Andrew Luck: 7 Biggest Strengths and Weaknesses of 2012 NFL Draft Prospect

Everyone is waiting. The first pick in the 2012 NFL draft is...?

OK, there really isn't any suspense. Andrew Luck has been the anointed one since the beginning of the 2011 college football season.

While we have lauded Luck for his abilities, there is still work to be done on his game. Yes, the best quarterback to come out since Peyton Manning has some flaws. I know, it's shocking.

Here are some strengths and weaknesses of the best talent to come to the NFL in quite some time.

Information obtained in this slideshow was done so with the help of CBSSportsline.com.

Arm Strength

Better than most.

He is not as strong as Matthew Stafford and the arm he possesses, but Luck can still throw a very good deep ball.

His delivery is solid and he can wait on defenders to get downfield. He has patience in the pocket.

Pedigree

Having a father who was an NFL quarterback (Oliver Luck) helps in that he has been around the game all his life.

Luck has been a student and observer of the league since he was a young boy. And like Peyton and Eli Manning with father Archie before him, watching and learning will help him develop into one of the better players in this league.

Leadership

He was the valedictorian of his class. He commands respect at such a young age.

And when he is in the huddle, his teammates listen.

His play helped elevate that of his teammates. There are four potential first-round players on offense from Stanford. They all helped Luck to get where he is as he helped them elevate their draft stock.

Prototypical Size

At 6'4", Luck can see over most defenses and players coming at him.

He has the size scouts want in a passer. He is also 234 pounds, which means he can take a hit when defenders come at him. He fires the deep out from the opposite hash without having to wind up.

Luck is confident in the pocket despite pressure around him, as he's shown the ability to make 50-plus yard throws even with defenders pulling him down.

Reads Defenses Like a Pro

It may be one of his most underrated strengths. He reads a defense now like a Manning or Stafford.

According to the scouting report, "he had full freedom to call audibles at the line and takes advantage of his recognition to improve the offense's chance at a successful play, including often switching from passing plays to handoffs and bootlegs."

Luck has shown that he can look one way and throw the other, leaving defenders with very little time to react.

One of the More Accurate Passers in College

Whether it was on a swing pass or the long ball, Luck led his receivers often down the field. He throws a tight spiral with good trajectory that makes his passes easy to track over the shoulder.

At times, he is too dependent on the long ball, which he often will use even when it is not necessary. He will learn to control that in time.

Puts Too Much Faith in Himself

At times this is where he can get himself or the team hurt.

Luck is so good that sometimes he will trust that accuracy too much.

He shows a willingness to throw too often into coverage. He had two multiple-interception games in his career early on (Oregon 2010, Arizona State 2010). All four of his interceptions were thrown into double coverage. 

He will need to read the defense and then let the ball go.