Preliminary 2014 NFL Draft Quarterback Rankings

Top Seniors:

1-      Tajh Boyd, Clemson- Boyd really impressed me with his growth as a junior and had one of his best games in the bowl game against LSU. DeAndre Hopkins helped take over that game, but Boyd’s progression makes me think he will continue to improve as a senior. I’ve made this mistake before on Jake Locker, but I have high hopes for Boyd.

2-      David Fales, San Jose State- Thanks to Ben Allbright, Fales became a very popular name amongst NFL Draft analysts, particularly on Twitter. The hashtag #EpicFales may be one of the greatest hashtags of all time. Regardless, Fales has a NFL arm and really impressed me in the limited time I was able to watch him. He is not without flaws, but he’s definitely one of my top 5 QB’s even considering juniors.

3-      Jeff Matthews, Cornell- My good friend Emory Hunt turned me on to Matthews months ago and I have to say I was very impressed with what I saw. He’s got a strong arm, he’s accurate, and he’s definitely going to become more and more popular as the process goes on. Emory pointed out that he reminds him of Matt Ryan and I definitely see the similarities.

4-      Derek Carr, Fresno State- Carr has a very talented arm, not unlike his older brother David, but he worried me with how he handled pressure and he obviously struggled a lot while Margus Hunt terrorized him in Fresno State’s bowl game. He’s got another full year to show he can improve, and his natural talent means he’s in my top 5 QB’s, but I want to see him handle pressure better.

5-      Bryn Renner, North Carolina- This might be me showing my UNC fandom, but I really think Renner is a quality quarterback prospect. He certainly isn’t perfect, and he had a great season in a wide open offense last year, but he has experience in different styles of offense, a strong arm, and I think he’s an effective leader. I think he will open some eyes as a senior.

6-      Aaron Murray, Georgia- If I expect McCarron to be the most scrutinized quarterback in this class, I think Murray is going to be a close second. He has been deemed as a player who can’t win the big game, and he’s going to have a tough time changing everyone’s minds as a senior. I’m glad he came back because I still think he has room to improve, but there’s a stigma about him that is going to be hard to shake. I do think he is a NFL caliber starter though, but he’s definitely not a franchise caliber guy in my opinion.

7-      A.J. McCarron, Alabama- I can already tell McCarron is going to be a divisive prospect. Some are going to see a “winner” that has been a key cog to Alabama’s title runs and others are going to cite his terrific supporting cast (skill position players, offensive line, and defense) and claim he is not much more than a game manager. I certainly don’t think he’s an elite prospect and his arm strength leaves something to be desired, but I don’t think he’s been coasting on the talent of Alabama’s roster either. I think he has some starter upside, but I am excited to see how his 2013 tape looks. He will certainly be one of the most highly scrutinized quarterbacks in this class.

8-      Tyler Russell, Mississippi State- I thought Russell flashed upside when he was still splitting time as a sophomore and in his last full season as a starter he flashed a lot of upside but showed that he still had a lot of room left to grow. He had a pretty horrendous bowl game and clearly needs to work on some things, but he has all the size and arm strength you could want in a quarterback. He may never live up to the expectations I have for him, but I’m willing to be patient and see if he can progress like I believe he is capable of.

9-      Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech- Thomas is another guy I really thought would progress last year but unfortunately he regressed and was essentially a massive disappointment considering some of the hype he was getting in the pre-season. He has all the size and arm strength you could ever dream of, but he was maddeningly inconsistent with his accuracy and decision making and clearly has a ton of growing left to do. I continue to hear great things about his work ethic so I believe he can still improve, I just don’t know if he will ever put it all together.

10-   Zach Mettenberger, LSU- Mettenberger was getting a lot of hype coming into the season but he was underwhelming during his first season as a starter. He’s got an intriguing combination of size and arm strength but he has to put it all together this year. He has starter upside, but he isn’t there yet.

11-   Drew Allen, Syracuse- I might be one of the few people that prefers Drew Allen to the Belldozer, but I do. I think Allen is going to win the Syracuse starting job and show that he has NFL talent at the quarterback position. This is probably higher than anyone else will have him ranked, but I am convinced Allen has starter upside at the next level.

12-   Stephen Morris, Miami- I was one of the people advocating for Morris to start over Jacory Harris during Harris’ senior year and I still think he’s the better quarterback. He’s a quality athlete with a strong arm, but his accuracy wasn’t as consistent as I would have liked to see as a junior. Miami has been through a lot the last couple of years, so I’m excited to see if Morris can end his career on a high note this season.

13-   James Franklin, Missouri- Franklin is an intriguing guy thanks to his size, arm strength and athleticism, but like many of these quarterbacks he has to put it all together and show a mastery of the position as a senior. I personally don’t foresee him being a NFL starter, but he definitely has that upside if he can show more progression as a senior.

14-   Keith Price, Washington- At this time last year Price was coming off of a masterful performance in Washington’s bowl game against Baylor’s hapless defense. This year? He is coming off of a disappointing junior year that left a lot of people underwhelmed. He doesn’t have the arm strength I thought he had, his decision making was inconsistent, and he left a lot to be desired as a junior. I’m hoping he can reverse field as a senior, but I’m not holding my breath.

15-   Corey Robinson, Troy- I don’t think Robinson is going to be in very many top 15 quarterback rankings coming into the season, but I saw a talented quarterback when I watched him as a freshman and I still believe he can play at the next level. He may be undersized, but he has a NFL arm and I am excited to see if he can prove that as a senior.

Top Juniors:

1-      Teddy Bridgewater, Louisville- Bridgewater put on a show as a sophomore last year and made a believer out of me. I think he has all the arm talent, athleticism, toughness and intangibles to be a stud quarterback in the NFL. It remains to be seen how he will do this upcoming season, but I definitely have high expectations for him.

2-      Brett Smith, Wyoming- Smith is another player Allbright pointed out to me last year. I haven’t seen as much of him as I’d like, but what I have seen was very intriguing.

3-      Blake Bortles, Central Florida- I haven’t watched much of Bortles, but what I have seen was intriguing. It was his first full season as a starter so I look forward to reviewing some of those games but also to seeing how he does as a junior and as a starter with more experience.

4-      Braxton Miller, Ohio State- I am not sold on Miller as a NFL QB yet, but he made some strides as a sophomore and he’s too intriguing of a playmaker to leave him off this list entirely. He’s got a lot of upside, it’s just a question of whether he can ever become as good of a pure passer as he is as a runner.

5-      Garrett Grayson, Colorado State- Grayson is a player I think has a lot of upside. He’s definitely flying under the radar, but I expect that he will be the starter for Colorado State and prior to his collarbone injury last year he really showed me something. He looks like he has a NFL arm, it’s just a question of whether he can keep the starting job, stay healthy, and put together some good film.

Top Sophomores:

1-      Kevin Hogan, Stanford- Hogan has future 1^st round pick written all over him. He’s got the size, the arm strength (though his deep ball could use some work), athleticism and high football IQ I look for in a QB. He really impressed me when he took over for Josh Nunes, and he is embracing his role as a leader on Stanford and from what I’ve read seems to have a strong hold on Stanford’s complex offense. I think he’s going to be great this year and while he is eligible I expect him to come out after his junior season, not after his redshirt sophomore year.

