
Russell is my number one rated quarterback
The quarterback position is not as strong as at has been in the past. But, in my opinion there could be a few guys that will be drafted very early, and some sleepers that could turn some heads when they are drafted. Here is my quarterback rankings for the 2007 draft.
1) JaMarcus Russell
2) Drew Stanton
3) Brady Quinn
4) Troy Smith
5) Kevin Kolb
6) John Beck
7) Trent Edwards
8.) Jordan Palmer
9) Jeff Rowe
10) Tyler Palko
11) Jared Zabransky
12) Lester Ricard
13) Toby Korrodi
14) Chris Leak
15) Zac Taylor
First Day Quarterbacks: JaMarcus Russell will probably be the first overall selection in the draft. The Raiders and Al Davis really like the guys who are big (6'6" 260) and have a strong arm. Two good traits when looking for an NFL quarterback. Russell really improved his stock after his great bowl game against the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. Drew Stanton can be a first round guy. Although he was injured, Stanton has really impressed me in all the games that I have watched him in. I really think that the transition from college to the NFL will be very easy for Stanton. He shows great feet in the pocket and he has good size for the position (6'3" 235). Brady Quinn has seen his stock fall ever since JaMarcus Russell came onto the scene and beat him in the bowl game. I believe that Quinn will actually be drafted ahead of Stanton, but Stanton is the best overall player. Quinn will fit with a team somewhere and possibly be able to start a few games next year. Troy Smith didn't really have a great Senior Bowl and hasn't seen his stock move much ever since the National Championship game. The Heisman winner will have to impress scouts at the combine if he wants to be drafted in the first round. Right now, Smith is likely to fall to the second and the hometown Browns could consider drafting him with the 35th overall pick. Kevin Kolb is the final guy who I can see drafted on the first day. Along with Smith, Kolb didn't do much in the Senior Bowl and didn't improve his stock like Cutler did last year. Kolb had huge numbers this year for Houston and can make a very capable backup for a team right now. In the future, he can start, but there are not many teams looking for a starting quarterback right now. Kolb with be drafted in the middle of the third round and will round out the first five quarterbacks taken.
Second Day Quarterbacks: John Beck is a guy who could be a first day selection if it wasn't for his age. Beck is 26 years old which is a pretty big factor to teams who are looking to go young. Beck doesn't neccisarily have the size to be a huge factor, but his numbers in college are just too good to overlook. Look for Beck to be one of the first selections on day two. Trent Edwards is a very interesting prospect. Playing at Stanford, he hardly got any exposure and never got to be shown on television. The truth about Edwards is that he is really a complete quarterback. His stock has fallin for me a little bit because of his foot injury that he endured this year. Edwards would make a good late fourth rounder. Jordan Palmer may be able to shoot up some draft boards due to his amazing size and potential. Palmer is inconsistent at times, but he is one of my favorite quarterbacks to watch. When he is on, he can lead a team. When hes off, he is not playing up to potential. The younger brother of Carson will probably be drafted in the 6th round, but I think his talent is better than where he will be drafted. Jeff Rowe has enjoyed a nice college bowl season. In the Shrine Game, he was named the MVP after his long throw to Paul Williams really exposed some of Rowe abilities. Playing at Nevada, he may struggle at first with going under center. But, Rowe will be a 5th round player. Tyler Palko has fallen very far off of my board. He has absolutley not throw power and tends to catapult more than throw the ball, with his bad throwing technique. Palko also struggles with size which hurts him even more. Look for Palko to slip all the way to the sixth round. Jared Zabransky has showed the whole nation that he can play. His heart and willingness to win is incredible. More mobile than people would think, Zabransky will turn a lot of heads with his forty time. Zabransky could be drafted in the ladder part of the 6th round and possibly find a home with a good playoff team. Lester Ricard has been a disappointment to me this off-season. He overthrew almost every ball in the Shrine Game and looked to stare down his receivers way to long. His size and arm strength are really the only thing that will make one team draft him in the seventh round. Toby Korrodi had a very good Texas vs. Nation practice week. Proto-typical size for the position, Korrodi will be able to hatch onto a team as a very capable third stringer. He will be drafted in the late seventh round. Chris Leak has improved his stock a little bit, but is still a better college player than he will be NFL player. Leak did win the national championship, but he doesn't have all the tools to become a good NFL player. His size will hurt him, and being a non factor when running makes him an even worse prospect. He is a winner though and you can't take that away from him. Leak will most likely go late seventh or might not be drafted at all. Zac Taylor had a good run at Nebraska, but will not translate very well to the NFL. He is an okay passer in the pocket, but doesn't really show much ability to roll out and make accurate passes out of the pocket. Taylor will not be drafted, but could be signed as a UDFA.
JaMarcus Russell : 6'6" 260 pounds, LSU
Drew Stanton : 6'3" 235 pounds, Michigan State
Brady Quinn : 6'4" 231 pounds, Notre Dame
Troy Smith : 6'0" 222 pounds, Ohio State
Kevin Kolb : 6'3" 220 pounds, Houston
John Beck : 6'2" 215 pounds, BYU
Trent Edwards : 6'4" 220 pounds, Stanford
Jordan Palmer : 6'6" 230 pounds, UTEP
Jeff Rowe : 6'5" 225 pounds, Nevada
Tyler Palko : 6'1" 215 pounds, Pittsburgh
Jared Zabransky : 6'2" 205 pounds, Boise State
Lester Ricard : 6'4" 224 pounds, Tulane
Toby Korrodi : 6'4" 232 pounds, Central Missouri State
Chris Leak : 6'0" 203 pounds, Florida
Zac Taylor : 6'2" 210 pounds, Nebraska