The 2013 NFL draft is really deep when it comes to the offensive line, running backs, tight ends & defensive line; however, the quarterback position in my opinion doesn’t seem to be as deep. Last year of course we had 5 quarterbacks get drafted that now have starting jobs, Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Ryan Tannehill, Russell Wilson & Nick Foles respectively. I don’t see that kind of dept this year with this class but I do see some talent so without further a due my top 5 qbs coming out, who they compare to & where they fit best. (Keep in mind these are all seniors as underclassmen haven’t declared for the draft yet.)
1. Geno Smith, West Virginia
If you ask me Geno Smith maybe the most NFL ready quarterback in this draft, with that being said I believe he clearly goes #1 either to the Chiefs or the Jaguars but is he the right fit??? In Jacksonville they have a stud tight end in Mercedes Lewis a 6'6 speedy athletic guy who can really take over the middle of the field, they have a couple of wide receivers developing with Justin Blackmon their 2012 1st overall selection & Cecil Shorts has come along this year as a slot guy. In addition to those guys you got to think you’re going to get Maurice Jones-Drew back next year which will help this offense out a ton! I think Geno is a great fit here he's got a strong arm, he's very accurate but I question his decision making at times it seems like after his first read he gets confused out there so he may need to be coached up but if you’re the Jags you have to take this guy, he's completed 71.4% of his passes this year which is 2nd in the nation, he's 4th in the nation with 4,004 yards & leads the nation in touchdowns with 40 & has only 6 ints....nuff said.
Player comparison:
He reminds me of Josh Freeman, big guy with a strong accurate arm coming from the Big-12.
2. Matt Barkley, USC
Barkley is interesting but let’s say the Jags have the #1 pick & go with Geno Smith, that leaves the Bills, Chiefs & Cardinals looking for a qb I see Barkley landing somewhere there if I had to take a wild guess I'd say the Cardinals Larry Fitzgerald has to be fed up with the quarterback play & it’s time to bring in a franchise guy & many people believe Barkley can be that guy. What hurts Barkley are his predecessors Carson Palmer, Matt Lienart & Mark Sanchez. You’re going to have teams thinking this year "Do we want the next USC bust on our roster?" If I'm Cardinal fans I don’t worry about that though this kid has started at USC since in first day on campus & he's been the face of that program for 4 years. I think what you get with Barkley is experience, knowledge of the position & a competitive fire that every team loves in a young quarterback. Barkley didn’t "light it up" this year but he did complete 64% of his passes & threw for over 3,000 yards with 36 touchdowns, the 16 ints bother me, he tends to make the head scratching throw at times that makes you wonder how could anyone want to use a first rounder on him. I will say that he's a winner & a fighter with a big arm, GREAT foot work in the pocket & he has the smarts to not only manage a game but help players line up on the field & be a field general. I believe the Cardinals would be a good fit but they'd need to sure up the offensive line & get some kind of a running game going but you can’t win games if you can’t get Fitzgerald the ball so I say draft Barkley.
Player comparison: Andy Dalton, their footwork in the pocket stands out to me, & neither one has a HUGE arm but both have strong arms I think Barkley & Dalton are very close to eachother.
3. Tyler Wilson, Arkansas
Tyler Wilson is a interesting case to say the least, many people think he should've entered the draft after last year but he decided to go back to school for one more year after throwing for 3600+ yards with 24 touchdowns to just 6 ints compared to this year where he's thrown for 3,300 yards with 21 touchdowns & 13 ints. Look clearly his stock has gone down from last year but the team around him this year was just awful so I don’t think you can just look at the numbers. I believe Wilson will be a starter in this league he's got great poise in the pocket, decent foot work, a good strong live arm & he's accurate which are all things you need in a quarterback at the next level. There’s some people out there questioning his mental toughness, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with his mental toughness he played on a bad team this year that was in a tough situation not to mention he got hurt early in the season & missed the Alabama game. If I'm the Chiefs and it’s the 2nd round and Tyler Wilson is there I am licking my chops thinking we got our guy! The Chiefs already have Jamaal Charles who is a great back but it’s time to put someone under center that has some kind of promise & I believe Wilson is a good fit. He won’t have alit of weapons to work with next year Bowe seems to want out so maybe it'll be good for the Chiefs to draft Wilson & develop him by handing the ball to Charles & playing defense. Tyler isn’t going to wow anyone at the combine with his athleticism but for the Chiefs I believe it gives them an upgrade at the position & a solid foundation moving forward.
Player comparison: Eli Manning, notice the picture is from Eli Mannings' rookie year, now I'm not saying Wilson will go on to win 2 superbowls but when you watch him he slides in the pocket alot like Eli their throwing motions are very close, they both have strong arms but not huge arms I think its a safe comparison.
4. Mike Glennon, NC State
Mike Glennon is an interesting one, he's 6-6 230 & can make every throw in the book; he's very accurate, moves well in the pocket for a big guy but not what you would call athletic. I don’t see Glennon going higher than mid to late 2nd, I personally think he's a 3rd round choice not to take anything away from Glennon but I think he'll need to sit for a year or two I've watched him this year & I was impressed like I said he's got a big strong arm & he throws a real tight spiral, you rarely see him miss a open receiver he's very accurate. I wonder if he can be consistent at the next level, he had a horrible game to start the year off against Tennessee than really bounced back he really struggled in the Florida St game until that last drive where he led them down the field for the game winning score. I think he's going to be a talented quarterback at the next level but I wouldn’t throw him out there as a rookie, if I'm the Bills though I have to take a shot on this kid, there’s talk about Buffalo bringing in Mike Vick in the offseason if they do that I say draft Glennon so he can sit for a year or two.
Player comparison: Matt Ryan, when you watch Glennon play he looks like Matt Ryan jr, a tall traditional qb with a strong arm who is deadly accurate,I think you bring Glennon along the same way the Falcons did Ryan you run the football & limit his mistakes until hes mature enough to handle the offense.
5. Landry Jones, Oklahoma
Landry Jones probably won’t get as much run as the other 4 guys I've named but he had an awesome college career he threw for over 4,000 yards twice & is only 11 yards away from 4,000 this year. A four year starter at OU, Jones has a lot of promise I don’t see him going in the 1st or 2nd but a late 3rd early 4th round pick for Landry Jones seems to be a good fit. If you’re the Cowboys how do you not spend a 4th round pick on this kid? Nobody is asking for the Cowboys to draft the next Aikman but you do need a guy there for when Romo's career is over & why not Jones? Big arm, good poise in the pocket & let’s remember before the season Jones didn’t have any work with the receivers he's been throwing to all year so it took them a couple of games to gel. I really think people are over looking Landry Jones because he's not Andrew Luck or RG3 but I think with some coaching Jones can be a franchise qb in this league.
Player comparison/i>: Jake Plummer, Jones & Plummer to me are so a like its scary! Just like Plummer I believe with coaching & the right system Landry Jones can be a solid qb in the NFL.
