2011 Quarterback Class (1 Viewer)

[bweiser]

OK, I know Jake Locher is at the top of the list, or close to it.

Are we assuming Luck from Stanford comes out?

What makes this class so deep and special? I see teams passing up guys who are there to be taken NOW because of the potential for 2011. I don't get that. What would it have hurt, say, Buffalo to take Clausen AND then take another guy next year? They have Edwards and Fitzpatrick. Awful.

So who is in the Class of '11?

 

[EBF]

Jake Locker will be a top 5 pick with a solid senior season. TE size and WR speed. Rocket arm. Physical freak. High character prospect. Just needs to polish the edges. He would've been a top 5 pick in this draft.

Andrew Luck might be the best QB prospect in college football. Good size and arm with elite mental intangibles. Just needs more seasoning and also needs to prove that he can carry the team now that Gerhart is gone. I don't expect to see him declare until 2012, but anything is possible.

Ryan Mallett is considered another JaMarcus type. Huge frame with a live arm. Lots of upside.

There are some other guys who could become first round picks over the next 12 months. Christian Ponder from Florida State might be in the mix.

 

[Unwrittenlaw]

Andrew Luck

Ryan Mallett - maybe

Terrell Pryor - maybe

John Locker

Christian Ponder

Jerrod Johnson

Case Keenum

Blaine Gabbert

John Brantley

Nick Foles

Pat Devlin

 

[bweiser]

Andrew Luck

Ryan Mallett - maybe

Terrell Pryor - maybe

John Locker

Christian Ponder

Jerrod Johnson

Case Keenum

Blaine Gabbert

John Brantley

Nick Foles

he can't be better than the people who were bypassed this year. i love him as an athlete, but ... he's a big-time project.

 

[Unwrittenlaw]

Andrew Luck

Ryan Mallett - maybe

Terrell Pryor - maybe

John Locker

Christian Ponder

Jerrod Johnson

Case Keenum

Blaine Gabbert

John Brantley

Nick Foles

he can't be better than the people who were bypassed this year. i love him as an athlete, but ... he's a big-time project.

Give him this year to see if he improves - I think he has better potential than Tim Tebow that's for sure - he'll be a project just like Vick/VY,

 

[Masked Vigilante]

Fans pretty much always hate drafting a QB. They also have a tendency to overvalue the guy that's supposed to come out next year. The grass is always greener I guess.

This year people were saying "Don't draft Bradford or Clausen. Wait next year for Locker."

Last year people were saying "Don't draft Stafford or Sanchez. Wait next year for Bradford."

The year before people were saying "Don't draft Ryan. Wait next year for Stafford."

And so on

 

[Phlash]

Fans pretty much always hate drafting a QB. They also have a tendency to overvalue the guy that's supposed to come out next year. The grass is always greener I guess.This year people were saying "Don't draft Bradford or Clausen. Wait next year for Locker."Last year people were saying "Don't draft Stafford or Sanchez. Wait next year for Bradford."The year before people were saying "Don't draft Ryan. Wait next year for Stafford." And so on

:( Jake Locker hasn't shown me the passing numbers required to be a stud in the NFL.These simply aren't good enough college passing ratings to make me think he'll become a stud QB at the next level.2800 yards, 58.2 completion rating ( ), 7.09 ypa ( ), 21 TDs, 11 INTs

 

[bweiser]

its one thing for the teams to say it, but all the 'experts' were saying it as well.

 

[gocuse3]

if Ponder can stay healthy he might come out ahead of Locker for the #1 QB

 

[Comer]

Pryor is a poor man's Vince Young IMO. Pryor could however be a decent WR prospect if he can catch.

 

[Balco]

Right now I would have Andrew Luck as the # 1 QB prospect, and Ryan Mallet at # 2.

I think Bradford is better than both of those guys, but they are far superior to Clausen and McCoy.

This is a key year for Jake Locker. He has all the tools, but I think it was a wise decision to stay in school. Another year working with Sarkisian, and honing his skills will serve him well.

