Okay, so in my post surgery state I am going crazy with boredom and I am out of the super pain stage so I am going to write a pre-end of combine blog about the one position that I usually stink at predicting; Quarterback, in no particular order, so here goes:
1.Matt Ryan--Boston College
Considered to be the best quarterback prospect by most. He looks the part and has the charisma. He will be good but never great, considering he is considered to go so high he will be considered a bust at first. In the long run if he stays mentally strong he will succeed and make some team happy, though I do not think it will be the team that drafts him. The biggest knock on him is his arm strength but I will also remind you that another Boston college quarterback by the name of Matt Hasselbeck was considered to not have a strong arm coming out of college and he has made a pretty good career so far. Trent Dilfer like career.
2. Brian Brohm--Louisville
Interesting prospect considering that he comes from a football family and scouts have had their eye on him for a while and he has not been a disappointment for the most part. He is a tough call because he has been injured a lot. Probably the best quarterback in the draft but I am unsure of most of the quarterbacks in this draft. I think he is going to be very good quarterback in the nfl for a couple of years. He will show potential in his first year, then have a decent five or six years and then fade away. Think Jim Harbaugh but a shorter career.
3. Colt Brennan--Hawaii
There seems to be a big buzz about this guy. I will keep this short and sweet. This guy is cocky and will rub his team the wrong way and never get it together. The same vain as Ryan Leaf, Cade McNown, and JP Losman. Buster
4. Chad Henne--Michigan
I like this guy a lot. Why, because it takes a lot to start in the big ten for four years. Okay I was wrong about another guy who started for four years in the Big Ten in Jeff Smoker, but he had a substance abuse problem and lost it mentally. Henne is a good leader and is a tough guy who needs a little bit of time to fully develop. If he goes to a team like the Seahawks or the Panthers where there is not going to be pressure to start this year but a little bit of pressure to start in a couple of years he will be successful. I could see Henne having a long prosperous career in the NFL and at the very least he will be a solid backup who comes in and wins some clutch games for his team.
5.Joe Flacco--Deleware
Part of me wants to say that this guy is going to be very good but maybe that is because of his name. He impressed a lot of people at the Senior Bowl and he has all the tools. Everybody is falling in love with his size and arm. But he is also not considered to be a great athlete, it reminds me a lot of what people were saying about Johnathon Quinn when he came out of Middle Tennesee State and Cree Morris when he came out of Saint Mary's. He has a 50/50 shot of developing and will probably be overdrafted (Should be a 5th rounder but is projected to go in the third round as of this writing). Make no mistake though, he is a much better prospect then either Morris or Quinn. Potential alone makes him worth a draft pick.
6. John David Booty--USC
I have been known to dislike USC quarterbacks and never beleive that they are going to develop into anything. JDB is no different. He is injury prone, has a questionable arm, and questionable decision making. He reminds me a lot of Shane Matthews, will be able to handle starting and not losing the game for a team but cannot be counted on to win a game for a team.
7. André Woodson--Kentucky
The biggest boom or bust in the draft. I want to believe that he is going to be good quarterback. I am leaning towards him being very good because he regressed his junior year and fought back to redeem himself his senior year. A tough thing to do. I also asked Stacy what she thought because honestly it really is anybodies guess and Stacy likes him so I will agree with her. Remember what Daunte Cullpepper and Byron Leftwich was supposed to be? André Woodson will be just that because he will not have the pressure of being a top ten pick. Although I could see his stock rising enough to where he would still be a mid first rounder.
My Pick for the Derek Anderson Award:
Ricky Santos--New Hampshire
Unbeleivably productive quarterback who has a strong enough arm and is a good enough athlete to succeed in the NFL. Needs time to adjsut to the speed of the NFL obviously but I could see him playing in the NFL for a long time and being a successful quarterback. Think Dave Krieg without the turnover record.
