Cam Newton Pro Day: Comparing the Former Auburn QB to Tim Tebow
Cam Newton and Tim Tebow are similar in a lot of ways.
They both went to SEC schools (Auburn and Florida, respectively).
They both won BCS national championship games.
They both won the Heisman Trophy.
And, they are both dual-threat quarterbacks who will be and were taken in the first round of their NFL drafts. In fact, Newton might be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft.
But, while they are similar in their accomplishments and styles, they are different when it comes to their attributes as quarterbacks.
So, who has the overall edge? Who will end up being the better NFL quarterback when all is said and done?
Read on to find out.
Size
1 of 10
This one is pretty straightforward.
Newton is 6’6” and 250 pounds.
Tebow is only 6’3” and 245 pounds.
Edge: Newton
Speed
2 of 10
This is another easy call.
Tebow ran a 4.72 40-yard dash at his combine.
Newton clocked in at 4.53 seconds.
Edge: Newton
Strength
3 of 10
This category is a lot closer.
Both Newton and Tebow were extremely hard to take down.
But Newton gets the edge here because he's stronger on broken plays.
Newton can break tackles while running sideways, while Tebow had mostly north-and-south running power.
Edge: Newton
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Vision
4 of 10
Tebow always seemed to make the right play.
Newton makes the right play a lot of the time, but Tebow made it every time.
He knew exactly what he was doing on the football field at all times and was very aware of where everyone else was as well.
Edge: Tebow
Accuracy
5 of 10
Newton struggled with his accuracy at the combine, but that was mostly because he was throwing to receivers he wasn't used to.
During the season, Newton was a fairly accurate passer.
Tebow has always been knocked for his accuracy.
Newton hasn't had that problem.
Edge: Newton
Arm Strength
6 of 10
Both Tebow and Newton have great arm strength, so this one is a tough call.
But, Newton has a cannon.
Besides Ryan Mallett, Newton probably has the strongest arm of any quarterback in the 2011 NFL draft.
Edge: Newton
Leadership
7 of 10
I'm not saying that Newton is a bad leader.
I'm just saying that Tebow was probably the best leader college football has ever seen.
He took responsibility for losses, gave credit for wins and did everything you could possibly want from a college quarterback.
Edge: Tebow
Coachability
8 of 10
Look at the way Tebow and Urban Meyer are gazing into each other's eyes.
That's a true man love.
Meyer and Tebow were about as close as a player and coach can possibly be.
I haven't heard anything like that about Newton and Gene Chizik.
Edge: Tebow
Potential
9 of 10
Tebow will probably never be an elite NFL quarterback.
He won't be a bust if he finds a coach who can use him properly. He's a guy who can create matchup problems on about 10 snaps per game.
Newton, on the other hand, has star potential.
He could be the next big thing in the NFL.
Though he has more bust potential than Tebow, he has an infinitely higher ceiling.
Edge: Newton
Overall
10 of 10
A lot of people were surprised when the Denver Broncos drafted Tim Tebow in the first round.
Everyone will be shocked if Newton falls past the Minnesota Vikings at No. 12 in this year's draft.
But to truly judge a player's value, you have to ask yourself one question.
Would you rather build a team around Tim Tebow or Cam Newton?
My answer, along with many others, would be Newton.
Edge: Newton
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.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
