2012 NFL Draft Predictions: Quarterbacks Who Will Go Undrafted

As I'm writing this, the NFL draft is moving right along. The fourth and fifth rounds are in the books, and the sixth round is currently underway.

Relatively few quarterbacks have come off the board to this point. We of course saw four different quarterbacks go in the first round way back on Thursday (seems like decades ago), and three more came off the board on Friday.

Quarterbacks haven't been flying off the board on Saturday, and right now it's looking like quite a few quarterbacks could go undrafted. 

Here's a few bold predictions for quarterbacks who absolutely, positively won't get drafted.

Patrick Witt, Yale

You just don't see quarterbacks from Ivy League schools get drafted all that often, so the chips were stacked against Patrick Witt before the draft even began.

Witt is a pretty solid draft prospect as far as quarterbacks go. He has NFL size and an NFL arm, and he had a productive career at Yale despite playing with less-than-elite talent. If he were coming out of say, Alabama, he'd probably be a lock to get drafted.

The fact that Witt went to Yale is a disadvantage. Just as problematic is his history off the field. If you haven't been keeping up with the latest Patrick Witt news, just know that he went from being a model citizen and a Rhodes scholarship candidate to being a very shady character. That was thanks to a damning story that appeared in The New York Times back in January.

It would have been hard enough for Witt to get drafted before that story came out. Since his questionable past is now common knowledge, he's a lock to go undrafted.

Stephen Garcia, South Carolina

Admit it, you forgot all about Stephen Garcia, didn't you?

I don't blame you if you did. He's been off the radar ever since he got booted from South Carolina. He pushed his luck with Steve Spurrier over and over, and Spurrier finally got sick of him.

Unlike Witt, Garcia is not a solid NFL draft prospect. He's a little too short, and a little too pudgy. He's got a strong arm, but he doesn't always know where the ball is going. 

As far as intangibles go...yeah, not so much.

To put it bluntly, there's just no reason for any team to take a gamble on Garcia.

Jacory Harris, Miami

The chips are stacked against Jacory Harris because of the controversy that enveloped Miami this past season. Harris himself had to pay a price for being involved in the Nevin Shapiro scandal.

Beyond the character concerns, there are things to like about Harris. He's got a good combination of height and speed, and he's got a pretty good arm. He's also plenty experienced as a quarterback, as he was starting games as a true freshman.

The problem with Harris is that he's more of an athlete than a quarterback. He doesn't make great decisions with his throws, and he doesn't anticipate routes well at all. His accuracy comes and goes.

Harris might get picked up as an undrafted free agent. But if I had to guess, I'd say he's ticketed for a league other than the NFL.

Darron Thomas, Oregon

Darron Thomas made a big-time mistake declaring for the NFL draft. Call me crazy, but I think that may have something to do with his decision to listen to Drew Rosenhaus, who is now his agent.

As is true of all players who attend Oregon, Thomas is an above-average athlete. That's really the only feather in his cap, however, as Thomas is inexperienced as a quarterback. His mechanics need work, and goodness knows Thomas will need a lot of work upstairs before he can step under center in an NFL offense.

Thomas played in a gimmick offense at Oregon. It was all about doing things quickly. When he took the snap, his job was to make one read and throw. He's not used to reading defenses or going through progressions when he has the ball in his hands.

I can see a team picking up Thomas for the purpose of using him in gimmick plays, but that doesn't make him worth a draft pick.

Kellen Moore, Boise State

Boy am I going to hear it for this one...

Kellen Moore hasn't been drafted yet, and I find that to be a concern. If a team was going to take a chance on him in this draft, it probably would have been somewhere in Rounds 3-5. The draft is getting closer and closer to Mr. Irrelevant now, and Moore is still on the board.

Surprised? You shouldn't be. When a lot of people look at Moore, they see a smart quarterback who had one of the greatest college careers in history. When NFL teams look at him, they see a little guy with no arm strength, a funky delivery and inconsistent accuracy.

He'll be picked up as an undrafted free agent, but I doubt he'll ever make it off a practice squad.