NFL Draft: Top 10 Quarterback Prospects
ByThe 2010 Quarterback class might be a little short on depth but it does have a couple big names at the top, some of the biggest winners in the history of college football and a few interesting small school prospects for the late rounds. Only a couple names will stick out before the draft but a bunch may become household names down the road, in what could be a surprisingly good draft a decade from now.
1. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma (1st Overall Pick)- Bradford put together one of the finest statistical seasons in college football history in 2008, but decided to come back and try to win a National Championship with a team that 
looked like a contender before the season started. Bradford’s junior season did not go quite as planned. Bradford was injured in the first game of the year against BYU, a game in which his team was beaten as well. Bradford attempted to comeback only to be injured again and was put on the shelf for the remainder of the season. His workouts and film sessions have been the most important personal interviews in recent draft history, with most teams only having tape from two years ago and what Bradford shows them against air to go by. He will have to adjust to a pro style offense, must get a lot stronger throughout his entire body and will have to improve his ability to get the ball accurately to his second and third options while going through his progressions. There are a lot of questions revolving around Bradford’s ability to transition smoothly to the NFL game but if we had to make a decision right now he would be our number one quarterback on our board.
2. Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame (1st Round) - Clausen did everything the Notre Dame coaching staff asked of him over the last three years in South Bend and many time made chicken soup out of chicken poop. He’s smaller than 
Bradford by about 3-inches but his pro-style experience and ability to drive the ball down field on deep routes make up for what he lacks in physical attributes. There is no question a team like the Rams could trade their number one pick to a franchise like the Browns or Raiders -who are in desperate need of quarterback help- and slide down to nab Clausen as at more of a bargain price. The old notion that a quarterback has to be 6′4″, 245lbs and possess a rocket arm in order to succeed in the NFL has been proven faulty so many times over the past decade that only a few teams -the bad ones- still fall in love with big arms and monstrous hands. Clausen has all the attributes needed at his position to be successful in the NFL. Unfortunately, Clausen -and every QB for that matter- has to fall into the perfect situation in order to succeed immediately. Sometimes a good quarterback’s growth can be suffocated by poor management and coaching.
3. Colt McCoy, Texas (Late 1st - Early 2nd Round) - McCoy has more wins as a starting quarterback than anyone in the history of college football yet he has flown under the radar during this year’s Draft process, which might help him in the long run. McCoy is what he is. He is a little on the small size for a quarterback but he makes up for his lack of size with great footwork, the ability to escape the pocket with ease and make throws as accurately on the run as he does standing tall in the pocket. McCoy is very comparable to Jeff Garcia, a quarterback who stuck around as a starter in the League due to his moxie and leadership skills. McCoy will come off the board a little later than these first two QBs but he might stick around the league longer than any of them.
4. Tony Pike, Cincinnati (2nd Round) - Pike’s journey to near the top of his Draft class’ positional ranking was slow but steady, even unforeseen at times. While most of the accolades for the Bearcats two great seasons went to coach Brian Kelly, someone had to be getting it done on the field. And Tony Pike made the Bearcats go offensively. He is not the type of quarterback that will keep plays alive outside of the pocket for a long time but many teams don’t necessarily want that in today’s NFL. Pike is a smart quarterback who uses all fields to get the job done and is more likely to step UP in the pocket - the way you’re supposed to- as opposed to moving outside the tackle box with the 
intent of rushing the ball down field. His style of play should have kept him healthy but he still missed time this past season with a broken non-throwing forearm. He will have to put on a significant amount of bulk before any franchise hands him the keys to the car but whoever takes him will hand him the clipboard, watch him learn more about the offense everyday and have dreams of Tom Brady stirring in their heads at night. Unrealistic? Yes. Impossible? No.
