2010 NFL Draft: Jimmy Clausen Falls Hard; What's Next for the Former Irish QB?

Many believed former Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen would be a lock for a first round pick, if not a top-10 selection.

After last night’s prime time broadcast of the first round of the NFL draft, Clausen is left without a team and experiencing one of the more surprising and puzzling slides in recent memory.

Here are some questions and answers about what has unfolded and what to expect in the future.

What’s the Main Reason Clausen Dropped?

This is a tough question because we’re never sure what every team is thinking, but the game of football and the NFL draft specifically are set up in such a way that many great players simply do not get picked that high.

As many teams that didn’t like Clausen to begin with, there were just as many who liked him but most likely didn’t need a quarterback. In any other sport, Clausen would have gone relatively high based simply on his abilities, but when a majority of the league doesn’t need that position (or thinks it doesn’t), then things like this will happen.

Are We Ready to Proclaim a Curse of Charlie Weis?

It almost feels that way, doesn’t it?

There have to be a lot of front office people who believe Clausen benefited too much from playing under Weis, which is an interesting idea. But I think there’s some truth to it.

Who knows what Clausen would have done in college without the mentorship of someone like Weis?

Still, we’re talking about the former No. 1 high school prospect that has trained in a pro-style offense for three years and had a good amount of success doing so. When his skills are added to his obvious growth since his freshman year, it is somewhat puzzling that he dropped this far.

A lot of people probably didn’t see this coming, but perhaps there’s a backlash against pro-style quarterbacks who are system-ready, so to speak.

It seems pretty obvious that a plethora of NFL scouts absolutely love raw players and Clausen is the exact opposite of that type of player.

Are NFL Teams Thinking Clausen Has Reached His Potential?

There’s definitely some truth to this, although I think it’s a pretty dumb idea.

It just goes back to how scouts and NFL teams view players' potential. Clausen has basically been tutored in the game of quarterbacking since he was in grade school, and I’m sure some teams are wondering how much better he’ll be able to get at the next level.

Again, it appears there is some sort of backlash against him specifically because he is so polished and seemingly NFL-ready.

I liken it to presenting an NFL team with two choices:

Player A is guaranteed to start for your franchise for 12 years and will make five Pro Bowls.

Player B has the potential to make 10 Pro Bowls but also could be out of the league in four years.

Despite the guaranteed stability offered by Player A, I’m willing to bet that a large majority of NFL teams will pick Player B.

What Were You Thinking as the Draft Progressed?

Well, going in I thought there were a lot of teams that needed a quarterback, whether those teams wanted to admit it or not.

But as the draft continued, I kept thinking that maybe there weren’t as many teams as I had thought. Once Seattle and San Francisco passed for a second time, I pretty much knew that would be it for the night.

I was expecting a team to trade into the late first round, but given the order in the second, this didn’t seem like a smart decision.

As a Notre Dame fan, I kept thinking, “Just put Clausen on a good team.”

Now, it appears like the worst of both worlds could occur: Clausen will have lost millions of dollars and may still go to a crappy organization early in the second round.

What Team Will Clausen Go to Now?

It’s still tough to say. I never believed that Minnesota was interested just because they already have two quarterbacks with experience on their roster with Brett Favre likely coming back. It just never made sense to me.

I guess Kansas City could be a possibility with Weis now calling plays there, but in all honesty I don’t want to see that either. The Chiefs have many more needs, and Matt Cassel could be a decent starter if the team around him improves.

It could get interesting now, though, because Clausen is now ridiculously inexpensive and could be had for a tenth of the price originally estimated.

This could open the door to a lot more teams with solid starters who could be willing to draft Clausen and develop him at a fraction of the price.

As far as I’m concerned, there are two teams that just have to grab Clausen in the second round as quickly as possible.

First, and I’ve said it all along, the Carolina Panthers would be an ideal fit for Clausen, as he could step right in and be surrounded by a quality team and some playmakers on offense. They would have to move up about 10 spots or so, but it has to be worth it for a team that has been overlooked as a club with no answer at quarterback.

Second, the 49ers have to be looking at him. I was mildly surprised that they didn’t take Clausen with either of their first round picks, but now that they’ve strengthened their offensive line, why not draft a franchise quarterback?

I’ve heard that San Francisco is content with their situation under center, but I truly believe Clausen would beat out Alex Smith and David Carr, and the 49ers would be a very, very dangerous team next year. Even with a rookie at quarterback, they would be the division favorites.

Is Clausen the Most Underrated Prospect in Years?

It is crazy to think that, but it is looking like it is true.

A lot of people love to judge guys on where they are drafted, as if players are inducted into the Hall of Fame based solely on their draft position.

With Clausen, there was never a really great spot for him to go in terms of his image in regards to the general public. If he had gone in the top 10, we’d be hearing about how he will be a bust.

Now that he has fallen out of the first round, we are already hearing how much he sucks and nobody wants him. Even though we have a mountain of evidence that says it doesn’t really matter where you’re drafted, and often times it's advantageous to drop in the draft, many NFL fans look at this as a stone-cold indictment.

That said, I believe Clausen is extremely underrated at this point. Some may not agree, but you could make the case that he is one of the most talented quarterbacks to enter the draft over the past 10 or 20 years.

In the end, I think this will be a good thing for Clausen, assuming he doesn’t still get drafted by a floundering franchise.

I’m sure he is not happy about losing a lot of money, but Clausen will gain even more motivation from this, and it will likely add fuel to the fire of his passion for playing the game.

It is disappointing to see another year where no Fighting Irish are picked in the first round, particularly with the talented Clausen and Golden Tate available, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.

Eventually, Clausen will get picked and get the opportunity to achieve his dream of playing in the NFL. It may sting now, and there may be many who are laughing at Clausen’s historic free fall, but years down the road the situation may be reversed.

Jimmy Clausen still has an excellent opportunity to develop into a quality NFL quarterback with the potential to be something special in the league. If that happens, he may be laughing at all those teams who passed on him yesterday.