2-      Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M- I know a lot of people will be surprised that I have anyone ranked over Manziel, but as far as the NFL is concerned I think Hogan is the superior prospect at this point. There’s no denying Manziel’s uncanny feel for the game, shocking athleticism and knack for game-changing plays, but he still has a long way to go before he is a “surgeon” rather than a butcher as a quarterback as Trent Dilfer would say. The upside is there, but he’s still learning.

2013 NFL Draft Positional Rankings

**Disclaimer** If a player is not in my rankings it likely means I didn’t have time to watch him. Enjoy.

Quarterback:

1-      Geno Smith, WVU

2-      Tyler Wilson, Arkansas

3-      Ryan Nassib, Syracuse

4-      Zac Dysert, Miami (OH)

5-      EJ Manuel, Florida State

6-      Matt Barkley, Southern Cal

7-      Mike Glennon, NC State

8-      Tyler Bray, Tennessee

9-      Landry Jones, Oklahoma

10-   Ryan Griffin, Tulane

11-   Matt Scott, Arizona

12-   Brad Sorensen, Southern Utah

13-   Sean Renfree, Duke

14-   Colby Cameron, Louisiana Tech

15-   Jeff Tuel, Washington State

16-   Nick Florence, Baylor

17-   Jordan Rodgers, Vanderbilt

18-   Ryan Aplin, Arkansas State

19-   Matt Brown, Illinois State

20-   Nathan Stanley, Southeastern Louisiana

21-   Mike Hermann, RPI

22-   Kyle Essington, Stony Brook

23-   Ryan Radcliff, Central Michigan

24-   Alex Carder, Western Michigan

25-   James Vandenberg, Iowa

26-   Tino Sunseri, Pittsburgh

27-   Seth Doege, Texas Tech

28-   Matt McGloin, Penn State

29-   Collin Klein, Kansas State

30-   Kyle Padron, SMU

31-   Casey Brochman, Murray State

Running Backs:

1. Eddie Lacy, Alabama
2. Johnathan Franklin, UCLA
3. Giovani Bernard, North Carolina
4. Le’Veon Bell, Michigan State
5. Dennis Johnson, RB, Arkansas
6. Montee Ball, Wisconsin
7. Christine Michael, Texas A&M
8. Andre Ellington, Clemson
9. Benny Cunningham, Middle Tennessee State
10. Stepfan Taylor, Stanford
11. Mike Gillislee, Florida
12. Kenjon Barner, Oregon
13. Zac Stacy, Vanderbilt
14. Jawan Jamison, Rutgers
15. Cierre Wood, Notre Dame
16. George Winn, Cincinnati
17. Ray Graham, Pittsburgh
18. Michael Ford, LSU
19. Rex Burkhead, Nebraska
20. Kerwynn Williams, Utah State
21. Mike James, Miami
22. Chris Thompson, Florida State
23. Spencer Ware, LSU
24. Knile Davis, Arkansas
25. Theo Riddick, Notre Dame
26. Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina
27. Ontario McCalebb, Auburn
28. Miguel Maysonet, Stony Brook
29. Curtis McNeal, USC
30. Joseph Randle, Oklahoma State

Wide Receivers:

1-      Keenan Allen, California

2-      Robert Woods, USC

3-      Tavon Austin, West Virginia

4-      Deandre Hopkins, Clemson

5-      Cordarelle Patterson, Tennessee

6-      Markus Wheaton, Oregon State

7-      Quinton Patton, Louisiana Tech

8-      Stedman Bailey, West Virginia

9-      Terrance Williams, Baylor

10-   Justin Hunter, Tennessee

11-   Da’Rick Rogers, Tennessee Tech

12-   Chris Harper, Kansas State

13-   Ryan Swope, Texas A&M

14-   Cobi Hamilton, Arkansas

15-   Kenny Stills, Oklahoma

16-   Marquise Goodwin, Texas

17-   Tavarres King, Georgia

18-   Ace Sanders, South Carolina

19-   Aaron Dobson, Marshall

20-   Uzoma Nwachukwu, Texas A&M

21-   Conner Vernon, Duke

22-   Corey Fuller, Virginia Tech

23-   Denard Robinson, Michigan

24-   Josh Boyce, TCU

25-   Zach Rogers, Tennessee

26-   Aaron Mellette, Elon

27-   Jasper Collins, Mount Union

28-   Rodney Smith, Florida State

29-   Quentin Sims, Tennessee Martin

30-   TJ Moe, Missouri

31-   Erik Highsmith, North Carolina

32-   Emory Blake, Auburn

33-   Justin Brown, Oklahoma

34-   Chad Bumphis, Mississippi State

35-   Alec Lemon, Syracuse

36-   Marcus Davis, Virginia Tech

37-   Marquess Wilson, Washington State

38-   Keenan Davis, Iowa

39-   Brandon Kaufman, Eastern Washington

40-   MarQueis Gray, Minnesota

Tight Ends:

1-      Tyler Eifert, Notre Dame

2-      Zach Ertz, Stanford

3-      Travis Kelce, Cincinnati

4-      Gavin Escobar, San Diego State

5-      Jordan Reed, Florida

6-      Vance McDonald, Rice

7-      Levine Toilolo, Stanford

8-      Ryan Otten, San Jose State

9-      Nick Kasa, Colordao

10-   Dion Sims, Michigan State

11-   Jake Stoneburner, Ohio State

12-   Joseph Fauria, UCLA

13-   Mychal Rivera, Tennessee

14-   Chris Gragg, Arkansas

15-   Justice Cunningham, South Carolina

16-   Phillip Lutzenkirchen, Auburn

17-   Michael Williams, Alabama

Offensive Tackles:

1-      Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M

2-      Eric Fisher, Central Michigan

3-      DJ Fluker, Alabama

4-      Lane Johnson, Oklahoma

5-      Menelik Watson, Florida State

6-      Terron Armstead, Arkansas-Pine Bluff

7-      Dallas Thomas, Tennessee

8-      Brennan Williams, North Carolina

9-      Reid Fragel, Ohio State

10-   Vinston Painter, Virginia Tech

11-   Ricky Wagner, Wisconsin

12-   Oday Aboushi, Virginia

13-   Jordan Mills, Louisiana Tech

14-   Xavier Nixon, Florida

15-   Chris Faulk, LSU

Offensive Guards:

1-      Chance Warmack, Alabama

2-      Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina

3-      Larry Warford, Kentucky

4-      Justin Pugh, Syracuse

5-      Kyle Long, Oregon

6-      Hugh Thornton, Illinois

7-      David Bakhtiari, Colorado

8-      Brian Winters, Kent State

9-      David Quessenberry, San Jose State

10-   Alvin Bailey, Arkansas

11-   Garrett Gilkey, Chadron State

12-   J.C. Tretter, Cornell

13-   Earl Watford, James Madison

14-   Jeff Baca, UCLA

Centers:

