2008 NFL Draft Position
Rankings
The Quarterbacks
Rankings & Breakdowns
Top 50 Players - 1 to
25 |
Top 50 Players - 26 to 50
|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs |
Wide Receivers
|
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Tackles
Offensive Guards |
Centers
|
Defensive Ends
|
Defensive Tackles
Linebackers |
Safeties
|
Cornerbacks
|
Punters & Kickers
By
Pete Fiutak
The Class
Is ... Decent, but not phenomenal. However, teams will
overpay and overdraft for a quarterback with 2009 and 2010
looking bare for top passers. There are plenty of career backups
here but only a few who'll make any noise as a starter. To put
the class into perspective, Brady Quinn, who went 22nd to
Cleveland last year, would've been the top prospect out of this
crop by far.
The Best Value Pick Will Be ... Chad Henne, Michigan
Most Underrated ... Kevin O'Connell, San Diego State
Most Overrated ... Joe Flacco, Delaware
The Deep, Deep Sleeper Is .. Paul Smith, Tulsa |
THE FRANCHISE
1. Matt Ryan, QB Boston College
Ryan is tough as nails,
a great leader, and a winner who'll make a Pro Bowl or three, but
he's not a once-in-a-generation type. While he's considered head-and-shoulders
ahead of everyone else in the race to be the top NFL quarterback prospect in this year's draft, he's not a supreme
talent like a Peyton Manning or Troy Aikman, and he doesn't do
anything special like a JaMarcus Russell or Michael Vick. However,
he's not David Carr or Alex Smith. Tall, mobile, smart, and with the
poise and the skills to be a productive pro for the next ten years,
there's no real downside; he looks the part. However, he's not the
type of quarterback who'll carry an NFL team to greatness on his
own, but he could eventually take a very good team over the top.
Interceptions were a problem when he tried to do too much on his
own, and he didn't handle the pressure well when defenses were able
to hit him on a regular basis. Then again, neither did Tom Brady
in the Super Bowl.
CFN Projection: First Round
2.
Brian Brohm, QB Louisville
The brother of former New York Jet
Jeff Brohm was groomed to be a pro passer. He's as NFL ready as any
quarterback prospect having been a star for his entire career. The
pressure was on from day one to produce, and he did. He's not the
greatest athlete and his arm is just average, but he can make the throws
needed. The big issue will be his durability. While he's an abnormally
quick healer, he suffered a few major injuries throughout his career and
can't be counted on for a full 16-game NFL slate. He took his lumps in a
disappointing senior season, at least for Louisville, and that could be
a good thing; he never quit on his team during a dud year.
CFN Projection: Late First Round
3. Chad Henne, QB Michigan
With the right coaching and a little
bit of time to fine-tune his arm and his mechanics, he could turn out to
be a steal. Strong with a gun of an arm, he can make any throw and can
drive the ball to any spot needed at a high NFL level, but he needs time
to throw and he needs a good line to work behind. He's not going to move
too much and he needs to step up and fire or else his accuracy wavers;
he's not going to make anything happen on his own. He could become
another Matt Schaub who sits behind someone for a little while and
builds a big buzz before getting a big payday in the free agency market.
CFN Projection: Late Second Round
POTENTIAL NFL STARTERS
4. Andre Woodson, QB Kentucky
Deadly accurate for long stretches, he
proved he could be a precision passer, but he also has the arm to power
the ball when he has to. he has the size at 6-5 and 235 pounds to be a
presence in the pocket and be able to shake off tacklers, but he tends
to get hit way too often and he doesn't have the mobility to make things
happen on his own. He'll need some serious coaching to correct a
fundamental flaw in his delivery; he hitches it a bit and doesn't have a
compact motion. He's not going to be the answer for anyone right away,
but if someone can be patient and give him about two years he could be
the type of quarterback to build around. There's not the ceiling on his
potential like many scouts seem to believe there is.
