Robert Griffin III: RGIII Will Defy History by Excelling in NFL

Of the four quarterback duos that went No. 1 and No. 2 overall in the NFL draft since 1967, only one saw both quarterbacks go on to succeed in the pros. And of the plethora of multi-threat quarterbacks to enter the NFL, few have become stars.

Robert Griffin III fits in both of these categories and, if you judged by history alone, you could make a good case that he would fail in the NFL.

But Griffin, who is slated to be selected by the Washington Redskins at No. 2 overall, right behind Andrew Luck, figures to buck the trend.

Jim Plunkett and Archie Manning defied the odds in 1967. Although Plunkett started off poorly, he ended up winning two Super Bowl rings. Since then, we've seen Drew Bledsoe and Rick Mirer (1993), Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf (1998) and Tim Couch and Donovan McNabb (1999). Where one has succeeded, the other has failed miserably.

But you only have to look at Griffin's skills and overall makeup to understand that he is bound to be a star in the NFL. 

Griffin not only has the wheels to fly down the field, he's actually a pass-first quarterback. He certainly did damage on the ground last season at Baylor, but he rarely looked to run first. Griffin prefers to pass, and his arm strength, accuracy, pocket poise and vision allow him to do that quite well.

Beyond that, he displayed tremendous leadership while leading Baylor to a 67-56 Alamo Bowl victory. He has no character concerns whatsoever, no matter what any unnamed scouts say.

It's important to remember that the reason most multi-threat quarterbacks have failed is because they were developmental pocket passers when they came out of college. Michael Vick didn't start playing well until he honed his passing skills.

Griffin, on the other hand, is much more developed in the pocket than a lot of these multi-threat quarterbacks were heading into the NFL draft, including Vick. He has the ability to be just as dangerous through the air as he is on the ground, like Cam Newton showed last season.

People have been studying the NFL draft for decades, but sometimes history means nothing. Griffin will prove that in the pros.

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