1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck - QB - Stanford
The Colts pretty much told Luck he's their guy to replace Peyton Manning.
2. Washington Redskins (from St. Louis): Robert Griffin III - QB - Baylor
The Redskins did not trade three first round picks to move up into #2 for anything else but RGIII.
3. Minnesota Vikings: Morris Claiborne - CB - LSU
Here's a twist, the Vikings have been linked to USC OT Matt Kalil for some time to protect Christian Ponder's blindside. But lately, there have been reports of Minnesota trading out of that pick or passing on Kalil altogether. Maybe Kalil, who went to USC, reminds the Vikings too much of Los Angeles where they are rumored to be heading if they don't get this stadium issue resolved. Head coach Leslie Frazier came out and said tackle isn't a difference maker and they need a difference maker. The Vikings need a cornerback and take the best in the draft in Morris Claiborne. The Vikings need a corner as they play in a division with Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson, Aaron Rodgers and his group of receivers, and even Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall twice a year.
4. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson - RB - Alabama
The Cleveland Browns need so much help on offense and really need a play maker and difference maker. They won't take Ryan Tannehill here, there are reports of possibly wide receiver Justin Blackmon for Colt McCoy. But it appears Blackmon is not worth taking here so they go the best running back and offensive player at this spot in Trent Richardson.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Matt Kalil - OT - USC
The Bucs could trade out of this pick to someone who wants Matt Kalil as they really liked Trent Richardson and Morris Claiborne. They could also just sit here and take Kalil, the best left tackle in the draft, as they need a tackle.
6. St. Louis Rams (from Washington): Justin Blackmon - WR - Oklahoma State
The Rams have been linked to Richardson and Claiborne and both are off the board. There are reports that they want a defensive tackle, possibly Fletcher Cox. Even if Matt Kalil fell here it would be good for QB Sam Bradford, who was hit a ton last here and even missed 6 games because of injury. But the Rams take the best wide receiver in the draft in Justin Blackmon. This should give Bradford a number one receiver he's clearly lacked.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Stephon Gilmore - CB - South Carolina
The Jaguars could use a wide receiver for Blaine Gabbert, but Justin Blackmon is off the board even though Michael Floyd is on the board. But the Jags need a corner and really love Stephon Gilmore so he's the pick.
8. Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill - QB - Texas A&M
This is a desperation pick perhaps but the Dolphins need a QB after whiffing on Peyton Manning, Matt Flynn, and even Alex Smith in the offseason. The Dolphins like Tannehill a lot and unless someone trades up to get him or even Miami trades up, he'll be the pick here. The Dolphins have Matt Moore, who is decent but not a franchise guy. Moore can start for a year while Tannehill waits a year or so as he is not ready to start now. Offensive coordinator Mike Sherman recruited and coached Tannehill at Texas A&M.
9. Carolina Panthers: Fletcher Cox - DT - Mississippi State
The Panthers need a defensive tackle and take the best in the draft in Fletcher Cox. Some reports of Dontari Poe has climbed up the draft boards because of a great workout but seems to not the player Cox is.
10. Buffalo Bills: Mark Barron - S - Alabama
The Bills need a wide receiver, offensive tackle, and cornerback. Michael Floyd is on the board and would be a great number two opposite Steve Johnson. But the Bills don't seem to value him as he was not scheduled to workout with the Bills prior to the draft. Offensive tackle is a big point as they have worked out Cordy Glenn and Jonathan Martin. But GM Buddy Nix seemed to dismiss that notion of taking a tackle as they want a difference maker at 10 and that Chris Hairston can be a starter and there is a bunch of tackle depth in this draft. So it appears that the secondary is the option. The Bills seem to really love both cornerback Stephon Gilmore and safety Mark Barron. Gilmore has the slight edge otherwise its pretty even. Gilmore is off the board but he'd be the pick if he was on the board. So the Bills select Barron, who is a top-10 talent. As of today, I've been hearing an awful lot of Barron being the guy the Bills want.