5. Dan LeFevour, Central Michigan (2nd-3rd Round) - If NFL teams drafted solely on production, LeFevour would find himself among the type five picks in this draft. Dan was the man in the MAC for little over three and a half years -he gave the rest of the conference an opportunity to showcase their own talents for a few months in ‘08 when he played the entire second half of the season on a bum ankle. LeFevour has some Roethlisberger in his game -not his ‘game’ at the bars late night hopefully though!- meaning he can break some one-arm tackles to avoid the sack and extend plays with his feet when the first option isn’t immediately available. LeFevour won’t be as much of a project but he will definitely need a lot of practice time to adjust to the speed and athleticism having come from Central Michigan. Don’t be surprised if LeFevour has a heavier Marc Bulger, a guy who has to work his way up the depth chart but is solid from the moment he steps on the field. LeFevour is athletic enough to play in the NFL and you better believe some coach from the team he goes to will have him dissected film for 16 hours a day during the regular season, drilling him on any possible formation that he could see over the course of his career. If LeFevour commits, he’ll be just fine and this second round pick will never be seen as a waste
6. Tim Tebow, Florida (Late 2nd- 3rd Round) - We all know about Tebow’s accolades on and off the field but for the sake of sticking mainly to football, Tebow more work to do on his throwing motion this offseason than any 
quarterback who had such an immense amount of success in college. When you Draft Tim Tebow, your football team immediately becomes better. Whether it’s to challenge his teammates in the weight room, go balls to the wall in redundant drills or as a lead blocker out of a wildcat formation, there is room in the NFL for Tim Tebow. He has to think selfishly now and hope he goes to an organization that has a great quarterback, is not afraid to try different formations and allows him to continue developing his new throwing motion. Teams like New England, Indy, New Orleans, New York (both teams), Pitt, San Diego, Philadelphia and Dallas would all love to have his services. The amount of things you can do with an elite athlete like Tebow in today’s day and age are endless, which means we’ll have to see how a team plans on using him before comparing him to anybody else. Don’t be surprised if he continues his own path and closes this chapter of his life productively while helping his team win a few Super Bowls.
7. John Skelton, Fordham (3rd-4th Round) - Scouts who have caught a glimpse of the 6′5″, 245lb signal caller often compare him to Joe Flacco based on his size and 1-AA pedigree. If Skelton turns in half the season that Flacco did in his rookie campaign he’ll be a bargain. Skelton will have to face questions about his level of competition as well as his propensity to turn the ball over in bunches against that competition. If Skelton shows some accuracy during his personal workouts he may climb some draft boards very quickly. It only takes one general manager to be impressed and his name has been mentioned enough to make you believe that he’s impressed more than one. Size and arm strength will not be in question.
8. Jevan Snead, Ole Miss (4th Round) - Snead could have stayed in school for another year, changed the opinions of some scouts that turned against him this past season and may have been fighting with Jake Locker as the top 
quarterback in the 2011 Draft class. Instead, Snead chose to come out after a disappointing junior campaign and did not turn many heads with his performance at the combine or during workouts. There was more talk about his running back, Dexter McCluster, than there was about him during the entire draft process which will leave Snead with a lot to prove at the next level.
9. Levi Brown, Troy (Late 4th-5th Round) - Troy has produced their fair share of NFL prospects over the last few years with most coming on the defensive side of the ball -namely Osi Umenyioura and DeMarcus Ware- but Brown will break the trend this year. He stepped into a starting role as a junior and never looked back, throwing for over 6,000 yards in his final two years. He has good size and can make every throw scouts ask of him, which makes him an intriguing prospect in the late rounds.
10. Zac Robinson, Oklahoma State (5th-6th Round) - There are a few quarterbacks that have garnered more hype over the past couple months than Robinson but you would be hard pressed to find a more athletic quarterback than this kid in the 2010 class. Robinson also proved himself against some of the best athletes in college football for three years and helped OSU turn their program around during that period as well. He’ll have to protect the ball a lot better than he did this past season but Robinson is a good looking athlete who could be a steal in the late rounds.
Sleeper
Dominic Randolph, Holy Cross - Randolph has good size (6′3″, 225lb), a strong arm and enough athleticism to be considered a top prospect. He is another quarterback that will have to answer questions about his level of competition but scouts also have to consider the team he had around him and the number of wins he was able to lead them to. The Crusaders have never been a football power but with Randolph at the helm they were a formidable opponent in the Patriot League. He turned the ball over too many times this season but his high interception total was a result of him having to do too much in order for his team to be in contention. Randolph is an interesting pro prospect to say the least. He’s the type of prospect a team like the Patriots can grab in the late rounds and develop over time.
