Fuente: © Baltimore Ravens
http://www.baltimoreravens.com/

RAVENS: NFL Draft: Top QBs

/noticias.info/ By Mike Duffy
April 18, 2006

In the two weeks leading up to the 2006 NFL Draft on April 29, BaltimoreRavens.com will offer up analysis of the top prospects, position-by-position.

Today, we start with the quarterbacks, an area that the Ravens are currently looking to bolster. While the team has made it clear that it is looking to bring in a veteran presence to challenge Kyle Boller for the starting nod, there could still be a possibility that the team will address the position if the right candidate is available by the Ravens' 13th pick.

Also, backup Brian St. Pierre could be up against some new competition come training camp if a quality prospect is still out there in the later rounds.

Here are some of the top prospects to keep an eye on:

The following information was compiled from published reports and does not reflect the views of the Baltimore Ravens' personnel staff, unless directly quoted.

Matt Leinart, USC (6-4 1/2, 225)
Leinart is one of the most complete quarterbacks the draft has seen in a number of years. The southpaw is big, knowledgeable, battle-tested, and although some have said he doesn't necessarily have the cannon-arm some NFL teams look for, he is immensely accurate. Going to a school like USC, he was thrown into the limelight from day one. The light got more intense after inheriting a squad from 2002 Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer as a sophomore, but all Leinart did was excel. He threw for 3,556 yards and 38 touchdowns, along with only nine interceptions, as he led USC to a share of the NCAA title his first starting season. He followed that up with a Heisman campaign of his own, taking the trophy and a second-consecutive National Championship his junior year, then got to within a game of an unprecedented third title before losing to Texas in last season's Rose Bowl. In three years of leading the Trojan offense, Leinart was 37-2, and his numbers were consistently outstanding.

"With Matt, there's really no mystery with him, in my opinion," said Ravens director of college scouting Eric DeCosta. "When you look at the tape, what you see is what you get. He's a tremendously cerebral quarterback. He's very accurate. He's a field general with excellent poise that has everything you need to succeed in the NFL."

Vince Young, Texas (6-4 1/2, 230)
Everybody knew that Young was a star quarterback, but after his Rose Bowl performance, where he threw for 267 yards and added 200 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, some people were wondering if he was also Superman. Taking down the two-time defending national champions was the crowning moment to a stellar career. Young set a Texas career record with 78 touchdowns in his three years in Austin, and a single-season record with 3,619 yards of total offense in 2005. The Houston native has the rare combination of size and speed, but is not a run-first quarterback, like, say, the Atlanta Falcons' Mike Vick. Young tends to think pass first - possessing excellent arm strength and accuracy - then take off out of the pocket if the situation calls for it. As his numbers have shown over the past three years, Young can hurt a defense in a variety of ways.

"Young is a different breed," said Ravens head coach Brian Billick. "He really doesn't fit into that Vick category. He has the size, the accuracy and the throwing action."

Jay Cutler, Vanderbilt (6-3 1/4, 227)
"What Leinart and Young have experienced is totally different than Cutler," commented Billick. "That's why I would be concerned with Cutler. He's a good young man that is intelligent, but he's not really been under the spotlight on a consistent basis. He might not know how this all works."

Cutler stepped into the starting role of the lowly Commodores as a redshirt freshman in 2002, and built them into a winner. The 2005 SEC Offensive Player of the Year has good arm strength, adequate mobility in and out of the pocket, and a passion to win that has drawn comparisons to Brett Farve. But Cutler's statistics have never suffered as a result of his big heart, as he finished his career with numerous Vanderbilt season and career records. As a senior, he completed 59.1 percent of his passes for 3,073 yards, 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions - not too bad for having a constantly overmatched offensive line and no top-flight wideouts at his disposal. With his size, arm strength and intelligence, you just have to wonder what could have happened if the two-time All-SEC quarterback was with another program.

Brodie Croyle, Alabama (6-2 1/2, 205)
Many draft analysts have Croyle ranked as one of the strongest arms in the draft and a top pure passer, with the biggest knock against him being durability. After missing his senior prep season with a torn left ACL (he still set Alabama state passing records in yards and touchdowns in three seasons), the Rainbow City native saw action in 12 out of 13 games as a redshirt freshman, and then became the Crimson Tide's starter for 11 of the 13 contests in 2002, missing two due to a shoulder injury. In 2003, Croyle started off hot, but tore his right ACL after three games and was done for the season. Although he played healthy for the entirety of his senior year, Croyle completed 59.6 percent of his passes for 2,499 yards, 14 touchdowns and four interceptions. His injury-riddled career makes him a high-risk, high-reward pick, but if he can stay healthy, Croyle's leadership and ability could make him a successful NFL starter for years.

Charlie Whitehurst, Clemson (6-4 1/2, 226)
Whitehurst was an inconsistent performer for the Tigers, notching a career year as a third-year sophomore, but faltering in his junior campaign. The strong-armed signal caller lit up the field in 2003 for 3,561 yards passing, 21 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, but only mustered 2,067 yards, seven touchdowns and 17 interceptions the following year. Whitehurst bounced back for his senior finale, notching 11 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 2,483 yards and - most impressively - a 67.4 completion percentage. He snaps the ball through his throwing motion, enabling him to throw the deep ball accurately and with velocity, but also has the touch to make the short and intermediate throws. Another interesting note is that his father, David Whitehurst, played under center at Furman before spending seven years with the Green Bay Packers.

Tavaris Jackson, Alabama State (6-2, 224)
Jackson has been making moves up many analysts' draft rankings because of his combination of size, arm strength and mobility. Although he comes from tiny Alabama State, the senior did complete 60.9 percent of his passes for 2,941 yards 29 touchdowns and five interceptions, adding 285 yards and three scores on the ground. Jackson could be a factor on the professional level with a few years of proper coaching. notas_de_prensa_archivo