Tackled for a Loss: Draft Preview- QB’s

[Philadelphia Freedom]

Dateline: 4/9/02
by Linus Scrimmage

In an attempt to provide of a rough estimate of the amount of money that will be spent on the rookie draft I tried to determine how the 36 slots would be filled by position (using the original payscale). This was a rough method but if the following is close to the breakdown we will soon be spending about $20,000 cb’s between us. I have estimated the following:

QB’s: 7 for $4,350 (will preview 10)
RB’s: 12 for $8,100 (will preview 15)
WR’s: 13 for $5,900 (will preview 20)
TE’s: 4 for $1,100 (will 5 TE’s and 2 kickers)

With $20,000 about to be paid, I will be focusing on these four positions over the next 4 columns. Unlike Stephen Ambrose, I am openly admitting to “borrowing” the majority of this information, in fact I have taken the rankings from BuzzardBlaster’s 2002 NFL Draft Value Board and the comments from, football.com where D.J. Boyer is the Content Manager. Today we will discuss the “top” 10 Quarterbacks (please note the situation that a player goes to could affect his FF value):

1. David Carr - Fresno State - 6-3 - 220 pounds
Carr is the cream of the crop at the quarterback position and looks to be a lock for the #1 pick with the Houston Texans. Carr is the best quarterback in the draft just ahead of Joey Harrington from Oregon, but he doesn't have the immediate ability to come into the NFL and lead his team into playoff contention. Most overall #1 picks came in and started in the league right away, I don't think David Carr is suited for this role. What gives Carr such a high rating are his mechanics and understanding of the game, they are nearly flawless. Carr shows a lot of confidence in the pocket and you won't see him second-guessing himself. Carr does need to become more familiar with different NFL packages so that his quick decisions don't lead to mistakes and that he doesn't try to do too much on the football field. Carr had an amazing cast of personnel around him in college and hopefully he gets a good system to work with in the NFL.

2. Joey Harrington - Oregon - 6-3 - 215 pounds
Joey Harrington seems to be just below David Carr on the QB list right now but he should be a first round selection. The teams that seem to be showing the most interest in Harrington are the Washington Redskins, Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills. Harrington has a great release, which highlights his impressive overall mechanical skills. Another aspect to Harrington's game that is well liked by many is his comeback ability. Harrington doesn't get rattled and always seems to be just one play away even when trailing in the fourth quarter of a game. Harrington does gets fixated on certain receivers at times and he will have to learn to look off receivers more frequently. Harrington is a bit streaky and can be rattled so his consistency needs to be addressed. We all know Harrington will be going in the first round, we just don't know which team will take him.

3. Patrick Ramsey - Tulane - 6-3 - 225 pounds
Patrick Ramsey is a player I am not as sold on as others but you cannot argue with his potential. Ramsey has a very strong arm and can throw with a lot of velocity across his body and to the other side of the football field. Ramsey has shown the ability to run the offense well in two-minute situations or a hurry-up offense. Ramsey isn't very nimble on the move and has the scrambling ability of Dan Marino. Ramsey is a streaky passer who seems to battle with his consistency at times. Tends to hold the ball to low before he brings the ball up for release, a habit he has to break in the NFL. I don't think Ramsey is ready yet but he will get drafted based on his arm strength alone.

4. Kurt Kittner - Illinois - 6-3 - 205 pounds
Kittner may be the most polished quarterback in the draft, even ahead of Carr and Harrington when it comes to the overall package. But Kittner isn't dazzling and won't blow you away, he has a very limited upside but has very few weaknesses and is probably more ready to step in and lead a team than Carr and Harrington. Kittner is a very accurate passer and his mechanics and delivery are top-notch. Kittner started all 4 years at Illinois and it shows with his poise on the field. Always seem to throw a tight spiral and can buy enough time in the pocket to elude the rush. Kittner's main weakness is his deep ball, Kittner can throw the ball long but not with a lot of zip. Kittner will have to be weary of the free safety when throwing that ball into NFL coverage. Kittner could stand to put on about 10 pounds to his frame although he has already proven he is durable. Is a lock to be the 3rd or 4th quarterback taken in the draft and will go in the second round to a team like Kansas City or Chicago.

