Comparing Rookie QBs to Their Veteran Counterparts

Four quarterbacks were taken in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft, and all of them have gone to teams with veterans on the depth chart at the position.

Here is a look at how those rookie quarterbacks compare to their veteran counterparts.

Andrew Luck and Drew Stanton

We all know what Andrew Luck brings to the table. He has prototypical size (6'4" and 235 pounds) and arm strength and shows great touch and accuracy. The Stanford product is also an underrated athlete, can throw on the run and is mobile when he needs to be. Basically, he is a physically perfect quarterback with a great football mind. 

Meanwhile, Stanton is a guy who never really got a chance to play much with the Detroit Lions, but he has some intriguing tools. The 28-year-old has a nice combination of size (6'3" and 230 pounds) and athleticism. He is mobile within the pocket, but won't run for yards down field. He has a decent release and has the arm strength to make all the necessary throws.

Like Luck, Stanton has a lot of the tools you look for in a quarterback, but he has never shown the ability to put those to use as a starter at the NFL level. In 12 career games, the Michigan State product has completed 55.6 percent of his passes for 1,158 yards, with five touchdowns and nine interceptions. His career quarterback rating currently sits at 63.1.

Luck will be the starter from day one for the Indianapolis Colts, with Stanton serving as a solid backup option.

Robert Griffin III and Rex Grossman

Robert Griffin III is physically one of the most impressive players to ever play the quarterback position. Rex Grossman is not. 

Griffin is 6'2" and 220 pounds, and possesses 4.41 speed in the 40-yard dash. He has excellent arm strength and developing accuracy. The Baylor product will start immediately for the Washington Redskins and will be one of the most dynamic playmakers in the NFL. 

Grossman will be Griffin's backup, and remember all those nice things I said about the No. 2 pick in the 2012 NFL draft's abilities? Yeah, think of the opposite and that's basically my scouting report for the 31-year-old Grossman.

He is undersized, has adequate arm strength, but makes terrible decisions with the football. In 54 career games, Grossman has completed just 55.3 percent of his passes for 10,232 yards, with 56 touchdowns and 60 interceptions. His career quarterback rating is 71.4.

It's safe to say that Griffin won't have much competition for the starting spot in Washington.

Brandon Weeden and Colt McCoy

The Cleveland Browns surprised a lot of people when they selected Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden with the 22nd pick in the 2012 draft. The 28-year-old Weeden is expected to come in and start right away, relegating McCoy to backup status after two years as the starter.

Weeden has ideal size at 6'4" and 220 pounds and has outstanding arm strength. He can make all the throws, and is very accurate when he has a chance to step up in the pocket and step into his throws. But when he's pressured, Weeden has a tendency to wing his throws and go off his back foot. That said, for the most part he's an extremely smart quarterback.

McCoy is a little smaller than is ideal for a quarterback (6'1" and 215 pounds). He has solid arm strength and athleticism, but he's not terribly accurate. He also forces the ball into coverage too often. In 21 career games, McCoy has completed 58.4 percent of his passes for 4,309 yards, with 20 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. His career passer rating is 74.5.

Weeden has better overall skills than McCoy and mentally should be more well-prepared to start than the Texas product. 

Ryan Tannehill and Matt Moore

The Miami Dolphins selected Ryan Tannehill with the No. 8 pick in the 2012 NFL draft. The Texas A&M product is inexperienced, but has all the tools you look for in a franchise-level quarterback. He will be competing for playing time with returning starter Matt Moore, who is a solid but unspectacular signal-caller.

Tannehill has prototypical size (6'4" and 222 pounds), with developing arm strength and should have much better accuracy as he gets more time at the position. He has great feet and outstanding mobility, which should help him as he develops as a passer.

Moore has adequate size (6'3" and 203 pounds), and possesses a decent arm. He has enough awareness to go through his progressions, but isn't as accurate as you'd like from a No. 1 quarterback.

Tannehill will likely take a backseat for most of 2012 behind Moore, but his overall talent level is much higher than the incumbent starter. Eventually Tannehill will take over under center.