NFL Draft – Quarterback Rankings
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9.) Tom Savage, Pittsburgh (6’4, 228): Savage has good size and a cannon arm, but showed inconsistent accuracy at the college level, he’s not very mobile and will already be 24 his rookie year. With a year or two of grooming, he has the potential to be a good NFL QB or at worst a serviceable back-up. Draft Projection: 3rd-5th round
10.) Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech (6’6, 248): Has elite size and physical tools, but he’s a serious question mark above the shoulders. Thomas takes way to long to make decisions in the pocket, leading to sacks and forced passes. There are times when Thomas looks like a top 10 pick but they are too infrequent for me to think he can ever play that way consistently. Draft Projection: 3rd-5th round
11.) David Fales, San Jose St (6’2, 212): Fales throws an accurate ball, has good pocket awareness, and all the intangibles you look for in a QB. What he doesn’t have is a big arm. Could be a solid back-up. Draft Projection: 4th-5th round
12.) Garrett Gilbert, SMU (6’4, 223): The former 5-star recruit for the Texas Longhorns struggled early in his college career, but graduated in three years and transferred to SMU to work with quarterback guru June Jones. Under Jones, Gilbert resurrected his prospect status. Gilbert was leading the nation in total offense before injuring his knee late in the season. He has ideal size and all the physical traits NFL teams look for in a QB, but hasn’t been productive enough to be on team’s radars until this year. Gilbert also had a solid pro day, completing 87 of 88 passes and showing above average athleticism in the speed and agility drills. He is a late riser, but has as much upside as any mid-round prospect. Draft Projection: 4th-5th round
13.) Casey Pachall, TCU (6’4, 216): He’s the Colt Lyerla of draft eligible QBs this year. That comparison might be a little extreme since Pachall didn’t actually quit on his team after a drunk driving incident, but did spend time in alcohol and substance abuse rehab before rejoining the team. Pachall came back in 2013 but broke his non-throwing arm in week 2 of the season and struggled when he returned later with a 6 TD / 10 INT ratio. Pachall did have one great game that gave a glimpse of what he can do when healthy and focused, completing 40 of 58 passes for 394 yards and 3 TDs against West Virginia. Granted West Virginia’s defense was pretty bad, but before getting in trouble Pachall was dominant in 2012; he had a 38 TDs / 7 INT ratio, led the NCAA in passing efficiency and was projected to be no later than a day 2 pick when he entered the draft. He has prototype QB size, a cannon arm, good accuracy and the moxie and leadership (on the field at least) that you look for in a QB. Draft Projection: 6th-7th round
14.) Jeff Matthews, Cornell (6’4, 223): Tall, cerebral QB with ideal size, a big arm, good accuracy, and leadership potential (3-time captain). The main problems are that he’s a statue in the pocket and hasn’t played against anything close to NFL competition coming from the Ivy league. Draft Projection: 6th-7th round
15.) Brett Smith, Wyoming (6’2, 206): A surprise snub from the combine even though he has more talent then most of the guys brought in to throw during the combine drills. Smith has good poise in the pocket and shows a uncanny ability to sense pressure. He has a decent arm, is mobile and accurate on the move. Smith was a three-year starter at Wyoming and two-year captain so he shows good leadership potential and could eventually develop into a borderline starter / quality backup QB. Draft Projection: 5th-6th round
16.) Keith Wenning, Ball St (6’3, 218): Good size and a big arm with NFL velocity. Wenning had a productive senior season (35 TD / 7 INT) and has the tools teams look for in a developmental QB. His biggest drawback is a lack of mobility and athleticism, but the arm is good enough to play in the league so some team will take a chance on him late in the draft. Draft Projection: 6th-7th round
17.) Tajh Boyd, Clemson (6’1, 222): His accuracy has been bad in workouts, but Boyd has always got it done on the field. I never understood Boyd’s “fat kid” nickname until I saw him in shorts at the combine. He’s pudgy and just doesn’t look like a football player, but when the pads are on and the Tigers needed a TD, Boyd came through more often then not and I could see him becoming a very good back-up QB in the league.