NFL Draft 2012: Scouts Are Foolish to Prefer Robert Griffin III over Andrew Luck

There is no way that a scout working at the NFL level can justify themselves after saying that Robert Griffin III is a better quarterback than Andrew Luck.

No matter how you slice it, Luck is Peyton Manning lite.

As much as the hype around Griffin and his Heisman Trophy has increased his draft stock, it has also raised expectations higher than they should be. He is not the next Cam Newton or Michael Vick.

It was in an ESPN piece done by Adam Schefter that he shared the following scenario:

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Should the Colts draft Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, that will leave the Rams fielding offers for teams interested in trading up for Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, whom a handful of NFL scouts prefer to Luck.

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While I will admit that 4,293 yards passing and 37 touchdowns are amazing numbers, we can’t forget that Griffin did this in the Big 12. This is a conference that has given up on playing defense, from the look of things.

Besides the fact that he was playing one lackluster defense after another, Griffin also saw his numbers greatly decrease in the second half of the season. Once defenses started to figure out what he was doing, they forced him to run the ball more and limited his effectiveness through the air.

Griffin’s speed may have saved him in college, but everybody in the NFL is fast. While Griffin depended on the big play in college, that’s not always there, especially when teams know what’s coming.

As mediocre as Griffin will be at the NFL level, Luck will be the next great pocket passer. With Jim Harbaugh’s success in San Francisco, teams know that Luck has the football I.Q. to step right onto the field and play.

With the Cardinal playing in the much tougher Pac-12, Luck faced stiffer competition every week and still managed to put up over 3,500 yards and 37 touchdowns. Not to mention the 71.3 completion percentage that has REAL NFL scouts foaming at the mouth.

Factor in the Peyton Manning effect on the young QB; in he goes to Indy with the perfect delivery and incredible accuracy, and you have the unquestionable best quarterback in the whole draft.

If there is a scout who says otherwise, they need to turn their credentials in at the door.

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