New Quarterback Rankings and Quick Comparisons

After hearing Mike Mayock of NFL Network, compare Jimmy Clausen to Mark Sanchez, I cringed, thought it out some, threw up a little, and then decided to make my own comparisons. After all, if Jimmy Clausen has already been compared to Mark Sanchez, how bad can I possibly be. I want to say, that these comparisons are mainly about how each quarterback plays the game, and has no bearing on how successful they will be at the next level. There are simply too many factors that go into making a successful NFL quarterback to make those assumptions. Remember that this is a ranking of what order I would target these quarterbacks, not the order I think they will be drafted.

1. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma - 6'4" 236

Most people are in agreement that Sam Bradford is without a doubt, the best quarterback in this draft. He has great accuracy, great leadership, and moves well in the pocket. The only two questions surrounding Bradford is his arm strength and durability, and maybe rightfully so. That being said, when I watch this guy play, I can't help but think of how he reminds me of one of the greatest in the game today. He used a lot of play action at the college level, takes his time when he comes to the line, and throws a lot of quick slants and crossing routes. The one guy that quickly comes to mind is Peyton Manning.

Comparison: Peyton Manning

2. Colt McCoy, Texas - 6'1" 216

There is a reason Mike Holmgren is not interested in Jimmy Clausen. I don't think it's so much about him not being talented as it is him not being worth a first-round pick. Colt McCoy, however, could prove that he should have been a first-round pick, two or three years down the road. His arm strength has also been called into question, but I'm not in that group. He looks to have plenty of arm strength and accuracy to be successful at the next level, and I believe that he will be. His comparison is mostly due to his small size, great accuracy, very similar arm strength, and will to win.

Comparison: Drew Brees

3. Max Hall, BYU - 6'0" 204

Definitely, the most underrated quarterback in the draft is Max Hall of BYU. He also has the small frame of a Colt McCoy or Drew Brees, but makes up for it with his accuracy. He had 33 touchdowns and 14 ints last year with a 67 percent completion percentage. Size is definitely a large concern for this talented guy, but I think he'll shock a lot of teams that pass him up.

Comparison: Drew Brees

4. Zac Robinson, Oklahoma St. - 6'2" 214

If you didn't get the chance to read my last article, please do so. It will explain why I have Zac placed this high. He has proved himself at the Senior Bowl, work outs, the combine, and competitions. He has good arm strength and leadership skills, and should be a decent quarterback in the NFL.

Comparison: Joe Flacco

5. John Skelton, Fordham - 6'5" 241

Another underrated quarterback in this year's draft is John Skelton. He's another of many that played a lot in the shot gun. If any team ran screen plays last year, it was Fordham. He also has very surprising running abilities. He clocked a 4.85 in the 40 at the combine. There's really only one quarterback in the NFL that I can think of that plays a lot of shotgun, runs a lot of screens, and gets the ball out very quickly.

Comparison: Tom Brady

6. Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame - 6'3" 222

Now on to the guy who has drawn comparison to Mark Sanchez. Watching film on Mark Sanchez, it's quickly recognized that he has a very quick release and a rocket arm. He truly has top-notch natural abilities. Put on the film of Jimmy Clausen, and I just don't see that. He scrambles out of the pocket a lot, throws off his back foot, and tends to sail his passes too high. He also has a slightly delayed release. I haven't had very much luck finding any film of him putting heat on his throws. I personally don't think he's as good as Brady Quinn. This is not to say that he can't be successful at the next level. He'll just have to do it with his head and good timing. That's why I draw the comparison to that of Pennington.

Comparison: Chad Pennington

7. Dan Lefevour, Central Michigan - 6'3" 230

I know that neither Clausen nor Lefevour fans will like this comparison. I have noticed that Lefevour does not really have great arm strength either. He only managed to get the ball 60 yards downfield in a recent quarterback competition. For more information on that competition and why Lefevour fell to number seven on my list, see my last article available on my profile.

He does however display great accuracy and leadership qualities. If that's what you value most, then Dan is the man.

Comparison: Chad Pennington

8. Tim Tebow, Florida - 6'3" 236

Tebow is lower on my list than any other you will probably see. It's very difficult not to get caught up in the hype of quarterbacks that come out of Florida. How many times have teams got bit by them in the past though? Tebow is also a great kid, fierce competitor, and one of the hardest working individuals you will ever meet. If only that's what really mattered in the NFL. I think that some team will have a lot of patience with Tebow and give him plenty of time to develop. I just don't think that he has the physical tools it takes to be a successful NFL quarterback. He is very average at every aspect of the game, has a very slow release, and bad footwork. For that he draws comparison to Leinart.

Comparison: Matt Leinart

9. Jarret Brown, West Virginia - 6'3" 224

Having only one year of film to go off of on this guy could have me dead wrong about him. He seems to be very mobile in the pocket, have great escape abilities, and a rocket for an arm. If he had another two or three years of college play, he could easily be a top-five quarterback. He has surpassed Tim Hiller and Tony Pike on my list for now. Having a strong arm, average accuracy, and great running abilities, leads me to compare him to David Garrard of the Jaguars.

Comparison: David Garrard

10. Tim Hiller, Western Michigan - 6'4" 229

If there is one guy that I'm a little uncertain on, it's this one. I have only been able to find limited film on him and that makes it very hard to judge his abilities. Everything I've read on the young man is different from one article to the next. Some say he has a rocket for an arm and others say his arm is too weak for an NFL quarterback. I think I may know why that is. He very seldom threw the ball deep down the field, since the team ran so many screen plays.

My comparison won't seem to make sense at first, but think it over a bit. Tom Brady was not highly recruited out of college either. He also throws a lot of screen passes and quick slants similar to Brady and Manning.

He had a bad senior year like Zac Robinson. In 2008, however, he had 36 touchdowns, 3,725 yards, and only 10 picks.

Comparison: Tom Brady

There it is. That's my new rankings and quick comparisons to current NFL quarterbacks. As I stated, this is not a comparison to how successful they will be at the next level, but how they play the game. It's also a comparison of the similar skills that they share. As always, comments are welcomed.