Luck, Mallet, and Locker are all first round prospects and all have the potential to go in the top 15 picks. Luck has # 1 overall potential.

 

[lyon812]

Fans pretty much always hate drafting a QB. They also have a tendency to overvalue the guy that's supposed to come out next year. The grass is always greener I guess.This year people were saying "Don't draft Bradford or Clausen. Wait next year for Locker."Last year people were saying "Don't draft Stafford or Sanchez. Wait next year for Bradford."The year before people were saying "Don't draft Ryan. Wait next year for Stafford." And so on

Jake Locker hasn't shown me the passing numbers required to be a stud in the NFL.These simply aren't good enough college passing ratings to make me think he'll become a stud QB at the next level.2800 yards, 58.2 completion rating ( :X ), 7.09 ypa ( ), 21 TDs, 11 INTs

While Locker definitely needs some development, a lot of the optimism is based on his raw talent and his progression under Sarkisian's tutelage. While they're different in terms of style, Locker reminds me somewhat of another Sarkisian pupil: Carson Palmer, who had two subpar college seasons before the light turned on. That's one reason I was so in favor of him returning to Washington for another year--to continue learning and developing the skills that will help him succeed. He did very well this year, and watching him week in and week out, sometimes he simply took over the game. If he can continue the growth he showed last year, I think he'll rate very highly in 2011.

 

[bweiser]

Right now I would have Andrew Luck as the # 1 QB prospect, and Ryan Mallet at # 2.I think Bradford is better than both of those guys, but they are far superior to Clausen and McCoy.This is a key year for Jake Locker. He has all the tools, but I think it was a wise decision to stay in school. Another year working with Sarkisian, and honing his skills will serve him well. Luck, Mallet, and Locker are all first round prospects and all have the potential to go in the top 15 picks. Luck has # 1 overall potential.

I only watched one Arkansas game and I thought Ryan Mallet was the worst quarterback of any bowl team I saw - and that includes Temple, whose QB has been moved to TE this year. If he goes in the top 15, he will be a huge flop.WIth Luck, you're talking about a guy who would have to leave school early, right? Stanford kids don't usually do that.

 

[healthpellets]

I think Bradford is better than both of those guys, but they are far superior to Clausen and McCoy.

i'd easily take Locker or Luck over Bradford.

 

[jurb26]

I think Bradford is better than both of those guys, but they are far superior to Clausen and McCoy.

i'd easily take Locker or Luck over Bradford.

I'd easily take Mallet or Luck over Bradford. I haven't seen enough of Locker to know how I feel about him.

 

[raidergil]

OK, I know Jake Locher is at the top of the list, or close to it. Are we assuming Luck from Stanford comes out? What makes this class so deep and special? I see teams passing up guys who are there to be taken NOW because of the potential for 2011. I don't get that. What would it have hurt, say, Buffalo to take Clausen AND then take another guy next year? They have Edwards and Fitzpatrick. Awful. So who is in the Class of '11?

I wasn't a 'Clausen guy' but wondered the same thing about next yr's class. For a team like the Bills to pass on Clausen and McCoy, and people to say next year's class is so much better anyway, that's to assume that same team is picking in the top 10 again next year. Is the #4 or 5 ranked 2011 QB better than the #2 2010 QB? obviously we don't know that now but that's what teams & experts are supposedly deciding at this time.

 

[Balco]

I think Bradford is better than both of those guys, but they are far superior to Clausen and McCoy.

i'd easily take Locker or Luck over Bradford.

I have said before, I think Bradford is a Peyton Manning (coming out of Tennessee) talent. So while I like Luck, and think he is a future # 1, I don't like him as much as Bradford.

 

[Balco]

OK, I know Jake Locher is at the top of the list, or close to it. Are we assuming Luck from Stanford comes out? What makes this class so deep and special? I see teams passing up guys who are there to be taken NOW because of the potential for 2011. I don't get that. What would it have hurt, say, Buffalo to take Clausen AND then take another guy next year? They have Edwards and Fitzpatrick. Awful. So who is in the Class of '11?

