The Reality of Drafting QB's in the First Round

Do you recognize the face in the picture? That is Joey Harrington. Do you notice the headset? That is what his career has become. He is wearing a headset on the sideline. This is the guy that was supposed to be the savior of the Detroit Lions. How did it come to this?

Sure you can say the draft is a crap shoot and a 50-50 chance. The reality is that since 1990, 70 percent of the quarterbacks taken in round one have been failures. Therefore, the odds are way lower than 50-50. When you miss, it sets your franchise back by a lot. The ones who have done well are usually the ones who fall and are drafted much lower than expected.

So why is the failure rate so high? There are many factors. I will give you three.

First, If a team has a high draft pick, it is generally because that team is a really bad football team. Really bad football teams have really bad lines and usually average weapons at backs and receivers. That makes me wonder, are these QBs really busts or are they just in an impossible situation?

Second, they are usually forced into action way before they are ready. An NFL QB should know an NFL playbook inside and out and have the respect of his teammates before he ever takes a snap. As a result of playing too early, the QB struggles and learns how to play at the NFL level.

Third, Everything is handed to them. They get a huge contract that they didn't earn. They get large heads from everybody telling them how great they are. They start to believe it. The QBs drafted in later rounds usually have something to prove and don't have a chip on the shoulder. When they get a shot they appreciate it more and make the most of it.

Now the Detroit Lions are about to draft Matthew Stafford. Before they do, they should take another look at the picture above.