Kellen Moore Senior Bowl: Boise State Great Will Keep Frustrating Critics

Kellen Moore doesn't have the look of an NFL quarterback. He's too small, he has a funky throwing motion and he doesn't have enough arm strength. Sure, he's been great at the college level, but the NFL will chew Moore up and spit him out.

The above paragraph is a pretty good summary of what scouts think of Moore. It's a harsh perspective, but the scouts have a compelling argument (see B/R lead writer Matt Miller's breakdown of Moore). The best NFL quarterbacks come from a certain mold, and Moore does not come from that same mold. Simple as that.

Nevertheless, Moore has been a standout at the practices for this weekend's Senior Bowl. ESPN.com reported on Wednesday that Moore has showed "the most polish" of any quarterback on the North roster, and even Todd McShay spoke kindly of Moore's work in practice:

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His overall anticipation was outstanding and he's more consistently accurate than [Kirk] Cousins and [Ryan] Lindley, and Moore appears in control, decisive and understands where to go with the ball. The odds are stacked against him because of his size, but Moore is certainly helping his case as he attempts to solidify a late-round grade.

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Surprised?

You shouldn't be. It's easy to whine and complain about Moore's lack of size and arm strength, but there are reasons why the dude had one of the greatest college careers of any quarterback. He's always known what to do with the football, and he's always delivered it on target. He didn't rack up gaudy numbers by accident.

The Moore doubters among the scouts would like nothing more than to see Moore fall totally flat at the Senior Bowl, but they shouldn't get their hopes up. Moore is performing well in practice, and there's not a doubt in my mind that he will perform well in the game itself too.

Even if it's true he's not capable of competing against NFL players, Moore won't be facing NFL players in the Senior Bowl. He'll be facing college players, and we know that Moore can hold his own against college players. He did it for four years at Boise State.

For Moore's supporters, the Senior Bowl will be sweet vindication. For his critics, it will be downright frustrating.

So is all of this meant to suggest that Moore will magically become a first-round talent after he's finished doing his thing at the Senior Bowl? Will the scouts come around?

Nope. Even after he owns the Senior Bowl, Moore will still be a scrawny kid with a funky throwing motion and no arm strength. The scouts say there's no place for QBs like him in the NFL, and history says the same thing. We've never seen a QB like Moore succeed in the NFL, and we likely never will.

But Moore won't simply fade away. He's intent on being drafted, critics be damned.

I'll take it on myself to wish him luck. He's going to need it.