1-      Travis Frederick, Wisconsin

2-      Brian Schwenke, California

3-      Barrett Jones, Alabama

4-      Khaled Holmes, USC

5-      Dalton Freeman, Clemson

6-      TJ Johnson, South Carolina

Defensive Ends:

1-      Bjoern Werner, Florida State

2-      Tank Carradine, Florida State

3-      Ezekiel Ansah, BYU

4-      Datone Jones, UCLA

5-      Corey Lemonier, Auburn

6-      Damontre Moore, Texas A&M

7-      Quanterus Smith, Western Kentucky

8-      Alex Okafor, Texas

9-      Margus Hunt, SMU

10-   Cornelius Washington, Georgia

11-   William Gholston, Michigan State

12-   Michael Buchanan, Illinois

13-   Sam Montgomery, LSU

14-   Malliciah Goodman, Clemson

15-   David Bass, Missouri Western State

16-   Brandon Jenkins, Florida State

17-   Armonty Bryant, East Central

18-   Tourek Williams, FIU

19-   Lavar Edwards, LSU

20-   Devin Taylor, South Carolina

21-   Mike Catapano, Princeton

22-   Stansly Maponga, TCU

23-   Joe Kruger, Utah

24-   Wes Horton, USC

25-   Meshak Williams, Kansas State

Defensive Tackles:

1-      Sheldon Richardson, Missouri

2-      Star Lotulelei, Utah

3-      Jesse Williams, Alabama

4-      Sylvester Williams, North Carolina

5-      Shariff Floyd, Florida

6-      Johnathan Hankins, Ohio State

7-      Kawann Short, Purdue

8-      Brandon Williams, Missouri Southern State

9-      John Jenkins, Georgia

10-   Bennie Logan, LSU

11-   Akeem Spence, Illinois

12-   Jordan Hill, Penn State

13-   Montori Hughes, Tennessee-Martin

14-   Cory Grissom, South Florida

15-   Josh Boyd, Mississippi State

16-   TJ Barnes, Georgia Tech

17-   Chris Jones, Bowling Green

18-   Everett Dawkins, Florida State

19-   Will Pericak, Colorado

20-   Anthony McCloud, Florida State

Outside Linebacker:

1-      Barkevious Mingo, LSU

2-      Dion Jordan, Oregon

3-      Jarvis Jones, Georgia

4-      Jamie Collins, Southern Mississippi

5-      Alec Ogletree, Georgia

6-      Khaseem Greene, Rutgers

7-      Sio Moore, Connecticut

8-      Jelani Jenkins, Florida

9-      DeVonte Holloman, South Carolina

10-   Zaviar Gooden, Missouri

11-   Sean Porter, Texas A&M

12-   Chase Thomas, Stanford

13-   Trevardo Williams, Connecticut

14-   Ty Powell, Harding

15-   Brandon Magee, Arizona State

16-   John Simon, Ohio State

17-   Gerald Hodges, Penn State

18-   Jake Knott, Iowa State

19-   Lerentee McCray, Florida

20-   Michael Mauti, Penn State

Inside Linebacker:

1-      Arthur Brown, Kansas State

2-      Manti Te’o, Notre Dame

3-      Kevin Minter, LSU

4-      Kiko Alonso, Oregon

5-      Kevin Reddick, North Carolina

6-      Jon Bostic, Florida

7-      AJ Klein, Iowa State

8-      Nico Johnson, Alabama

9-      Keith Pough, Howard

10-   Vince Williams, Florida State

Cornerback:

1-      Xavier Rhodes, Florida State

2-      Dee Milliner, Alabama

3-      Jamar Taylor, Boise State

4-      DJ Hayden, Houston

5-      Jordan Poyer, Oregon State

6-      Johnthan Banks, Mississippi State

7-      Desmond Trufant, Washington

8-      Darius Slay, Mississippi State

9-      Dwayne Gratz, Connecticut

10-   Logan Ryan, Rutgers

11-   David Amerson, NC State

12-   Leon McFadden, San Diego State

13-   Nickell Robey, USC

14-   Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Connecticut

15-   Tyrann Mathieu, LSU

16-   Robert Alford, Southeastern Louisiana

17-   BW Webb, William & Mary

18-   Will Davis, Utah State

19-   Brandon Mcgee, Miami

20-   Dax Swanson, Sam Houston State

21-   Sanders Commings, Georgia

22-   Terry Hawthorne, Illinois

23-   Nigel Malone, Kansas State

24-   Steve Williams, California

25-   Aaron Hester, UCLA

26-   Tharold Simon, LSU

27-   Johnny Adams, Michigan State

28-   Josh Johnson, Purdue

29-   Rod Sweeting, Georgia Tech

30-   Mike Edwards, Hawaii

31-   Micah Hyde, Iowa

 

Safeties:

1-      Kenny Vacarro, Texas

2-      Jonathan Cyprien, FIU

3-      Eric Reid, LSU

4-      DJ Swearinger, South Carolina

5-      Bacarri Rambo, Georgia

6-      Phillip Thomas, Fresno State

7-      Matt Elam, Florida

8-      TJ McDonald, USC

9-      Shawn Williams, Georgia

10-   Josh Evans, Florida

11-   Tony Jefferson, Oklahoma

12-   Shamarko Thomas, Syracuse

13-   JJ Wilcox, Georgia Southern

14-   Duke Williams, Nevada

15-   Earl Wolfe, NC State

16-   John Boyett, Oregon

17-   Cooper Taylor, Richmond

18-   Robert Lester, Alabama

19-   Damion Stafford, Nebraska

20-   Zeke Motta, Notre Dame

21-   Brandan Bishop, NC State

22-   Rashard Hall, Clemson

23-   Jordan Kovacs, Michigan

24-   Ray-Ray Armstrong, Miami

25-   Jawanza Starling, USC

Updated Quarterback Rankings: 12.23.12

1-      Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia- Smith may not be a perfect prospect, and he isn’t on the same level as Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III from a year ago, but he’s got the most upside of any QB in this class in my opinion. He’s got room to improve, but he has the size, arm strength, accuracy and work ethic to improve. He’s not ready to start Day 1, but I say that about a lot of rookies. However, despite the number of rare QB’s in last year’s draft (Luck, RGIII and Russell Wilson especially) Smith is not prepared to start Day 1 in my estimation. I don’t have a scouting report on him yet, but I’ll have one up after the bowl season is over most likely. For a brief summation of his season his season, click here.

