2008 NFL Combine — QBs, WRs, and RBs, Oh My!

This is the day when the players in the spotlight…um…are in the spotlight. Each of the groups today — QBs, WRs, and RBs — are packed with unproven talent. And what I mean by that is aside from the top 3-5 prospects, there are a handful of players that have NFL potential and have alot to prove. And best of all, there are a crop of RBs thought to run some lightning 40-yard dash times!

In the case of the quarterbacks, there are three clear favorites…and one hiding in their shadows. Here are my top 5 quarterbacks:

1. Matt Ryan, Boston College. Decided to wait to throw the ball on BC’s Pro Day on March 18th. I like Matt because is the most NFL-ready QB in terms of his developed skill set. If it weren’t for that, he’d be #3 or #4 on my list. He threw 19 INTs, but boasts a 60% completion percentage. That, and I liked him in Van Wilder. He ran a 4.98 40-yd dash.
2. Joe Flacco, University of Delaware. The most upside of the “elite” group. He’s taking some criticism for his lack of footwork because he was primarily a shotgun QB, not to mention a Div I-AA player. Who cares? Watch his highlight video. He’s good. He ran a 4.78 in the 40, which definitely helped his stock.
3. Brian Brohm, Louisville. He has a ton of experience. He’s a 4-year starter. And he’s efficient with better than 63% completion percentage in each of his four seasons, not to mention he threw no more than 5 INTs each season but 2007. He threw 12 picks; but Louisville also went 6-6 and lost their offensive guide, Bobby Petrino. As far as the Combine, he ran a 4.83 in the 40-yard dash, leaped 30″ vertical (#3), and he threw the ball well in drills today.
4. Chad Henne, Michigan. Henne’s strong point is his accuracy, which he exhibited late in the day today as well as in the Senior Bowl throwing the North’s only two touchdowns. Like those of Brian Brohm, Henne’s fundamentals look natural. Henne ran a best of 4.90 in the 40-yard dash.
5. Dennis Dixon, Oregon. Lost draft stock momentum after his injury late in the season, but he’s still a valueable prospect. He threw for 368 yards and a career-high 4 touchdowns in the Ducks’ win over Michigan. I still believe he is the second coming of Vince Young, but with much more patience in the pocket…something VY is still working on. He did not work out at the Combine, but Oregon’s Pro Day is April 3rd.

This year will feature a handful of quality QBs from which to choose. It will be hard to ignore guys like John David Booty of USC, Erik Ainge of Tennesse, Matt Flynn of LSU, and Anthony Morelli of Penn State. Kevin O’Connell of San Diego State is certainly worth mention in the list of value prospects. He’s mobile and accurate.

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See Tommorrow’s NFL Stars — Senior Bowl Practice Recap

So your team didn’t make it to the Super Bowl? “Well, cheer up! There’s plenty to look forward to,” as a bummed Peyton Manning puts it so plainly. How about the NFL Draft? Better yet, how about the Senior Bowl? Thanks to the NFL Network (and RotoWorld), you can watch the progress of college players who are anxious to be noticed by NFL scouts. Practices are aired everday on the NFL Network and are certainly worth a DVR slot.

North
The North arguably has the best QB trio of the two sides. The roster includes John David Booty of USC, Chad Henne of Michigan, and Joe Flacco of Delaware.

While much of the media is focused on the higher profile QBs (yeah I’m talkin’ to you, Mayock), particularly how well Chad Henne has practiced raising his NFL Draft stock, I couldn’t help but notice how impressive Joe Flacco has been. Despite the fact that he is an imposing 6-6, his arm and pocket presence is even more remarkable. I believe it’s called poise, and he’s got plently to go around. If anyone has improved their stock in the draft, it’s certianly been Flacco. He throws the long ball effortlessly, and he has been effective with the infamous out route. Lack of consistency is his downfall. He’s definitely got the best upside of all the QBs. Here’s a little sample of what he did at Delaware this season.

Other North players that have made a positive impact on their draft status include Kansas State WR Jordy Nelson, Lavelle Hawkins (WR) from Cal, and East Carolina RB Chris Johnson. And USC DT Sedrick Ellis is a beast. I can’t wait to see him throw down on Saturday.

South
The South squad features three QBs that are trying to gain some attention coming out of the Senior Bowl headed into the combine season. Kentucky’s Andre Woodson is the favorite of the group according to most NFL [over]analysts, but he has the ugliest throw ever. Regardless of my opinion of his motion, he boasts a strong arm and good size. The other two “question mark” QBs are Erik Ainge of Tennessee and Colt Brennan of Hawaii.

Colt seemed to be the “coaches pet” on Wednesday as Mike Martz ran a QB clinic and then some (if only I were still playing, I might be a better QB after watching Coach Martz for an hour). He’s certainly the most athletic QB of the bunch. However, he seemed aloof at times as Martz was yelling his name to “get over here, Colt” and to “hurry up and get some more snaps, Colt”…and to “stop wearing that ghey-ass visor, Colt”. All kidding aside, Colt will undoubtedly be the most watched QB on Saturday simply because he’s under the most pressure. Ceteris Paribus…both sides of the football will feature big-time talent…can he perform at that level or better?

Other notable players from the South were Appalachian State WR Dexter Jackson (that boy good..and fast), LSU RB Jacob Hester, and OL Heath Benedict from Newberry College. Heath was cheered by coaches numerous times during the practice. He not only resembles Goldberg or some World’s Strongest Man contestant, but also a brick wall.

NFL or UFC?
Defensive Tackle Red Bryant of Texas A&M may want to reconsider a career in the NFL for one as a UFC fighter…or WWE. At yesterday’s practice, he blew up at Vanderbilt OL Chris Williams landing every hand slap he threw to Williams’ grill. As if the Aggies needed more bad press.

The Senior Bowl rosters are available at SeniorBowl.com. The 2008 Under Armour Senior Bowl is scheduled for Saturday, January 26, 2008, in Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Ball meets toe at 3:00pm.

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