NFL Draft Preview: Quarterbacks

On the surface, this class may not have the big college names coming out like the 2004 class with Manning, Rivers, and Roethlisberger, however this group has considerably more depth into the second, third, and even fourth rounds than did that 2004 class. This list is dotted with over- hyped underachievers, as well as skyrocketing "overachievers". Players like Chad Henne never quite lived up to expectations at Michigan, while no one expected Matt Ryan to be a top 5 pick. In addition a guy like Brian Brohm has lost traction after being considered a top 10 pick. Now players like Henne and Flacco who have moved up boards following outstanding post-season games and workouts have the buzz. Do not be fooled though, Brohm is a hell of a player and will have tremendous value late in round 1 and has no business falling to round 2(Although the Dolphins will gladly take him). With teams constantly trying to find the next player to be the face of their franchise, expect more than a few to have interest in these stellar signal-callers.

1.) Matt Ryan 6-5 228 Boston College
Every time I watch Matt Ryan play, I find something else I like about his game. He is a big, strong QB who stands tall in the pocket and can deliver strikes. Ryan played with sub-par offensive talent at Boston College and still managed to throw for 4,507 yards and 31 touchdowns. The 19 interceptions as a senior may seem concerning, however with 654 attempts in 14 games that is a pick every 34 attempts. With very little to work with on offense in a new, pro-style scheme, I would say that is getting the job done. Ryan got the nickname "Matty Ice" for leading late game comebacks, having "ice in his veins." His presence and command of the offense makes him an effective play caller at the line and in late game/half situations. Ryan's arm will not blow you away and he does not have a ton of experience throwing deep, having been without a deep threat most of his career. However, he can make every throw necessary, something he showed with a near flawless throwing session at his private workout. Ryan has everything it takes to be a top-level signal caller in the NFL, however his grade by some may be inflated by the fact that he is the best player at the most important position in the game. He has the potential to be an excellent pro and could go as high as #3 to Atlanta and it would be unthinkable for him to slip past Baltimore at #8.

2.) Brian Brohm 6-3 230 Louisville
Brohm was considered the top quarterback returning to college football last August and would have been a surefire first round pick last year. Then, his Cardinals failed to leave up to National Championship expectations, particularly because of a horrendous defense. Brohm threw for 4,024 yards and 30 touchdowns on just 473 attempts (compared to similar numbers from Ryan who threw nearly 200 more passes). Brohm does not have a rocket arm but shows great touch and accuracy, boasting a 65.8% career completion percentage at Louisville. That is particularly impressive when you consider he played with 3 different offensive coordinators and adapted to each well. Part of that certainly comes from his stellar mechanics. Brohm uses his core to get torque and has a quick release. He has good feet, and showed surprising speed at the combine. Brohm also reads coverages well and shows good patience when given time. He does have a tendency to struggle with pressure in his face, something he will see early and often in his career. Brohm has some questions about his durability having suffered a torn ACL and thumb ligaments in 2005 and 2006 respectively. Brohm is top 15 talent, but questions about toughness and attitude have him as a late first round pick. Do not be surprised if a team like Carolina, Chicago, or Minnesota try and trade into the late first round with a team like the Cowboys to get Brohm.

3.) Chad Henne 6-3 230 Michigan
A four year starter at Michigan, Henne never really developed into the kind of player scouts expected. With the talent around him in Ann Arbor, Henne was touted as the next great star QB to put on the maize and blue. Instead, Henne suffered from inconsistency, mechanic deficiencies, and injuries. One game he would get happy feet and throw the ball everywhere except where receivers were, and then the next he would make it look easy, completing passes all over the field. However, in big games Henne seemed to bring it, at least when he was healthy. He threw for 373 yards and 3 touchdowns against Florida in the Capital One Bowl in his last game at Michigan, then showed off a strong arm in the pre-draft workouts. Henne has a big, strong frame and can stand in the pocket to take a hit, however durability concerns linger. He also struggles with pressure in his face and without great athleticism, he can be hurried into making bad throws. Henne does not have a cannon, but has great touch particularly on intermediate and deep throws when he has to place the ball over defenders. His stock has probably risen too much based on his actual production at Michigan and some analysts have been too quick to forget his in-game performance. Still, Henne is a top 50 player and expect Miami, Atlanta, K.C., and the Jets to all consider taking him at the top of the second round.