I wasn't a 'Clausen guy' but wondered the same thing about next yr's class. For a team like the Bills to pass on Clausen and McCoy, and people to say next year's class is so much better anyway, that's to assume that same team is picking in the top 10 again next year. Is the #4 or 5 ranked 2011 QB better than the #2 2010 QB? obviously we don't know that now but that's what teams & experts are supposedly deciding at this time.

I don't think that is what teams are saying, I just think the ones that passed on McCoy and Clausen felt they weren't franchise type or solid starter type NFL qbs.

 

[gheemony]

I think Jake Locker has Steve Young potential. He has Tebow intangibles and physical skills that are unmatched (his combine numbers would be insane). His stats don't look good because he played in a wacky offense with bad coaching before Sark showed up. He'll prove people wrong.

I think he's going to be a Heisman finalist and will be a no brainer first overall pick. Mid-way through the season, we'll be talking about how the worst NFL teams are playing for the right to draft Jake.

 

[healthpellets]

I think Bradford is better than both of those guys, but they are far superior to Clausen and McCoy.

i'd easily take Locker or Luck over Bradford.

I have said before, I think Bradford is a Peyton Manning (coming out of Tennessee) talent. So while I like Luck, and think he is a future # 1, I don't like him as much as Bradford.

i see Bradford as a slightly more accurate Alex Smith. Any QB coming from a spread system has a lot to prove...to me at least.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

I think Jake Locker made a big mistake staying in school. He basically HAS to show major improvements as a senior just to hold his stock where it would have been entering this draft.

His situation compares almost identically to Jevan Snead's at this point last year. Like Locker, Snead was a super fast riser late in the season who went from someone with no hype to almost immediately becoming a top 10 overall pick. Like Locker, Snead decided to go back in school instead. Like Locker, Snead played at a school without a lot of media attention where he wasn't really going to show up unless he had a particularly big day.

Snead didn't have a particularly bad senior season, he just didn't really improve much from his junior season. And here we are, with Snead being completely undrafted whereas at this point last year he was a lock to be a first round pick, with the potential to be that fast riser offseason darling that became a top 5 guy.

 

[jurb26]

I think Jake Locker made a big mistake staying in school. He basically HAS to show major improvements as a senior just to hold his stock where it would have been entering this draft.His situation compares almost identically to Jevan Snead's at this point last year. Like Locker, Snead was a super fast riser late in the season who went from someone with no hype to almost immediately becoming a top 10 overall pick. Like Locker, Snead decided to go back in school instead. Like Locker, Snead played at a school without a lot of media attention where he wasn't really going to show up unless he had a particularly big day.Snead didn't have a particularly bad senior season, he just didn't really improve much from his junior season. And here we are, with Snead being completely undrafted whereas at this point last year he was a lock to be a first round pick, with the potential to be that fast riser offseason darling that became a top 5 guy.

I'd have to disagree. I loved Snead this time last year but watching him this past season was painful. He regressed a good bit IMO. It's possible that Locker does as well but the free fall that Snead experienced seemed to be a drastic outlier to me.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

I think Jake Locker made a big mistake staying in school. He basically HAS to show major improvements as a senior just to hold his stock where it would have been entering this draft.His situation compares almost identically to Jevan Snead's at this point last year. Like Locker, Snead was a super fast riser late in the season who went from someone with no hype to almost immediately becoming a top 10 overall pick. Like Locker, Snead decided to go back in school instead. Like Locker, Snead played at a school without a lot of media attention where he wasn't really going to show up unless he had a particularly big day.Snead didn't have a particularly bad senior season, he just didn't really improve much from his junior season. And here we are, with Snead being completely undrafted whereas at this point last year he was a lock to be a first round pick, with the potential to be that fast riser offseason darling that became a top 5 guy.

I'd have to disagree. I loved Snead this time last year but watching him this past season was painful. He regressed a good bit IMO. It's possible that Locker does as well but the free fall that Snead experienced seemed to be a drastic outlier to me.

