NFL Draft 2011: Analyzing 1st Round QBs Based on Pro Day and Combine Workouts

With the 2011 NFL draft fast approaching and player workouts in the books, it's time to take a look at how the players stack up against one another and where they might fall in the draft. Here's a detailed breakdown of the quarterbacks currently projected to be first-round selections.

1. Cam Newton

Even though he was not invited to the Dallas Cowboys’ pro day, Newton will not be tasting the sour grapes of defeat. Dallas was never in true contention to snag Newton given that they already have a Pro Bowl quarterback in Tony Romo.

Even with all the rumors coming from within the Cowboys' camp that there would be a QB contest between Romo and Jon Kitna, the organization is not taking their chips off of Romo just yet.

Last game Newton played: BCS Championship vs. Oregon Ducks

His performance in the championship game was mediocre. Some predicted in pregame chats that he would not be able to have the same monumental effect he had throughout the regular season, and his early interception raised many more eyebrows, and raised some doubts about Cam’s stamina on the big stage.

NFL Scouting Combine: 

Newton proved to be the athletic freak of nature everyone had already suspected him to be. He ran 4.59 in the 40-yard dash, and tied for the best broad jump at 10', 6".

Even with his athleticism being so superior to the rest of the quarterbacks in this year’s draft, scouts were concerned about his throwing mechanics. Footwork was another concern going into the combine.

His arm proved to be strong, but his ability to throw to designated spots on the field was not so stunning. He went just 11-21 in passing and left the media and scouts walking away with the exact same questions they had before watching him.

Pro day:

Newton’s quarterback coach, George Whitfield Jr., conducted Cam's workouts at Auburn’s pro day. Newton traipsed around the field smiling and greeting fellow teammates as his time to prove himself drew near.

Cam Newton’s aim was to show how his footwork had improved in such a small amount of time and how developed he had become in taking snaps under center. His aim was successful. Newton completed 50-of-60 passes, which included three drops.

A far cry from his combine performance, Newton delivered on routes, slants and comebacks with a different speed and accuracy than anyone had seen on the day of the combine. He still overthrew on some deeper routes, but hit others perfectly.

QB Grade: B-

2. Blaine Gabbert

As reported by SFGate, Mel Kiper has officially jumped off of the Blaine Gabbert train. He brings up questions regarding his accuracy in third-down situations and downfield, and compares Gabbert unfavorably against Stanford’s Andrew Luck.

That comparison may have not been too fair, but luckily Gabbert and the other quarterbacks in this year’s class will not have to compete against Luck for a position on the board.

Last game played: Insight Bowl vs. Iowa

Gabbert did not lose this game for Mizzou. There were plenty of mistakes made by the Tigers' defense that just turned the tables in Iowa’s favor. Marcus Coker rushed for 219 yards and scored two touchdowns, and was the unstoppable force Iowa needed to overtake Mizzou's normally stingy defense.

However, in a late-game situation, similar to that of Mike Vick’s long throw to the end zone against the Green Bay Packers in the postseason, Gabbert got a little greedy and threw the ball directly to Micah Hyde. It resulted in a 72-yard interception return for a touchdown that sealed the game for the Hawkeyes.

Scouting Combine:

Gabbert chose not to throw, which was not held against him. A lot of quarterbacks, such as Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow, refused to throw at the combine, and Bradford was still drafted No. 1 overall. Blaine Gabbert did run the 40-yard dash, posting a time of 4.61 seconds to go along with a 10-foot broad jump.

Pro day:

Gabbert threw 61-of-63 passes from under center on Mizzou’s pro day. Even though he had impressed most of the interviewers with his knowledge of the game and of the plays that he will run after becoming an NFL quarterback, he still needed to showcase the on-field talent necessary to excel at his position.

A lot of people downgrade his performance in such a controlled environment, but some athletes cannot perform that well under the exact same circumstances. He completed 6-of-49 during his live drills, three of which were dropped by the receiver and looked very comfortable playing under center.

Questions had been surrounding how swiftly he could make the change from the shotgun formation he is used to playing in. He had a spin on the ball that convinced a lot of people of his elite athleticism.

QB Grade: B+

3. Ryan Mallett

There are a lot of character issues surrounding Ryan Mallett and some off-the-field issues (especially his suspected drug use). Mallett does not radiate the same charisma as some of his fellow quarterbacks. He strikes many as a Jay Cutler personality.

Last Game Played: Sugar Bowl vs. Ohio State

Mallett is not a superb athlete, which is what it takes to be drafted early in this year’s draft. Early on in this game, he threw some perfect passes to his receivers, but his ability to escape the pocket when the pressure is barreling down causes him to under throw passes.

He paled in comparison to Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor, who was able to continuously extend plays until he got a receiver in his line of vision, at which point he was able to spiral the ball through small windows.

Mallett’s feet are glued in the pocket, but he does not have the release speed like a Peyton Manning or Tom Brady to be able to compensate for that lack of foot speed.

At the end of the game, when he was needed most, his throw was intercepted by Solomon Thomas to close out the game and leave the Arkansas walking off the field with the Buckeyes' confetti pouring down on their heads.

Scouting Combine:

Mallett’s strong arm drew praise for the somewhat controversial quarterback. He started early in his throwing drills by spearing a five-yard pass to his receiver, and beat himself up slightly after realizing how unwarranted the velocity was for such a short pass in such a controlled environment.

That was the only time in his passing drills where you saw much error. His slant and out routes were thrown perfectly. He had a little bit of trouble on his 17-yard turn-ins, but after a few misses, he found his rhythm and hit his targets perfectly.

Nonetheless, you cannot help but think about how his lack of athleticism will affect his game in the professional ranks. He ran a 5.37 in the 40-yard dash, had a vertical jump of 26 inches and posted a broad jump of 8' 7".

He stated during the workout that everyone knows that he is no Michael Vick, but to be victorious at the next level you have to either shine as a pocket passer or stand out as a runner and he does neither exceptionally well in actual game situations.

Pro day:

His pro day workout was much like his performance at the combine. He showed his arm strength and there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that he would be able to make a majority, if not all of his throws. But at the same time, the questions grew even louder.

He cannot move at all, and I bet you could not name a single quarterback in the league who has led their team to a victory that is not quick.

Speed and movement cannot be taught.

QB Grade: C