2007 DRAFT PROSPECT PROFILES: Quarterbacks

[1niksder]

Brady Quinn, Notre Dame… 6-3.5, 230, 4.70, SR… Still the favorite to be the #1 pick at the 2007 draft despite a slight drop-ff in productivity this fall when he struggled in a couple of early games. Still completing 64% of his pass attempts but is on pace to throw for 3,000 yards this season down from 4,000 last season. Has excellent size for a pro pocket passer and the arm strength to make all the throws; smart player and a hard worker who is very good at reading coverages and makes good decisions; accurate passer who throws a catchable ball on short and intermediate routes. Shows nice touch on deep passes. Has a high release point although delivery can be a little deliberate. Throws well on the run, but will force some passes when he gets out of the pocket. Not a gazelle but has surprising mobility with 4.70 speed; shows good awareness in the pocket and can slide away from trouble, although his footwork isn’t always text book; can also take off when the pocket breaks down. Has clearly benefited from playing under the tutelage of Irish head coach Charlie Weis. Great intangibles.



Brian Brohm, Louisville… 6-4, 224, JR… Prototype pocket passer with good size and a live arm; very accurate passer who completed almost 70% of his passes in 2005, although is down in the low 60s this fall; very smooth in the pocket; reads the field well and throws a very catchable ball with a nice high release point; however, also has a very deliberate throwing motion and doesn’t get rid of the ball all that quickly. Also not very mobile and isn’t consistently able to slide around the pocket to avoid the rush so can be forced into mistakes; also has some health concerns; is coming off a torn ACL suffered late last season, although he was still named Big East Offensive Player of the Year in 2005; missed two more games this fall with a thumb injury.



Troy Smith, Ohio State… 6-0, 215, 4.65, SR… The “x” factor in the 2007 draft class; no question that Smith is an outstanding athlete playing QB, but has he improved his passing enough to rate as a potential elite QB prospect this coming April; has put up eye-popping numbers this fall and looks to be a lock to win the Heisman Trophy; has completed close to 70% of his pass attempts and has only thrown a couple of picks while tossing over 20 TD passes; Smith is both quick and strong and has the ability to scramble out of danger and turn a potential loss into a big gainer; unlike past years though when Smith was most likely to simply take off, this fall he has been keeping his eyes downfield and has been throwing much more off the scramble; has a quick release and gets good velocity on short and medium passes even if his feet aren’t totally set; has the ability to take a couple of quick steps out of trouble, reset and qet quick pass off; also throws well on the run; doesn’t have a super strong arm, but can make most of the passes; has decent accuracy on the deep ball; is very patient, reads the field well and takes what the defense gives him; only real question for Smith is that he isn’t all that tall at barely 6-0 and may have trouble seeing downfield at the next level; mentally tough player who is very competitive and known to spend a lot of time in the filmroom, but raised eyebrows when he took money from a booster and was suspended for Ohio State’s 2004 bowl and the 2005 season-opener.



Drew Stanton, Michigan State… 6-3, 230, 4.78, SR… Entered the season rated as a potential top 5-10 pick but has struggled throughout a sometimes senior campaign to date. Very athletic QB who has over 1,000 career rushing yards; indeed, has been used extensively by MSU on designed running plays; moves well in the pocket and can throw on the run, but isn’t a true blazer with a 40-clocking close to 4.8; has nice size and will take a hit in the pocket to make a completion, but isn’t necessarily the prettiest passer out there, has a strong arm and quick release, but release point is a little low and doesn’t always set his feet; reasonably accurate passer with a career completion mark around 65%. Reads the field well and can find the open receiver; can also fit short and medium passes into tight spots, but at times tries to make plays that aren’t there and will be picked off; in fact, has been intercepted 20 times over the course of the past couple of seasons; also has been somewhat inconsistent over his career, looking like a future Pro Bowler one game, followed up by a poor one. For the record, he has more on games than off but he needs to be more consistent. Known as a tough player with the intangibles pro scouts like; indeed, Stanton has had to one down his game as he had a tendency to take too many big hits when running with the ball; missed time earlier in his career with shoulder and knee problems. He is a pocket passer that will sit in the pocket and deliver a strike, and take a hit. He has the arm to fire the ball down field, and the accuracy to deliver strikes on all throws. Stanton also brings excellent mobility, and has the ability to make plays with his feet when plays break down.



