Quarterbacks
Every year the NFL draft has some exciting and intriguing prospects but no matter what year it is, the quarterbacks are the ones who get viewed the most. This year we’ll have four or maybe five teams looking for a new franchise signal caller. Above you see Teddy Bridgewater, Aaron Murray and Marcus Mariota in which two of the three will find an NFL home come May since Mariota decided to return to Oregon for another season. Nonetheless though lets take a look at the top five QB prospects heading into this year’s Draft.
1. Teddy Bridgewater – Louisville – 6’3 205 Ibs. – Junior – First Round
With the hype of him being predicted as the first pick, I fully expect Bridgewater to be the first pick. He was basically doing it all at Louisville which was a huge reason as to why he was Big East Offensive Player of the Year last year and Louisville won the Sugar Bowl against Florida. This season he’s looked no different.
Pros
I like his quickness to be able to pick up yards on the ground if needed. His accuracy is impressive while still standing in the pocket to take a big hit displaying his toughness. He also doesn’t show any maturity issues and seems that with each game he improves on his throws from all levels as well as ball fakes and footwork.
Cons
Despite his toughness he’s suffered injuries to his wrist and ankle. He could also become more accurate with the deep ball. There’s also the question of how he’ll look against better talent after tearing up the AAC.
Compares To
Donovan McNabb
2. Blake Bortles – UCF – 6’3 230 Ibs – (r) Junior – First Round
If you’re asking who is the player that is most on the rise well then look no further than Blake Bortles who’s been a stud for Central Florida. Bortles was 22-5 as a starter and recorded 71 career touchdowns. Bortles was also just shy of 3,300 yards passing with 22 touchdowns and 7 interceptions this season.
Pros
Bortles has great vision and picks up a whole lot of yards with his legs. Even though he’s not really fast, Bortles is very mobile in the pocket. His feet are quick in the pocket which allows him to be accurate (68% competition percentage on the year). He also puts nice velocity on his passes and isn’t afraid to throw into tight windows.
Cons
Arm strength will be a question to some scouts but it shouldn’t hurt his stock anymore than it’s helped it. He could improve his decision making but that could come with his work ethic. His mechanics could also use some fine tuning.
Compares To
Nick Foles
3. Johnny Manziel – Texas A&M – 5’11 210 Ibs – (r) Sophomore – First Round
Manziel is NFL ready even though I think his ceiling has been reached. He has Drew Brees size, a Cam Newton like arm with RGIII like speed. Manziel is a freakish athlete who can do just about anything on the field.
Pros
Like previously noted he’s an athlete who can do anything on the field at any given time. He has large hands which gives him the opportunity to hold onto the ball in the pocket despite being pressured. He can still pull the ball back without having to worry about how much strength he has to put into the throw as well.
Cons
Accuracy is a concern as he makes plays in college that you just won’t be able to make in the pros. But the biggest con with Manziel is his maturity. Everyone knows about it and I don’t need to go into much detail but Manziel will need to be evaluated closely.
Compares To
Colin Kaepernick
4. Derek Carr – Fresno State – 6’3 220 Ibs – (r) Senior – First to Second Round
I really like Derek Carr but with Fresno’s loss to USC in the Las Vegas Bowl his stock has dropped some because of his poor play in that game. He only completed 53% of his passes and looked very Mark Sanchez like. Carr, however, did throw for over 5,000 yards on the season and had 50 touchdowns. Peyton Manning like right? Kind of with a 68% completion percentage but Carr is no Manning. The lack of talent he played against in the Mountain West shows that he can light up mediocre talent but as you saw a few weeks ago he struggled against the talent of a team like USC.
Pros
His arm is ready for the NFL with the ability to get passes in tight windows while his deep ball is quite accurate. His athleticism is underrated and will be able to scramble despite being a pocket quarterback. But the thing that sets Carr aside from every other quarterback is his vision.
Cons
Fresno State didn’t play in a pro style offense with primarily shotgun packages. When blitzed Carr crumbles. He forces passes and makes bad mistakes (see USC game). Despite being very accurate for most of the game, Carr suddenly becomes inaccurate when the game reaches it’s final minutes.
Compares To
Tony Romo
5. David Fales – San Jose State – 6’2 220 Ibs. – Senior – Second to Third Round
David Fales has been on the rise with his quick decision making and very accurate arm (72.5% completions in 2012). He’s very poised in the pocket with an already great work ethic. Not every scout will like him, especially come the combine but on the practice field he really excels. He takes chances down field and will get an opportunity in the NFL eventually.
Pros
Probably the slowest quarterback on the list but he’s still quite athletic. His drop backs are awesome with his quick feet and looks excellent in the pocket. He keeps his eyes down-field and can change plays at the line of scrimmage. He has a quick delivery with pretty good arm strength.
Cons
He has only average speed so he won’t be scrambling too much. His arm strength is far from elite and much like Carr he cracks under pressure. Fales also has average height and won’t be as big as the elite quarterbacks. The biggest area of concern though is ball security. When he’s on the run or rushed he tends to lose the football.
Compares To
Alex Smith