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This is the day when the players in the spotlight…um…are in the spotlight. Each of the groups today — QBs, WRs, and RBs — are packed with unproven talent. And what I mean by that is aside from the top 3-5 prospects, there are a handful of players that have NFL potential and have alot to prove. And best of all, there are a crop of RBs thought to run some lightning 40-yard dash times!
In the case of the quarterbacks, there are three clear favorites…and one hiding in their shadows. Here are my top 5 quarterbacks:
- Matt Ryan, Boston College. Decided to wait to throw the ball on BC’s Pro Day on March 18th. I like Matt because is the most NFL-ready QB in terms of his developed skill set. If it weren’t for that, he’d be #3 or #4 on my list. He threw 19 INTs, but boasts a 60% completion percentage. That, and I liked him in Van Wilder. He ran a 4.98 40-yd dash.
- Joe Flacco, University of Delaware. The most upside of the “elite” group. He’s taking some criticism for his lack of footwork because he was primarily a shotgun QB, not to mention a Div I-AA player. Who cares? Watch his highlight video. He’s good. He ran a 4.78 in the 40, which definitely helped his stock.
- Brian Brohm, Louisville. He has a ton of experience. He’s a 4-year starter. And he’s efficient with better than 63% completion percentage in each of his four seasons, not to mention he threw no more than 5 INTs each season but 2007. He threw 12 picks; but Louisville also went 6-6 and lost their offensive guide, Bobby Petrino. As far as the Combine, he ran a 4.83 in the 40-yard dash, leaped 30″ vertical (#3), and he threw the ball well in drills today.
- Chad Henne, Michigan. Henne’s strong point is his accuracy, which he exhibited late in the day today as well as in the Senior Bowl throwing the North’s only two touchdowns. Like those of Brian Brohm, Henne’s fundamentals look natural. Henne ran a best of 4.90 in the 40-yard dash.
- Dennis Dixon, Oregon. Lost draft stock momentum after his injury late in the season, but he’s still a valueable prospect. He threw for 368 yards and a career-high 4 touchdowns in the Ducks’ win over Michigan. I still believe he is the second coming of Vince Young, but with much more patience in the pocket…something VY is still working on. He did not work out at the Combine, but Oregon’s Pro Day is April 3rd.
This year will feature a handful of quality QBs from which to choose. It will be hard to ignore guys like John David Booty of USC, Erik Ainge of Tennesse, Matt Flynn of LSU, and Anthony Morelli of Penn State. Kevin O’Connell of San Diego State is certainly worth mention in the list of value prospects. He’s mobile and accurate.
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