4.) Joe Flacco 6-6 236 Delaware
Flacco's name has been soaring up draft boards and some analysts actually believe he is the second best quarterback in the draft. After a tremendous combine workout, it would be easy to see why. Flacco showed off the strongest arm of any quarterback and also showed an ability to make throws on the move. He has good feet and the athleticism to make plays. Some of even compared him to Ben Roethlisberger, although Flacco probably is not as ready as Big Ben was coming out. Flacco has only two years of starting experience, having transfered from Pitt. Also, he worked out of a shotgun-heavy scheme and struggled with his drops and exchanges at the Senior Bowl, not to mention the fact that Delaware does not play against top-level competition. Flacco does not possess ideal mechanics, although his throwing motion is quick and he throws a catchable call. His feet can also be less than stellar, but he makes plays on the run and can throw from all over the field. The success of guys like Big Ben may have inflated Flacco's stock as scouts seem to be looking for the next great small-school quarterback. A team at the top of the second round will likely take Flacco in hopes that he is that player.

5.) Andre Woodson 6-4 229 Kentucky
I was not a huge Andre Woodson fan to start the season, and my concerns came to pass over the course of the season. Woodson's long throwing motion does give him excellent zip on his passes, but defenses are just too fast in the NFL and he will need to tweak that to some degree. He also showed he is not as athletic as originally thought. His feet get a little jumpy and he will leave the pocket to make throws but he does not have the speed to escape and make plays on the run. There are also some questions about his ability to read coverage as well as drop from under center, having played in a shotgun system at Kentucky. Some scouts consider Woodson as having the highest ceiling of any QB in this draft, and I happen to disagree. He has great touch and can win games for you in hostile environments. He saw great defenses in the SEC and was able to win consistently. With 40 touchdowns and just 11 int's as a senior, Woodson has proven he can produce, his readiness for the NFL remains a question. Woodson is still a top 60 talent, although the bottom of the second round does not have many teams looking for QB help. It would not surprise me if a team like Carolina traded up into the second round to grab him.

6.) John David Booty 6-2 218 USC
Accurate and very smart, Booty displayed the kind of football IQ capable of playing QB for one of the game's more prolific offensive attacks at USC. Booty followed former SC greats, Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart, and while he was never a Heisman finalist, Booty won games against the extremely tough Pac-10 schedule. Booty has nimble feet in his drops, although he will not move around very much to make plays. That can be a problem because he lacks ideal height, making it tougher to find throwing lanes. He does have a quick release and good accuracy on most throws, but does not throw a great deep ball. Booty may not be the biggest guy, or have the strongest arm, but he played with the best talent in the nation at USC and when he was healthy, he showed how productive he can be (see: the Rose Bowl against Illinois) He will never be a guy who slings the ball all over the field, but in a controlled, west-coast type offense Booty could really flourish. Expect him to come off the board in the early to mid third round.