See, I think Snead looked the same as a senior as he did as a junior. Maybe my reasoning was just flawed. Maybe the problem with Snead was that people DID pay attention during his senior year since his name was now pegged, whereas in his junior people saw some decent numbers and some big wins and gave him credit he didn't deserve.Take the Florida game for instance. A lot of people gave him a lot of credit for that game but he looked very bad in that game. A killer running game, 4 fumble recoveries by the defense, and a late blown coverage by the Gators (Florida was supposed to be in cover 2 but Major Wright didn't get the memo, so there was literally no one back deep) that led to an 80 yard TD won that game. But no one knew, no one was really watching Snead at that point.Senior year Snead was no worse than junior year Snead, it's just that people paid more attention to all of his games rather than just highlights of his good ones. We could easily see the same thing with Locker as I'd be willing to bet that 90% of the people pimping Locker have never seen a UW game, rather just highlights of the games where he played well.

 

[jurb26]

I think Jake Locker made a big mistake staying in school. He basically HAS to show major improvements as a senior just to hold his stock where it would have been entering this draft.His situation compares almost identically to Jevan Snead's at this point last year. Like Locker, Snead was a super fast riser late in the season who went from someone with no hype to almost immediately becoming a top 10 overall pick. Like Locker, Snead decided to go back in school instead. Like Locker, Snead played at a school without a lot of media attention where he wasn't really going to show up unless he had a particularly big day.Snead didn't have a particularly bad senior season, he just didn't really improve much from his junior season. And here we are, with Snead being completely undrafted whereas at this point last year he was a lock to be a first round pick, with the potential to be that fast riser offseason darling that became a top 5 guy.

I'd have to disagree. I loved Snead this time last year but watching him this past season was painful. He regressed a good bit IMO. It's possible that Locker does as well but the free fall that Snead experienced seemed to be a drastic outlier to me.

See, I think Snead looked the same as a senior as he did as a junior. Maybe my reasoning was just flawed. Maybe the problem with Snead was that people DID pay attention during his senior year since his name was now pegged, whereas in his junior people saw some decent numbers and some big wins and gave him credit he didn't deserve.Take the Florida game for instance. A lot of people gave him a lot of credit for that game but he looked very bad in that game. A killer running game, 4 fumble recoveries by the defense, and a late blown coverage by the Gators (Florida was supposed to be in cover 2 but Major Wright didn't get the memo, so there was literally no one back deep) that led to an 80 yard TD won that game. But no one knew, no one was really watching Snead at that point.Senior year Snead was no worse than junior year Snead, it's just that people paid more attention to all of his games rather than just highlights of his good ones. We could easily see the same thing with Locker as I'd be willing to bet that 90% of the people pimping Locker have never seen a UW game, rather just highlights of the games where he played well.

I don't know, maybe you're right. I did only see a few select games of his 2 years ago. In those games he looked fantastic. It seemed like a lot changed in him last year. His footwork was lazy, he wasn't reading the field and trying to force the ball nearly every game I saw and he seemed like a guy out there carrying himself with a false sense of accomplishment rather than a guy with something to prove.

 

[menobrown]

Ryan Mallett is considered another JaMarcus type. Huge frame with a live arm. Lots of upside.

Very similar but I'd take it a step further and say from the perspective of only physical makeup and arm strength Mallet might be top QB prospect of All-Time. Again let me stress just based on those two criteria. He appears to have every bit the arm strength of Russell, is probably a half inch to an inch taller and is well built without being fat which is were he really gains an edge over Russell. Other than that the similarity to Russell is dead on. Big, strong arm but not accurate, poor decision making and reports I heard were he's a bit immature. It will be difficult for him to play himself out of the first round due to the arm and size but the areas he lacks are areas he can improve upon and if he does he can certianly move to QB1 and even the first overall pick if he can improve in those area's of deficiency.

 

[Masked Vigilante]

Ryan Mallett is considered another JaMarcus type. Huge frame with a live arm. Lots of upside.

