Atlanta Falcons

The top 10 quarterbacks in the NFL draft

By D. Orlando Ledbetter
April 12, 2010

OVERVIEW: "It appears you have [Sam] Bradford and [Jimmy] Clausen. Colt McCoy, it appears to me, the grades were late [round] one to early [second]. ... Clausen's assets are accuracy, intelligence, more of a West Coast-type guy. One of the questions on him is body structure, build and height. He's under 6-foot-2. Hey, the guy who was MVP of the Super Bowl [Drew Brees] was a short guy too so we can't kill him on being short. We have to see if he can compensate on his accuracy and velocity."

--Charlie Casserly, CBS television analyst and former Houston general manager.

Top 10 Quarterbacks

  1. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma, 6-foot-4, 236 pounds: The Heisman Trophy winner in 2008 missed most of last season with a shoulder injury. He is noted for his superior accuracy.
  2. Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame, 6-2, 223: Older brothers Casey and Rick both played at Tennessee. He was groomed for success by starting school late and repeating the sixth grade. Will be a 23-year-old rookie.
  3. Colt McCoy, Texas, 6-1-7/8, 212: Won 45 games over his career, more than any quarterback in NCAA history. He led the Longhorns to the national title game last season.
  4. Tim Tebow, Florida, 6-3, 236: Helped lead the Gators to two national championships. He has worked on his mechanics in order to play at the pro level.
  5. Tony Pike, Cincinnati, 6-6, 212: Led the Bearcats to the Orange and Sugar Bowls in the last two seasons. Big-arm, but needs to add some weight.
  6. Jarrett Brown, West Virginia, 6-3, 219: Only started one season for the Mountaineers, completing 63.2 percent of his passes. He had the best arm of the quarterbacks invited to the Senior Bowl.
  7. John Skelton, Fordham, 6-5, 244: Passed for 400 yards four times last season. Is Fordham's all-time leading passer with 9,923 yards.
  8. Zac Robinson, Oklahoma State, 6-3, 210: Holds school records for total offense (10,175), passing yards (8,317) and touchdown passes (66). He has limited arm strength.
  9. Jevan Snead, Mississippi, 6-3, 215: He started his career at Texas, but transferred after losing a competition with McCoy. He battled back from the swine flu last season to lead the Rebels to the Cotton Bowl.
  10. Dan LeFevour, Central Michigan, 6-3, 229: Is the lone player in NCAA history with more than 12,000 yards passing and 2,500 yards rushing. He was a four-year starter in the Mid-American Conference.

Other NFL prospects: Jonathan Crompton, Tennessee; Sean Canfield, Oregon State; Mike Kafka, Northwestern; and Ryan Perrilloux, Jacksonville State.

5 Teams in Need: St. Louis, Buffalo, Cleveland, Jacksonville and Oakland.

5 Teams not Interested: Washington, Tennessee, Indianapolis, San Diego and New Orleans.

Falcons view: The Falcons are pleased with the development of quarterback Matt Ryan and were impressed by the play of backup Chris Redman last season. John Parker Wilson and D.J. Shockley appear set to battle for the third spot.

About the Author

Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.

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