NFL Draft – Quarterback Rankings
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
18.) Tyler Russell, Mississippi St (6’4. 227): Prototype size and a cannon arm that can make every throw. Russell struggled with injuries his senior year, but was very successful as a junior (24 TDs / 10 INTs). Russell isn’t mobile and will need a good O-line to be effective in the NFL but he has a better arm than many prospects in the draft, good size, and has shown excellent accuracy at times. Other times Russell struggles to be on target with even short passes. He is inconsistent and his footwork needs some work, but with some coaching and technique improvement Russell could be a back-up QB that can win some games with his arm. Draft Projection: 7th round – UFA
19.) Stephen Morris, Miami (6’2, 213): Enigmatic prospect who has the arm and all the physical tools to be a top pick, but struggled with decision making and inconsistent accuracy. Depsite his physical gifts, Morris really struggled at the Senior Bowl and the combine and his stock has dropped to the late round range. He’s a poor man’s Logan Thomas, some team will take a chance on him because if he ever get’s his head straight he could be very good. Draft Projection: 7th round – UFA
20.) Bryn Renner, North Carolina (6’3, 228): Accurate passer with good touch, timing, and poise in the pocket, but below average mobility. Renner’s arm strength is a question after a shoulder injury late in 2013. It was just adequate pre-injury, so if he lost any of it he’s in trouble. Draft Projection: 7th round – UFA
21.) Dustin Vaughan, West Texas A&M (6’5, 235): Put up Peyton Manning numbers in DII last year (5,041, 53 TDs, 67% comp) and has prototypical size for an NFL QB. Vaughan looked the best of all the QBs at the NFLPA bowl and showcased an NFL caliber arm with two deep balls that were both on target. Vaughan isn’t a runner but looked like he had light enough feet in the pocket to avoid pressure. He’s making a major jump in competition, but is an interesting developmental project. Draft Projection: 7th round – UFA
22.) Connor Shaw, South Carolina (6’0, 206): I’m not a huge fan, but I’ve seen multiple sources say that quite a few NFL teams love this kid. He’s small for a pro QB and has a weak arm, but scouts rave about his intangibles, leadership skills, and intelligence. All I know is that when I watch the tape, it doesn’t look like Shaw has NFL skills to me. I’ve been wrong before, I thought Cade McNoun showed flashes of greatness in college. Draft Projection: 5th-6th round
23.) Keith Price, Washington (6’1, 196): Good mobility, accuracy, and a stronger arm than he’s given credit for, but Price is short and doesn’t stand out enough in any one area to separate himself from the rest of the day 3 options. He has a shot of getting drafted late, but most likely will get a call as an undrafted free agent. Draft Projection: 7th round – UFA
24.) James Franklin, Missouri (6’2, 228): Very athletic with both good speed (981 rushing yards, 15 rush TDs in 2012) and a strong right arm. Franklin has had trouble staying healthy but has been very productive when on the field (70 career touchdowns). He is an inch or two shorter than ideal and there are questions about his arm strength and accuracy, but on tape he throws a nice deep ball and shows enough flashes of accuracy to think that he could improve with some coaching. He’s a long shot. Draft Projection: UFA
25.) Kenny Guiton, Ohio St (6’2, 204): He’s mobile, has good velocity on this throws, and has shown good accuracy at times, but Guiton is a bit of an unknown since he backed up both Terrelle Pryor and then Braxton Miller at Ohio St. He is a little smaller than ideal for an NFL QB and doesn’t have much touch on his passes. Guiton could have value as a wildcat QB off the bench and if a team is patient, he could develop into a decent backup. Draft Projection: UFA
Twitter: @MikeFlannery