Andrew Luck*, QB, Stanford
Height: 6-4. Weight: 235.
Projected 40 Time: 4.80.
Projected Round (2012): Top 3 Pick.
9/7/11: Luck cruised to an easy win over San Jose State. He completed 17-of-26 passes for 171 yards and two scores.
8/18/11: Andrew Luck probably would have been the first pick in the 2011 NFL Draft if he had chosen to leave college. Right now he is the clear favorite to be the top pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Many NFL scouts feel that Luck is one of the most pro-ready quarterback prospects over the past decade. Luck will be challenged to meet expectations for this season, but Stanford has talent around him so it won't be a one-man show.
Stanford enters the season ranked sixth overall in the coaches poll. Only Oregon ranks ahead of the Cardinal from the PAC-12. Thus, Luck will enter the season with a target on his jersey. Last year, Luck completed an amazing 71 percent of his passes as a sophomore. He threw for 32 touchdowns with only eight interceptions. Luck also ran for 453 yards and three scores. Luck showed massive improvement compared to the previous season. In his first year as a starter in 2009, Luck threw for 2,575 yards and 13 touchdowns with four interceptions. He completed 56 percent of his passes and ran for 354 yards and two touchdowns.
Luck is a complete package. He has the size, arm strength and mechanics to be a lethal pocket passer. He also has good mobility, a seven yards per carry average in his career, and escapability when he sees a rush. Luck's footwork is phenomenal and he clearly is well-groomed by former head coach Jim Harbaugh. Luck is extremely intelligent. As a result some question Luck's competitive drive because he is described as somewhat nerdy and focused on his academics, but Luck is a winner and a hard worker that looks like a very safe pick at the top of the draft.
Matt Barkley*, USC
Height: 6-2. Weight: 230.
Projected 40 Time: 4.83.
Projected Round (2012): Top 10 Pick.
9/7/11: Barkley had a big first game of the season with 34-of-45 passes completed for 304 yards and three touchdowns and zero interceptions against Minnesota. Barkley had some struggles in the second half and has to finish games better to have a shot at pushing aside Luck as the top quarterback available.
8/18/11: Barkley was getting tons of hype when he won the starting quarterback derby as a freshman. Last year, Barkley's star was diminished as USC dealt with the sanctions from the NCAA and a terrible defense that struggled to keep the opposition out of the end zone. Despite the chaos around him, Barkley improved as a sophomore.
In his first year as a starter, he completed 59.9 percent of his passes for 2,735 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also threw 14 interceptions and his decision making was questionable at times. Last year in 12 games, Barkley improved his production by completing 62.6 percent of his passes for 2,791 yards with 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. If Barkley can continue the trend and increase his touchdowns while reducing his interceptions, he could seal his status as high first-rounder.
Barkley has a strong arm and a good feel as a pocket passer. Helping Barkley in his preparation for the NFL is playing in a pro-style offense. He also has strong leadership skills in the locker room. If Luck's numbers decline without Harbaugh, it wouldn't be surprising to hear some start touting Barkley as the top quarterback for the 2012 draft.
Landry "Lance" Jones*, QB, Oklahoma
Height: 6-4. Weight: 216.
Projected 40 Time: 4.81.
Projected Round (2012): Top 15 Pick.
9/7/11: Jones had no difficulties lighting up Tulsa. He completed 35-of-47 passes for 375 yards with one touchdown and zero interceptions. The next game should be a good test for Jones when the Sooners take on Florida State.
8/18/11: Jones is a big, strong-armed signal caller. He is adept at dropping back and working through his progressions to find an open receiver. Last year, he was able to take advantage of the high caliber of wideouts on the field with him and a strong running game. By the time he enters the draft, Jones should have a lot of experience.
When Sam Bradford was injured in 2009, the true freshman Jones was pressed into starting duty and performed well. Jones completed 58.1 percent of his passes for 3,198 yards, 26 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. In 2010, he made big strides as a sophomore when he completed 65 percent of his passes for 4,718 yards with 38 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Jones should put up some staggering numbers in 2011 with wide receivers Ryan Broyles and Kenny Stills. Putting up big numbers is nothing new for Jones, so leading the Sooners to max out their talent could help his draft status more than anything. If Jones leads Oklahoma to the National Championship game, he could push his stock into the top five of the draft.
