Don't Laugh: Ball State's Nate Davis Could Be Top QB in the 2009 NFL Draft Class

No, I'm not kidding!

Nate Davis, QB of the 9-0, No. 17 Ball State Cardinals, could be one of the first QBs taken in the 2009 NFL Draft!

While many college football fans may be unaware of this fact, the MAC (Mid-American Conference) is known for producing some pretty good NFL-caliber quarterbacks in recent years.

If Davis, who is a junior, decides to turn pro after this season, many experts project him to be around the third-best QB prospect in the 2009 NFL Draft, behind only Georgia's senior QB Matthew Stafford and Florida's Tim Tebow, also a junior.

Overall, next year's class isn't very deep or strong at the quarterback position, so it would be a bit surprising if Davis doesn't declare himself eligible for the 2009 NFL Draft.

The nation as a whole may not have been aware of how good Davis and his Ball State Cardinals are, but their appearance on ESPN2 on Wednesday night in a nationally broadcast game surely changed that for those who watched.

In case you didn't see the game, you can watch the highlights by CLICKING HERE.

The 6'2", 222-pound Davis led the Cardinals to a 45-14 dismantling of Northern Illinois. He threw for 300 yards and four touchdowns, making precision passes all over the field while adding to his personal highlight reel.

For the season, Davis has thrown for 2,358 yards and 19 touchdowns to only five interceptions, along with a QB rating of 167 and a pass completion percentage of 68. He has also rushed for 114 yards and two scores.

If you still doubt Davis' potential to be a high draft pick and NFL star coming from the MAC, allow me to do a little "From MAC QB to NFL QB" name-dropping!

Omar Jacobs, BGSU: NFL 5th Round (164th overall, 2006)

Bruce Gradkowski, Toledo: NFL 6th Round (194th overall, 2006)

Charlie Frye, Akron: NFL 3rd Round (67th overall, 2005)

Josh Harris, BGSU: NFL 6th Round (187 overall, 2004)

Byron Leftwich, Marshall: NFL 1st Round (7th overall, 2003)

Chad Pennington, Marshall: NFL 1st Round (18th overall, 2000)

Lastly, you may have heard of this guy. He's considered one of the best quarterbacks currently in the NFL.

Ben Roethlisberger, Miami-OH: NFL 1st Round (11th overall, 2004)

Granted, not all of these players went on to NFL stardom, but be aware that many of them were projects drafted in the latter rounds with very little investment.

Davis will be coveted should he come out early and will be a first day pick and most likely a first round pick.

Some of the greatest NFL players of all time have come from non-powerhouse and somewhat unknown smaller schools where most of the nation never had heard of them.

Jerry Rice, Brett Favre, Walter Payton, Jack Lambert, and Eric Dickerson are all NFL Hall of Famers from programs similar to Ball State.

Nate Davis may just be the next in line on this path.

Keep watching!

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HD

Here's Davis on a rushing TD vs. Toledo.