11. Kansas City Chief: Luke Kuechly - LB - Boston College
12. Seattle Seahawks: Melvin Ingram - DE/OLB - South Carolina
13. Arizona Cardinals: Michael Floyd - WR - Notre Dame
14. Dallas Cowboys: Dontari Poe - DT - Memphis
15. Philadelphia Eagles: Quinton Coples - DE - North Carolina
16. New York Jets: Courtney Upshaw - DE/OLB - Alabama
17. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland): David DeCastro - OG - Stanford
18. San Diego Chargers: Riley Reiff - OT - Iowa
19. Chicago Bears: Jonathan Martin - OT - Stanford
20. Tennessee Titans: Whitney Mercilus - DE/OLB - Illinois
21. Cincinnati Bengals: Dre Kirkpatrick - CB - Alabama
22. Cleveland Browns (from Atlanta Falcons): Brandon Weeden - QB - Oklahoma State
23. Detroit Lions: Cordy Glenn - OT/OG - Georgia
24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Kevin Zeitler - OG - Wisconsin
25. Denver Broncos: Michael Brockers - DT - LSU
26. Houston Texans: Stephen Hill - WR - Georgia Tech
27. New England Patriots: Nick Perry - DE/OLB - USC
28. Green Bay Packers: Jerel Worthy - DT - Michigan State
29. Baltimore Ravens: Dont'a Hightower - LB - Alabama
30. San Francisco 49ers: Coby Fleener - TE - Stanford
31. New England Patriots: Shea McClellan - LB - Boise State
32. New York Giants: Mike Adams - OT - Ohio State
Showing posts with label College Football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label College Football. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Five Reasons Why I Wouldn't Want Ryan Tannehill
I've already written about the top two quarterback prospects in the draft: Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin (http://buffalosportsbeat.blogspot.com/2012/04/andrew-luck-vs-rg3.html). Both those men are slam dunk picks. The number three quarterback prospect in this year's draft is Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill. Tannehill could anywhere from #3 (with a team possibly trading up with Minnesota) to about #11 or #12. He does have great size, mobility, and arm strength. I'll tell you why I'm not buying the hype on Tannehill even though many are. Here are the five reasons why I wouldn't want Tannehill:
1. Lack of Starting Experience - He started only 19 games as a quarterback during his four years at Texas A&M and he did not start until the middle of his junior season. Tannehill was initially a wide receiver until he took over the starting job during his junior year. Guys like Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III started three years and guys like Peyton and Eli Manning and Phillip Rivers started four years. Sure Cam Newton started only 14 games as a junior at Auburn in 2010 when he won the Heisman Trophy and National Championship, but he also started a year at Blinn Junior College and led them to a National Championship as well. Plus Newton was recruited to be a quarterback, not a running back or wide receiver. I generally want my QB to have started at least three years, possibly two full seasons if there is a ton of success and he looks like he can start in the NFL immediately, like Luck after his redshirt sophomore year.
2. Wasn't Recruited Primarily as a Starting Quarterback - As mentioned above, Tannehill was primarily recruited and played as a wide receiver. He did play some at QB, but was mostly a wide receiver. I'm sorry but I want my QB to have been recruited and play primarily as a QB. It's the most important position in football and I want my guy to spend all his time learning to be a QB, not another position.
3. Hands - Tannehill has small hands for a quarterback. This means that he has a hard time gripping the ball, which leads to him fumbling the ball. He's fumbled a number of times in college. If he can't hold onto the ball while trying to make a play or fumbles the snap, then the opposing defenses are going to eat him alive and it will hurt his team in the battle for field position.
4. Intangibles - Tannehill has good size (6'4 220 lbs), a strong arm, and is very mobile. He also put up good numbers at Texas A&M such as completing 62.5% of his passes, 42 touchdowns, 21 interceptions, and a 134.2 QB rating. But he lacks those certain intangibles. For instance, he has a strong arm, but he lacks some zip on his ball when he tries to throw deep as it lands about a yard or two short of his intended target. Now throwing the ball 50 yards down the field isn't everything, but it's still very important. He's also admitted that he has trouble finding the safeties when throwing down the field which results into an interception. What? Are you kidding me? I do not want my franchise guy to say or think stuff like that.
I guarantee you Tom Brady, Peyton and Eli Manning, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and probably even Andrew Luck know where the safety is at all times and can throw it where only the receiver can get and where the safety can't. Sorry, Tannehill is not a franchise QB to me. He's also shown at times last year he was not able to bring his team from behind in the final two minutes or could not close out a game while leading, which led to the other team coming back to win.
5. Lack of Success Against Big Time Competition - Even though Tannehill has a pretty good record overall as a starter at 12-7, some of it is diluted. He is a very fast starter as he went 5-0 in his first five starts before falling to 7-7 over his last 14 starts. Even his senior year, Texas A&M was a top-10 team early on and started 5-2, only to lose four of their last six games to finish a disappointing 7-6. So it appears that defenses figure him out over a course of time. What do you think NFL defenses will do with much better, faster, and stronger athletes and better defensive coaches will do with time to prepare and figure him out?
