2011 NFL Draft: Previewing the Top 10 Quarterbacks
We are four months from the greatest three-day event in the history of man-kind: The 2011 NFL Draft.
Four months. 120 days. 2,880 hours. Yeah, that is only 172,800 minutes (or roughly 10,000,000 seconds). But who is counting?
We are. Anxiously.
The NFL Draft is the moment it all begins. On this one weekend in April we are all Super Bowl contenders. Every team has the opportunity to make the turn to being a playoff contender, or find that one piece missing that can put us over the top.
Will the 2011 NFL Draft give us the next Tom Brady, or the next Ryan Leaf?
10. Ricky Stanzi, Iowa
1 of 10
We love the toughness of Stanzi, but we do not like his inconsistency as a passer.
Yes, Stanzi improved greatly in 2010 (64.8 percent passer with 25 TDs and only four INTs), but we still see too many errant throws and bad decisions to trust him with the ball at the next level.
Stanzi is a good football player, and he will make an NFL roster as a back-up who can spell the starter with some success. Think Tyler Thigpen.
9. Colin Kaepernick, Nevada
2 of 10
You may not find a more likable person in the entire 2011 NFL draft class. If Tim Tebow was 2010's "Mr. Nice Guy", Kaepernick will take home the twenty-eleven hardware.
Unfortunately, smiles and handshakes do not win football games.
The Nevada offense is built on running the football over and over again, something that suits the running ability of Kaepernick. In fact, there is a very strong chance Kapernick makes the move to wide receiver in the NFL.
8. Andy Dalton, TCU
3 of 10
If we were allowed to have a favorite quarterback in the 2011 Draft, it would be Andy Dalton.
Andrew Luck is the smart pick, and the best damn quarterback prospect we have ever seen, but Dalton has "it."
Dalton is a gritty winner. He is a smaller quarterback who is not afraid to run, a highly accurate passer who makes plays when everything breaks down and a leader his team trusts.
Throw away statistics, measurables and Alma maters, and when the dust settles Andy Dalton just might be the second best quarterback to come out of the 2011 class.
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7. Pat Devlin, Delaware
4 of 10
Let the Joe Flacco comparisons begin.
Devlin, like Flacco, is a product of the University of Delaware; and like Flacco he is a big quarterback with a strong arm and a commanding presence on the field. The commonalities end there.
Devlin does not have the field vision of Flacco, nor does he have Flacco's ability to drive the ball down field. Devlin also lacks the pocket presence and IQ of Flacco.
Pat Devlin is a good quarterback prospect, but we have yet to see him against top talent. The Senior Bowl will be a make or break week for Devlin.
6. Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State
5 of 10
Pryor is a true enigma when reviewing the 2011 NFL Draft. He has been suspended for the first five games of the 2011 NCAA season (if he returns to Ohio State), leading many to believe he will enter the NFL Draft.
As an NFL quarterback Pryor has less to offer than anyone else on this list. He also has more talent than almost anyone mentioned.
He has incredible speed, great size, very good arm strength and can make plays with his feet. What will drive him down the list are his poor mechanics, the fact that he goes through passing slumps where he looks inept, and character concerns raised by his selling off awards for cash.
5. Christian Ponder, Florida State
6 of 10
A lot of people are forgetting about Ponder as the Draft nears. You shouldn't.
Ponder is an accomplished quarterback for a major university. He has seen top defenses, led one of the most storied teams in NCAA football history and has NFL-level mechanics.
Rewind to August, and Ponder was in the running as the nation's No. 1 quarterback prospect with Jake Locker. Injuries and poor play by the Seminoles have hurt his stock, but this is still an NFL prospect and future starting quarterback.
4. Cam Newton, Auburn
7 of 10
You will not find a better all-around athlete at the position this year.
Newton is huge for a quarterback (6'6", 250lbs), but he also runs like a running back (4.49 in the 40-yard dash). Many have thought he could change positions in the NFL and be a Pro Bowl tight end. We like him lining up behind center.
Newton has something that cannot be coached in his ability to elude pass rushers. He also has a strong arm and good accuracy. His deep ball is very underrated.
We are not talking about Vince Young style mechanics here. Newton is a much better passer than Young or Tim Tebow, both first round picks.
3. Jake Locker, Washington
8 of 10
Locker was the consensus No. 1 quarterback before the 2010 season began, but injuries and erratic passing have moved him down the list.
Locker is a talented passer, but he is not ready for the NFL game immediately. Locker needs coached on footwork and progressions. In time Locker could be a very good NFL quarterback.
In fact, we feel there is a perfect situation for Locker next year: The Minnesota Vikings.
2. Ryan Mallett, Arkansas
9 of 10
Mallett is a towering, physically impressive passer who has competed against the best defensive players in the country for two seasons at Arkansas. As a junior in 2010 he has been dominating, and doing so with little established talent at wide receiver and running back.
The knock on Mallett will be that he is not as accurate as Andrew Luck, and nowhere near as mobile as Cam Newton and Jake Locker. We still love his potential in the NFL.
Of course, like Andrew Luck, Mallett is not a lock to enter the 2011 Draft.
1. Andrew Luck, Stanford
10 of 10
Luck has it all. He is big (6'4", 235lbs), fast (4.5 in the 40-yard dash) and has the arm that every NFL general manager would kill for.
Many will compare him to Peyton Manning, as both are incredibly cerebral quarterbacks who beat defenses with their mind as much as their arms. We liken him to a more polished Steve Young. Strong, mobile, smart and tough as hell.
Luck is no lock to enter the 2011 NFL Draft, but if he does he will be considered the No. 1 overall prospect and projected first overall choice.
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