2-      Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas- Wilson had a very disappointing season this year and he isn’t a perfect prospect, but he has a NFL arm and is one of the best leaders at the quarterback position in this class. He’s extremely tough, and he’s going to be easy to play for because he’s willing to take a hit to deliver a throw. He played behind a terrible offensive line this year and it showed in the win/loss column and in his stat line. I still think he’s going to go in the first round, most likely in the top 15 picks. I don’t know if he’s going to be a franchise quarterback, but I think he can be a quality NFL starter

3-      Ryan Nassib, QB, Syracuse- This might seem strange, especially since I haven’t talked about Nassib much this year, but I really liked what I saw when I caught up on my Syracuse film this past week. He isn’t a 1st round pick in my opinion, but I think he will end up a Day 2 pick and I could see him going in the 2nd round. He has a live arm, good accuracy, he plays under center, has pretty good footwork, he’s athletic and can buy time in the pocket and can extend the play as well as gain yardage with his legs. He is supposed to be a very tough and competitive kid (according to @dpbrugler) and you can see his toughness as he hangs in to make throws in the face of pressure even when he knows he’s going to take a big shot. There’s a lot to like here, and even though I’m late to the party I have to admit I like what I am seeing. Coming into the season I definitely didn’t expect to project him as a Day 2 pick, but he looks like a NFL starter to me. I’ll have a report on him up shortly.

4-      Mike Glennon, QB, North Carolina State- I’m not a huge Glennon fan but there is plenty to like with him. He has the size and arm strength you want, but he needs functional space which limits him as a passer. He’s not at his best in a muddied pocket, but he has experience in a pro-style offense, and has FLASHED the ability to make throws with a defender in his face. I don’t think he’s going to be a great quarterback, but I think he can be an effective NFL starter behind a quality offensive line with talent around him. He’s not going to carry your team, but he’s not going to be the reason you lose either.

5-      Zac Dysert, QB, Miami (OH)- I’m not as big a fan of Dysert as some are, but I haven’t watched enough of him to have a great feel for his game yet so I am trying to withhold judgement. He does have a NFL arm however and he throws a surprisingly good deep ball which I did not expect before I started watching the tape that I do have on him. He figures to be a near lock to be at either the Senior Bowl or the East West Shrine Game so I am really looking forward to being able to see him in person.

6-      Matt Barkley, QB, Southern California- I never thought I’d have Barkley outside of my top 5, nor did I think I’d have Ryan Nassib above him on my rankings, but here we are. Barkley’s arm strength, questionable reads and decision making have a lot to do with why he has dropped this far down my rankings, and unfortunately I feel that his unbelievable finish to the season last year was about as good as it gets for Barkley as a quarterback, and the rest of his career is what we can expect from him at the next level. He does a great job of anticipating throws, he’s very smart, but at times he seems to make a pre-snap read and make his throw based entirely off what he saw pre-snap and not off of what transpires after the ball is snapped. That leads to some head-scratching decisions, and that is something that has been pretty consistent through his entire four year career at USC. Beyond that, his arm strength is still a serious question mark and I highlighted that before the season and not much has changed in my opinion. He doesn’t have good arm strength, he is elevated by the talent around him, and his questionable decision making concerns me as well. I hate to seemingly jump off the bandwagon, but it’s hard for me to rationalize picking him in the 1st round when I just don’t see a game-changing quarterback when I watch him.

7-      Aaron Murray, QB, Georgia*- I personally think Murray should come back for his senior season, but if he chooses to declare I think he could go Day 2. I personally wouldn’t pick him until round 3 because as much as I want to like him there are parts of his game that just bothers me. Part of that is the stigma that he “can’t win the big game” but I think he could prove that false if he came back for his senior season which is part of the reason why I want him to come back. We’ll see what he chooses to do, but I hope to see him back at UGA in 2013.

8-      Tyler Bray, QB, Tennessee*- Bray has officially declared which isn’t surprising since his head coach got fired and both of his talented junior wide receivers had either declared or were leaning towards going pro. Bray is an extremely talented kid with a Jay Cutler-esque arm but he also has terrible mechanics, makes questionable reads and decisions frequently, and reportedly has some attitude and character red flags. I can’t confirm anything right now, but don’t be surprised if you hear some problematic things about Bray’s work ethic and demeanor in the coming months. He has 1st round talent, but I think he will likely end up on Day 2. I want to like Bray because of his unreal arm talent, but there are too many on and off field question marks for me to advocate a franchise tying their future to him with a high draft pick. He needs to land in an ideal situation where he can develop and mature behind a quality NFL QB much like Ryan Mallett is doing in New England now for him to have any chance at living up to his potential.

9-      Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma- I am not a Landry Jones fan and am on record as projecting him to go in the 4th round. With a good performance against Texas A&M in Oklahoma’s bowl game and a good showing at either the Senior Bowl or the Shrine Game Jones could elevate his stock a bit, but on film I haven’t been impressed with him for the past two years at least. He’s not a NFL starter in my opinion, and picking him on Day 2 makes no sense to me.

10-   Matt Scott, QB, Arizona- Scott only has one year of tape to watch, and playing in Rich Rod’s system certainly doesn’t do a lot to prepare QB’s for the NFL from a schematic perspective. However, he has adequate arm strength, solid (but a little inconsistent) accuracy, legitimate athleticism and a knack for making plays when his team needs him. I think his game reminds me a little bit of Colin Kaepernick in terms of style and elevating the play of his teammates. They both played in a system that doesn’t (or didn’t used to) project very well to the NFL, but Matt Scott’s upset of USC, amazing comeback in the New Mexico Bowl, and near upset of Stanford earlier in the season reminded me of Kaepernick’s senior season at Nevada that included a classic upset of Boise State. Their games aren’t identical and this isn’t an attempt to say Scott will be the next Kaepernick at all, but I think he has developmental potential and in that way he is similar to Kaepernick even if he doesn’t have the rocket arm that Kaepernick possesses.

11-   EJ Manuel, QB, Florida State- I don’t see any reason Manuel should go in the top 100 selections. He’s very overrated and if you’ve paid attention to FSU the last two years you would know that even though he has all the upside you could want thanks to his size and athleticism he is maddeningly inconsistent and just doesn’t get it from a mental standpoint. He’s not a NFL starter and will just be a tease because of his size and athletic ability much like Terrelle Pryor. He’s more advanced than Pryor, but neither is fit to be a NFL starter.

12-   Brad Sorensen, QB, Southern Utah- I haven’t gotten to watch Sorensen much this year, but I didn’t understand the hoopla around him in pre-season which is when I wrote this pre-season report based off of the coaches film I was able to watch of him. He’s a draftable kid with some tools, but he’s a developmental project.

13-   Sean Renfree, QB, Duke- I haven’t caught up on Duke footage yet, but he helped lead them to their first bowl game in over a decade and I think he has enough tools to warrant Day 3 consideration. He will be at the East-West Shrine Game and I look forward to being able to scout him in person.

14-   Collin Klein, QB, Kansas State- Klein isn’t a popular prospect and there is reason for that, but I think he is going to get Day 3 consideration even though he isn’t your prototypical quarterback. He may not be a NFL starter, but he’s going to stick in the NFL as a QB. He’s got too much leadership capability and toughness not to in my estimation.

15-   Ryan Aplin, QB, Arkansas State- Aplin is a favorite of Ben Allbright (@NFLDraftMonster) and he’s a good kid with a pretty good arm despite being undersized. He’s not going to be a high draft pick, but I think he’s got draftable talent and I prefer him to plenty of the late round options here.