In addition to this, I went and looked back at his toughest competition he faced the last two years, teams with the most NFL talent on their defense. In eight games against Oklahoma (twice), Oklahoma State, Texas (twice), Nebraska, LSU, and Arkansas, Tannehill completed just 55.8% of his passes with a woeful 5.9 yards per attempt, 11 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. The numbers don't lie. I'm not saying that all of those teams have elite NFL talent, but all of them have at least close to NFL talent as opposed to the rest of the competition he faced. If he struggled against these schools, what will he do against elite NFL defenders with very smart defensive coaches game planning? My answer, not too good.
Yea he creamed Baylor with RGIII starting, but Baylor has no NFL talent on their defense. He is clearly not ready to start right away, he'll need a year or so to start. Unfortunately, if I take a quarterback as high as Tannehill is projected in the top-10, I need him to be able to start right away. Sure, guys like Aaron Rodgers and Phillip Rivers sat the first couple of years, but that's because they were behind elite, Super Bowl quarterbacks. But both men were able to start day 1, they were just in a great position. Tannehill won't be so lucky and won't be behind an elite QB as either he'll be ineffective or injured and you might have to throw Tannehill in there.
Now I would not take Tannehill if I were drafting due to the reasons above. Of course I'm not a GM or scout but I like to think I know somewhat what I am talking about. I've seen "gimmicky" QBs in the NFL not work out so well. Someone like Tim Tebow is "gimmicky" but he at least started at QB for four years. Tannehill only started for a year-and-a-half. Despite playing for four years, he doesn't have enough experience to start for a franchise right away whoever drafts him. That being said, I don't think he'll be a bust, he could be a serviceable QB if he finds the right coach and offensive system tailored to his style. The reason why I don't think he will be a bust is because he has some first round talent and I wrote a blog earlier about first round QBs drafted since 2004 and its about an 80% success rate for guys to be elite or at least serviceable. Only 20% are busts (http://buffalosportsbeat.blogspot.com/2012/04/quarterbacks-drafted-in-first-round.html).
That's why teams could possibly trade up to as high as third overall to take him because you need to find a franchise QB and the only way to do so is to find them in the first round of the NFL Draft. QB values rise and are probably overrated because of the need for a franchise QB more than any other position in football. He is regarded as the third best QB behind only Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. Tannehill was originally slated to be an early 2nd, possibly late 1st before he rocketed up the charts because of his workout and combine and the teams in need of a QB. I'd take him maybe at the end of the 1st round or possibly 2nd, but the success of 2nd round QBs is very slim (http://buffalosportsbeat.blogspot.com/2012/04/quarterbacks-taken-in-2nd-and-3rd-round.html).
Basically, I would not take him unless it was absolutely necessary. It's possible Cleveland could take him at 4, or Miami at 8 or Kansas City at 11, unless someone offers Minnesota a sweet deal to move ahead of these teams. The other thing as to why QBs are more highly rated or overrated is because there is a rookie wage scale. No longer do you have to give a QB $30-40 million and worry about him being a huge bust and setting your franchise back many years. More teams are willing to take a risk on a QB higher than before. Look at last year for example, the first year of the rookie wage scale. Obviously Cam Newton was first overall even though some questioned whether he should have gone first overall or not. Carolina needed a QB bad they took him and it looks like a home run. Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert, and Christian Ponder went 8, 10, and 12 respectively even though they were considered to be mid-to-late 1st round picks, even 2nd round.
I wouldn't be overall shocked though if he were a bust, but I don't think he will. He just won't be elite. Maybe he could be like Tim Tebow in terms of having a coach and offensive system that is more tailored to him. He is more physically gifted and has a better arm than Tebow does. Tannehill just won't be Tom Brady, Peyton and Eli Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Phillip Rivers, or Matthew Stafford. He won't even be Cam Newton, Andrew Luck, or RGIII. Maybe he could turn out somewhat like Tony Romo, who is very athletically gifted with a great arm and extremely mobile. Romo was not drafted and took several years to work on him to get him up to speed. But Romo was again a starting QB in college. Athleticism is important and that's Tannehill's greatest strength. But I think it can be overrated too. Sure Rodgers, Romo, and Newton are great athletes as well as quarterbacks. But a lot of QBs that are great athletes don't make it in this league as a starting QB. Also, the best QBs: Brady, Brees, and the Mannings aren't the greatest athletes. They are very smart, cerebral in their approach, and meticulous in the way they pay attention to details as well as lead the team on their backs and control the way the game is being played.
So in conclusion, I would not draft Ryan Tannehill because I believe he won't be a franchise QB. I'm not saying he's a bust because I think there's a place for him in this league. But just don't think of him as that elite guy who leads you to multiple Super Bowls. Not happening.
