NFL Draft 2011: Comparing Cam Newton to Draft Busts of the Last 25 Years
Cam Newton appears to be the odds-on favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in this year's NFL draft. He has shot up draft boards after many analysts did not have him pegged as a first-round pick for most of the season.
There is no denying that Newton has boom-or-bust potential, as he could become an elite NFL quarterback or flame out like JaMarcus Russell.
Newton has a skill set that has never been seen in a quarterback prospect, as he combines speed, strength and a tremendous arm.
Newton won the Heisman Trophy and a National Championship in his only season as a starter at the Division I level.
While it is very difficult to compare Newton to any other quarterback that the NFL has seen, here are some quarterbacks who have some skill sets similar to Newton's, as well as some valuable lessons he can learn from these quarterbacks who were sent packing early in their careers.
6. Joey Harrington
1 of 6
Joey Harrington is a very, very scaled down version of Cam Newton. He came out of college as an athletic quarterback out of the spread offense, much like Newton.
However, Harrington does not have the arm strength of Newton's caliber. On the ground, Harrington was considered a somewhat mobile quarterback, but certainly does not have the speed or strength of Cam Newton.
Taking Harrington's skill set and multiplying it by about three would equal Cam Newton. With that in mind, the thing that Newton needs to take away from Harrington is that he needs to study a lot of film and be able to react to things quickly at the NFL level.
Harrington struggled in reading defenses and making quick decisions, while not an easy thing to adapt to, Newton will need to spend a lot of time in the film room to be successful.
5. JaMarcus Russell
2 of 6
Cam Newton has been compared to JaMarcus Russell on a regular basis since he declared for the draft.
The criticism is really not that fair, but there are certainly some similarities. They both have huge arms, and are both very strong, physical quarterbacks. They both left college with concerns regarding their ability to read defenses as well.
Off the field, Newton reportedly got in trouble for cheating at Florida, was involved in a pay-for-play scheme and has had his work ethic questioned by multiple analysts.
When Russell was coming out of school, the major concerns were about his leadership abilities and work ethic.
Cam Newton's athleticism should make him a much better quarterback than Russell at the NFL level, and if Ron Rivera can get Newton to put in the work to be a successful quarterback, there is no chance he will bust out like Russell.
4. Andre Ware
3 of 6
Andre Ware came out of a run and shoot offense at the University of Houston, which is similar to what we have been familiar with from the Texas Tech teams of late.
While Ware was a very athletic quarterback, he did not use his mobility to his advantage much in college, but showed it off a bit more at the NFL level, averaging nearly six yards per carry.
Both Ware and Newton played their college games in quarterback friendly systems, which made it very easy for them to read defenses. In both systems, the quarterback was only responsible for making one to two reads before finding an open man, or in Newton's case, taking off with the football.
Playing in a quarterback friendly system, both were able to put up huge numbers, and both would eventually win the Heisman Trophy.
Newton will need to be able to learn an NFL offense and adapt his game to that offense if he wants to avoid being the product of the Auburn system.
.png?w=256)
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
3. Byron Leftwich
4 of 6
Coming out of Marshall University, Byron Leftwich also had the strength and powerful arm that resembles Cam Newton. However, like Russell, Leftwich never had the athleticism of Newton.
Leftwich was able to avoid the rush and definitely had a better set of wheels than Russell, but he is no where near Cam Newton's level.
Leftwich, like Newton, excels at buying time in the pocket. The main difference between the two is that when Newton is buying time, he is looking to run, while Leftwich still looks to throw first.
While they have much different throwing motions, neither of them throws the ball in a traditional manner. Newton does a poor job of shifting his weight when he throws; however, he has improved as the offseason has gone along. Leftwich, on the other hand, has one of the slowest releases in NFL history and never really improved on that.
One of the keys to Newton's success will be to continue working on his improved throwing motion in an effort to make it feel more natural to him. If he can do that, he should prevent himself from becoming the next Byron Leftwich.
2. Akili Smith
5 of 6
Akili Smith exploded onto the scene after a phenomenal 1998 season at Oregon. Like Newton, Smith was a one-year wonder in college. He had a tremendous senior season, where he threw for 30 touchdowns and had only seven interceptions.
Before his incredible senior season, Smith also ran into some off-the-field concerns. While he did not get in trouble for cheating like Newton did, he did have academic issues and nearly flunked out of Oregon. Smith also had major red flags, as he was arrested for both assault and drunken driving.
Smith had a strong arm, like Newton's, but flashed better accuracy. Smith was not quite as athletic, but certainly showed some of the game-changing abilities that Newton has shown over the past year.
The main comparison with Smith and Newton is that they both have had incidents off-the-field that raise major red flags (Smith with his arrests, Newton with his pay-for-play allegations and cheating); however, both have the talents that scouts drool over.
Newton will need to put those off-the-field concerns into the past, and prove that he is not just a one-hit wonder to avoid future comparisons to Akili Smith.
1. Vince Young
6 of 6
To clarify, Vince Young and Cam Newton are not the same player. They both have the ability to create plays with their legs, but they have a different overall game.
Young does not have the size or the strength that Cam Newton has, but he is lighter on his feet. Young is more of a shifty runner while Newton has no problem bowling over defenders.
Both of these quarterbacks have concerns about their ability to convert to a pro-style offense. Both of them played a lot of shotgun in college and one-read offenses. By "one-read offenses," it means that they would look at their primary receiver, and if nothing is there, they would take off and run.
There were times during both player's college career where people said they would never make it as an NFL quarterback.
They are both two of the most athletically gifted quarterbacks the game has ever seen, right along with Michael Vick.
However, Newton has a much better arm than Young. Young was inaccurate in college and does not have as strong of an arm as Newton.
Both have problems with their accuracy due to their throwing motion. Young has a sidearm motion, while Newton struggles to shift his weight properly and rushes his passes before setting his feet.
Newton truly is in a league of his own, but Vince Young is the most comparable player to him at the NFL level. The jury is still out on whether or not Young truly is a bust, but to this point in his career, he has not lived up to the hype as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2006 draft.
Newton could learn a lot from Young's disaster in Tennessee. Newton needs to learn that the NFL is a team game, and he cannot be selfish. He should also take note that NFL players do not let quarterbacks run rampant like college players, unless your name is Michael Vick. Newton will not be able to run over NFL linebackers, and he needs to learn to go down on his own and avoid the injuries that have riddled Young's career to this point.
Newton has a lot to learn to be a successful NFL quarterback, but there is something that he can take from each and every one of these former NFL busts.
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
