, Al Davis, I’m looking at you.
Admittedly, Kaepernick is a work in progress, coming out of Nevada’s unorthodox pistol offense. He’s going to take at least a year to get his feet under him in the NFL.
But it’s obvious that Kapernick is an ultra-athletic piece of clay waiting to be sculpted into a great NFL quarterback.
Although he may not have experience playing in a pro-style offense, Kaepernick does have all the traits you would look for in an elite quarterback prospect.
If a team has the patience to let Kaepernick learn his progressions and fix his mechanics, he could end up becoming a star in the NFL.
2. Cam Newton, Auburn
10 of 11
Class: Junior
Height: 6'5''
Weight: 248
2010 Statistics
Completions/Attempts: 185/280 (66%)
Passing Yards: 2,854
Touchdowns: 30
Interceptions: 7
Rating: 182
Summary: With the way people are talking right now, I’m not sure whether Cam Newton is an NFL Draft prospect or an enemy of the state.
I told you when he first declared that the Cam Newton backlash was going to be aggressive, but even I can’t believe how Cam’s being roasted in the media.
They say success breeds contempt, but what’s happening to Newton is pretty hard to believe. Not only are people picking apart his game—which is normal for a top quarterback prospect—they're personally attacking every single facet of his existence.
Warren Moon has accused the media of being racially biased in their criticism of Cam, but I just can’t believe that’s true. I’ve never heard anyone in the media accuse a black quarterback of being lazy, dumb or arrogant before.
Um. Alright, nevermind.
Let’s forget about the media and the turmoil in Cam’s past and just focus on him as a player for a second.
Whether you like him or despise him, you have to admit that the young man is an exceptional athlete and a pretty tremendous football player.
In the past two years, Newton’s carried two different teams to national championships, one in junior college and one playing against the big boys.
To say Cam Newton has no chance of being able to lead an NFL team seems like a bit of a stretch considering what he’s shown us in his short but successful career.
Is he a perfect prospect?
Absolutely not.
He has his flaws just like every other player in this draft class. However, Newton also has the potential to be a star in the NFL if given the proper opportunity.
If four years from now, Newton has failed as a professional, everyone will have a right to bash him and compare him to JaMarcus Russell.
But to do that now before he’s even signed an NFL contract is somewhat asinine.
Give the kid a chance to prove himself before you go tearing him down.
1. Blaine Gabbert, Missouri
11 of 11
Class: Junior
Height: 6'4''
Weight: 234
2010 Statistics
Completions/Attempts: 301/475 (63%)
Passing Yards: 3,186
Touchdowns: 16
Interceptions: 9
Rating: 127
Summary: Blaine Gabbert should carve out a little piece of his contract and send some of it to Andrew Luck because no one benefited from Luck staying at Stanford as much as Gabbert did.
Without a clear No. 1 quarterback like Luck available, everyone went searching for the next best option and what they found was Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert.
Right now it seems like Gabbert has as good of a chance as anybody to go No. 1 to Carolina.
He’s got all the tools—athleticism, strong arm, good decision-maker—you want, but the fact that he comes from a shotgun-heavy spread passing system at Missouri is a bit of concern.
Gabbert may never be one of the five best quarterbacks in the NFL, but he’s the safest option at the position this year.
He should turn into a steady pro wherever he ends up.
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