2012 NFL Draft: Robert Griffin III Will Be Better Pro QB Than Cam Newton

You'll remember that Carolina Panthers rookie Cam Newton had accuracy issues headed into the 2011 NFL draft.

Some believed the Panthers made a mistake selecting him No. 1 overall.

But since then, he's proved his doubters wrong, surprising right out of the gate this season. At this point, it's hard to find anyone that believes he's not the answer for the Panthers.

But there's a better version of Cam Newton headed into the 2012 NFL draft, and his name is Robert Griffin III.

If you haven't heard of Baylor's superstar this season, you either hate college football with a passion or you've been living underground.

Griffin won the Heisman Trophy over such standouts as Stanford's Andrew Luck and Alabama's Trent Richardson this season, passing for nearly 4,000 yards and 36 touchdowns to just six interceptions.

On top of that, Griffin displayed the running ability out of the pocket that makes him a multidimensional threat. He rushed for 644 yards and nine touchdowns.

But we already knew about Griffin's athleticism before this season. He rushed for 635 yards and eight touchdowns last season. It's been Griffin's development in the pocket and ability to rise to the occasion in critical moments that separates him from Newton.

For one, Griffin is much more accurate than Newton was coming out of college. He also displays better decision-making out of the pocket and is actually more of a threat in the pocket than on the ground.

But enough of my yapping. You only have to look at one play against then-No. 5 Oklahoma on Nov. 19 to understand how big a prospect Griffin truly is.

With 19 seconds on the clock and Baylor tied with Oklahoma, 38-38, Griffin showed everything he's capable of in one play.

With pressure coming from the outside, Griffin calmly used his legs to scramble, found a spot to throw the ball, then threw a 34-yard strike across the field to receiver Terrance Williams with a defender in his face to win the game for Baylor.

It was perhaps the most spectacular throw of the season and one that is sure to go down in Baylor's annals.

Griffin isn't just a one-year wonder. He's only going to get better. And he's already ready for the big and bad NFL.

If it wasn't for Stanford's Andrew Luck, Griffin would warrant the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft.