Position Overviews For The 1998 Draft (Quarterbacks)
Overview: This QB group is clearly a two-man race between Tennessee QB Peyton Manning and Washington St. QB Ryan Leaf. These two will likely go in the first two picks of the draft, and either the teams that start with the first two picks will use them, or somebody else that needs a QB will trade into those spots. After these two, the talent level drops off dramatically, and especially if Jr. Daunte Culpepper of Florida decides to stay in school for another year. That would leave John Dutton of Nevada as the next option for those teams needing a QB, and while he is a good player, he is not in the category of Manning or Leaf. After that there is a tremendous drop-off, and this could easily be a draft that could feature 3 or 4 rounds, after Dutton, where no QB was selected. There are some good young QB’s in the college ranks such as Stanford’s Chad Hutchinson and Washington’s Brock Huard, but both of these players are not ready for the NFL, and they will likely return for another year.
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1) Ryan Leaf |
Jr. |
Washington St. |
6060
|
245 |
Leaf is the hot QB in this draft and he has led the under manned Cougars to a story book season. He is a physically imposing QB with great size and strength. He is very sturdy and durable in the pocket, and is a surprisingly good athlete for his size. He has a strong arm and shows good touch, and can change up the speed on his passes. He has good feet, but is not really a scrambler, but can stand in and take the big hits. He is a very naturally gifted player, but could improve on his throwing mechanics, although it is not a major problem. There are no physical, or athletic limitations to hold Leaf back from becoming a great NFL QB. However, there appears to be some nagging questions in the area of maturity, and his mental approach to the game. He is perceived as not always an easy guy to work with, and he tends to "beat to his own drummer". As good as he is, he can have some bad streaks where he looks like he has forgotten everything he has been taught. There seems to be a nagging question here that something is missing, but it is hard to verbalize it. If Leaf decides to enter the ‘98 draft, it will be very important for him to create a good impression with the key personnel people at the teams that represent the top picks in the draft. The relationship between the QB, head coach, and GM is usually a very important one, and if Leaf "turns off" some of these decision makers, it could hurt him on draft day. Nobody will question his physical abilities, and if he creates a good impression in these interviews and spring workouts, he could easily be the first pick of the draft. Physically, he is probably more ready than Peyton Manning to step in and contribute on the NFL level. He has the strength and durability to take the amount of hits that he will probably endure from playing for a team that is picking #1 in the draft, which obviously means they are not a very good football team.
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2) Peyton Manning |
Sr. |
Tennessee |
6050
|
220 |
Manning is having a solid senior year and has done nothing to really hurt his chances as a top pick, but he may be the perfect example of a player who has been "over-scouted". As good as he is, the big question now is, "will he get any better?" He has been in a top level program with good coaching, and he is already a very mature young man with great intangibles and natural skills. He should be able to pick up the mental aspects of the game at the NFL level as quickly as any young QB coming into the league. He has great over-all field vision, a presence on the field, he is a fierce competitor, and all of his mechanics are very solid. He has good arm strength, but not necessarily a "gun" that you might expect from a QB at the top of the draft. He has adequate mobility and good over-all AA, though he is not a scrambler by nature. One question some scouts have is his performance in big games, where he has not always dominated. However this may be an unfair accusation, and he will have a chance to redeem this perception with great performances at the end of this year. He will likely be a very good NFL QB, but he may not be the Hall Of Fame type caliber guy that everybody has predicted. Regardless, he will likely go #1 or #2 in this draft...isn’t it somewhat ironic that if Manning had come out last year, he would now likely be playing for the New York Jets, who have a pretty good football team and he would be coached by Bill Parcells, and the future would be very bright including endorsements and marketing opportunities that are available in the "Big Apple". As it stands now, he will be playing next year in a city like Indianapolis, Chicago, or Atlanta, all of which have a long ways to go to build their franchise, and not a very good supporting cast to help Manning as a rookie.
|
3) John Dutton |
Sr. |
Nevada |
6040
|
225 |
Dutton is a transfer from the University of Texas, and he is putting together outstanding back to back seasons, but at a much lower level of competition at the University of Nevada. He is a classic drop-back type passer that has good overall mechanics and arm strength, but not a cannon arm. He is adequate on the deep ball, and shows good over-all touch. He has really shown improvement in his senior year in his field vision, and is starting to do a good job of picking out secondary receivers. He is throwing very few int. and generally seems to be making good overall decisions. While he has decent overall speed and AA, he is not really a scrambler, but shows good toughness when flushed out of the pocket. This is a player that has the attention of a lot of NFL scouts, and for those teams that are not able to get one of the "big two" at the top of the draft, he will be a very interesting option later in the first round, or in the second round. He is perceived as a young man with all the physical tools, but will need seasoning, but he has a high upside. The only real question will be his level of competition, but that does not bother a lot of teams.
|
4) Daunte Culpepper |
Jr. |
Central Florida |
6040
|
240 |
Culpepper truly appears to be a player with great natural skills, but also a player that could benefit from staying in school for his senior year. He has great natural size, a strong arm, and good overall feet, but he lacks consistency at this stage. He tends to improvise, and gets by on his natural skills, but needs to develop a better presence in the pocket, and increase his feel for the rush. His throwing mechanics are a little bit inconsistent, but certainly correctable. He has played very well in big games vs. Nebraska, Mississippi St., Auburn, and South Carolina, so nobody can fault the level of competition....this guy rises to the occasion. He can be a fun QB to watch when he gets hot, and he can make all types of throws. If he does enter the 1998 draft, he will be a very raw product, but there is too much upside to ignore him, and somebody will possibly take him high. However, if he stays in school, refines his skills, and works on his weaknesses, he could be a top first round pick in 1999.
|
5) Thad Busby |
Sr. |
Florida State |
6020
|
212 |
Busby is having an outstanding senior year, but he has benefited by a tremendous surrounding cast, and is part of a great football team. He was an up and down QB early in his career, and at one point was almost benched...but he has fought through the adversity and is starting to get the attention from NFL scouts, partially for his ability, and partially for his toughness and strong mental make-up. He is playing with good confidence and poise, and has good over-all arm strength and mechanics. He has improved his ability to read defenses and pick out secondary receivers, and appears to have good "field generalship" qualities. He can be a little erratic at times in his touch, but he has improved dramatically in this area. His critics will attribute much of his success to his teammates, and many will feel that his stats are inflated. The biggest problem he will have to avoid in the NFL is his tendency to be "streaky" and make ill-advised throws. He is certainly not a franchise type QB, but he does have the size, the AA, arm strength, and football background to be a nice mid-round pick and could contribute to some NFL team, whether it’s as a starter or a back-up.
|
6) Cory Sauter |
Sr. |
Minnesota |
6040
|
219 |
Sauter was rated fairly high coming into the 1997 season, but he has really tailed off, and is not a very hot prospect at this time. He is the victim of a new offensive system which does not throw the ball as much as it did in the past, and as a result, his statistics have suffered. He is a three year starter that has played a lot of football on a high level, and he does have a strong arm and good overall size. However, he tends to force the ball and his accuracy is up and down. He is not a great deep thrower, nor is he very mobile in the pocket. His lack of overall quickness is probably his biggest weakness. He will need a good off-season, in preparation for the draft, to get himself back into the picture, but there is enough production and ability in his background to merit a look.
|
7) Chris Keldorf |
Sr. |
North Carolina |
6040
|
250 |
This is a good news/bad news/good news story. Keldorf was highly rated coming into the 1997 season, after a strong ‘96 campaign, but he struggled mightily in the opening games and was replaced at QB by Oscar Davenport, and sat on the bench for several games until Davenport suffered a season ending injury...it is now Keldorf’s show and how he responds at the end of the season and in the Tar Heels’ bowl game and the All-Star games will go very far in determining his NFL value. He is a big, physical guy with good, but not great, arm strength and he is an imposing figure in the pocket. He has decent accuracy and touch on his passes, and he has shown good toughness in the past. However, he has not progressed much because of his lack of playing time, and there will be question marks about his overall grasp of the game and ability to read defenses. He is not a real athletic type QB, and mobility may also be a ?. He must elevate his game in the post-season to get scouts and coaches to look at him seriously. The team that drafts him may get a big, physical guy that needs a couple years to develop, or they may get a QB that was overrated in the beginning and never had the skills to compete on the NFL level. It will be up to Keldorf to prove to people which guy he is.