7.) Joshua Johnson 6-3 213 San Diego
I hate to get caught up in statistics, but let me just throw a few numbers at you. 113 TD's to just 15 INT's, a career 65.9% completion percentage, NCAA's all-time passing efficiency leader at 176.7. That includes a senior year with 300 attempts, 42 touchdowns and just 1 interception. I'll repeat that: 300 attempts (205 completions) and just 1 interception. I don't care if he was playing in a D-1AA non-scholarship program, that would be tough to do playing a JV high school team. His coach at San Diego, former QB John Harbough, said that if there was a SAT for football that Johnson would demolish it. He possesses tremendously quick feet and an even quicker release. He has unparalleled mobility and ran sub 4.6 40's, but don't even think about calling him a running quarterback. He is a pass-first QB who can run, something they tried and failed to teach Michael Vick. He will have to get bigger and stronger to play in the NFL, as well as learn quickly to adjust to more complex schemes and systems on Sundays. The more I learned about Johnson and after watching him in post-season workouts, he has become one of my favorite players in this year's class. While his MVP performance at the East/West Shrine game garnered him some notoriety, he remains an under the radar prospect. Let me put it this way, if Johnson had done what Woodson did at Kentucky(Playing at an SEC school rather than at San Diego), he would be challenging Matt Ryan for the top QB spot and would be a top 15 pick. That means team in the mid to late third round could really have a gem.

8.) Colt Brennan 6-2 207 Hawaii
Unlike Johnson, Colt Brennan put up gaudy stats and has not impressed since leaving Hawaii. After the shellacking he took from that Georgia defense in the Sugar Bowl, Brennan has been struggling to do damage control on his falling draft stock. His Senior Bowl performance was good and he may have earned back some respect. Brennan has a rifle arm and knows how to find open receivers. At Hawaii, he was incredibly proficient and effective, setting the all-time touchdown pass record (He threw 58 as a junior while completing 72.6%). However, things will get tougher in the NFL with more drops, reads, and tougher defenses. Brennan is a smart kid and plenty of scouts believe he has the football mind to adapt to an NFL system. Teams certainly know all about June Jones' system and how it favors gaudy statistics from quarterbacks. Brennan's abysmal performance against Georgia to end the season brought up concerns about his ability to play against top-competition. But Brennan has a strong arm, and a quick release, to go with a solid work ethic and a mind for the game. He may not be the first day pick some thought he could be, but can still have value in the fourth round.

9.) Eric Ainge 6-5 225 Tennessee
Eric Ainge's time at Tennessee probably went faster than he would have liked. Just when he started to play consistently and win games, he had to graduate. As a senior, Ainge displayed the gutsy play and sound decision making Phi Fulmer expected when he brought Ainge to Knoxville. Ainge has the height and bulk to go along with a solid throwing motion. He has good accuracy and touch on short and intermediate throws, but does not have the power to throw strikes down the field, or drive deep balls. Also, Ainge will not win many footraces and lacks mobility in the pocket. Durability also concerns scouts as Ainge has battled a number of shoulder and hand issues throughout his career. While Ainge may not be Peyton Manning, he certainly is not Tee Martin either. Ainge has proven his toughness and competitive nature, willing to his team to victory even when injured. Perhaps his best quality is that he understands his limitations and will not try to be something he isn't. Ainge has everything you look for in an NFL QB, and if he can stay healthy, could be a starter on Sunday's. A team in the late fourth or early fifth round would love that to be the case.

10.) Dennis Dixon 6-3 195 Oregon
Dixon could be another one of the "system" QB's on this list who will not be expected to excel in the Pro's. He played in a spread offense out of the shotgun and even still has marginal footwork. On the other side, Dixon was an explosive play maker as a senior. Adjusting to a pro offense will be tough, but he has a fluid throwing motion and a quick release. Dixon has a stronger arm than he gets credit for and can make most of the throws. The biggest question may not be the system he played in, but rather his health. Dixon was a Heisman contender before losing his season to a knee-injury. Now teams will have to determine how serious that injury is before moving forward. Furthermore, Dixon was drafted in the fifth round by the Atlanta Braves and actually played last summer in the Braves organization. Dixon's status with teams will probably different greatly across the board, but if teams think he can stay healthy, Dixon has some upside. Given his propensity to make plays and while avoiding mistakes makes his efficiency intriguing. At the very least, Dixon should be a reliable back up and may have a similar career to Seneca Wallace, a former run and gun quarterback. His athleticism and upside will likely land him in the fifth round. The question is, will be play baseball or football??