NFL Draft 2011 Quarterback Class

With the NFL owners enacting a lockout, the 2011 NFL draft this April may be the only thing that us football fans have to get excited about so I'm going to milk it for all its worth. This year's draft is chock-full of defensive talent, especially on the defensive line. However, what may be most intriguing are the soon-to-be NFL quarterbacks because there simply isn't a standout, surefire franchise QB like there has been the last couple years with Sam Bradford and Matthew Stafford being the number one overall pick in 2010 and 2009 respectively. There is a pretty clear top tier in the 2011 NFL draft quarterback class though, and this hub gives a brief synopsis of the top four quarterbacks,  Blaine Gabbert, Cameron Newton, Jake Locker, and Ryan Mallet, and attempts to prompt a discussion as to where people think they will land.

According to most analysts, Missouri's Blaine Gabbert is the best quarterback in the 2011 NFL draft, and I, for one, cannot figure out why. Sure he has great size at 6'5" and good speed for a quarterback, but I question whether he can adjust to a pro-style offense. He comes from a school running the spread offense. He took every snap in the shotgun and almost always had five wide receivers. His completion percentage was high because of how many short passes he threw. If you watch highlights you'll see that the bubble screen is their bread and butter play. Supposedly his completion percentage on passes over 15 yards is in the neighborhood of 30%. It is for this reason that I am thinking that he will be a bust. How many of these spread quarterbacks have panned out in the NFL? If you don't believe me just watch the below highlights of Blaine Gabbert in Missouri's bowl game against Illinois this year.

Cameron Newton from Auburn might be the most exciting player in 2011 NFL Draft. He won the Heisman Trophy and guided the Tigers to the National Championship amidst controversy over his father attempting to cash in on him. He's huge, and it goes without saying that he can run. However, like Gabbert, he did not play in a pro-style offense. He took every snap in the shotgun and ran on most plays. Most of his big passes were to wide open receivers off of play-action. This doesn't translate well to the NFL because NFL defenses will not have to respect his running ability like college teams do. In the style of offense he played in at Auburn, the quarterback just didn't have to make reads and checkdowns like NFL quarterbacks need to do in order to be successful, and so, I think Cam Newton will join Gabbert in setting a whatever team reaches for him back a few years.

Ryan Mallet is probably my favorite quarterback in the 2011 NFL draft despite the concerns that others have expressed about character. Although his 5.4 second 40 yard dash time is comparable to an offense lineman with a broken leg, quarterbacks like Tom Brady, Dan Marino, and nearly every other successful quarterback have shown that you don't need to be fast to play the position. He is big, has a cannon for an arm, and can throw the deep ball with excellent accuracy. Coming from a pro-style offense is what really sets him apart from the others for me though. It sounds like it's possible that he could end up in the second round which means he could be a steal for someone who's willing to set his minor character flaws aside.

Had Jake Locker declared for the draft last season he would have been in a battle with Sam Bradford to be the number one overall pick. He certainly will not be this year however after a lackluster senior season at Washington. He has a chance of getting picked in the first round and is holding private workouts with the Vikings, Broncos, and Titans, but it sounds like he is likely to fall into the second round. Like Mallett, he could be steal for someone if he falls that far. He runs a 4.5 second 40 yard dash and played in a pro-style offense for four years so adjusting to the NFL game may not be as difficult for him as the other three on this list. The only question about him is his accuracy, which admittedly, is a pretty big question. He throws well outside of the pocket but in the NFL, most throws will come from between the tackles so he really needs to show scouts he can do that with accuracy. I like him better than Gabbert or Newton, but not quite as much as Mallett. That said, I would be really excited if my Vikings were able to snag him in April.

Do you think I left someone out of my list or think you know where any of these guys will land? Let me know in the comments section. I'm anxious to hear your feedback.

Be sure to read my hub on the second tier of quarterbacks in the 2011 NFL Draft.