Very similar but I'd take it a step further and say from the perspective of only physical makeup and arm strength Mallet might be top QB prospect of All-Time. Again let me stress just based on those two criteria. He appears to have every bit the arm strength of Russell, is probably a half inch to an inch taller and is well built without being fat which is were he really gains an edge over Russell. Other than that the similarity to Russell is dead on. Big, strong arm but not accurate, poor decision making and reports I heard were he's a bit immature. It will be difficult for him to play himself out of the first round due to the arm and size but the areas he lacks are areas he can improve upon and if he does he can certianly move to QB1 and even the first overall pick if he can improve in those area's of deficiency.

I think those are some pretty big flaws. I'd rather have a guy like Bradford who makes smart decisions and has spot on accuracy.

 

[menobrown]

Ryan Mallett is considered another JaMarcus type. Huge frame with a live arm. Lots of upside.

Very similar but I'd take it a step further and say from the perspective of only physical makeup and arm strength Mallet might be top QB prospect of All-Time. Again let me stress just based on those two criteria. He appears to have every bit the arm strength of Russell, is probably a half inch to an inch taller and is well built without being fat which is were he really gains an edge over Russell. Other than that the similarity to Russell is dead on. Big, strong arm but not accurate, poor decision making and reports I heard were he's a bit immature. It will be difficult for him to play himself out of the first round due to the arm and size but the areas he lacks are areas he can improve upon and if he does he can certianly move to QB1 and even the first overall pick if he can improve in those area's of deficiency.

I think those are some pretty big flaws. I'd rather have a guy like Bradford who makes smart decisions and has spot on accuracy.

They are big flaws and I'd rather have Bradford as well. Unless a guy has Pennington type arm I always prefer accuracy and decision making over a strong arm. But that's also why Mallet returned to work on those flaws and hopefully improve. Hard

 

[Balco]

I think Bradford is better than both of those guys, but they are far superior to Clausen and McCoy.

i'd easily take Locker or Luck over Bradford.

I have said before, I think Bradford is a Peyton Manning (coming out of Tennessee) talent. So while I like Luck, and think he is a future # 1, I don't like him as much as Bradford.

i see Bradford as a slightly more accurate Alex Smith. Any QB coming from a spread system has a lot to prove...to me at least.

When I broke down several of his games, I expected to come away like I did with other spread qb's like Tim Tebow. Product of their system, every one was wide open, but I was shocked at how good Bradford was. Shocked. This is no Case Keenum/Tim Tebow.Andre Ware.

 

[Balco]

Ryan Mallett is considered another JaMarcus type. Huge frame with a live arm. Lots of upside.

Very similar but I'd take it a step further and say from the perspective of only physical makeup and arm strength Mallet might be top QB prospect of All-Time. Again let me stress just based on those two criteria. He appears to have every bit the arm strength of Russell, is probably a half inch to an inch taller and is well built without being fat which is were he really gains an edge over Russell. Other than that the similarity to Russell is dead on. Big, strong arm but not accurate, poor decision making and reports I heard were he's a bit immature. It will be difficult for him to play himself out of the first round due to the arm and size but the areas he lacks are areas he can improve upon and if he does he can certianly move to QB1 and even the first overall pick if he can improve in those area's of deficiency.

I think those are some pretty big flaws. I'd rather have a guy like Bradford who makes smart decisions and has spot on accuracy.

They are big flaws and I'd rather have Bradford as well. Unless a guy has Pennington type arm I always prefer accuracy and decision making over a strong arm. But that's also why Mallet returned to work on those flaws and hopefully improve. Hard

Every day of the week.

 

[Hooper31]

I think Jake Locker has Steve Young potential. He has Tebow intangibles and physical skills that are unmatched (his combine numbers would be insane). His stats don't look good because he played in a wacky offense with bad coaching before Sark showed up. He'll prove people wrong.

I think he's going to be a Heisman finalist and will be a no brainer first overall pick. Mid-way through the season, we'll be talking about how the worst NFL teams are playing for the right to draft Jake.

This feels a bit over the top. I don't think I can ever remember these sort of comments about even the greatest quarterback prospects since I've been a fan of football and the NFL draft in the early 80s. In my opinion the greatest prospects coming out of college since I've followed the draft were John Elway and Payton Manning.I hope Locker becomes a success. I think it would be cool if he has a great senior season and resurrects the UW Husky program. I'm a fan. I watched him play in high school. I watched just about everyone one of his college games. Here's my opinion on Locker as a quarterback.