1. Lack of Starting Experience - He started only 19 games as a quarterback during his four years at Texas A&M and he did not start until the middle of his junior season. Tannehill was initially a wide receiver until he took over the starting job during his junior year. Guys like Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III started three years and guys like Peyton and Eli Manning and Phillip Rivers started four years. Sure Cam Newton started only 14 games as a junior at Auburn in 2010 when he won the Heisman Trophy and National Championship, but he also started a year at Blinn Junior College and led them to a National Championship as well. Plus Newton was recruited to be a quarterback, not a running back or wide receiver. I generally want my QB to have started at least three years, possibly two full seasons if there is a ton of success and he looks like he can start in the NFL immediately, like Luck after his redshirt sophomore year.
2. Wasn't Recruited Primarily as a Starting Quarterback - As mentioned above, Tannehill was primarily recruited and played as a wide receiver. He did play some at QB, but was mostly a wide receiver. I'm sorry but I want my QB to have been recruited and play primarily as a QB. It's the most important position in football and I want my guy to spend all his time learning to be a QB, not another position.
3. Hands - Tannehill has small hands for a quarterback. This means that he has a hard time gripping the ball, which leads to him fumbling the ball. He's fumbled a number of times in college. If he can't hold onto the ball while trying to make a play or fumbles the snap, then the opposing defenses are going to eat him alive and it will hurt his team in the battle for field position.
4. Intangibles - Tannehill has good size (6'4 220 lbs), a strong arm, and is very mobile. He also put up good numbers at Texas A&M such as completing 62.5% of his passes, 42 touchdowns, 21 interceptions, and a 134.2 QB rating. But he lacks those certain intangibles. For instance, he has a strong arm, but he lacks some zip on his ball when he tries to throw deep as it lands about a yard or two short of his intended target. Now throwing the ball 50 yards down the field isn't everything, but it's still very important. He's also admitted that he has trouble finding the safeties when throwing down the field which results into an interception. What? Are you kidding me? I do not want my franchise guy to say or think stuff like that.
I guarantee you Tom Brady, Peyton and Eli Manning, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and probably even Andrew Luck know where the safety is at all times and can throw it where only the receiver can get and where the safety can't. Sorry, Tannehill is not a franchise QB to me. He's also shown at times last year he was not able to bring his team from behind in the final two minutes or could not close out a game while leading, which led to the other team coming back to win.
5. Lack of Success Against Big Time Competition - Even though Tannehill has a pretty good record overall as a starter at 12-7, some of it is diluted. He is a very fast starter as he went 5-0 in his first five starts before falling to 7-7 over his last 14 starts. Even his senior year, Texas A&M was a top-10 team early on and started 5-2, only to lose four of their last six games to finish a disappointing 7-6. So it appears that defenses figure him out over a course of time. What do you think NFL defenses will do with much better, faster, and stronger athletes and better defensive coaches will do with time to prepare and figure him out?
In addition to this, I went and looked back at his toughest competition he faced the last two years, teams with the most NFL talent on their defense. In eight games against Oklahoma (twice), Oklahoma State, Texas (twice), Nebraska, LSU, and Arkansas, Tannehill completed just 55.8% of his passes with a woeful 5.9 yards per attempt, 11 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. The numbers don't lie. I'm not saying that all of those teams have elite NFL talent, but all of them have at least close to NFL talent as opposed to the rest of the competition he faced. If he struggled against these schools, what will he do against elite NFL defenders with very smart defensive coaches game planning? My answer, not too good.
Yea he creamed Baylor with RGIII starting, but Baylor has no NFL talent on their defense. He is clearly not ready to start right away, he'll need a year or so to start. Unfortunately, if I take a quarterback as high as Tannehill is projected in the top-10, I need him to be able to start right away. Sure, guys like Aaron Rodgers and Phillip Rivers sat the first couple of years, but that's because they were behind elite, Super Bowl quarterbacks. But both men were able to start day 1, they were just in a great position. Tannehill won't be so lucky and won't be behind an elite QB as either he'll be ineffective or injured and you might have to throw Tannehill in there.
Now I would not take Tannehill if I were drafting due to the reasons above. Of course I'm not a GM or scout but I like to think I know somewhat what I am talking about. I've seen "gimmicky" QBs in the NFL not work out so well. Someone like Tim Tebow is "gimmicky" but he at least started at QB for four years. Tannehill only started for a year-and-a-half. Despite playing for four years, he doesn't have enough experience to start for a franchise right away whoever drafts him. That being said, I don't think he'll be a bust, he could be a serviceable QB if he finds the right coach and offensive system tailored to his style. The reason why I don't think he will be a bust is because he has some first round talent and I wrote a blog earlier about first round QBs drafted since 2004 and its about an 80% success rate for guys to be elite or at least serviceable. Only 20% are busts (http://buffalosportsbeat.blogspot.com/2012/04/quarterbacks-drafted-in-first-round.html).
