Quarterback Preview
by Luke Paul Chandler
This week, Luke Chandler breaks down the 2008 class of quarterbacks.
By Luke Paul Chandler
The 2008 quarterback class originally looked to be loaded full of franchise players, and was going to feature surefire talent at the top. After the season, though, more questions than answers remain. This class may not feature a player ready to start right away, which is especially worrisome given the heavy amount of senior talent in this class. Matt Ryan of Boston College is the only passer who may have the pedigree to start form day one.
Louisville’s Brian Brohm looked like he would wrap up a Heisman trophy, contend for a BCS National Championship and take the No. 1 pick in the draft at this time last season. Now, he may not even be picked in the first round. Brohm played on a bad Louisville team, and scouts began to question his leadership and moxie after a tough season.
Other former first round hopefuls included Michigan’s Chad Henne and Hawaii’s Colt Brennan, and now both are being looked at as borderline first day picks. Brennan did little to quiet his critics that he’s a system quarterback, and his attitude has been a turn off according to some insiders. Henne had an okay senior season, but received a boost at the Senior Bowl due to his strong performance in Mike Martz’s complex passing attack.
All in all, this class may not feature any superstar, but several players have the upside to stay in the league as backups. John David Booty and Alex Brink have been scouted heavily West Coast offense teams as backups or developmental quarterbacks. The one player to watch out for is Erik Ainge, who matured on the field greatly as a senior.
While this class mostly features pure drop-back passers, there is some athleticism. Dennis Dixon and Josh Johnson are scrambling threats who can break a long run because of their exceptional quickness. Dixon is coming off of a torn ACL, and has questions about how he will translate to the NFL though. Johnson’s upside will intrigue teams, but he lacks mechanics and an ability to read complex NFL defenses.
Top Ten (as of 3/14/08)
1. Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College, 6′5, 216
2. Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville, 6′4, 226
3. Andre Woodson, QB, Kentucky, 6′5, 230
4. Joe Flacco, QB, Delaware, 6′6, 231
5. Chad Henne, QB, Michigan, 6′2, 224
6. Colt Brennan, QB, Hawaii, 6′3, 196
7. Erik Ainge, QB, Tennessee, 6′6, 220
8. John David Booty, QB, USC, 6′3, 215
9. Dennis Dixon, QB, Oregon, 6′4, 196
10. Josh Johnson, QB, San Diego, 6′3, 195
Best By Trait
Arm Strength - Joe Flacco (Delaware)
Accuracy - Erik Ainge (Tennessee)
Field Vision - Brian Brohm (Louisville)
Running Ability - Josh Johnson (San Diego)
Mechanics - Matt Ryan (Boston College)
Ball Handling - Alex Brink (Washington State)
Leadership - Dennis Dixon (Oregon)
Stud - Matt Ryan (Boston College) - The unquestioned leader of the Eagles offense rose from borderline first day pick to possible No. 1 overall this season. Ryan is a tough quarterback with great vision and game smarts. He came full circle playing under new head coach Jeff Jagodzinki’s West Coast attack. He lacks great arm strength or accuracy, but if he plays in the proper system that won’t matter. Ryan will make mistakes down-field and force passes, but critics will say he lacked real talent at receiver. Look for Ryan to be taken early, and possibly contribute as a rookie.
Sleeper - Joe Flacco (Delaware) - With many teams in the NFL playing variations of the Air Coryell system, which forces the idea of downfield passing and heavy play action, Flacco is a guy to watch come April. Flacco has a huge arm, and can air it out better than anyone else in the class. His deep ball accuracy is fairly solid too. His footwork can be choppy because of his lack of experience playing from under center, but with more teams running their base offense out of the shotgun, it is not as big of a concern. Flacco has risen above more experienced and polished passer like Brohm and Woodson, and could easily be the second quarterback taken in the draft.
Slipper - John David Booty (Southern Cal) - Due to both injuries and reaching his ceiling in the past two years, Booty has slipped down draft boards since the start of the 2007 season. Booty has a great feel for the game mentally, but physically he’s limited in his effectiveness. He’s a West Coast system quarterback only at this point, due to his lack of arm strength. In a horizontal passing game, he would be much more effective, but because of that is going to be relegated to working his way up the depth chart at first. Booty can assimilate a playbook quickly, and likely will follow a similar career path of current Browns third stringer Ken Dorsey.
Grade - C+