Senior Bowl 2012: Where Will Brandon Weeden Fall in NFL Draft?

Brandon Weeden had a fantastic senior season. The Oklahoma State quarterback threw the ball all over the field while leading the Cowboys to a 12-1 record and a Fiesta Bowl win. He solidified himself as one of the best quarterbacks in college football. Normally a guy with his numbers, size (6'4" and 218 pounds) and arm would be a sure-fire first-round pick, but there is just one problem.

Weeden is 28 years old.

In 2011, Weeden completed 72.3 percent of his passes for 4,727 yards, with 37 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. That capped a great career for a guy who played minor league baseball for years before enrolling at Oklahoma State in 2007. Weeden was a second-round draft pick of the New York Yankees in the 2002 Major League Baseball draft and spent time in the Los Angeles Dodgers and Kansas City Royals organizations before giving college football a try.

This week, at the Senior Bowl, Weeden has a lot of work to do to prove to scouts that his age shouldn't be a factor. He is currently in a group of players vying to be the third quarterback taken in the 2012 NFL draft, which includes Arizona's Nick Foles, Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill and Arizona State's Brock Osweiler. 

During practices at the Senior Bowl, Weeden is going head-to-head with Foles to show who is more prepared for the league. As of now, the 28-year-old has been far more impressive. Weeden has showed that he is easily the most polished quarterback at the event, but just because he is further along doesn't mean he's the best prospect.

When training camp rolls around, Weeden will be 29. If he sits a year before starting, he'll be under center for the first time in the NFL as a 30-year-old. For comparison, Eli Manning played the entire 2011 season at 30 years old. 

I think Weeden will come off the board late in the second round, and he could be a smart pick up for a team that already has a franchise quarterback. He could be selected and viewed almost like a veteran backup who would likely be solid when called upon.

His ceiling is likely somewhere in the middle of the second round.