That's why teams could possibly trade up to as high as third overall to take him because you need to find a franchise QB and the only way to do so is to find them in the first round of the NFL Draft. QB values rise and are probably overrated because of the need for a franchise QB more than any other position in football. He is regarded as the third best QB behind only Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. Tannehill was originally slated to be an early 2nd, possibly late 1st before he rocketed up the charts because of his workout and combine and the teams in need of a QB. I'd take him maybe at the end of the 1st round or possibly 2nd, but the success of 2nd round QBs is very slim (http://buffalosportsbeat.blogspot.com/2012/04/quarterbacks-taken-in-2nd-and-3rd-round.html).
Basically, I would not take him unless it was absolutely necessary. It's possible Cleveland could take him at 4, or Miami at 8 or Kansas City at 11, unless someone offers Minnesota a sweet deal to move ahead of these teams. The other thing as to why QBs are more highly rated or overrated is because there is a rookie wage scale. No longer do you have to give a QB $30-40 million and worry about him being a huge bust and setting your franchise back many years. More teams are willing to take a risk on a QB higher than before. Look at last year for example, the first year of the rookie wage scale. Obviously Cam Newton was first overall even though some questioned whether he should have gone first overall or not. Carolina needed a QB bad they took him and it looks like a home run. Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert, and Christian Ponder went 8, 10, and 12 respectively even though they were considered to be mid-to-late 1st round picks, even 2nd round.
I wouldn't be overall shocked though if he were a bust, but I don't think he will. He just won't be elite. Maybe he could be like Tim Tebow in terms of having a coach and offensive system that is more tailored to him. He is more physically gifted and has a better arm than Tebow does. Tannehill just won't be Tom Brady, Peyton and Eli Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Phillip Rivers, or Matthew Stafford. He won't even be Cam Newton, Andrew Luck, or RGIII. Maybe he could turn out somewhat like Tony Romo, who is very athletically gifted with a great arm and extremely mobile. Romo was not drafted and took several years to work on him to get him up to speed. But Romo was again a starting QB in college. Athleticism is important and that's Tannehill's greatest strength. But I think it can be overrated too. Sure Rodgers, Romo, and Newton are great athletes as well as quarterbacks. But a lot of QBs that are great athletes don't make it in this league as a starting QB. Also, the best QBs: Brady, Brees, and the Mannings aren't the greatest athletes. They are very smart, cerebral in their approach, and meticulous in the way they pay attention to details as well as lead the team on their backs and control the way the game is being played.
So in conclusion, I would not draft Ryan Tannehill because I believe he won't be a franchise QB. I'm not saying he's a bust because I think there's a place for him in this league. But just don't think of him as that elite guy who leads you to multiple Super Bowls. Not happening.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Andrew Luck vs. RG3
This year's NFL Draft will have the two best quarterbacks in college football going 1st and 2nd: Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. Both men have had two great careers at Stanford and Baylor respectively. Both schools are very highly academic and neither school in recent years had much success in football. That was until these two men came along and totally changed their fortunes around. See just because you are smart, does not mean you can't be athletically gifted. These are different breeds of athletes who make teams and talent around them better. I think it is one thing if both these QBs went to primarily football schools like USC, Ohio State, Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Michigan, and Florida. But they choose schools that were smaller and were more for shall I say, the academically gifted. They really have not had much success in football. You don't go to Stanford and Baylor primarily for football. Sure both these men went for a great education, but both are capable of starting in the NFL and both will drafted 1 and 2. Both these men have the intelligence to make great decisions on and off the field and their physical talents make them the stars that they are. I will show you both men similarities and differences and which one is worth drafting 1st overall.
As I mentioned, Luck went to Stanford. Another high profile QB went to Stanford, that was John Elway. Another former Super Bowl winning QB who also won the Heisman Trophy went there as well, that was Jim Plunkett. But in recent years, Stanford had not been the model for success in college football. Generally, they finished near or at the bottom of the Pac-12. Then Jim Harbaugh came along in 2007 and helped change the fortunes around and even beat mighty USC twice in his first three years there. Harbaugh recruited Luck, who was a four-star recruit. Luck was a son of a former NFL QB in Oliver Luck. Luck spent his early childhood in London, England and Frankfurt, Germany, where his father was a general manager of two teams in the World League of American Football, before Oliver became the president of the league. Then the family came back to the U.S., where Oliver ran his own business in Houston. Luck was a stellar QB in high school and was brilliant, as he was co-valedictorian of his class in 2008.
