NFL teams searching for the next franchise quarterback have put the top prospects in the upcoming draft under hot lights and a mammoth microscope.
In retrospect, the major investigative work could be attributed to Ryan Leaf's failure in San Diego, Michael Vick's crash here and JaMarcus Russell's washout in Oakland.
Also, Auburn's Cam Newton and Arkansas' Ryan Mallett have had concerns raised about their ability to win over a locker room and guide a NFL franchise.
"I've never seen a group of quarterbacks that have been scrutinized as much as this group, unfortunately for them," Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said. "There are going to be some difficult decisions in the top 10 because there are a number of teams that obviously need quarterbacks."
During the current pre-draft period, every analyst's favorite buzzwords have been "red flags." That hasn't deterred Newton.
"I've done a lot of explaining of who I really am," Newton said.
The teams obtained film of Newton, the Heisman trophy winner from Westlake High, guiding Auburn to the Bowl Championship Series title last season. However, they wanted to know more about his days at Florida, his character and his ability to read defenses.
Newton traveled around the country -- taking one of his trips to Charlotte, where the Panthers hold the No. 1 pick in the draft -- and welcomed the scrutiny.
"I'm extremely comfortable with that because I know this is a multimillion-dollar investment and they have to know who they are picking," Newton said. "Each organization has to do a thorough investigation."
Newton acknowledged after Auburn's Pro Day that he has to work on his mechanics. He even mentioned the basics of the three-, five- and seven-step drop. He also has to get comfortable with taking a snap from center.
Warren Moon, the former NFL star quarterback and hall of famer, has mentored Newton through the pre-draft process. Moon instructed Newton to lean into his throws more.
"That's one of my tendencies, to somewhat get impatient," Newton said. "When you get impatient, your throws are erratic. That's one thing I wanted to focus on."
Newton considers himself a student of the pro game.
"The best quarterback [who] I admire is Peyton Manning," Newton said. "I don't think Peyton has ever [reached] some type of goal and said, ‘Look, I'm done. I'm just going to relax.' I guarantee that Peyton is working on his craft as we speak."
Newton also said he holds Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers and New England's Tom Brady in high regard.
"The consistency is something that you see throughout their repertoire," Newton said.
Also, Matt Ryan's play in 2008 has changed the way teams view rookie quarterbacks; they now know they can come in and be productive. Ryan and Baltimore's Joe Flacco guided their teams to the playoffs as rookies.
Drafted in 2009, Mark Sanchez led the Jets to the AFC title game that season. Sam Bradford had St. Louis within striking distance of the playoffs this past season.
"Quarterbacks can play right away, be successful and effective, as long as they are managed properly by the coordinator and the head coach," Dimitroff said.
Newton has moved to the head of this year's quarterback class, but Carolina selected a quarterback last year and has plenty other needs.
Missouri's Blaine Gabbert is also considered among the top group of quarterbacks, while Washington's Jake Locker's stock has dropped.
"He struggled with accuracy," ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper said of Locker. "He didn’t have great talent around him. He did play through injuries; I give him credit for that, but the accuracy is an issue."
Kiper is projecting Locker to be a middle to late first-round pick.
Texas Christian's Andy Dalton, Nevada's Colin Kaepernick and Florida State's Christian Ponder are in the next group of quarterbacks.
"There are a number of quarterbacks in this year's draft class who can help teams win," Dimitroff said. "Again, it's just sifting through some of the side information and to work through some of the issues that are at hand, whether they are on or off the field things."
Kevin Colbert, Pittsburgh's director of football operations, believes that teams in need of a quarterback must determine if the prospects are, indeed, franchise quarterbacks.
"When you have the franchise quarterback, it increases your chances of winning a championship," Colbert said. "To me, it's that simple."
Position-by-position NFL draft series
Today – Quarterbacks
Tuesday – Linebackers
Wednesday – Offensive line
Thursday – Wide receivers
Friday – Tight ends
April 24 -- Secondary
April 25 – Running backs
April 26 – Defensive line
April 27 – Special teams
NFL draft times
Round 1: April 28, 8 p.m.
Rounds 2-3: April 29, 6 p.m.
Rounds 4-7: April 30, noon
Where: Radio City Music Hall, New York