|
8) Dameyune Craig |
Sr. |
Auburn |
6010
|
200 |
Craig has forced himself into the NFL QB derby with some big passing days in 1997. He is an outstanding athlete, with excellent speed and quickness, and is very mobile in the pocket. He does an excellent job of throwing on the run and improvising, but he is not an accomplished technician. NFL scouts will question his overall size and height, and some may even project him to another position. This may be a case where he is a great college QB in the right system, but simply does not have the physical size and background in a passing offense to make the transition to the NFL. However, in a draft class that does not have much depth at the QB position, he is a guy that will merit some looks, based on his natural skills and AA.
|
9) Mike McQueary |
Sr. |
Penn St. |
6040
|
220 |
McQueary started the season off in fine fashion as a first year starter and a fifth year senior, but he has really struggled in the second half of the season. He has a great surrounding cast, but has not elevated his game to the level that it looked like he had a chance to earlier in the season. He has good overall poise and leadership, and he has good size and a solid arm, but he can look really bad at times. He will make some ill-advised throws, and does not always look very natural at the position. He will have the opportunity to play in a major bowl game and All-Star games, and his performance’s there should go a long way in determining whether he is a one season wonder, or a real candidate at the position. At this stage he looks like a developmental, back-up type that could be a late round consideration.
|
10) Brian Griese |
Sr. |
Michigan |
6020
|
214 |
This guy simply won’t go away. He lacks the physical skills that scouts are looking for, but he has been very instrumental in leading Michigan to an outstanding season, and he continues to be solid each week. He obviously has a great football background (his dad is former Miami Dolphin great Bob Griese) and he has excellent overall intangibles and knows the game. However, he lacks great natural skills and is not a very big and physical guy. He is a very strong and determined young man, and if work ethic and attitude are important, it will go a long way in getting him a shot in the NFL. His best attributes are his ability to carry out the game plan and be a caretaker of the offense, but he is not the type of QB that can win a game with his arm. He will merit a look by NFL scouts as a back-up, safety valve QB, and he has the chance to forge a nice little career for himself in the NFL, if he gets the right team.
Wild Card:
|
Cade McNown |
Jr. |
UCLA |
6010
|
215 |
McNown has come out of nowhere to roll up some huge numbers in 1997 and may force a lot of people take a second look at him. Although he is a junior, and he does lack great NFL size, he has made all the right decisions and has shown a great feel for the Bruin offense, which has turned into a very powerful machine. McNown has been very sporadic and inconsistent in his career, but he seems to have grown out of his younger mistakes. Nobody is talking about him at this stage, and it is likely that he will stay in school for another year (which he should), but one cannot deny his numbers in ‘97, and it would not be shocking for this guy to pick up a little steam as a QB candidate. Will update information on McNown next month.
Other QB’s of Note:
|
Ron Powlus |
Sr. |
Notre Dame |
6010
|
220 |
Hopes of bailing out career in senior year has been somewhat disappointing...not a real natural QB...has struggled all year...last chance to impress will be all-star performances.
|
Scott Frost |
Sr. |
Nebraska |
6020
|
215 |
Much maligned QB has had excellent senior year, although is known more for his running threat than his throwing ability...excellent AA and speed...could likely become a DS in the NFL (has played it before)...too good an athlete to ignore.
|
Moses Moreno |
Sr. |
Colorado St. |
6010
|
200 |
Not a physically gifted QB...lacks great size and a strong arm, but very efficient in Ram offense and moves the ball..can make all the throws...shows great touch and accuracy, is productive, but limited NFL skills.
|
Matt Hasselback |
Sr. |
Boston College |
6030
|
210 |
Tough hard-nosed over achiever...good team guy...runs the offense well with adequate overall passing skills, but nothing magical..blue-collar type that could stick as back-up.
The views, materials and opinions expressed in this section are those of the War Room and not those of CNN/SI
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