Kevin Kolb, Houston… 6-3, 225, 4.90, SR… Four-year starter who has been one of the most productive passers in college football the past couple of years; Is closing in on 12,000 career passing yards with 73 TDs; had some issues with accuracy early in his career when he only completed around 60% of his pass attempts over the course of his first three years which isn’t all that good in a dinf-and-dunk offense that the Cougars, but has been much more on the mark this fall hitting at close to 70%; also cut down dramatically on interceptions with just two this fall though the first 8 weeks of the schedule, compared with 15 in 2005; Has decent size and a live arm with a quick compact release; stands tall in the pocket and has a high delivery point; has quick feet but footwork in the pocket isn’t always textbook; throws well on the run and can be inventive on the move; has good knowledge of the offense and does a nice job going through progressions; throws a catchable ball; still better throwing touch passes underneath than going long; has the arm strength to get the ball deep but doesn’t always set his feet properly on medium and long passes; in fact, mechanics will be a key for Kolb when he gets to the pros as he runs a junk offense at Houston working mostly out of a shotgun formation; Kolb also has very good mobility with almost 900 career rushing yards although he has only average speed with a 40-clocking in the 4.9 range.



Jordan Palmer, UTEP… 6-5, 235, 4.90, SR… Brother of the Bengals’ Carson Palmer, the first player selected at the 2003 draft; certainly looks the part of a prototype NFL pocket passer with excellent size, a live arm, and solid work ethic. Indeed, Palmer has already passed for over 9,000 yards and 75 TDs in his career. Has the arm strength to make all the throws and a nice high release point; also no gazelle but can maneuver around the pocket to avoid the rush; also can throw on the run. However, Palmer doesn’t read the field all that well; doesn’t always find the open man, has a slow release and will throw the ball into coverage; as a result, Palmer has been turnover prone throwing 60 career interceptions; also was not an overly accurate passer early in his career with a sub-60% career completion % entering the season, but has improved that to 70% this fall.

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[John Manfreda]

The Louisville Qb is staying.

[PulpExposure]

I think this list is a bit outdated. Where's Jamarcus Russell?

[JPM36]

Quinn= Bust.

[1niksder]

I think this list is a bit outdated. Where's Jamarcus Russell?

This a list of Sr and a Jr that declared early (it appears he has un-declared)
Jamarcus Russell data isn't hard to find if it's not here then find it and share it.

In the time it took you to complain I read this:

JaMarcus Russell QB 6'6 260 LSU, Jr.
By: Robert Davis
As a redshirt freshman, Russell started four games, and threw for 1,053 yards, while completing just over 50% of his passes, with nine touchdowns, and four picks. As a sophomore, he took over the reigns, and had a very good season, throwing for 2,443 yards, while improving his completion percentage to 60.5, and throwing for 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Russell continued to grow this past season as a junior, and had an outstanding season. He threw for 3,129 yards, with an amazing 67.8% completion percentage, and 28 touchdowns to just eight interceptions.

JaMarcus Russell has an unreal combination of skills. First off, he is absolutely massive, and legitimately could play on an NFL defensive line with his size. He is an excellent athlete for his size as well. Russell also has an absolute cannon of an arm, and will be one of the elite in the league as soon as he’s drafted. On the field, he has grown each season, and there’s no reason to see him stopping now. As a passer, he is accurate and efficient, and there is no throw he cannot make. Russell is a pocket passer, but has the athleticism and mobility to elude the rush or run for yardage when the opportunity presents itself. Despite all his physical talent, his biggest asset may be his ability to get his team to rally around him. He has proven to be a quality leader, and can make plays in big games.

Russell has gotten better each year, but he still needs to show a little more patience and discipline throwing the football. At times he’ll still get reckless thinking his arm strength can get him out of jams.

JaMarcus Russell has really come on as a junior. Everyone acknowledged his immense talent, but thought he would need all four years to continue to develop as a passer. He made major strides from his sophomore to junior year, and is now a legitimate candidate to be the #1 overall pick. He might need a little more seasoning than a player like Brady Quinn, but his upside is amazing. With Al Davis leading the Raiders, Russell may be the odds on favorite to be the #1 pick in April.

[Fios]

Quinn= Bust.

Amen ... the hype around him still baffles me

[SkinsFreak]

Quinn= Bust.

Amen ... the hype around him still baffles me

Well... his sister is pretty hot.