CFN Projection: Late Second Round
5. Colt Brennan, QB Hawaii
He's not big and he's not thick at a
very skinny 6-3 and 185 pounds, and there are a bazillion other red
flags considering the competition he faced and the performance against
Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. However, he has one of the most accurate arms
of any of the top prospects, is far more of a gamer than he ever got credit
for, and is fantastic at throwing on the move. You can't judge him by
the Georgia game; he never, ever had room to breathe. The offensive line
never gave him a chance. Instead, focus on the fire he had two years ago
when he bounce passed a fourth down throw in the end zone to blow a
chance at beating Oregon State. He might have the laid-back Hawaii tag,
but he's a football player, period. Yeah, he had problems with
the speed of the Bulldogs, but he also went ballistic against teams like
Alabama, Purdue, Arizona State, Oregon State and Washington. In the
right offense he could be a deadly accurate dink and dunk passer who
keeps an offense moving.
CFN Projection: Third to Fourth Round
6. Joe Flacco, QB Delaware
The hot prospect coming out
of the off-season workouts, the 6-6, 232-pound bomber has the best arm
of anyone in the draft and it's not even a debate. While he might not
have JaMarcus Russell's cannon, he can fit the ball into any space,
anywhere on the field. The biggest question will be his consistency
which was a big problem in his workouts and will be an even bigger issue
under pressure. He can't move, doesn't have a quick release, and will be
a sitting duck at times unless he can make quicker reads and can get the
ball out of his hands. If he has the tools around him, especially a
killer pair of tackles to provide protection, he could be a superstar. If he
has make everyone around him better, it's not going to happen.
CFN Projection: Second Round
7. Kevin O'Connell, QB San Diego State
Here's your deep sleeper
with serious upside. Certain to be there for the taking on the second
day he could be the best bargain in the draft. He has the best
combination of size, mobility and skills of all the prospects and if
he's allowed a little time to develop, and he's allowed to work through
his mistakes, and if he gets a good coach who can shorten up his
delivery to create a tight throwing motion he has the pieces to be a
starter. The problem will be patience. If he's thrown to the wolves
right away, forget about it. It might be a stretch, but with the right
situation he could be a bigger, more mobile Tony Romo.
CFN Projection: Fifth Round
8. Erik Ainge, QB Tennessee
Think a less awkward Bernie Kosar.
While he doesn't have the rocket arm the NFL types would like and he's
not mechanically sound enough to be a star, he could be the type of
backup quarterback who sits on a bench for two years, comes in and has a
huge four game stretch, and then cashes in on the free agent market. No,
he's not going to throw a pea through a cement wall like a Joe Flacco,
but he proved at Tennessee under offensive coordinator David Cutliffe
that he could get the ball in a position for his receivers to do big
things. He had a great receiving corps as a junior and was fantastic. He
had a developing, young receiving corps as a senior and he was even
better. He makes his receivers look better than they actually are.
CFN Projection: Fourth to Fifth Round
9. Josh Johnson, QB San Diego
The underground buzz was
deafening after throwing 43 touchdown passes and one interception last
year, and 113 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions over the last three
years. He dominated the D-IAA (sorry, FCS) level and is among the most
creative quarterbacks in the draft. Quick, mobile, and very smart, he'll
work to make himself better, but will rely on his athleticism to get by
early on. Size is an issue at around 6-2 and 200 pounds, but the biggest
problem is overcoming a few horrendous off-season workouts when his
passes were all over the place. He has to get better at driving his
throws to the outside and he'll need a lot of coaching. However, there
is a payoff coming.
CFN Projection: Fourth to Fifth Round
10. John David Booty, QB USC
When he first came to USC as a
17-year-old he was expected to be the next big thing following in the
footsteps of Carson Palmer. He got hurt and was never able to overtake some guy named Leinart,
who went
on to become one of the greatest college quarterbacks of all-time. He
turned into a nice passer, but not a special one, and he struggled way
too much when the line wasn't giving him 12 days to throw. He's not
mobile, doesn't have the most accurate deep arm, and has a rock-hard
ceiling on his talent level. Even so, he'll be a 12-year pro as a solid No.
2 quarterback who can come in from time to time and keep the ship from
sinking.