Luck redshirted his freshman year in 2008 before earning the starting job as a redshirt freshman in 2009. Despite playing in a run-oriented offense behind Heisman runner-up Toby Gerhart, luck led the Pac-10 in passing efficiency and was second in total offense. Luck led the Cardinal to victories over top-10 teams Oregon and USC and led Stanford to its first bowl game since 2001. Luck was one of the top players in college football in 2010 as he led Stanford to a 12-1 record, a #4 ranking in the final AP Poll, and an Orange Bowl win. Luck led the Pac-10 in passing efficiency, passing yards, total offense, and passing touchdowns as he was named Pac-10 Player of the Year. Luck was runner-up to Cam Newton in voting for the Heisman Trophy. He also won Orange Bowl MVP after throwing 4 touchdowns in a 40-12 rout over Virginia Tech. Luck was the unanimous #1 overall pick going into the 2011 NFL Draft if he came out. Even though his head coach Jim Harbaugh left to go to the NFL, Luck decided to stay for his redshirt junior season and finish his degree.
Luck had a new head coach in David Shaw, who was Luck's offensive coordinator. Shaw helped mold Luck into the QB he is and the Cardinal's offense was one of the highest scoring in the NCAA. Luck finished his junior season by breaking many school and conference passing records and was named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row. He guided the Cardinal to an 11-2 record, a #7 ranking in the final AP Poll, and a second straight berth in a BCS Bowl Game, where they lost to Oklahoma State. Luck was again runner-up for the Heisman for the second straight year. Luck declared for the NFL Draft after the season and is considered to be the #1 pick in this year's NFL Draft. Luck is considered to be the best quarterback prospect to come out since Peyton Manning in 1998. Some say he is the best since John Elway in 1983. Luck has a cerebral approach to the game as he can make all the throws necessary, throwing balls into tight windows where only the receiver can catch those, has a strong arm, can throw deep, is very accurate, and he is also very mobile as he broke Elway's single-season record for rushing yards by a quarterback as he is very athletically gifted.
Griffin was the one who beat Luck for the Heisman Trophy last season. Griffin went to Baylor after originally committing to play for Houston under head coach Art Briles, but switched to Baylor after Briles decided to go to Baylor. Griffin was a three-sport star athlete in football, basketball, and track in high school. He was a sensational dual-threat quarterback as well as a track star as was named to the All-USA Track and Field team as a sprinter/hurdler. Griffin graduated a semester early from high school after serving as president and graduated seventh in his class so he can join the Baylor track team and get ready to play QB. Griffin started 11 of the 12 games for Baylor in 2008 as a true freshman and was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year. Despite finishing 4-8, Baylor was much more improved with Griffin under center. Griffin threw for 2,091 yards, 15 touchdowns, and just three interceptions and also rushed for 843 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. Griffin also led Baylor to a 41-21 upset victory over Texas A&M. Griffin tore his ACL in the third game in 2009, ending his season as he used a medical redshirt for the rest of the season to give him another year of college eligibility. Griffin came back healthy for 2010 and guided Baylor to its first bowl game since 1994.
Griffin started the 2011 season on a tear as he guided Baylor to an upset win over then #15 TCU as he completed nearly 78% of his passes for 359 yards and 5 touchdowns. After struggling in October where they lost 3 of 4 games to conference rivals Kansas State, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma State, Baylor rebounded as Griffin led the Bears to five straight wins to close out the season. Griffin soon showcased his Heisman moments. Against Kansas, Griffin led Baylor from a 21-point 4th quarter deficit to a 31-30 overtime win. Then against #5 Oklahoma, Griffin threw a highlight 34-yard touchdown pass with just 8 seconds left to win, 45-38. Then Baylor ended the regular season by beating Texas Tech 66-42 and #22 Texas 48-24 to finish 9-3, 6-3 in Big 12 play. As a result, Griffin became the first player from Baylor to win the Heisman Trophy. He was definitely the most electrifying player in college football. It just so happened that Baylor played the most spectacular Alamo Bowl and one of the most exciting bowl games ever against Washington. Baylor fell behind 49-39 lead in the 3rd quarter, then outscored them 28-7 the rest of the game to win 67-56. Griffin finished the season ranked second in the nation in passing efficiency at 189.5 along with 4,293 passing yards, 37 touchdowns, just six interceptions, 72.4 completion %, 10.7 yards per attempt, 699 rushing yards, and 10 rushing touchdowns. Baylor finished 10-3 and ranked 13th in the final AP Poll, the highest ranking for Baylor in 25 years.
Both Luck and Griffin have many similarities that make them great. Both are very bright, both went to schools that are more intellectual and less to do with football and both took those schools to heights where they haven't been to in a long time, both have tremendous arms, both are extremely accurate, both do not turn the ball over or make a lot of mistakes and bad throws, both throw from the pocket, and both are extremely mobile, although Griffin is faster. The differences are size where Luck is a little taller and weighs a little more and also the talent around them where Griffin had more offensive talent around him than Luck did and I think Luck did more with less. That doesn't mean Griffin can't do well without great talent around him and its not like he had a tremendous defense and bailed them out many times, but Luck showed he can lead a team without much offensive talent and make them better.
If I can compare Luck with NFL QBs I'd say he's a lot like John Elway because they are both very mobile and athletic and smart and have a strong arm. He's also quite like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and even Eli Manning in terms of intelligence and ability to lead teams and be able to call plays and audible at the line of scrimmage. Griffin's accuracy especially down the field, height, and intelligence is reminiscent of Drew Brees. His ability to move around and throw on the run and his ability to not turn the ball over reminds me of Aaron Rodgers while his overall mobility reminds me of Cam Newton. As you can tell, there is a lot of qualities in both of these men that can make them elite QBs in the NFL. I'm not saying they will be these guys, but if they are anything close they will be great NFL QBs who could lead their respective teams to the Super Bowl.
If I were to pick one of these guys first overall, it would be Luck just because I've seen more of him the last two years and I think he is the slam dunk pick. Griffin is not a bad consolation prize and has tremendous upside that could maybe even surpass Luck. But I want the stability of what Luck brings and has brought the last few years. But Griffin is a close second to Luck and its not at all like Manning-Leaf in 98. Griffin will be very good too.
As I mentioned, Luck went to Stanford. Another high profile QB went to Stanford, that was John Elway. Another former Super Bowl winning QB who also won the Heisman Trophy went there as well, that was Jim Plunkett. But in recent years, Stanford had not been the model for success in college football. Generally, they finished near or at the bottom of the Pac-12. Then Jim Harbaugh came along in 2007 and helped change the fortunes around and even beat mighty USC twice in his first three years there. Harbaugh recruited Luck, who was a four-star recruit. Luck was a son of a former NFL QB in Oliver Luck. Luck spent his early childhood in London, England and Frankfurt, Germany, where his father was a general manager of two teams in the World League of American Football, before Oliver became the president of the league. Then the family came back to the U.S., where Oliver ran his own business in Houston. Luck was a stellar QB in high school and was brilliant, as he was co-valedictorian of his class in 2008.
Luck redshirted his freshman year in 2008 before earning the starting job as a redshirt freshman in 2009. Despite playing in a run-oriented offense behind Heisman runner-up Toby Gerhart, luck led the Pac-10 in passing efficiency and was second in total offense. Luck led the Cardinal to victories over top-10 teams Oregon and USC and led Stanford to its first bowl game since 2001. Luck was one of the top players in college football in 2010 as he led Stanford to a 12-1 record, a #4 ranking in the final AP Poll, and an Orange Bowl win. Luck led the Pac-10 in passing efficiency, passing yards, total offense, and passing touchdowns as he was named Pac-10 Player of the Year. Luck was runner-up to Cam Newton in voting for the Heisman Trophy. He also won Orange Bowl MVP after throwing 4 touchdowns in a 40-12 rout over Virginia Tech. Luck was the unanimous #1 overall pick going into the 2011 NFL Draft if he came out. Even though his head coach Jim Harbaugh left to go to the NFL, Luck decided to stay for his redshirt junior season and finish his degree.
Luck had a new head coach in David Shaw, who was Luck's offensive coordinator. Shaw helped mold Luck into the QB he is and the Cardinal's offense was one of the highest scoring in the NCAA. Luck finished his junior season by breaking many school and conference passing records and was named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row. He guided the Cardinal to an 11-2 record, a #7 ranking in the final AP Poll, and a second straight berth in a BCS Bowl Game, where they lost to Oklahoma State. Luck was again runner-up for the Heisman for the second straight year. Luck declared for the NFL Draft after the season and is considered to be the #1 pick in this year's NFL Draft. Luck is considered to be the best quarterback prospect to come out since Peyton Manning in 1998. Some say he is the best since John Elway in 1983. Luck has a cerebral approach to the game as he can make all the throws necessary, throwing balls into tight windows where only the receiver can catch those, has a strong arm, can throw deep, is very accurate, and he is also very mobile as he broke Elway's single-season record for rushing yards by a quarterback as he is very athletically gifted.
