Chaos Commish
Footballguy
I can't explain why Whitehurst will be better than Jacobs, because I don't know if he will be. If I had to bet on one of them, I'd bet on Charlie. After the first three QBs there's seven who are likely ranked differently by various teams. They all have their pros and cons. Some will stick and some will disappear. Anyway, here's some more on Charlie and why some teams may have him atop this tier. In four years at Clemson he ran three different offenses for three different OCs. Brad Scott ran the O his first two years, and that's when he looked the best. He only started half of his freshman year, but he looked like a very solid prospect. His best season was his second. Mike O'Cain and Rob Spence were new OCs the next two seasons. This wasn't a tight ship with a system to master. It was a mess. Last year they were primarily a ball control running team. The year before was a joke (and Charlie's #s reflect it). He's been inconsistent more than a bad decision maker.
He gets a big plus for being very bright, a quick study, and learning an unusual amount of offensive philosophy in his college days. He's made near seamless transitions. Physically, he looks the part - 6-4, 220 - and he has better athleticism than the guys in this tier who also look the part (including Omar). His mechanics are very sound. His arm is accurate, maybe not as strong as you would like, but plenty strong and hard to guage since he's been recovering from surgery this post-season. He's certainly shown all the throws on the field of play. He also gets very high marks for his footwork, and he's compared to Plummer in his running and rolling ability. He also has a reputation for being very tough, and more than willing to hang in the pocket and take one for the team in order to make plays.
So, you have a big, bright, athlete with a solid arm who's tough, experienced, and mechanically sound. I think the combination has generated a lot more interest than some expect. Being MVP of the Senior Bowl had to help too.
