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QB Profiles
By: John McMullen
At quarterback, Tim Couch and Daunte Culpepper both look like certain top 5 picks and could go 1-2 , depending on how quarterback desperate the team with the second pick ends up. Couch is a Junior but widely suspected to be coming out a year early and it makes sense. If you are going to be the number one pick, what more can Couch accomplish at Kentucky? Certainly not a National Championship and an injury or bad year could wreak havoc with his future earning power.
Culpepper is big, runs fast and has a cannon arm with a textbook release, but there are question marks. He put Central Florida's football program on the map but it's still a weak program overall and the level of competition that he's been playing against is suspect to say the least. Culpepper projects to make the leap rather easily but you never know.
After the big 2, there are some interesting prospects that will merit a serious look by some NFL teams, especially Syracuse's Donavan McNabb. Here's a look at the top 10 quarterback prospects:
- Tim Couch Kentucky 6-5 220
Couch has prototypical NFL size and strength. He brings good athletic ability with above average arm speed and a beautiful natural touch in the horizontal passing game. Most scouts aren't totally sold on and still need to evaluate his deep ball. At Kentucky, Hal Mummy has built the offense around Couch and he is flourishing in a wide-open offense. In the NFL, he will most likely have to be more of a system quarterback. He is being well-coached in the passing game but is still very young and needs time to develop his all around game. He seems mature enough and definitely has all the tools to be a great one. All quarterbacks struggle with the jump from college to the NFL, but at this point Couch projects out better than Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf in the long run.
- Daunte Culpepper Central Florida 6-4 255
Another of the 1990's prototypical QB with massive size, great athletic ability & excellent arm strength. Culpepper is an experienced four-year college starter with a huge upside. He has above average to frightening measureables in every category. Like Couch, he is the product of a wide-open pass offense. He throws all the passes with good touch and has been solid at reading his progressions and not throwing into coverage. He will still need to improve his reading of defenses at the next level. The speed of the pro game is likely to be a rude awakening for him but he is a tough kid who can take a hit and dish it out. His pro ranking has come down a little but he still looks like a top 5 pick. Has a bigger upside than Couch.
- Donovan McNabb Syracuse 6-2 226
An awesome athlete and a natural runner with a very good arm. McNabb
may be the best pure athlete among all the eligible college quarterbacks. He is a bit of a three-quarters passer that may hinder him with batted balls at the next level. Relies on his arm to much and has to use entire body to throw. Has had a lot of trouble with the quarterback-center exchange this year and is prone to the huge game turning mistake. A couple of past injuries leave some questions but he has had a big season thus far so that criticism is wearing off. McNabb is a gamble as a first rounder but with his athletic ability and sound, patient coaching, he could develop into the most dangerous weapon the NFL has seen since Randall Cunningham is his prime.
- Brock Huard Washington 6-5 220
Huard is a huge southpaw with good touch as well as above average velocity on his ball. An excellent NFL prospect who is a three year starter. Has a great feel in the pocket and appears to see whole field. He's like a good changeup pitcher in baseball that controls ball speed depending on the throw. Doesn't throw with consistency and sometimes leaves a few hospital balls that expose his receivers. Huard is certain to be a 1st Round pick if he comes out but waiting it out one more year may vault him into a top 10 type pick.
- Michael Bishop Kansas State 6-1 205
Bishop is another great athlete with big time mobility and, perhaps, the strongest arm in the draft but 6-1 doesn't cut it the land of giants that the NFL has become. He is a flat out winner both at the Junior College level and now has Kansas St. in the National Title picture. He will have trouble seeing over the trees which will lead to bad reads, bad throws and bad interceptions. If Bishop weathers the storm and doesn't lose confidence, he certainly has the athleticism to make a difference for some Quarterback starved team in the NFL.
- Cade McNown UCLA 6-1 215
McNown is a three-year starter whose is a flat-out playmaker. Lacks great size, height or a powerful arm but moves and slides in the pocket better than anyone out their. McNown is not going to wow teams with his measurables or athletic ability but he is a flat out winner. Reminds you of an old time lefty Kenny Stabler because of his do anything to win mentality but plays more like Steve Young, without the world class running ability.
- Oscar Davenport North Carolina 6-4 195
Davenport is another big time playmaker at the QB position. He's a tall pocket passer who is very athletic, throws well on the move and has escapability but lacks great mechanics. Has good height & arm strength as well as excellent field vision. His size alone makes him makes him a solid prospect but he needs to develop and refine his touch. In a few years, Davenport could vault above most on this list if he gets solid coaching at the next level. He could be a special player. A knee injury in this years opener sidelined him and there are questions about his durability.
- Joe Germaine Ohio State 6-2 196
Germaine is a strong armed Quarterback with good field vision. He's a little undersized both in height and weight. Has a great supporting cast which will lead to questions about whether he is a legitimate prospect or another Bobby Hoying. The loss to Michigan St., fair or not, really hurts him.
- Akili Smith Oregon 6-3 215
Smith is a very interesting prospect who came on like gangbusters this year. has the size and speed (4.6) that is certainly in vogue in the NFL right now. He isn't the pure passer that will merit early round consideration but could fit in as a developmental type that comes on down the road.
- Jarious Jackson Notre Dame 6-2 220
This selection might surprise a lot of people but I can't help being impressed by Jackson every time I see him. He's not a natural quarterback and struggles with his accuracy, especially early in games but he keeps getting better and better. He might be the strongest Quarterback this side of Culpepper and has turned around a Notre Dame team that struggled mightily under Ron Powlus. Jackson has one year of eligibility left and will probably go to Grad School and head back to South Bend, but this kid is what NFL Practice Squads were made for.
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