Skin Chooser
| Rookie Recon - Quarterbacks |
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| Articles - Dynasty | |
| Written by Chris Ward | |
| Saturday, 24 March 2007 | |
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They are called the Field Generals. Well, once they make it to the field that is. On average, only 12 quarterbacks are drafted each year and any others that make it to the NFL get in through the free agency process. 90% of those rookies will not see any playing time for at least a year, maybe longer. Even then, 25-50% of them may never see a starting or back-up spot, and slowly fade into oblivion. You see this at every position, but it seems to be more prominent at QB, because there is so much attention paid to them during the draft process. Yet the ones that make it are there, year’s later, making history in one fashion or another. So the question remains; is a first round pick in the real NFL Draft worth a QB that may still be holding the clipboard 2 or possibly 3 years later? NFL teams take this gamble every year. Sometimes they win, sometimes not. In 2006, 3 QBs were drafted in round one and despite the odds, all 3 got a chance to start for their teams, and look to continue to start in 2007. In contrast, 1998 had 2 QBs that were drafted with the first two picks. One, Peyton Manning, eventually took his team to the Super Bowl, the other, Ryan Leaf became one of the biggest busts in NFL history. From a fantasy perspective, whether to draft these young QBs truly depends on the type of league you are in. In redraft leagues, they are not worth drafting. In dynasty leagues, especially large roster leagues, most of these QB’s will be drafted, but the more you know about each one, will help you to make the right picks at the right time. Therefore, with that in mind, here are nine rookies in the class of 2007, waiting to be the next Field General of their NFL team and your fantasy team.
JaMarcus Russell, LSU (6' 5, 265 lbs) Russell is the only underclassman in the 2007 QB rookie class. Coming from the SEC, he has excelled in the two years he was the starter. In 2006, he ranked third in passer-efficiency rating. Three aspects make Russell a great QB: height, arm strength, and ability to scramble. Standing at a mammoth 6'5", he has the ability to look over his offensive line to see the throwing lanes and easily find his receivers downfield. His arm strength is tremendous, allowing him to make the strong throw under pressure. One thing he does have against him is that he sometimes makes poor decisions. There are QBs in this rookie class that are better decision makers while under the pressure, but do not have the other tools that Russell possesses. Russell is the #1 QB on most people’s draft lists and should be a top 5 pick. If he lands in the right place, he could be an opening day starter in 2007. Brady Quinn, Notre Dame (6' 4, 232 lbs) The Fighting Irish have a history of producing top QBs. Players like Joe Theisman and Joe Montana both came from ND. Charlie Weiss, while an offensive coordinator for New England, also developed Tom Brady. Brady Quinn is the next in line, and many pundits favorable compare him to Tom Brady. Another mammoth player, Quinn is able to get the ball down field. His passing efficiency and lack of interceptions shows that he can be that type of player. If he has one fault, it is with his timing. He has better timing with a 5-step drop than a 3-step one. There were many times he was caught holding the ball too long while waiting for his receivers to adjust their routes. This will be detrimental in the NFL style of play. He will also have to do a better job of protecting the ball when he is flushed out of the pocket. He has gotten better at protecting the ball, but has the tendency to stick the ball out there, which NFL defenders will drool over. With all that said, many feel that is the most complete QB available in this draft, and should be able to step right in and play for the right team. Troy Smith, Ohio State (6' 0, 225 lbs) Smith is another big conference QB, which will help him in understanding play at the next level. For two years, he has done very well at OSU in winning the Big-10 championship both years. Nevertheless, his height is really at question here. With the limited height, he will have hard time seeing the passing lanes in the pocket and will have to move east to west to create plays down the field. Nevertheless, he has been able to overcome this with the use of his arm. While it might not be as strong as Russell’s, he is still able to throw it where he needs to and get it there accurately. He makes good decisions when forced out of the pocket, and throws better when on the run. He has very good field vision and does not lock onto his first receiver. These are all traits that should help him overcome his height disadvantage.Drew Stanton, Michigan State (6’ 3, 226 lbs) Stanton is a superior athlete whose ability to scramble will make NFL defenses cringe. He has a very lively arm with a very quick release. He has good arm strength and above average pocket mobility. Very effective at hitting his receivers in stride on short and intermediate routes, but tends to put too much arc into his longer throws. He will need to stop trying to force his passes into double coverage, and work on his ability to throw the long pass. If he can get past these two things, he should be an effective NFL QB for many years.
John Beck, BYU (6’ 2, 215 lbs) Kevin Kolb, Houston (6' 3, 218 lbs) Kolb is a very mobile QB who has great presence in the pocket. He has progressed well in his career, with one minor setback. In his junior year he threw 15 interceptions, five of these in one game. However, he returned to form this year by ending with a 162.0 passer-efficiency rating and a 9 to 1 TD to INT ratio. He has great ball control and has great ability to protect the football when needed. He comes from a small school, so there are concerns on how well he will perform in the NFL.Jordan Palmer, U.T.E.P. (6’ 6, 231 lbs) Younger brother to Carson Palmer, J. Palmer set many records at UTEP playing in a pro style offense. He lacks mobility, but is his feet are quick enough to allow him to move around the pocket and make his throws. He does not do well when forced out of the pocket and tends to make poor decisions when he does. He has thrown for double digit interceptions in all 4 years at UTEP, and locks onto his primary receiver without noting the coverage. If he is not able to overcome these issues, he could very well be one of those QBs holding the clipboard three years from now. Trent Edwards, Stanford (6’ 4, 231 lbs) Edwards missed most of the 2006 season because of injury. The once highly regarded QB’s value has dropped significantly of it. Not that that is his only issue. While he made great strides during his collegiate career in many areas, one where he did not was his lack of mobility. He does not do well when forced out of the pocket and has a tendency to make bad decisions when on the move. When it is your turn to draft, we suggest you let someone else take a chance on Edwards.
Chris Leak, Florida (5’ 11, 209 lbs) |
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