NFL Draft 2011: Why Greg McElroy Is the Sleeper of the 2011 Draft.

NFL Draft 2011:  Why Greg McElroy is the sleeper of the 2011 Draft.

As analyst project top draft choices in the weeks leading up to the NFL draft, one name conspicuously does not appear.  This player is regularly left off of lists regarding the best players in the draft at his position.  He is currently projected as a fifth or sixth round pick despite the fact that he is statistically one of the best quarterback to ever play for the tradition rich Alabama football team and despite the fact that statistically he is one of the best quarterbacks to play in the SEC in recent years.  He has won a national championship while at Alabama and a mythical national championship at the high school level. 

Although he has garnered little attention on analyst draft boards, Greg McElroy may be the most overlooked quarterback in the upcoming NFL draft. 

McElroy certainly can grasp the mental side of the professional game.  His Wonderlic score was the highest of all athletes declaring for this year’s draft and his high level of intelligence may make his adjustment to the NFL much easier than that of his contemporaries. 

He is a very accurate passer especially with midrange passes.  His attempt to interception ratio is the best in school history and SEC history.  His leadership skills and character are unquestionable and while many give him little credit for the national championship season he was the quarterback and commanded the respect of this enormously talented collection of players. 

Of course, many will point out that he does not compare athletically to the likes of Cam Newton.  However, of quarterbacks in the draft, he does compare favorably in terms of the level of success experienced during his time in the college game.  He has a whopping .889 winning percentage while quarterbacking in the most competitive league in the country over a two-year stretch and has a national championship to boot.

While many project McElroy as a career back up quarterback in the NFL and therefore a late round draft pick, those in the know believe McElroy may compare favorably with another late round draft pick, Tom Brady.  Only time will tell.