I'm going to rank and give a quick analysis of some of the top talents per position in this year's draft. I am going to make a new thread for each position and will keep old threads listed in each new thread.
Keep in mind, this is purely my opinions. I am not saying this will be the order, this will be how players turn out or anything along those lines, it's just simply my own personal thoughts.
If you'd like a specific position to be done next, feel free to post, I don't mind jumping around. If not, I'll go in order (QB, WR, RB, TE, OT, etc...)
Anyway, as always, rate, hate and critique your hearts out.Quarterbacks1) Blake Bortles, QB, Central FloridaBortles has all the pieces to be an elite NFL quarterback. He’s got the size, the powerful arm, the accuracy and the mentality to handle the pressure that comes with being an NFL quarterback. He’s very athletic and is an above average scrambler. His one downside is that his accuracy is not where it needs to be. He has the ability, he’s just a bit inconsistent with it right now but that is the case with the better majority of all college QBs.
2) Teddy Bridgewater, QB, LouisvilleBridgewater is a bit slimmer than you’d your 6’3’’ QB to be. He’s weighting in at 218 right now (and most believe that is being awfully generous), if he can put on some muscle and not lose any speed, he can be a better threat. Right now he’s not very fast, not very strong, not very athletic and not the best passer. Now while he’s not the best at any of that, he’s above average in all categories. I don’t think he’ll ever truly be a dual threat QB so he really needs to improve his passing skills and show off at the combine. Everyone is declaring him the best already; didn’t everyone declare Geno to be the best last year too? How’d that pan out on draft day? Season is one thing, but draft day is another.
3) Derek Carr, QB, Fresno StateCarr is the most NFL ready QB in this draft. He has a powerful arm, good size, tremendous accuracy and good vision. He is a statue though which a lot of teams are shying away from. He can move some, but he’s no Cam Newton of course. If Carr goes to a team like the Browns, one with solid pieces all around, just missing that QB, it could be the start of new dominating force in the league. If he goes somewhere that he has to be a Tom Brady or Peyton Manning and turn others into stars, he’ll most likely fail.
4) Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&MI don’t think there’s much I can say about Johnny Football that you don’t already know. He’s short, big ego, arrogant, great football player, can make the throws, can make the decisions, can run, great field vision, all the intangibles (except for height) and has took college football by storm. Now the only question that is left will be, is he the next Russell Wilson or Tim Tebow, only time will tell on that one.
5) Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, Eastern IllinoisGaroppolo comes from a small school and hasn’t played anyone of significance so you probably haven’t heard of him. He’s got the size you want, a very quick release (I mean Drew Brees esque), good strength and accuracy. His hands are a bit small but nothing too concerning, it all sounds great, right? Well as I said, he’s played no one of significance. He hasn’t had a single shred of decent competition so who knows how good he really is. His potential is sky high and his skill set is great but until he plays some real competition, there’s really no way of telling how he’ll do in the pros.
6) Zach Mettenberger, QB, LSUMettenberger will most likely fly under a lot of radars because of his ACL tear. He showed massive improvements over the past year and really raised his draft stock prior to his injury. He recently underwent surgery and says he’ll be ready to go in time for the combine (but that’s HIGHLY unlikely) so we’ll see how he can bounce back. There could be a team on day 2 who lands an absolute steal here. Great size, strength, accuracy, field vision and decision making. Room for improvement of course and he’s a statue but he’s got the base for greatness set.
7) A.J. McCarron, QB, AlabamaMcCarron is Alex Smith. He’s not going to wow you in any way shape or form but he’s not going to let you down. He obviously isn’t as established as Smith is but I can’t see McCarron becoming anything more than Smith. Now, while that is in no way a bad thing, but he’ll need to be on a team just like Smith is now for McCarron to have any success as anything other than a backup.
8) Stephen Morris, QB, MiamiMorris has great mobility and good arm strength. His field vision and accuracy is decent but his accuracy is fucking horrible. He will be a great midround pickup for a team that is only looking for a project QB. Niners, Bears, Chiefs, Packers or Chargers could all be great fits.
9) Jeff Mathews, QB, CornellMathews had a down year this year but he’s still a very nice developmental project. He’s a big QB with a very strong arm but he lacks mobility and mental speed. He goes through his progressions slowly and his release isn’t as quick as it needs to be. He needs to show improved accuracy and footwork at the combine, if he does not, he’ll be a day 3 selection. If he shows improvements, he’ll go on day 2.
10) Tajh Boyd, QB, ClemsonBoyd has potential but I have low hopes that he’ll amount to anything in the NFL. He’s undersized (yeah yeah so are Brees, Wilson and Manziel, I know) but he’s nowhere near the overall football player that those guys are, a better athlete, maybe, but football player, no way. Boyd has some building blocks, good accuracy, footwork, speed but he’s going to be a really good backup QB.
11) Bryn Renner, QB, North CarolinaRenner is a pocket passer and no threat to run at all but he is very smart and a great game manager. North Carolina as a whole was disappointing this year but Renner did all he could. He has all the makings of another Alex Smith type QB and can be a great third day selection.
12) David Fales, QB, San Jose StateFales is an interesting prospect. He has games where he flashes and shows signs of an elite QB and then he’ll have a game where he shits the bed and makes Mark Sanchez look like Peyton. He can make all the throws with solid arm strength and accuracy but he’s very inconsistent. He’s a project for sure but one that has some major upside.
13) Aaron Murray, QB, GeorgiaLike Mettenberger, Murray also suffered a late season ACL tear that is going to plummet his draft stock. Putting that aside, Murray was way too inconsistent in college to warrant anything more than a late day 2 selection prior to the injury. The kid shows flashes of brilliance and then shits the bed hard, then brilliance, then shits and so on and so on. He’s got the raw talent, he’s a bit short, but his arm is solid. In the right situation, he could emerge as a mid-tier starter in the NFL, but I see a very good career backup.
14) James Franklin, QB, MissouriFranklin has good mobility and a solid arm. He’s not excellent at anything but he does a lot very well. He needs to work on his game overall but is a nice late selection sleeper prospect.
15) Logan Thomas, QB, Virginia TechLogan Thomas has to be one of the biggest disappointments of the year. He has a great set of abilities but shits the bed for one reason or the other. I’m calling it now, like with Lattimore last year, the Niners, having so many picks and not a lot of needs, will take Logan Thomas either late on Day 2 or sometime on Day 3.
16) Keith Price, QB, WashingtonPrice is a massive sleeper this year. I’m overlooking him some myself ranking him this low, but the kid can play. He’s a bit small, actually he’s pretty damn small, but he could very well be the next Russell Wilson. He’s shown massive improvements in his mobility, decision making, accuracy and field vision. He doesn’t have the strongest arm but he’s a great prospect just ready to be molded into something special.