With the National College Athletic Association tournaments underway and the National Football League about to kick off NFL Digest has a quick look at some quarterbacks looking to be drafted in next year’s NFL draft.
Jake Locker – Washington Huskies
If he had declared and entered the 2010 draft, Locker would probably be throwing for the St. Louis Rams as the number one overall pick but he has taken the risk of picking up an injury or having a poor season by heading back to school.
Locker has great mechanics when throwing the ball and amazing athleticism to go along with his high accuracy and confidence in high-pressure situations. However his arm strength is lacking but with time to correct this, look for the 6’3 quarterback to be going in the top five of next year’s draft.
Jake Locker could be the number one overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft
Christian Ponder – Florida State Seminoles
A highly intelligent individual, Ponder has risen up early 2011 mock drafts to as high as 3rd overall. With 14 touchdowns and 7 interceptions last year, along with a completion percentage of 68.8 and 2,718 yards overall, the 6’3 athlete should prove to be a first round pick should nothing drastic happen this year.
Christian Ponder (7) has a chance to stake his claim as a top draft pick this year
Ryan Mallett – Arkansas Razorbacks
Possibly the best looking fit as a NFL franchise quarterback on paper. Mallett is a giant, 6’7 tall and weighing in at 238lbs, with a massive arm. He has developed a lot more from the raw and unpolished version of him we saw in his redshirt rookie season but he is still raw and could use time with a seasoned NFL quarterback before being thrown in at the deep end. He needs to work on his decision making especially, with several of his 7 interceptions last year avoidable. However he threw for 3,624 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2009 for a YPA of 9.0. That’s impressive.
Ryan Mallett is a giant quarterback with a cannon arm
Andrew Luck – Stanford Cardinal
Although eligible for the 2011 draft it is highly likely that Luck will stay for his senior year, stating that he wants a degree before entering the NFL. This means he won’t be entering the NFL draft until 2012, a shame for most teams considering a quarterback because of the high numbers he posted up as a redshirt sophomore.
Andrew Luck (12) has impressed but probably will not enter the NFL Draft in 2011
Pingback: 2012 NFL Draft Quarterback Prospects | NFL Digest