Nick Foles, Arizona
Height: 6-5. Weight: 235.
Projected 40 Time: 5.01.
Projected Round (2012): 2.
9/7/11: Foles had a massive game to open the season. He completed 34-of-42 passes for 412 yards with five touchdown passes and zero interceptions. Arizona demolished Northern Arizona 41-10. It will get much tougher for Foles as his next four opponents are: Oklahoma State, Stanford, Oregon and USC. If he plays well in that stretch, his stock could push into first-round consideration.
8/18/11: Nick Foles is a big quarterback with an NFL skill set. Last year, he threw for 3,191 yards with 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while completing 67 percent of his passes. Foles was consistent with his sophomore production when he completed 64 percent of his passes for 2,486 yards. He tossed 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Foles’ completion percentage is inflated by the number of short-swing passes he threw. In order to improve as a prospect, Foles needs to become more accurate in the intermediate and deep part of the field. There were times where Foles was bailed out on throws by wide receiver Juron Criner.
Foles has the arm and pocket presence to become a starting quarterback in the NFL. He'll need more developmental practice time compared to the top-three signal callers in the draft. Foles needs to work on going through his progressions and finding an open receiver. He has the tendency to only look at one side of the field. Foles needs to increase his touchdowns and decrease his interceptions to improve his status.
Kirk Cousins, Michigan State
Height: 6-3. Weight: 202.
Projected 40 Time: 4.85.
Projected Round (2012): 2.
9/7/11: Cousins had some great throws in Michigan State's win over Youngstown State, but the Spartans didn't let Cousins air the ball out as much as other college quarterbacks. He completed 18-of-22 passes for 222 yards and one touchdown. The lack of attempts hurts Cousins' draft stock.
8/18/11: Kirk Cousins completed 66.9 percent of his passes for 2,825 yards with 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Like Foles, Cousins’ numbers were similar to his sophomore year production when he completed 60 percent of his passes for 2,680 yards and 19 touchdowns with nine picks.
Cousins has a big enough arm to be a starting NFL quarterback. He is a good game-manager that could be a good quarterback to install in a play-action-based passing attack with a strong running game. When given time to throw Cousins is very effective. He struggles and makes bad decisions when he gets defensive linemen in his face. He will have to improve that to have a shot at sneaking into the first round. Cousins has good leadership skills. The smart and efficient signal caller is the type of quarterback that should have a solid senior year and is a safe bet to be a second-round draft pick.
Ryan Lindley, San Diego State
Height: 6-4. Weight: 210.
Projected 40 Time: 4.90.
Projected Round (2012): 3-4.
9/7/11: Lindley completed 15-of-27 passes for 203 yards and four touchdowns in San Diego State's 49-21 win over Cal Poly. Lindley will need to play well against his best opponents, like Boise State, in order to improve his draft stock.
8/18/11: Ryan Lindley is an experienced signal caller after being the starter for San Diego State the past three seasons. Lindley has increased his touchdown production each season from 16 to 23 to 28. His interceptions have stayed in the same range as well after tossing nine in his first year as a starter, he had 16 in 2009, and 14 last year.
Lindley operates a pro-style offense, but his big problem is accuracy. He completed 58 percent of his passes last season, and that was his best output. His completion percentage was at 54 percent in 2009 and 57 percent the year before that. Lindley has to become more accurate to improve his draft standing, and have a shot at being anything more than a mid-round pick. Part of his accuracy issues look to be from underdeveloped mechanics. He has a quality arm and some developmental tools.
Robert Griffin*, III QB, Baylor
Height: 6-2. Weight: 220.
Projected 40 Time: 4.42.
Projected Round (2012): 3-4.