Griffin was the one who beat Luck for the Heisman Trophy last season. Griffin went to Baylor after originally committing to play for Houston under head coach Art Briles, but switched to Baylor after Briles decided to go to Baylor. Griffin was a three-sport star athlete in football, basketball, and track in high school. He was a sensational dual-threat quarterback as well as a track star as was named to the All-USA Track and Field team as a sprinter/hurdler. Griffin graduated a semester early from high school after serving as president and graduated seventh in his class so he can join the Baylor track team and get ready to play QB. Griffin started 11 of the 12 games for Baylor in 2008 as a true freshman and was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year. Despite finishing 4-8, Baylor was much more improved with Griffin under center. Griffin threw for 2,091 yards, 15 touchdowns, and just three interceptions and also rushed for 843 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. Griffin also led Baylor to a 41-21 upset victory over Texas A&M. Griffin tore his ACL in the third game in 2009, ending his season as he used a medical redshirt for the rest of the season to give him another year of college eligibility. Griffin came back healthy for 2010 and guided Baylor to its first bowl game since 1994.
Griffin started the 2011 season on a tear as he guided Baylor to an upset win over then #15 TCU as he completed nearly 78% of his passes for 359 yards and 5 touchdowns. After struggling in October where they lost 3 of 4 games to conference rivals Kansas State, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma State, Baylor rebounded as Griffin led the Bears to five straight wins to close out the season. Griffin soon showcased his Heisman moments. Against Kansas, Griffin led Baylor from a 21-point 4th quarter deficit to a 31-30 overtime win. Then against #5 Oklahoma, Griffin threw a highlight 34-yard touchdown pass with just 8 seconds left to win, 45-38. Then Baylor ended the regular season by beating Texas Tech 66-42 and #22 Texas 48-24 to finish 9-3, 6-3 in Big 12 play. As a result, Griffin became the first player from Baylor to win the Heisman Trophy. He was definitely the most electrifying player in college football. It just so happened that Baylor played the most spectacular Alamo Bowl and one of the most exciting bowl games ever against Washington. Baylor fell behind 49-39 lead in the 3rd quarter, then outscored them 28-7 the rest of the game to win 67-56. Griffin finished the season ranked second in the nation in passing efficiency at 189.5 along with 4,293 passing yards, 37 touchdowns, just six interceptions, 72.4 completion %, 10.7 yards per attempt, 699 rushing yards, and 10 rushing touchdowns. Baylor finished 10-3 and ranked 13th in the final AP Poll, the highest ranking for Baylor in 25 years.
Both Luck and Griffin have many similarities that make them great. Both are very bright, both went to schools that are more intellectual and less to do with football and both took those schools to heights where they haven't been to in a long time, both have tremendous arms, both are extremely accurate, both do not turn the ball over or make a lot of mistakes and bad throws, both throw from the pocket, and both are extremely mobile, although Griffin is faster. The differences are size where Luck is a little taller and weighs a little more and also the talent around them where Griffin had more offensive talent around him than Luck did and I think Luck did more with less. That doesn't mean Griffin can't do well without great talent around him and its not like he had a tremendous defense and bailed them out many times, but Luck showed he can lead a team without much offensive talent and make them better.
If I can compare Luck with NFL QBs I'd say he's a lot like John Elway because they are both very mobile and athletic and smart and have a strong arm. He's also quite like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and even Eli Manning in terms of intelligence and ability to lead teams and be able to call plays and audible at the line of scrimmage. Griffin's accuracy especially down the field, height, and intelligence is reminiscent of Drew Brees. His ability to move around and throw on the run and his ability to not turn the ball over reminds me of Aaron Rodgers while his overall mobility reminds me of Cam Newton. As you can tell, there is a lot of qualities in both of these men that can make them elite QBs in the NFL. I'm not saying they will be these guys, but if they are anything close they will be great NFL QBs who could lead their respective teams to the Super Bowl.
If I were to pick one of these guys first overall, it would be Luck just because I've seen more of him the last two years and I think he is the slam dunk pick. Griffin is not a bad consolation prize and has tremendous upside that could maybe even surpass Luck. But I want the stability of what Luck brings and has brought the last few years. But Griffin is a close second to Luck and its not at all like Manning-Leaf in 98. Griffin will be very good too.
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