Draft Maniacs Preseason Top 5 Quarterbacks
As the college football season approaches, we begin our preseason rankings of draft eligible players by position. Today we start with the quarterbacks.
1. Matt Barkley – USC: In the 2012 draft, the prize was Andrew Luck. For 2013, it’s Matt Barkley. Barkley could have declared for the 2012 draft and would have been a top 10 pick. He decided to stay at USC and attempt to win a national championship. Barkley has a good chance because he has possibly the best receiving corps in the country and recently, Silas Redd transferred to USC. Redd rushed for over 1,200 yards at Penn State in 2011 and should make it difficult for the defense to focus on the passing game. Barkley is a prototypical pocket passer that takes the majority of his snaps under center, so he will already be familiar with the footwork needed for the NFL passing game. He takes care of the ball and gets rid of it quickly which makes him hard to sack. The team that ends up with him will be getting a high character quarterback that can be the face of the franchise.
2. Tyler Wilson – Arkansas: Wilson is a pocket passer with just one year of experience under his belt. People expected the Arkansas passing game to struggle after losing Ryan Mallett to the NFL, but with Wilson under center the Hogs offense took off. He is the first Arkansas quarterback to ever be select first team All-SEC. He is a tough competitor that stays in the pocket, delivers the ball and is willing to take a hit from the pass rush. He is accurate, has a quick release and does a good job reading defenses.
3. Logan Thomas – Virginia Tech: Think Cam Newton. Thomas has the same build and the same type game as the former Heisman winner. Last year was his first as a starter, but he threw for over 3,000 yards and 19 TD’s while rushing for another 469 yards. He became more confident as the year progressed and he should have an even better year in 2012.
4. Tyler Bray – Tennessee: Bray has the type of body you like for an NFL quarterback. He is 6’6” which makes it easier to look over the rush and find his receiver. He is more comfortable when he’s in the pocket, but he does a good job escaping the rush and throwing on the run. With experienced receivers like Da’Rick Rogers and Justin Hunter, he should improve on his 2011 numbers and put Tennessee back into a bowl game.
5. Landry Jones – Oklahoma: Landry Jones took over the Oklahoma offense as a redshirt freshman when Sam Bradford was injured. After a very good sophomore season, his numbers dipped a little bit last year. His interception totals for 2011 were higher than you would like to see. He tends to throw more interceptions when he is on the road than he does in home games. He also seemed to struggle after the injury to Ryan Broyles. If he can rebound and have a better senior season, his draft status could skyrocket..
by Dwayne Wilton
DraftManiacs.com
DraftManiacs 