2012 NFL Mock Draft: NFL Films Guru Breaks Down Second-Round Quarterbacks

Greg Cosell of NFL Films is widely regarded as one of the best football minds in the business, and a few days after he broke down the 2012 NFL draft's top two quarterbacks in Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin, the expert turned his attention on Saturday to a pair of signal callers who could be chosen in the second round of April's draft in Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden and Michigan State's Kirk Cousins.

Weeden, who threw for over 4,700 yards in 2011, would likely be a first-round prospect were it not for the fact that the pursuit of a professional baseball career has left the 6'4" 221-pounder a 28-year-old rookie. While Cosell saw some things he liked while viewing video of Weeden, his age wasn't the only cause for concern that Cosell saw.

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Been asked a lot about Weeden. Watched 4 gms. Saw NFL route combinations + progression reads. Velocit between the numbers. Less outside.

— Greg Cosell (@gregcosell) March 24, 2012

More Weeden: Poise + patience to his play. Some excellent seam throws. Inconsistent accuracy. Would like to see better ball location overall

— Greg Cosell (@gregcosell) March 24, 2012

More Weeden: Tendency to drift in pocket with poor footwork + balance in response to pressure. Must be corrected to be quality NFL starter.

— Greg Cosell (@gregcosell) March 24, 2012

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The Cleveland Browns and GM Tom Heckert were reportedly very enamored with Weeden after watching the second team All-Big 12 performer work out at Oklahoma State's pro day, but if Cosell's assessments are accurate then it should certainly give the Browns or another team pause about choosing Weeden in the second round, as his advanced age shortens the amount of time Weeden has to develop.

Michigan State's Cousins wasn't generally considered a second-round prospect after throwing for just over 3,300 yards and 25 touchdowns as a senior, but after strong outings at the Senior Bowl and NFL combine Cousins' stock is on the rise.

However, Cosell apparently doesn't see the sort of upside with Cousins that he does with Weeden, and believes that the 6'3", 214-pound Cousins will need the right system to succeed at the professional level.

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Asked about Cousins. Compact delivery but not big arm. Ability to progression read NFL route combinations. Efficient off play + boot action.

— Greg Cosell (@gregcosell) March 24, 2012

More Cousins: Needs functional space. Tendency to drift in response to pressure. No special qualities. Neither big arm nor highly accurate.

— Greg Cosell (@gregcosell) March 24, 2012

Cousins example of QB who must be managed + manipulated by scheme to be effective due to passing limitations. True of most, like M. Flynn.

— Greg Cosell (@gregcosell) March 24, 2012

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Cosell's rather lukewarm endorsement of Cousins would seem to indicate that the former Spartans star may be better suited for a career as a backup, making the use of a second-round pick on Cousins look like a reach to some.

However—as the Philadelphia Eagles showed when they used an early second-round pick on Kevin Kolb in 2007—some NFL clubs aren't shy about making a significant investment in a backup quarterback, so it won't be at all surprising if Cousins doesn't make it to the third round this April.

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