9/7/11: Griffin was the star of the opening week in college football, completing 21-of-29 passes for 359 yards and five touchdowns. He also ran for 38 yards and made a clutch catch for 15 yards in the fourth quarter. Griffin displayed a strong arm, with good mobility and was very accurate on passes downfield. TCU's defense was incapable of stopping him, and Griffin enjoyed a coming-out party nationally. He needs more work as a passer, but is showing some developmental talent to evaluators.
8/18/11: Robert Griffin III is a sleeper prospect that could surprise many in 2011. Baylor is busy promoting him as a Heisman candidate and that is a stretch, but the junior signal caller is an exciting playmaker.
Last year, Griffin completed 67 percent of his passes for 3,501 yards with 22 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also ran for 635 yards on 149 carries (4.3 average) with eight touchdowns. He was limited to only three games in 2009 due to a season-ending knee injury, but Griffin looked strong and fast in 2010. Griffin carried the Bears to a seven-win season and being a formidable opponent on Saturdays. Griffin combines a strong arm with his top-notch speed and mobility. He's definitely a player to keep an eye on.
Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M
Height: 6-4. Weight: 219.
Projected 40 Time: 4.61.
Projected Round (2012): 3-4.
9/7/11: Tannehill started out the season well. He completed 21-of-26 passes for 246 yards and two touchdowns with zero interceptions. Tannehill is a good game manager who throws the ball accurately. He distributes the ball well and takes advantage of a good supporting cast.
8/18/11: After playing wide receiver in 2008 and 2009, Ryan Tannehill became the starting quarterback during the 2010 season. Tannehill completed 65 percent of his passes for 1,638 yards with 13 touchdowns and six interceptions in seven games at quarterback. The background as a wide receiver can be seen in the athletic Tannehill. He is an elusive runner with deceptive speed. Tannehill needs more time to develop as a signal caller. His accuracy and mechanics are definitely a work in progress. For a team looking for a developmental, backup quarterback that could contribute in a Wildcat package, Tannehill could be a good mid-round pick. Tannehill is a gamer and should impress coaching staffs in pre-draft meetings.
Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State
Height: 6-4. Weight: 220.
Projected 40 Time: 4.90.
Projected Round (2012): 4-5.
9/7/11: Weeden had a mixed outing against Louisiana-Lafayette. The good results were he completed 24-of-39 passes for 388 yards and three touchdowns. The poor showing was throwing three interceptions to an inferior opponent. It was the first game under a new offensive coordinator, so perhaps Weeden isn't fully comfortable with the plays and reads. He will face tougher competition in the weeks to come including a matchup against Nick Foles and Arizona in Week 2.
8/18/11: Brandon Weeden is college football's current version of Chris Weinke, a baseball prospect that turned to football in his mid-20s. As a result, Weeden is going to be a 29-year old rookie in the NFL. Last year, he completed 67 percent of his passes for 4,277 yards with 34 touchdowns against 13 interceptions. He did a fabulous job of getting the ball to his playmakers. He has a strong arm, excellent pocket presence, good decision making and can make all the throws. Weeden's age is such a limiting factor in his draft status. It is going to be essential that Weeden show coaches that he is a quick learner that won't have much of a learning curve in the NFL.
Kellen Moore, Boise State
Height: 6-0. Weight: 187.
Projected 40 Time: 4.93.
Projected Round (2012): 4-5.
9/7/11: Moore carved up the Georgia defense to the tune of 28-of-34 passes for 261 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. He was very efficient and moved the ball consistently. What made Moore's game more impressive was it being his first without 2010 standout receivers Austin Pettis and Titus Young. If Moore wasn't so short, he would be making a move up in the rankings.
8/18/11: Kellen Moore is college quarterback that looks like a limited pro prospect because of a lack of size and physical tools. Moore had massive production throwing to Titus Young and Austin Pettis last season. In his junior season, Moore completed 64 percent of his passes for 3,845 yards with 35 touchdowns and six interceptions. Moore is a gritty football player that is a winner, but he is not going to pass the eyeball test from NFL coaches.
Due to the height and weight concerns, Moore going in the fourth or fifth round is generous. It will be interesting to see if Moore checks in under six-foot at the Senior Bowl or combine. That could send him down to the late rounds.
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