POSITIVES:

Character. They rarely come as a better kid. I've talked to several of his teachers from Ferndale High School. They only had glowing comments of him as a person, student, and athlete. Really has an "aw schucks" humble quality, but also a fiery competitive spirit. There will be no doubt that he will work hard, study, and learn the game to whatever level is possible.

Athleticism. When Willingham was still at UW they had a favorite play. It was simply called "Go Jake Go". They ran that pay a lot, and with success because he's so damned fast.

Arm strength. More than adequate. He can zing it. The first time I saw him throw a pass in high school my jaw dropped. I had never seen that from a high school kid. Never. Laser beam. His ability to "throw the entire passing tree" won't be questioned.

NEGATIVES:

Accuracy. His completion percentage isn't what people would hope for, and I don't blame his surrounding talent. He has had a tendency to float a lot of high passes when trying to drill it into tighter windows. Also, his deep balls have often missed by a long way when trying to lead go routes.

Sacks. For a kid that is so athletic, he sure had taken a lot of sacks over the past few years. Sure, he's trying to make plays, but those giant negative plays really kill drives when he could throw the ball away and dial up another.

I'm pulling for him to be successful, but I'm not delusional to the point to think that he's an Elway or Manning type prospect. Perhaps not even a Drew Bledsoe, Heath Shuler, or Tim Couch. Time will tell.

 

[Hooper31]

I always prefer accuracy and decision making over a strong arm.

I don't disagree with this. Locker certainly fits the strong arm type with less accuracy. However, the potential of having both strong arm and accuracy is a possibility. That allure can't be ignored. Can you arm strength be improved upon? Can accuracy be improved upon? This reminds me of my favorite basketball coaching line. You can't coach them taller.

 

[noneother]

So. If your drafting a a dev squad how to rank luck and locker against the WRs in 2011?

 

[mac daddy]

Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M, has the potential to be a really good one if he can avoid the A&M senior year QB jinx. He had a three bad games (Arkansas, KSU, and Georgia), but was lights out in the others, including against Texas. He has really good size, a cannon, and some mobility. Broke the A&M record (maybe Big 12 as well) for consecutive passes without an INT, so he's pretty accurate.

 

[ADP]

Future NFL Starters ranked accordingly

S. Bradford

J. Locker

A. Luck

J. Clausen

Future NFL Backups ranked accordingly

J. Johnson

C. Ponder

R. Mallet

Jurys still out

C. Keenum - Shotgun offense, arm strength

T. Pryor - Great atlhete, just not sure he can be a good QB.

 

[gheemony]

I think Jake Locker made a big mistake staying in school. He basically HAS to show major improvements as a senior just to hold his stock where it would have been entering this draft.His situation compares almost identically to Jevan Snead's at this point last year. Like Locker, Snead was a super fast riser late in the season who went from someone with no hype to almost immediately becoming a top 10 overall pick. Like Locker, Snead decided to go back in school instead. Like Locker, Snead played at a school without a lot of media attention where he wasn't really going to show up unless he had a particularly big day.Snead didn't have a particularly bad senior season, he just didn't really improve much from his junior season. And here we are, with Snead being completely undrafted whereas at this point last year he was a lock to be a first round pick, with the potential to be that fast riser off-season darling that became a top 5 guy.

If Locker's goal was to maximize the size of his contract, then he may have made a mistake. But you have to realize that that's now what he wants. He wants to be a Hall of Famer. He knows to do that, he needs more experience. Another year with Sark should make a huge difference. Could he regress? yes. But what I love about Jake is that he has complete confidence in his ability and a commitment to working hard to reach his full potential.

 

[gheemony]

I think Jake Locker has Steve Young potential. He has Tebow intangibles and physical skills that are unmatched (his combine numbers would be insane). His stats don't look good because he played in a wacky offense with bad coaching before Sark showed up. He'll prove people wrong.

