NFL Draft Info - NFL Draft Blog

Good news for college quarterbacks: The NFL has become a league built around the passing game, which means more and more teams are placing a huge (almost inflated) amount of importance on the quarterback position.

This year's quarterback draft class has some very talented prospects, but now that Stanford's Andrew Luck has returned to school for another year, it would be a stretch to say any of the signal-calling prospects this year deserve a top 10 grade. And yet, Mizzou's Blaine Gabbert and Auburn's Cam Newton could both be off the board within the first 12 picks, thanks to the numerous quarterback-starved franchises lined up to pick early in round one.

Here's a short rundown of this year's quarterback prospects:

1) Blaine Gabbert, Mizzou -- 6'5", 240 lbs

It's hard to believe Gabbert was actually a fringe first-round prospect in the days leading up to his declaration earlier this month for the NFL Draft, as he's now the No.1 quarterback on most big boards. Gabbert is a big, strong-armed passer who displays good mobility outside of the pocket, and his release is a bit of a three-quarters delivery, which will immediately remind teams of Philip Rivers. The big issues with Gabbert, though, are his accuracy, footwork and lack of experience in a pro-style offense (he operated out of the spread offense at Missouri).

It's fair to call Gabbert the best quarterback available in the 2011 draft, but it's also safe to say he's a bit overrated right now.

2) Cam Newton, Auburn – 6’5”, 250 lbs

Comparisons to Vince Young aside, Cam Newton is a prospect who brings serious ability, size and upside to the table. However, his single season at Auburn hardly yielded enough game tape to determine whether or not Newton can actually succeed as a starting quarterback in the NFL. Newton, the 2010 Heisman Trophy winner, possesses excellent arm strength, Roethlisberger-like size, good mobility outside of the pocket and a proven ability to win, but his unorthodox (and yet compact) throwing motion will garner more than a few comparisons to you-know-who … and his accuracy didn’t look so hot at times during the BCS title game against Oregon.

Newton’s probably a mid-first-round pick right now, but he’ll have the potential to be the first quarterback selected this April if he can muster up some Annie Oakley-like accuracy in front of scouts during offseason workouts.

3) Ryan Mallett, Arkansas – 6’6”, 240 lbs

Talk about a draft prospect with the ability to polarize fans and experts alike. Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett possesses prototypical height, arm strength and leadership qualities at the quarterback position, but was hampered in multiple games by awful footwork and comically poor mobility while playing in Fayetteville under Head Coach Bobby Petrino (who, himself, has the stigma of churning out overrated, underachieving quarterbacks). Poor footwork typically can be corrected by a good QB coach, though, and Mallett might actually be the most accurate passer of the four first-round-caliber quarterback prospects available in this draft. Nevertheless, Mallett needs to have a strong combine or pro day to plant himself in the middle of the first round, or else he’ll run the risk of sliding into the second round.

4) Colin Kaepernick, Nevada – 6’4”, 220 lbs

Surprised? Well, Kaepernick's an intriguing quarterback prospect who is equally adept at throwing the ball and running in the open field, and he could be a nice pick for a team looking to develop a signal caller that brings a unique skill set to the table. Kaepernick has excellent height and blaster cannon arm strength, but his lengthy release leaves a bit to be desired. And his time spent in Nevada’s “pistol formation” offense means he’ll need to be brought up to speed on the pro-style scheme. Still, Kaepernick's got game, and the team that takes a chance on him could have a whale of a quarterback prospect on its hands.

5) Christian Ponder, Florida State – 6’3”, 225 lbs

Indeed the sleeper prospect in this quarterback class, Florida State’s Christian Ponder saw his draft stock take a painful (though understandable) dip in 2010, mostly due to injuries and concern regarding his arm strength. Ponder may not have the blaster cannon arm of Gabbert or Locker, but his excellent intelligence and accuracy suggests that he has the talent to start and compete at a high level in the NFL, especially for a team that runs the west coast offense, which requires pin-point accuracy and timing.

Ponder’s ability to escape the pocket and make plays with his legs could also entice more than a few pro scouts. Again, it all comes down to arm strength and if he can make all the throws necessary. If so, he’s a second- or third-round pick.

6) Jake Locker, Washington -- 6'3", 230 lbs

Jake Locker's draft stock is now officially in jeopardy after his rather pedestrian (and maddeningly inconsistent) Senior Bowl performance. However, it's not every day you find a quarterback prospect with legit 4.4 speed and experience in a pro-style offense. Locker, like Gabbert, will have to answer questions this offseason about his inconsistent decision-making and accuracy. Nevertheless, several teams could have a difficult time saying no to a quarterback prospect with so much ability and upside.

7) Ricky Stanzi, Iowa – 6’4”, 230 lbs

Ricky Stanzi had a moderately successful career as a Hawkeye, and he certainly has the size and arm to validate talk of him being a pro-ready quarterback. Of course, his mediocre outing against Mizzou in the Insight Bowl didn’t help his case much, but he can still lock down an early- to mid-round spot if he proves to scouts this offseason that his game has consistency and more upside than his college gametape might indicate. Stanzi’s excellent leadership qualities will also be noted by any NFL team seeking a quarterback who is both a passer and a general on the field.

8) Pat Devlin, Delaware – 6’3”, 222 lbs

Pat Devlin should probably thank former Delaware standout Joe Flacco for the attention he’s received as a 2011 draft prospect. And though Devlin doesn’t have the blitzkrieg arm strength or prototypical size of Baltimore’s current favorite son, he does have two things going for him: good accuracy and a very quick release, which makes him another bona fide candidate for any team running the west coast offense.

9) Andy Dalton, TCU – 6’1”, 217 lbs

A gritty throwback of a prospect, Andy Dalton’s lights-out performance in the Rose Bowl has really helped to solidify him as a potential mid-round pick. Dalton can get it done on the field with his arm or his legs, and he flashed some serious accuracy while leading TCU to an undefeated season. Of course, Dalton is just over 6’1”, which is below average for a quarterback prospect and may hurt his stock a bit during the next few months, but his great poise and leadership, as evidenced in TCU’s Rose Bowl victory over Wisconsin, might help make up for any questions regarding size.

Nathan Enderle is actually a more refined pro prospect than either Stanzi or Kaepernick, but questions regarding his long release and inconsistent accuracy in the short passing game have knocked him down a few rungs on the 2011 quarterback ladder. Between the ears, he’s an outstanding prospect, though, and should garner some attention as a mid- to late-round prospect.