16-   Nick Florence, QB, Baylor- Florence stepped in and played quite well in his one year as a starter after RGIII left, but he had a bevy of talent at wide receiver to throw to including Terrence Williams and Tevin Reese. He has above-average arm strength, accuracy and he isn’t much taller than 6’1″ but he may have a chance to make it as a 7th round pick or as an undrafted free agent.

17-   Seth Doege, QB, Texas Tech- Doege is the next in the line of Texas Tech quarterbacks to put up gaudy numbers, lead a noteworthy upset, and be projected as a 7th round pick or an undrafted free agent because of a lack of size and arm strength. Doege has overcome those criticisms for a long time, but it’s going to be tough to overcome them at the next level. He’s going to be at the Shrine Game as well, so seeing how he throws live will be good for my evaluation of him.

18-   Colby Cameron, QB, Louisiana Tech- I’m not a big Cameron fan but he has helped elevate Louisiana Tech into top-25 consideration the past two years and while I personally think he’s going to be an undrafted free agent he has the chance to prove me wrong at the East-West Shrine Game.

19-   Matt McGloin, QB, Penn State- I’m not a Matt McGloin fan either but even though he doesn’t have a special arm or much athleticism the leadership and resolve he showed as one of the leaders on Penn State’s roster is worth noting and while it likely won’t lead to him being selected in the NFL Draft it might help him get a spot on a training camp roster next summer.

20-   Jordan Rodgers, QB, Vanderbilt- I thought Rodgers might have the potential to be a NFL Draft pick but if he wasn’t related to Aaron I don’t think he would have gotten as much attention as he did for his play. I don’t really see anything special and I don’t think he’s going to be drafted at this point. I still have to watch more tape on him to finish my evaluation, but I’d be surprised if I saw anything that completely changed my mind on him at this point.

Preseason 2013 NFL Draft Rankings:

Quarterback Rankings:

1-      Matt Barkley, QB, Southern Cal

2-      Tyler Bray, QB, Tennessee*

3-      Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas

4-      Logan Thomas, QB, Virginia Tech*

5-      Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia

6-      Aaron Murray, QB, Georgia*

7-      E.J. Manuel, QB, Florida State

8-      Mike Glennon, QB, North Carolina State

9-      Casey Pachall, QB, TCU*

10-   Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma

Running Back Rankings:

1-      Marcus Lattimore, RB, South Carolina*

2-      Montee Ball, RB, Wisconsin

3-      Knile Davis, RB, Arkansas*

4-      Joseph Randle, RB, Oklahoma State*

5-      Giovani Bernard, RB, North Carolina*

6-      Ray Graham, RB, Pittsburgh

7-      Christine Michael, RB, Texas A&M*

8-      Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama*

9-      Andre Ellington, RB, Clemson

10-   Dennis Johnson, RB, Arkansas

Wide Receiver Rankings:

1-      Robert Woods, WR, Southern Cal*

2-      Keenan Allen, WR, California*

3-      Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee*

4-      Marquess Wilson, WR, Washington State*

5-      Da’Rick Rogers, WR, Tennessee*

6-      Cobi Hamilton, WR, Arkansas

7-      Terrance Williams, WR, Baylor

8-      Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia

9-      Aaron Mellette, WR, Elon

10-   Ryan Swope, WR, Texas A&M
Tight End Rankings:

1-      Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame*

2-      Jake Stoneburner, TE, Ohio State

3-      Joseph Fauria, TE, UCLA

4-      Philip Lutzenkirchen, TE, Auburn

5-      Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford*

6-      Michael Williams, TE, Alabama

7-      Jordan Reed, TE, Florida*

8-      Ryan Griffin, TE, Connecticut

9-      Colter Phillips, TE, Virginia

10-   Ben Cotton, TE, Nebraska
Offensive Tackle Rankings:

1-      Chris Faulk, OT, LSU*

2-      Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M*

3-      Ricky Wagner, OT, Wisconsin

4-      D.J. Fluker, OT, Alabama*

5-      Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan*

6-      Oday Aboushi, OT, Virginia

7-      Alex Hurst, OT, LSU

8-      Justin Pugh, OT, Syracuse

9-      Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M*

10-   James Hurst, OT, North Carolina*
Offensive Guard Rankings:

1-      Barrett Jones, OG, Alabama

2-      Jonathan Cooper, OG, North Carolina

3-      Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama

4-      Travis Frederick, OG, Wisconsin*

5-      Alvin Bailey, OG, Arkansas*

6-      Larry Warford, OG, Kentucky

7-      Omoregie Uzzi, OG, Georgia Tech

8-      Braden Hansen, OG, BYU

9-      Blaize Foltz, OG, TCU

10-   Lane Taylor, OG, Oklahoma State
Center Rankings:

1-      Khaled Holmes, C, Southern Cal

2-      Graham Pocic, C, Illinois

3-      Travis Swanson, C, Arkansas*

4-      James Ferentz, C, Iowa

5-      Mario Benavides, C, Louisville

6-      Dalton Freeman, C, Clemson

7-      Matt Stankiewitch, C, Penn State

8-      Joe Madsen, C, West Virginia

9-      Braxton Cave, C, Notre Dame

10-   Ivory Wade, C, Baylor
Defensive End Rankings:

1-      Sam Montgomery, DE, LSU*

2-      Jackson Jeffcoat, DE, Texas*

3-      Alex Okafor, DE, Texas

4-      Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State*

5-      Margus Hunt, DE, SMU

6-      Michael Buchanan, DE, Illinois

7-      Devin Taylor, DE, South Carolina

8-      Dion Jordan, DE, Oregon

9-      James Gayle, DE, Virginia Tech*

10-   William Gholston, DE, Michigan State*
Defensive Tackle Rankings:

1-      Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah

2-      Johnathon Hankins, DT, Ohio State*

3-      Jesse Williams, DT, Alabama

4-      Bennie Logan, DT, LSU*

5-      Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina

6-      Kawann Short, DT, Purdue

7-      Johnathan Jenkins, DT, Georgia

8-      Akeem Spence, DT, Illinois*

9-      Shariff Floyd, DT, Florida*

10-   Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri
Middle Linebacker Rankings:

1-      Manti Te’o, ILB, Notre Dame

2-      Shayne Skov, ILB, Stanford

3-      Kevin Reddick, ILB, North Carolina

4-      Michael Mauti, ILB, Penn State

5-      Nico Johnson, ILB, Alabama

6-      Arthur Brown, ILB, Kansas State

7-      Jonathan Brown, ILB, Illinois*

8-      Bruce Taylor, ILB, Virginia Tech

9-      Jonathan Bostic, ILB, Florida

10-   Christian Robinson, ILB, Georgia
Outside Linebacker Rankings:

1-      Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia*

2-      Barkevious Mingo, OLB, LSU*

3-      Sean Porter, OLB, Texas A&M

4-      Brandon Jenkins, OLB, Florida State

5-      C.J. Mosley, OLB, Alabama*

6-      Gerald Hodges, OLB, Penn State

7-      Jelani Jenkins, OLB, Florida*

8-      Chase Thomas, OLB, Stanford

9-      Khaseem Green, OLB, Rutgers

10-   Kenny Tate, OLB, Maryland
Cornerback Rankings:

1-      David Amerson, CB, North Carolina State*

2-      Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State*

3-      Jonathan Banks, CB, Mississippi State

4-      Tyrann Mathieu, CB, LSU*

5-      Jonny Adams, CB, Michigan State

6-      Nickell Robey, CB, Southern Cal*

7-      Carrington Byndom, CB, Texas*

8-      Jordan Poyer, CB, Oregon State

9-      Micah Hyde, CB, Iowa

10-   Tharold Simon, CB, LSU*
Safety Rankings:

1-      Eric Reid, FS, LSU*

2-      T.J. McDonald, FS, Southern Cal

3-      Kenny Vaccaro, SS, Texas

4-      Robert Lester, FS, Alabama

5-      Tony Jefferson, FS, Oklahoma*

6-      Bacarri Rambo, SS, Georgia

7-      Ray Ray Armstrong, SS, Miami

8-      John Boyett, SS, Oregon

9-      Matt Elam, SS, Florida*

10-   Vaughn Telemaque, FS, Miami

Updated OT Rankings: 12.5.11

1- Matt Kalil, OT, Southern Cal: Grade: Top 5
2- Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa: Grade: Top 10
3- Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford: Grade: Top 15
4- Zebrie Sanders, OT, Florida State: Grade: Late 1^st/Early 2nd round
5- Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State: Grade: Late 1^st/Early 2nd round
6- Bobby Massie, OT, Mississippi: Grade: 2nd round
7- Andrew Datko, OT, Florida State: Grade: 2^nd round
8- Levy Adcock, OT, Oklahoma State: Grade: 2^nd/3rd round
9- Brandon Mosley, OT, Auburn: Grade: 3^rd round
10- Matt McCants, OT, UAB: Grade: 3^rd round
11- Mitchell Schwartz, OT, California: Grade: 4^th round
12- Markus Zusevics, OT, Iowa: Grade: 4^th round
13- Jeff Allen, OT, Illinois: Grade: 4^th round
14- Marcel Jones, OT, Nebraska: 5^th round
15- James Carmon, OT, Mississippi State: Grade: 5th round
16- Jeff Adams, OT, Columbia: Grade: 5th round
17- James Brown, OT, Troy: Grade: 5^th/6th round
18- Tom Compton, OT, South Dakota: Grade: 6th round
19- Donald Stephenson, OT, Oklahoma: Grade: 6th round
20- Landon Walker, OT, Clemson: Grade: 6^th round
21- Don Barclay, OT, West Virginia: Grade: 6^th round
22- Mike Ryan, OT, Connecticut: Grade: 6^th round
23- Bradley Sowell, OT, Mississippi: Grade: 6^th/7^th round
24- Alex Hoffman, OT, Cincinnati: Grade: 6^th/7^th round
25- Al Netter, OT, Northwestern: Grade: 7^th round
26- Bryce Harris, OT, Fresno State: Grade: 7^th round
27- Blake DeChristopher, OT, Virginia Tech: Grade: 7^th round
28- Jarvis Jones, OT, Oklahoma: Grade: 7^th round/UDFA
29- J.B. Shugarts, OT, Ohio State: Grade: UDFA
30- Grant Freeman, OT, Arkansas: Grade: UDFA

Updated TE Rankings:

1- Orson Charles, TE, Georgia: Grade: 1^st round
2- Dwayne Allen, TE, Clemson: Grade: 1^st round
3- Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame: Grade: 1^st round
4- Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford: Grade: 2^nd round
5- Michael Egnew, TE, Missouri: Grade: 2^nd round
6- Ladarius Green, TE, Louisiana Lafayette: Grade: 3^rd round
7- David Paulson, TE, Oregon: Grade: 3^rd round
8- Deangelo Peterson, TE, LSU: Grade: 3^rd/4^th round
9- Brian Linthicum, TE, Michigan State: Grade: 4^th round
10- Kevin Koger, TE, Michigan: Grade: 4^th round
11- George Bryan, TE, North Carolina State: Grade: 4^th/5^th round
12- Tyler Urban, TE, West Virginia: Grade: 4^th/5^th round
13- Rhett Ellison, TE, Southern Cal: Grade: 5^th round
14- Josh Chichester, TE, Louisville: Grade: 5^th round
15- Aron White, TE, Georgia: Grade: 5^th round
16- Anthony Miller, TE, California: Grade: 5^th/6^th round
17- Beau Reliford, TE, Florida State: Grade: 5^th/6^th round
18- Kavario Middleton, TE, Montana: Grade: 5^th/6^th round
19- Brad Herman, TE, Iowa: Grade: 6^th round
20- Nick Provo, TE, Syracuse: Grade: 6^th round
21- James Hanna, TE, Oklahoma: Grade: 6^th/7^th round
22- Brandon Barden, TE, Vanderbilt: Grade: 6^th/7^th round
23- Adrien Robinson, TE, Cincinnati: Grade: 7^th round
24- Alex Gottlieb, TE, William & Mary: Grade: 7^th round
25- Jake Byrne, TE, Wisconsin: Grade: UDFA

Updated WR Rankings: 12.3.11

1- Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State: Grade: Top 10
2- Alshon Jeffrey, WR, South Carolina: Grade: 1^st Round
3- Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame: Grade: 1^st round
4- Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor: Grade: Late 1^st/Early 2nd
5- Jarius Wright, WR, Arkansas: Grade: Late 1^st/Early 2nd
6- Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers: Grade: Early/Mid 2nd
7- Rueben Randle, WR, LSU: Grade: Early/Mid 2nd
8- Nick Toon, WR, Wisconsin: Grade: 2^nd/3rd
9- Dwight Jones, WR, North Carolina: Grade: 2^nd/3rd
10- Marvin McNutt, WR, Iowa: Grade: Grade: 3rd
11- A.J. Jenkins, WR, Illinois: Grade: 3rd
12- Brian Quick, WR, Appalachian State: Grade: 3rd
13- T.Y. Hilton, WR, Florida International: Grade: 3^rd/4th
14- Joe Adams, WR, Arkansas: Grade: 4th
15- Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma: Grade: 4th
16- Marquis Maze, WR, Alabama: Grade: 4th
17- Greg Childs, WR, Arkansas: Grade: 4^th/5th
18- Jarrett Boykin, WR, Virginia Tech: Grade: 4^th/5th
19- DeVier Posey, WR, Ohio State: Grade: 5th
20- Jeff Fuller, WR, Texas A&M: Grade: 5th
21- Juron Criner, WR, Arizona: Grade: 5th
22- Rishard Matthews, WR, Nevada: Grade: 5th
23- Jermaine Kearse, WR, Washington: Grade: 5^th/6th
24- B.J. Cunningham, WR, Michigan State: Grade: 5^th/6th
25- Gerell Robinson, WR, Arizona State: Grade: 5^th/6th
26- Lance Lewis, WR, East Carolina: Grade: 6th
27- Jordan White, WR, Western Michigan: Grade: 6th
28- Marvin Jones, WR, California: Grade: 6th
29- Chris Owusu, WR, Stanford: Grade: 6th
30- Derek Moye, WR, Penn State: Grade: 6th
31- Travis Benjamin, WR, Miami: Grade: 6^th/7th
32- Devon Wylie, WR, Fresno State: Grade: 7th
33- T.J. Graham, WR, North Carolina State: Grade: 7th
34- Keshawn Martin, WR, Michigan State: Grade: 7th
35- Mike Willie, WR, Arizona State: Grade: 7th
36- Junior Hemingway, WR, Michigan: Grade: 7^th/UDFA
37- James Rodgers, WR, Oregon State: Grade: 7^th/UDFA
38- Da’Jon McKnight, WR, Minnesota: Grade: 7^th/UDFA
39- Thomas Mayo, WR, California (PA): Grade: 7^th/UDFA
40- Darius Reynolds, WR, Iowa State: Grade: 7^th/UDFA