I think he's going to be a Heisman finalist and will be a no brainer first overall pick. Mid-way through the season, we'll be talking about how the worst NFL teams are playing for the right to draft Jake.

This feels a bit over the top. I don't think I can ever remember these sort of comments about even the greatest quarterback prospects since I've been a fan of football and the NFL draft in the early 80s. In my opinion the greatest prospects coming out of college since I've followed the draft were John Elway and Payton Manning.I hope Locker becomes a success. I think it would be cool if he has a great senior season and resurrects the UW Husky program. I'm a fan. I watched him play in high school. I watched just about everyone one of his college games. Here's my opinion on Locker as a quarterback.

POSITIVES:

Character. They rarely come as a better kid. I've talked to several of his teachers from Ferndale High School. They only had glowing comments of him as a person, student, and athlete. Really has an "aw schucks" humble quality, but also a fiery competitive spirit. There will be no doubt that he will work hard, study, and learn the game to whatever level is possible.

Athleticism. When Willingham was still at UW they had a favorite play. It was simply called "Go Jake Go". They ran that pay a lot, and with success because he's so damned fast.

Arm strength. More than adequate. He can zing it. The first time I saw him throw a pass in high school my jaw dropped. I had never seen that from a high school kid. Never. Laser beam. His ability to "throw the entire passing tree" won't be questioned.

NEGATIVES:

Accuracy. His completion percentage isn't what people would hope for, and I don't blame his surrounding talent. He has had a tendency to float a lot of high passes when trying to drill it into tighter windows. Also, his deep balls have often missed by a long way when trying to lead go routes.

Sacks. For a kid that is so athletic, he sure had taken a lot of sacks over the past few years. Sure, he's trying to make plays, but those giant negative plays really kill drives when he could throw the ball away and dial up another.

I'm pulling for him to be successful, but I'm not delusional to the point to think that he's an Elway or Manning type prospect. Perhaps not even a Drew Bledsoe, Heath Shuler, or Tim Couch. Time will tell.

Was my comment over the top? Yes. And I'm glad you called me on it. I admit I get annoyed by over-the-top proclamations about prospects on this board. But I have to admit, I think I now understand why some people do it: they really believe. And in my case, I won't bet against Jake Locker. I really believe that he could be Steve Young good. It may take the same amount of time for him to develop (remember Young went to the USFL, then Tampa, and then had to be coached to greatness by Bill Walsh), but I think he will be a Super Bowl winner.So apologies in advance if I become known as the crazy poster that has a man-crush on Locker. I really believe it, and I hope to share why I think so in future posts. I also hope that Jake will show it on the field.

 

[Stealthycat]

Ryan Mallett is considered another JaMarcus type

Mallett is NOTHING like Russel - nothingMallett is a beast QB - watch him this season toss 40+ TD's and rip the SEC up

 

[oukurt]

I follow this stuff pretty closely. Here is some info on my top 5:

1. Jake Locker, QB, Washington - Locker's got a big arm and has great speed. Special talent barring injury will the the top pick in the draft.

2. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford - While his arm isn't a rocket, it's strong enough to get the job done. When comparing him to a recent prospect, think Mark Sanchez. He's got the ability to elude the rush but isn't a Vince Young or Dennis Dixon type prospect. At 6'4", 230 pounds and with a pro-style background, he's got the makings of a classic pocket passer. Mid first round pick.

3. Christian Ponder, QB, Florida State - he has a decent arm and can make all the throws. He's a decent athlete that can move around in the pocket and get away from defensive lineman. Late first round pick.

4. Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas - strongest arm in this class, and along with his pro-style success and solid accuracy, Mallett has a chance to become the top quarterback in this class. Mid first round pick.

5. Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio State - rocket arm, fantastic size, and killer speed (he's the fastest quarterback in this list), Pryor has all the physical tools, and at the end of the 2009 season and the Rose Bowl, Pryor seemed to put all the pieces into place. Late first/ early 2nd round pick.

 

[Redmen62]

Snead didn't have a particularly bad senior season, he just didn't really improve much from his junior season.

