Todd Marinovich's Collapse Has Changed the Way NFL Teams Draft QBs

Todd Marinovich was groomed by his father Marv to become the perfect quarterback. It appeared as though he succeeded, as Todd was drafted 24th overall by the Los Angeles Raiders in the 1991 NFL Draft. After that, however, everything fell apart.

The main culprit was drug addiction as Marinovich turned to a multitude of substances in order to combat what he viewed as a miserable life. Marinovich never had a real choice with regards to whether he wanted to be an NFL quarterback, as his father conditioned him to be one.

The rise and fall of Marinovich will be highlighted in an ESPN documentary entitled "The Marinovich Project," which will air on ESPN on Dec. 10 at 9 p.m. EDT. Whether the documentary makes mention of it or not, Marinovich may be solely responsible for the change in ways that teams evaluate and draft quarterbacks.

Marinovich's drug use was pretty well documented as he was known jokingly as "Marijuana-vich" in high school and also got into trouble at USC due to drug use. In fact, an arrest for cocaine possession coupled with outbursts against head coach Larry Smith led Marinovich to leave early for the NFL.

Known as "Robo QB," Marinovich had all the physical tools you look for in a quarterback. Because of that, the Raiders took a chance on him despite his character issues. After just two seasons in the NFL, however, three failed drug tests led to a ban from the league, and his career was over.

While teams are always going to take a flier on talented, but troubled prospects, Marinovich's collapse has led character to become a much more valued in trait in all players, but especially quarterbacks. This is because a quarterback is a leader and cornerstone of a franchise, so he must be a great person in addition to a great player.

Marinovich turned out to be neither, and most of that had to do with his heavy drug use. Marinovich has served as a cautionary tale to NFL teams, and that much has become very apparent over the past several years.

Now, when players are simply cited for something like marijuana possession, there is a huge debate with regards to whether it will affect that player's draft position. Current New England Patriots quarterback Ryan Mallett is a perfect example of that.

Entering his junior season at Arkansas, it seemed extremely likely that Mallett would be a first-round draft pick. He did little to hurt his draft stock significantly that season, but he ultimately didn't end up being picked until the third round.

Mallett has the prototypical size and arm strength that you look for in a quarterback, and he was productive in the difficult SEC in college. An arrest for public intoxication and drug rumors led many teams to question his character, however, and while he hasn't shown signs of being addicted like Marinovich, it affected his draft stock.

Some may say that it is an overreaction by teams that don't want to get stuck with the next bust, but I believe it is a necessary precaution to take. Marinovich had all the talent in the world, but he wasn't happy and he ultimately turned to drug use.

You simply never know when somebody might spiral out of control, so it is always safer to go with a player who has a clean background. Marinovich may have set the Raiders back, but his unfortunate downfall was actually a blessing in disguise for NFL talent evaluators.