Updated Running Back Rankings: 12.2.11

1- Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama*: Grade: Top 15 Overall
2- Montee Ball, RB, Wisconsin*: Grade: Early 2^nd Round
3- Lamar Miller, RB, Miami*: Grade: Early 2^nd Round
4- David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech*: Grade: Early 2^nd Round
5- LaMichael James, RB, Oregon*: Grade: Early/Mid 2^nd round
6- Bernard Pierce, RB, Temple*: Grade: 3^rd round
7- Dennis Johnson, RB, Arkansas*: Grade: 3^rd round
8- Doug Martin, RB, Boise State: Grade: 3^rd/4^th round
9- Robert Turbin, RB, Utah State*: Grade: 3^rd/4^th round
10- Dan Herron, RB, Ohio State: Grade: 4^th round
11- Tauren Poole, RB, Tennessee: Grade: 4^th round
12- Isaiah Pead, RB, Cincinnati: Grade: 4^th/5^th round
13- Brandon Bolden, RB, Mississippi: Grade: 5^th round
14- Chris Rainey, RB, Florida: Grade: 5^th round
15- Vick Ballard, RB, Mississippi State: Grade: 5^th/6^th round
16- Jeff Demps, RB, Florida: Grade: 6^th round
17- Davin Meggett, RB, Maryland: Grade: 6^th round
18- Bobby Rainey, RB, Western Kentucky: Grade: 6^th/7^th round
19- Marc Tyler, RB, Southern Cal: Grade: 7^th round
20- Lennon Creer, RB, Louisiana Tech: Grade: 7^th round
21- Terrance Ganaway, RB, Baylor: Grade: 7^th round/UDFA
22- Antwon Bailey, RB, Syracuse: Grade: 7^th round/UDFA
23- Adonis Thomas, RB, Toledo: Grade: 7^th round/UDFA
24- Victor Anderson, RB, Louisville: Grade: 7^th round/UDFA
25- Ryan Houston, RB, North Carolina: Grade: UDFA

Updated QB Rankings: 11/25/11

1- Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford: Grade: #1 overall pick
2- Matt Barkley, QB, Southern Cal: Grade: Top 5-10 overall pick
3- Robert Griffin, QB, Baylor: Grade: Top 15 overall pick
4- Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma: Grade: Late 1st/Early 2nd
5- Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M: Grade: 2nd round
6- Russell Wilson, QB, Wisconsin: Grade: 3rd round
7- Brock Osweiler, QB, Arizona State: Grade: 3rd round
8- Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State: Grade: 3rd/4th round
9- Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia: Grade: 3rd/4th round
10- B.J. Coleman, QB, Chattanooga: Grade: 4th round
11- Ryan Lindley, QB, San Diego State: Grade: 4th/5th round
12- Kirk Cousins, QB, Michigan State: Grade: 5th round
13- Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State: Grade: 5th round
14- Nick Foles, QB, Arizona: Grade: 5th/6th round
15- Chandler Harnish, QB, Northern Illinois: Grade: 5th/6th round
16- John Brantley, QB, Florida: Grade: 6th round
17- Matt Scott, QB, Arizona: Grade: 6th round/7th round
18- Patrick Witt, QB, Yale: Grade: 7th round/UDFA
19- Case Keenum, QB, Houston: Grade: 7th round/UDFA
20- Dominique Davis, QB, East Carolina: Grade: UDFA
21- G.J. Kinne, QB, Tulsa: Grade: UDFA
22- Aaron Corp, QB, Richmond: Grade: UDFA
23- Austin Davis, QB, Southern Mississippi: Grade: UDFA
24- Jarrett Lee, QB, LSU: Grade: UDFA
25- Jordan Jefferson, QB, LSU: Grade: UDFA

Updated 2012 QB Rankings: 10/18/11

Andrew Luck is the ultimate prize for whatever NFL team manages to lose enough to get the #1 overall pick.

1- Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford– Did you expect anyone else to be #1? He’s the best QB prospect I’ve seen since I’ve been scouting and he’s a great bet to be the #1 pick in the 2012 Draft should he declare after this season (and there have been rumblings that he will).

2- Matt Barkley, QB, USC- Barkley has been on my radar since he was a true freshman at USC. I was never sold on Aaron Corp and while I thought Mitch Mustain had potential as a sleeper before his off-field issues, I always thought Barkley was the most talented QB on the roster once he got there. That has proven to be true, and he has continued to develop in a pro-style offense since emerging as the starter during his freshman year. Now in his junior year it seems there is a strong chance he will declare. I wouldn’t be surprised if he did, but I think there is a small chance that he comes back to take a run at a Rose Bowl because their bowl ban will have expired. Part of me wants him to stay, but there isn’t much left for him to prove outside of leading his team to a great season with a post-season win.

3- Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M- Tannehill flashed incredible upside last year leading Texas A&M to a furious finish before ultimately losing to LSU in the Cotton Bowl. He hasn’t had the same incredible start this season but he has still flashed potential. He doesn’t have much experience but as he continues to develop he could become a quality NFL QB. He has quality tools such as arm strength, accuracy and athleticism. Plus, he seems to be a guy with quality intangibles and leadership capability, so even if you need to develop him for a year or maybe two he has the upside physically and mentally to warrant early round consideration.

Russell Wilson might not be rated this high by other draftniks, but he's a great QB. The only serious knock on him as a prospect is his height.

