2010 NFL Draft: Why Tim Tebow Is Another Drew Brees in the Making

Let’s see...all the reasons that scouts are down on Tim Tebow:

First, he’s never played behind center, always in a shotgun formation.

Next, he has that crazy throwing motion that will take too long to release in the NFL.

Scouts talk about his awful footwork and how he’s never played in the pocket.

Finally, he’s an option quarterback who will get hammered by the bigger NFL athletes.

Add it all up, and you’ve got a major project on your hand.

Only, I’m not buying any of it.

You might remember another quarterback—one who came out of Purdue, drafted in the second round back in 2001 by the San Diego Chargers.

The knock on him coming out of college was that he was too small and played in a spread offense.

After three years, the organization gave up on him and drafted Philip Rivers.

That Purdue quarterback, of course, was Drew Brees. The same Drew Brees who, last time I looked, was leading the New Orleans Saints to the Super Bowl.

I think Tim Tebow will have the same kind of learning curve.

Yes, he’ll struggle for two or three years to learn a pro-style offense. To master the drop step and footwork in the pocket.

He’ll be confused for a time, just like every other rookie quarterback is who plays in the NFL.

But there are so many things to like about this kid.

He’s big. Not just kind of big; he’s really big. Like 6'4" and 240 pounds big. He’s built like a frigging linebacker.

In today’s NFL, that means everything.

For a big guy, he’s one heck of an athlete. He didn’t just run through people at Florida, he ran past them.

You want charisma? He’s got loads of it. Good-looking guy, plays well to the camera.

But it’s the intangibles you’ve got to love. It’s the fire and competitive drive. It’s the winning attitude with two national championships and a Heisman trophy to his name.

Some people are put off by his faith. I’m not. I think it’s great. I’d rather have my quarterback eating milk and cookies and studying film with a bible by his bed then out chasing strippers and doing shots of Cuervo.

If this kid get’s in the right organization, a club that is patient with him and surrounds him with some degree of talent, he won’t be good in a few years.

He’ll be great.

I’m talking Drew Brees or Steve Young great.

In four or five years, he could be the best quarterback in the NFL (assuming Peyton Manning starts to slow down a bit with age).

Best of all, he’s going to have a massive chip on his shoulder for all this talk about how he shouldn’t be an NFL quarterback.

He wants to prove himself.

The guy he actually kind of reminds me of is Manning.

Everyone called Manning a boy scout coming out of Tennessee. The knock on him was that he couldn’t win the big one. He was too nice for the NFL.

Hmmm...where are those detractors now?

I’m not saying Tebow will be another Manning; I don’t think we’ll see another quarterback of Manning’s caliber for a long, long time.

But I think he’ll be a leader and a Pro Bowler.

The asterisk, of course, is that he will most likely require three years of development. In today’s NFL, that’s a lifetime.

Take, for instance, his recent experience at the Senior Bowl. He was 8-of-12 passing for 50 yards, and the so-called "experts" had a conniption. Editorials went off everywhere why Tebow won't make it as an NFL quarterback.

It was one game! He didn't look that bad.

I don’t think he should go to Jacksonville. There would just be too much pressure to produce. Once he struggles, the pressure just might be too great.

Seattle would be an outstanding choice. He would have a great understudy in Matt Hasselbeck and have time to develop.

Also, the fans in Seattle are pretty congenial compared to most NFL cities.

I hope Tebow makes it. Although I don’t share his views, I like the fact that his faith is so important to him. The world needs more of that right now.

If only Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan had that kind of conviction.