5. Rohan Davey - LSU - 6-3 - 245 pounds
Rohan Davey is one of the larger quarterbacks in the draft but he may be a bit larger than he needs to be. Davey was over 250 pounds when he showed up at the Senior Bowl but has gotten down to a respectable 245 as of early February. Davey has amazing arm strength and his delivery looks effortless. Davey has a smooth delivery that translate into throwing nice deep balls and having great touch in the short and intermediate passing game. Davey has had some injury concerns in the past and had three injuries this past year where he missed some time. Davey also doesn't have a wealth of experience after backing up Josh Booty earlier in his career at LSU. Davey could be taken as early as round 2 and as late as round 4.

6. Josh McCown - Sam Houston State - 6-4 - 230 pounds
McCown is another prospect flying up the charts from a small division I-AA school. McCown performed well in the Senior Bowl when he was called into duty after an earlier injury to Joey Harrington sidelined the Oregon quarterback. McCown isn't a stranger to big time competition because he started his career at SMU before transferring to Div I-AA Sam Houston State so he wouldn't have to sit a season. McCown has great delivery and stands tall in the pocket. McCown seems to be the perfect size for a prototypical quarterback of today at 6-4 and 230 pounds. McCown still has some work to do on his mechanics and he tends to float some passes high and comes out with a little too much adrenaline in a game like Brett Favre. McCown will be drafted and looks like he will be a great backup in the NFL, he has the tools to stick but probably not to start.

7. Randy Fasani - Stanford - 6-4 - 235 pounds
Fasani is a very interesting prospect who is very raw at this time but has a huge upside. Fasani took awhile to bloom in the Stanford system but he seems to have the tolls to play at the next level. Fasani can throw with a lot of velocity when needed and rarely puts his receivers in bad positions to catch the football. Fasani also is very good at handling the blitz with his arm. Many quarterbacks do a good job with their feet and buy time that way but Fasani recognizes the blitz well and hits his safety valve immediately in those situations. Fasani is a streaky passer who can sometimes lose focus and his mechanics lead him into inaccurate spells. Fasani can scramble when needed but he doesn't do a god job in the pocket with his feet. Fasani suffered a knee injury as a senior and he missed half of the season. Fasani's knee looks to be fully recovered and the injury doesn't seem to be bothering his draft status. More experience and good coaching at the next level make Fasani a good gamble on draft day.

8. David Garrard- East Carolina - 6-1 - 250 pounds
David Garrard remains one of the biggest mysteries of the entire NFL Draft for any position. Garrard seemed well on his way to establishing himself as one of the elite quarterbacks in the game who could have a shot at being a very high draft pick. But Garrard suffered through a lackluster second half of his junior season and he had a disappointing season as a senior. Garrard has all of the physical tools that David Carr and Joey Harrington have. What Garrard lacks is the ability to play well under pressure and NFL height. Garrard has good size at 250 pounds and runs very well despite not having great speed. But Garrard stands only 6-1 and that alone is enough to scare some teams away. Garrard seems very hesitant in the pocket and takes off to run down the field too often and many times too early. Garrard could be a nice quarterback to bring in as a third string somewhere and learn the ropes or perhaps get sent to NFL Europe. If Garrard ever puts the whole package together and doesn't let his size affect his performance he could surprise some people.

9. Nick Rolovich - Hawaii - 6-1 - 195 pounds
Rolovich is a player whom many saw as a product of a pass happy system under June Jones at Hawaii. But as time rolled on and Rolovich played at the Senior Bowl many realized there was more to Nick Rolovich than met the eye. Rolovich has great field awareness and plays well in a hurry-up scheme and in the intermediate passing game. Rolovich is a bit small and will need to bulk up a little for the NFL. Rolovich does tend to thread the needle too much and makes some bad throws trying to make things happen. Rolovich will be drafted and has the intangibles for a team to take a chance on him. Not bad for a guy who started the year on the bench behind Timmy Chang.

10. Dusty Bonner - Valdosta State - 6-2 - 215 pounds
There is no doubt that Dusty Boner had a wild ride in college to get where he is now. Bonner started his career at Kentucky where he was supposed to take over for Tim Couch in the Wildcats pass-friendly system. Though he performed well Coach Hal Mumme decided to try some other prospects there and Bonner transferred to Valdosta State so he wouldn't have to sit out a year. The results have been fantastic as Bonner has performed as well as expected. Bonner has suburb accuracy and played in a system at Kentucky and Valdosta State that highlighted this strength. Bonner has great vision and has the ability to go to second and third choices on a regular basis before making a play. Bonner doesn't have the big downfield arm strength for the NFL and isn't a good scrambler. Bonner will be drafted in the fifth or sixth round of the draft and could be one of the sleepers at this position.