NFL Draft 2011: 10 Reasons Terrelle Pryor Was Right To Return To Ohio State
After some speculation following the announcement of NCAA suspensions, Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor is, indeed, coming back to Columbus for his senior season, forfeiting the opportunity to be chosen in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Some wondered whether the fact that he would be missing five games next season, as punishment for selling memorabilia given to him by the school, would force Pryor's hand into the draft.
However, all of that went out the window once head coach Jim Tressel tied participation in the Sugar Bowl against Arkansas to a commitment by Pryor, and the four other seniors-to-be who will start 2011 on the sidelines, to a return to the school.
Regardless of what the exact reasoning for returning was in Pryor's own head, he clearly made the right decision coming back to school rather than jumping into the draft.
Pryor's Draft Profile Doesn't Exactly Sparkle
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To start with his own interests, Terrelle Pryor would have been anything but a lock to go in the first three rounds.
Usually, it's imperative for a college football player, particularly a quarterback, to leave school for the NFL when he is projected as a first-rounder, and sometimes as a second rounder. The money that goes along with getting drafted early is difficult to pass up, especially in a game like football, wherein one's career could very well end on any given play.
However, seeing as how Pryor appeared to be, at best, a second-round pick, the money he would have received would not have necessarily been prohibitively life-changing and future-securing. Hence, no need to go just yet.
2011 Draft Class Looks to Be Loaded With Quarterbacks
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Why, pray tell, would a talented quarterback like Pryor drop to the middle, or even later, rounds?
For starters, the 2011 NFL Draft has a fair share of talented quarterbacks who would likely go ahead of him at this point.
Even without Andrew Luck, this upcoming draft class still has plenty of options to entice those looking for new signal-callers, including (but not limited to) Ryan Mallett, Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert, Christian Ponder, Colin Kaepernick and possibly Cam Newton, if he decides to make the jump.
Thus, Pryor would have been stuck behind at least five, and possibly six, other prospective quarterbacks, dropping him lower and lower in the draft as teams addressed other needs first.
Fewer Quarterbacks in 2012 = More Money for Pryor
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As a result of these defections, the 2012 draft could field a much shallower pool of quarterbacking talent, in which Terrelle Pryor would be able to swim his way into the first or second round.
Assuming all goes according to plan, Luck will be the No. 1 overall pick, with the battle for the title of "second-best signal-caller" left up to the likes of Matt Barkley, Landry Jones and, of course, Pryor.
As such, Pryor is far more likely to get picked up early in the draft next year than he would have been this time around, if only for the difference in the talent ahead of him.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Pryor Is Talented But Still Very Raw
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Then again, regardless of who else is in the field, Terrelle Pryor has plenty of his own work to do to improve his draft stock.
There is no doubt that Pryor is a prodigiously gifted football player, blessed with tremendous mobility and athleticism for a 6'6", 233-pounder.
Not to mention his fantastic arm strength.
That being said, Pryor has yet to put all of those together in a brilliantly consistent season.
Maturity Still a Question Mark on Pryor's Resume
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So why hasn't Pryor put it all together yet, after being the most coveted high school football player in the country back in 2008?
The most obvious culprit is a lack of maturity, both on and off the field.
Many in the football world have questioned Pryor's maturity since the details surrounding his upcoming suspension came to light.
Pryor may have the ability to play well, but is he really a winner? Does he really care about team accomplishments, or is he more concerned with doing well for himself and getting his own interests taken care of?
Selling bowl game jerseys and "gold pants" from victories over Michigan suggest that Pryor still has a ways to go before he is mentally ready for the rigors of the NFL.
More Time in School Means More Time to Mature
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That being said, Pryor will mature mentally with more time in school.
Assuming Pryor has learned his lesson from NCAA officials and coaches alike, the extra time in school will allow him to reflect on his mistakes and straighten out his priorities.
Without the cloudiness and concerns that come with combines and draft days.
Or even game days, since Pryor will be sitting out the first five games of the Buckeyes' season in 2011.
Smoothing Out Rough Patches and Putting It All Together
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Back to the physical end of things, that time will also allow Pryor to really hone his skills even further.
Pryor's inability to play in live game action early on may hinder his football conditioning at first, but the time away will render him the opportunity to fine-tune his accuracy and work on those aspects of his game that are lacking NFL competency.
Once he returns to action against Nebraska, Pryor will be able to put those newly strengthened assets on full display, thereby making him more attractive as a quarterback prospect to draft gurus and NFL scouts alike.
Foot Operation Would Have Set Pryor Back Anyway
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Of course, none of that physical improvement will take place until Terrelle Pryor is back to full strength.
Pryor suffered an injury to his right foot on a quarterback sneak in the fourth quarter of Ohio State's 31-26 win over Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl.
As of now, there is no word on how long Pryor's recovery will take, though it presumably will not keep him out of spring and fall practices.
However, the injury would likely have hampered his ability to partake in the NFL Combine and the Buckeyes' Pro Day had he decided to test the draft waters this year.
A Chance to Set the Records Straight at Ohio State
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As long as Terrelle Pryor is in Columbus, he might as well make the most of his time by, you know, blowing up the school's record books.
Pryor's 6,177 yards passing place him fifth all-time in school history and less than 1,400 yards behind first-place Art Schlichter. With regard to touchdown passes, Pryor is already tied with Bobby Hoying for the most all-time at Ohio State (57).
Of course, those are just two of the many categories in which Pryor will find himself prominently featured after his senior season, however short it may be.
Dotting The "i" With Emphasis
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As prolific as Terrelle Pryor's Buckeye career may end up being, it will never include a Heisman Trophy, as voters don't tend to favor candidates who compete for only half a season.
And while such individual glory may be out of reach, another championships of some sort—whether it be another Big Ten title, another bowl game win or, perhaps, a BCS National Championship—is still well within his grasp.
Pryor already has three Big Ten titles, three wins over Michigan and two BCS bowl wins under his belt.
Should Pryor come back to lead the Buckeyes to yet another conference championship, punctuated by the school's eighth consecutive win over the Maize and Blue, he would invariably go down as one of the greatest, if not the absolute greatest, quarterback in the history of the Scarlet and Gray.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