See, I think Snead looked the same as a senior as he did as a junior. Maybe my reasoning was just flawed. Maybe the problem with Snead was that people DID pay attention during his senior year since his name was now pegged, whereas in his junior people saw some decent numbers and some big wins and gave him credit he didn't deserve.

Senior year Snead was no worse than junior year Snead, it's just that people paid more attention to all of his games rather than just highlights of his good ones. We could easily see the same thing with Locker as I'd be willing to bet that 90% of the people pimping Locker have never seen a UW game, rather just highlights of the games where he played well.

Jevan Snead never played his senior season, he came out after his redshirt junior year. We never got to see "Senior year Snead".

 

[Mr. Peterson]

Not able to watch the game but seeing that Pryor is putting up good stats. Is he looking as good as his numbers are? Could this game spike his draft stock? With his 5 game suspension I could see him possibly coming out even though he's not close to ready.

 

[Sinrman]

Not able to watch the game but seeing that Pryor is putting up good stats. Is he looking as good as his numbers are? Could this game spike his draft stock? With his 5 game suspension I could see him possibly coming out even though he's not close to ready.

He promised his coach that he would come back next year, otherwise he would have had to sit out the Sugar Bowl. Pryor is a decent college QB, but I'm not sure if he's one that would translate well into the NFL.

 

[dharmapunk]

Not able to watch the game but seeing that Pryor is putting up good stats. Is he looking as good as his numbers are? Could this game spike his draft stock? With his 5 game suspension I could see him possibly coming out even though he's not close to ready.

He promised his coach that he would come back next year, otherwise he would have had to sit out the Sugar Bowl. Pryor is a decent college QB, but I'm not sure if he's one that would translate well into the NFL.

From what I've seen (Sugar Bowl and others) his passes lack NFL-caliber zip, and his running would be less effective in the NFL. He'd be Troy Smith Part Duex.

 

[Jason Wood]

Here is NFL Draft Bible's Top 20 QB Prospects. I make no judgment on the quality of this list, just figured it would be a good conversation starter:

http://www.nfldraftbible.com/NFL-Insider-I...top10preas.html

1 Jake Locker Washington 6024 230 4.65 LINK

2 Andrew Luck** Stanford 6036 235 4.73 LINK

3 Ryan Mallett* Arkansas 6060 250 5.10 LINK

4 Christian Ponder Florida State 6020 218 4.70 LINK

5 Pat Devlin Delaware/Penn St

6032 223 4.75 LINK

6 Jerrod Johnson Texas A&M 6040 240 4.70 LINK

7 Blaine Gabbert* Missouri 6045 235 4.70 LINK

8 Landry Jones** Oklahoma 6040 215 4.75 LINK

9 John Brantley* Florida 6030 217 4.70 LINK

10 Colin Kaepernick Nevada 6045 218 4.75 LINK

11 Nathan Enderle Idaho 6042 234 5.00 LINK

12 Jacory Harris* Miami 6030 190 4.70 LINK

13 Robert Griffin** Baylor 6030 215 4.60 LINK

14 Terrelle Pryor* Ohio State 6060 235 4.52 LINK

15 Nick Foles* Arizona 6050 235 4.85 LINK

16 Ricky Stanzi Iowa 6040 228 4.80 LINK

17 Christopher Dieker Southern Illinois 6050 228 4.82 LINK

18 Case Keenum Houston 6005 205 4.75 LINK

19 Kirk Cousins* Michigan State 6040 203 4.80 LINK

20 Andy Dalton TCU 6017 215 4.80 LINK

 

[thriftyrocker]

That was published about a year ago. Maybe accurate for a year ago.

 

[Masked Vigilante]

^ That list is almost a year old.

 

[valhallan]

Mallett has excellent accuracy and could have had a much better night than his numbers indicate if his receivers could hang onto the ball. I worry about his mobility though, as he seemed to struggle under pressure and was slow as dirt when he needed to move.

 

[Jason Wood]

^ That list is almost a year old.

I looked at the date and saw January, didn't notice it was 2010.