Senior Bowl 2012: Why Brandon Weeden Could Be Worth a Second-Round Pick

Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden had an outstanding senior season. He led the Cowboys to a 12-1 record and a thrilling Fiesta Bowl win while throwing the ball all over the field. He clearly established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in college football.

A guy with those credentials who has Weeden's size (6'4" and 218 pounds) and arm almost always ends up being a first-round pick. But this signal-caller has just one major strike against him: He happens to be 28 years old.

Despite his age, Weeden has proven that he can play quarterback. By almost all accounts he has been the most impressive and polished guy under center at the Senior Bowl this week.

And frankly, he needs to be if he wants increase his draft stock. He almost has to be twice as good as the younger guys at his position to really make an impression.

In 2011, Weeden completed 72.3 percent of his passes for 4,727 yards, with 37 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. It was a fantastic final season for a guy who enrolled at Oklahoma State in 2007 after spending several years as a minor league baseball player.

Weeden is mature and has played professional sports before, which means he's less of a risk than a younger, untested prospect.

While I don't think bringing Weeden in as a possible franchise quarterback is a good idea, he could be a great insurance policy for a team that already has a starter in place. A team like the St. Louis Rams, who have Sam Bradford in place as the franchise quarterback, could use a guy like Weeden because of Bradford's penchant for getting injured.

The team that takes Weeden basically knows what it will be getting. He'll be a steady, reliable pro who probably won't have much room to grow. You won't be getting a superstar with him, but he could end up being a fantastic backup who can come in and perform when called upon.

That kind of insurance is tough to find and incredibly important. I could really see him coming off the board late in the second-round if he continues to impress at the Senior Bowl.