Christian Ponder vs. Cam Newton: Which Pro QB Does Each Rookie Compare To?

Cam Newton is a unique quarterback the likes of which this league has never seen before.

He has the stature of a tight end who can run like a deer, but he is more accurate and is a better passer than anticipated. 

But if you are going to compare him to someone, the obvious answer seems Michael Vick, because they both share the ability to run. But when Cam runs, he can run over people because of his sheer size. Vick is a much smaller player and is more elusive—but at the same time, he can be vulnerable to an injury if he does get hit. 

I would compare Newton to Steve Young, who, while he was a great scrambler, was a very accurate pocket passer. Vick is improving from the pocket, but he takes too long to throw the ball at times. Once Newton improves in this area, he will certainly resemble Steve Young in many ways. 

Christian Ponder is a completely different type of quarterback.

Ponder is a good athlete, but he is no specimen like Newton is. However, especially in shorter passes, Ponder can be very accurate and decisive. He shows good anticipation, making him the ideal quarterback for the West Coast offense.

Because of these attributes, Ponder reminds me a lot of a young Matt Hasselbeck—not incredibly gifted, but he has enough tools to win with. Hasselbeck was also raised in a West Coast system with Mike Holmgren, and nearly won a Super Bowl doing so. 

Vikings fans can only hope Ponder can deliver similar results.