2011 NFL Draft: Cam Newton Vs. Blaine Gabbert, Which QB Will Be Drafted First?

Entering the 2010 NFL and college football season, draft analysts and experts were slotting Standford quarterback Andrew Luck as the top quarterback, and possibly the No. 1 overall pick. Six months later, that's all changed.

Team's who are in a need of a quarterback and have a top pick, here's your choice: Auburn's Cam Newton or Missouri's Blaine Gabbert. 

I'm going to be honest with you, I'm not a huge fan of college football, but I never heard of Gabbert until a few months before the combine.

In my opinion, if you're in the need of a quarterback, you're better off seeking trade options for potential players like Philadelphia's Kevin Kolb and Cincinnati's Carson Palmer—not Newton or Gabbert.

However, teams like the Carolina Panthers, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, and the Tennessee Titans all have top picks, and desperately need a quarterback.

If both players are available when one of those clubs are on the clock, who will they pick? Newton or Gabbert?

Newton appears to be the more "flashy" choice with his amazing athleticism and extremely large and muscular frame.

Kabbert, on the other hand, just appears to be your typical "average Joe" quarterback—he just plays quarterback and does have some athleticism.  

Allow me to analyze each player a little bit more further.

Strengths:

Newton: While leading his Auburn Tigers to a National Championship victory, Newton was the most exciting and elusive player in college football. He is a tremendous athlete with a nice blend of power and speed. 

Newton, who isn't your traditional quarterback, does have strong arm to go along with his running abilities. 

And, most notable, Newton is a player-maker and can put the offense on his back.

Gabbert: When you watch Gabbert play, he doesn't overwhelm you with amazing plays—he's just a typical quarterback.

Gabbert is has the ideal frame for an NFL quarterback, standing in at 6'5" and posesses a strong arm to make all NFL throws. 

He does have some mobilitly—being able to step in the pocket. 

Weaknesses:

Newton: At times, Newton isn't the most accurate quarterback. 

At Auburn, Newton played in a spread-option style offense, and usually those kind of quarterbacks don't pan out too well at the next level. 

He does have the tendency to take off running by checking down his options way too quickly. 

And, most notably, his footwork is absolutely terrible. Newton needs to improve to succeed in the NFL.

Gabbert: During his time in college, Gabbert tended to get flustered quite a bit. He would panic when the pocket collpased which would result in awful decisions and very inaccurate throws. 

Similar to Newton, Gabbert played in a spread offense, and will have a difficult time adjusting to the different receiver routes and check down-reads the NFL offenses have to offer. 

And lastly, many scouts have picked up that Gabbert, who's right-handed, struggles tremendously when he's rolling to his left.

Who would I draft? If I'm the general manager of any of the top 15 teams in the first round, I would stay away from these quarterbacks. 

Both players have yet to impress NFL scouts with their passing abilities, and have a lot of development to do. 

If a team is in a huge need of a quarterback, the best bet is looking for Kolb, Palmer, Donovan McNabb, or even veteran players like Marc Bulger and Trent Edwards. Also, I would much rather take a second or third round pick on TCU's Andy Dalton and Washington's Jake Locker, rather than using a top pick of Newton or Gabbert. 

If I had no choice, who would I rather have? Cam Newton—enough said. 

Newton has the ability and potential to be something special, however, I feel that it's unlikely. 

Gabbert, to me, was an unknown player until a few months ago. I have yet to be impressed with him, and he reminds much like San Fransisco's Alex Smith, who has yet to become a franchise quarterback like the 49ers expected him to be. 

And, finally, there draft is not filled with any quarterbacks. There's no Matt Ryan, Sam Bradford, or Joe Flacco. It just appears to be a bunch of Alex Smith's and Kyle Boller's. 

NOTE: This article was first seen at PatriotsPlus.net.

Be sure to follow Tony Santorsa on Twitter @         TonySantorsa.