4- Russell Wilson, QB, Wisconsin- Russell Wilson won’t be this high on many people’s rankings, but I was one of the people that was wholeheartedly convinced that he would be a spectacular quarterback for the Wisconsin Badgers and I said just as much in my post that I wrote shortly after it was announced that he was going to play for them this year. I didn’t think he’d be this terrific so early, but that really speaks to his fantastic intangibles and leadership qualities. Wilson’s only knock as a prospect and as a quarterback is his lack of size, as I would estimate he is about 5’10” or maybe slightly taller. That will make his transition to the NFL more difficult, but he is a very talented quarterback. He’s got very good arm strength, has accuracy to all levels of the field, throws a very nice deep ball, can make any NFL throw, and has demonstrated quality pocket poise at times. I think he could stand to improve as a passer with pressure around him when he’s in the pocket, especially when there is pressure at his feet. However, he is very athletic and uses his athleticism to extend plays and is great at making plays outside of the pocket. He may not be an ideal quarterback for a West Coast offense that requires frequent three step drops and throws as he will struggle to find throwing lanes at times and he may have problems with passes getting batted down at the line of scrimmage. But if he is drafted to a team with an offensive coordinator who knows how to get him out on the edge and make effective use of his athleticism and ability to throw on the move he could be a very dangerous quarterback. I know I won’t be betting against him simply because I know how hard he works and how well he assimilates into a new team. He became a leader of this 2011 Wisconsin Badgers team after being an official member of the roster for two months when it takes many quarterbacks two years if they can ever even become a captain. People have really underestimated how difficult and rare it is for him to do what he has done so far this year. Without sounding like a rabid Russell Wilson fanatic, it really is nothing short of incredible, not to mention very, very rare.

5- Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor- As skeptical as I was of Griffin before the season based off of the film I watched of him last year, you can’t help but be impressed by the unbelievable statistical start to the season he has had. I’m still skeptical of the offense he operates in, but it’s very clear that he has developed since the end of last season. Due to his arm strength, improving accuracy, fantastic athleticism as well as his reputation for being a very intelligent, disciplined guy as well as a film junkie NFL talent evaluators and Draftniks alike are going to be salivating considering his potential. He still has strides to make in my opinion, but he has definitely progressed since last year. I’d be a fool to try to ignore that, so even if I still need to see more of him I can at least acknowledge that.

Landry Jones and Brandon Weeden are directing two of the most explosive, high-scoring offenses in the nation.

6- Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma- Landry Jones is a talented quarterback with quality size, arm strength and accuracy. His accuracy becomes more erratic when under pressure, however, and doesn’t seem to react well to pass rushers in his face. That is concerning for a NFL draft prospect, and it is the reason I might have him lower on this list than some other people do. He’s a quality prospect, I’m just not a big fan of him personally. He’s got upside, I’m just not sure he will ever be a quality NFL starter.

7- Brock Osweiler, QB, Arizona State- Osweiler is a junior with only seven games of NFL experience up until this point, and he has a huge test upcoming against Oregon this Saturday. He’s got a fantastic combination of size and arm strength (reminiscent of Ryan Mallett to be perfectly honest) and his accuracy looks significantly improved over last season. He’s not very mobile, but he has a terrific arm and he’s progressing in the mental aspect of the game. He’s got a boatload of upside, and I’m personally a pretty big fan of his. I’d be surprised if he declared this year, especially since he would have a maximum of 16 games of starting experience at the end of this year, but if he did I would definitely expect him to get drafted in the 2^nd or 3^rd round range. But if he comes back I would be surprised if he didn’t end up in the 1^st round discussion for 2013.

Geno Smith is quietly establishing himself as a quality NFL Draft prospect. He may not have had a fantastic game against LSU, but putting up 468 passing yards against that defense is definitely worth mentioning.

8- Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia- Geno Smith was never someone I was particularly high on, but watching him put up 463 yards on LSU’s fantastic defense definitely opened my eyes. He was carving them up with downfield passes and showing off an impressive arm, and even though WVU was losing for most of the game he never stopped coming (even after they had been made into a one-dimensional offensive attack due to their struggling running game and the scoreboard). He wasn’t incredibly efficient as he threw 65 passes and completed only 38 of them (58.5% completion) and threw as many touchdowns as interceptions (2). One of them came on an incredible play by Tyrann Mathieu, but overall I was impressed with Smith. He looks very skinny on film, and I’d be surprised if he declared this season, but he definitely has upside in my opinion.

9- B.J. Coleman, QB, Chattanooga– Coleman definitely has upside, but he needs development. I don’t think he’s ready to step into a starting spot in his first year or two, but he’s definitely worth a mid-round pick. He has a strong arm, quality (but sometimes a bit inconsistent) accuracy, great size and some pocket poise. He just needs coaching and development, but he doesn’t have incredible upside in my opinion.

10- Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State- Weeden is a solid prospect but his age is going to make it hard for him to crack the top three rounds just because of his limited upside. How much better is he really going to get before he’s 30? He will improve with coaching, but at best he has a 5-7 year window as a starter once he gets to the NFL, and that’s assuming he sticks as a starter in the first place which as everyone knows is not guaranteed. He can stretch the field, he’s accurate and has been a key cog in one of the most explosive offenses in college football over the past two years, but his upside is limited due to his age and that makes him a mid-round guy.

11- Ryan Lindley, QB, San Diego State– Lindley is a guy that I identified as a player with upside that needs to improve in some areas. Right now he’s a mid-round guy with plus arm strength but inconsistent ball placement. He has upside due to his combination of solid size, quality arm strength and his athleticism but his accuracy is only above average at this point. He has struggled with ball placement as a junior and so far as a senior at times. He has a live arm so he definitely has upside, but if his accuracy doesn’t continue to develop then he won’t live up to his potential. He’s a developmental guy at this point with more upside than most mid-round QB’s.

Kellen Moore doesn't have much arm strength, but his other quality attributes make him draftable in my opinion.

12- Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State- Kellen Moore is an interesting guy because even though he is a smaller guy with very average arm strength I still think he has a shot in the NFL. I wouldn’t peg him as a starter in his first two seasons by any means, but he has quality accuracy, he’s very intelligent, he plays well in pressure situations and he’s got a vast amount of experience. He will have to transition from the spread offense that he has played in at Boise State, but because of his intangibles I don’t think that will be as big of a road block as it is for some spread QB prospects that attempt the same transition. He’s a fourth or fifth round pick in my opinion right now but he’s definitely got the upside to stick in the NFL. I’m not sure he will ever be a quality starter, but with his intelligence I think he can be a back-up QB in the NFL. I’m just not sure he has the arm strength to threaten defenses downfield and that can spell disaster at the NFL level.

13- Kirk Cousins, QB, Michigan State- Cousins is a guy I’ve been paying attention to since he was splitting snaps at QB with Keith Nichol as a sophomore and while he is definitely a NFL prospect I’m not as high on him as I thought I might have been. He hasn’t progressed like I was hoping he would and while he has the potential to stick in the NFL I would not bet on him being a quality NFL starter right now.

14- Chandler Harnish, QB, Northern Illinois- Harnish showed some ability when I watched him last year and while I haven’t had a chance to see him this year I definitely think he can stick in the NFL. I would like to see more consistent accuracy and ball placement from him before I would project him as a potential starter in the NFL, but I haven’t seen him play this year so I can’t speak to his progression from his junior to senior year yet.

15- Nick Foles, QB, Arizona- Foles is a prospect that you seem to either really like or completely dislike. I am personally not very high on him and I think that people putting 1^st, 2^nd or even 3^rd round grades on him are vastly overrating him. He’s got good size and arm strength, and he’s accurate on short throws as well as medium throws at times, but the offense he plays in makes him look better than I think he really is. I’m definitely not high on him, but his size, arm strength, experience and production should get him drafted. I just don’t think it will be nearly as early as some people think.