CFN Projection: Late Third Round
11. Dennis Dixon, QB Oregon
Had it not been for a torn ACL late
last year he'd have won the Heisman. With tremendous athleticism, good
smarts and excellent toughness, Dixon become a tremendous leader who
took his game to another level with a jaw-dropping senior season. While
he's not going to bomb away, he has a good short-range arm and makes
plays on the move everywhere on the field. Of course, the knee injury
will be a major problem considering his game is all about quickness, and
if he's not moving around he can't play in the NFL; he's not a pro pocket
passer. Everyone tried to compare him to Vince Young as last year went
on, but he's not as big, doesn't have nearly the same arm, and doesn't
have close to the same upside. He'll be in the league for a long time,
but he won't start for anyone any time soon.
CFN Projection:
Fifth Round
BEST OF THE REST
12. Matt Flynn, QB LSU
A total gamer who has a great arm and
good running skills. He's a fantastic leader and a winner who'll do
whatever it takes to get a team moving. However, he needs work and he
isn't a consistent NFL-caliber passer. Smart enough to be a career
backup, he'll make a lot of money bouncing around the league for ten
years.
CFN Projection:
Sixth Round
13. Anthony Morelli, QB Penn State
Extremely limited, he
doesn't throw the ball consistently or well and he never made it happen
in Happy Valley despite having a great running game, a phenomenal line,
and a loaded receiving corps to work with. He has the tools with good
size, a live arm and solid strength, but he's not an NFL starter.
CFN Projection: Sixth Round
14. Nick Hill, QB Southern Illinois
An intriguing prospect, he
had a big senior season showing a live arm and good passing skills on
the run. His competition wasn't all that great and he got flustered
under pressure. He didn't do all that well against the top teams he
faced and will need years of practice time to get used to the speed of
the NFL, but he'll work his butt off.
CFN Projection:
Seventh Round
15. Alex Brink, QB Washington State
Smart, tough, and
experienced, he'll be a great practice player and a fine No. 3
quarterback who'll generate buzz in the preseason every year he sticks
around. He's not huge and he doesn't have the most efficient delivery,
but he can bomb away and put up good numbers at a high level.
CFN Projection: Seventh Round or Free Agent
16. Kyle Wright, QB Miami
Considered the next big thing when he came to Miami, he
struggled to make anything happen as the program descended into the ranks of
the mediocre. He has the size, the arm, the mobility and the look of an
NFL quarterback, but he can't play. He couldn't handle any pass rush,
never made his team better, and he couldn't make the most of the several
opportunities he was given. However, with his tools, he could be an
interesting prospect if he's in the right system with the right
coaching. He also needs some good luck; he didn't have any in Coral
Gables.
CFN Projection:
Fifth Round
17. Paul Smith, QB Tulsa
If the right coach on the right team
sees something in Smith, this could be the sleeper pick of the draft.
Smith led the nation's No. 1 offense last season and has the
athleticism, smarts, and the moxie to be the type of player no one can
cut. A high character guy who teams will want to have around, he could
grow into a good West Coast passer if he finds the right fit. However,
he's not big, can't take too many shots, and he doesn't have a live arm.
CFN Projection: Free Agent
18. Xavier Lee, QB Florida State
Yet another waste of talent in
a growing line of disappointing Florida State quarterbacks, Lee has all
the skills with great size, a big arm, and tremendous athleticism. He
looks like the perfect prospect, but he's eons away from ever getting a
sniff of the field as an NFL quarterback. If he loses his knucklehead
streak, he could flourish if he becomes someone's pet project and
accepts the right coaching. He could also have a future at tight end if
he wants to get paid.
CFN Projection:
Free Agent
19. T.C. Ostrander, QB Stanford
While he's not Trent Edwards,
he has good size, produced at times in an awful situation, and has the
smarts to stick somewhere as a backup. Durability is the major concern,
but as long as he's healthy, he can be a great scout teamer who could
eventually become someone's No. 2.
CFN Projection:
Free
Agent
20. Bernard Morris, QB Marshall
Because he has great size, fantastic
athleticism and a decent arm, he'll get plenty of looks from a variety
of teams looking for a good scout team quarterback. He can fit almost
any role to prepare a defense, but as far as ever being an NFL starter,
that all depends on how quickly he can become a consistent, accurate
passer.
CFN Projection:
Free
Agent
ON
THE RADAR
21. Adam Tafralis, San Jose State
22. Ricky Santos, New Hampshire
23. Sam Keller, Nebraska
24. Tyler Donovan, Wisconsin
25. Blake Mitchell, South Carolina
