Former
starter Kordell Stewart will most likely be traded or cut at some point this
off-season. Recently-signed quarterback
Tim Levcik looks to be only another arm in camp, at this point. Look for the Steelers to draft a quarterback
on the second day of the draft if Batch can be re-signed. A first-day pick is unlikely, unless someone
they love falls to them or Batch can’t be brought back.
#1
Carson
Palmer
6’ 5”
235 lbs
USC - Senior
Palmer has all the tools you
look for in a starting quarterback, but has been very inconsistent during his career.
That is, until this year, in which he has
finally started putting it all together. Good size, arm strength, and athletic ability are just some of his
assets. Palmer has had several injuries
that have impeded his progression to the next level. He has a tendency to have bad timing on his throws, but on the
other hand shows good pocket awareness. Palmer would do well with a team that can bring him along slowly over
the next year or two, with the right offensive coordinator or quarterback coach
to work with. Could that team be the
Bengals and that coach be Tom Coughlin?
Likely to be drafted: First
overall
#2
Byron
Leftwich
6’ 6”
250 lbs
Marshall - Senior
Leftwich isn’t going to be
mistaken for Daunte Culpepper or Donavan McNabb, even though he has many of the
same attributes. A cannon for an arm
along with outstanding accuracy, ideal size, and great leadership skills
highlights what should be the first quarterback to be taken in the 2003
draft. Has a good delivery,
over-the-top motion to his throws. Can
make all the throws with accuracy and zip on his balls. But unlike the before-mentioned
quarterbacks, Leftwich isn’t much of a running threat, but falls in with that
pure pocket passer group ala David Carr. Also, as is the case with most young quarterbacks, he has a tendency to
throw off his back foot at times. Also
forces the ball at times and waits for things to happen instead of throwing to
a spot and trusting his receivers. Leftwich has the talent to be the number one overall pick. However, his
comments on having nightmares of playing in Cincinnati don’t bode well for that
top spot, but Chicago would love to have him. His shin injury could also be of some concern.
Likely to be drafted: Top 5
picks
#3
Dave
Ragone
6’ 4”
252 lbs
Louisville - Senior
Ragone was thought to be in
the running for the top quarterback spot coming into the season, but has taken
such a beating behind his offensive line that he hasn’t been able to show what
he did last year. A solid all-around
quarterback who has very good mechanics. Can make all the throws and anticipates well.
Tends to take off and run with the ball a little too often, but
that could be a product of his front line, or lack thereof. Ragone has shown a lot of resiliency this
year and could come in and start right away next season.
Likely to be drafted: Middle
to late part of Round 1
#4
Kyle
Boller
6’ 3”
220 lbs
Cal – Senior
Boller is an outstanding
blend of athlete and quarterback. Combining good size with an excellent arm, Boller has improved each of
his four seasons at Cal, culminating in a very solid senior campaign. He has an explosive release on the ball, can
make all the throws, and has the ability to take off with it. On the down side, Boller is very antsy in
the pocket and is easily rattled when under pressure. Has been slow to develop, possible due to the carousel of
coordinators Boller has had the past few years. Accuracy is also a concern at times.
Likely to be drafted: Second
Round
#5
Rex
Grossman
6’ 1”
225 lbs
Florida – Junior
Grossman has really
struggled after having a near Heisman campaign in 2001. With the departure of Steve Spurrier, the
offense has sagged and Grossman has taken much of the abuse. Still, he is a quality quarterback who
should be able to play in most offensive systems. His arm strength is much better than most recent Gator
quarterbacks. He does, however, tend to
lock onto his primary receivers and will on occasion force the ball. News out of Green Bay is that the Packers
are looking to take a quarterback in the first round and Grossman is the guy on their
radar screens.
Likely to be drafted: Second
Round
#6
Drew Hensen
6’ 5”
225 lbs
Michigan – Junior
Hensen could have been one
of the top two or three quarterbacks in the country when he came out, but opted
instead to sign a contract with the Yankees. His play in pinstripes hasn’t been great and many are speculating that
he may opt back into football. A
talented passer, Hensen has the arm to make all the throws. His biggest negative, if he decides to
return to the gridiron, is how much time it will take before he is ready to start
under center.
Likely to be drafted: Late
Second Round
#7
Chris
Simms
6’ 4”
215 lbs
Texas – Senior
Simms might have had a
better college career if everyone didn’t expect him to live up to his
father. Simms is an intelligent
quarterback who excels when he has time in the pocket. He can drive the ball down the field but
does not improvise well when plays break down, and has limited pocket
awareness. Once the mental part of his
game catches up to his knowledge and skills, he should excel.
Likely to be drafted: Late
Second Round, early 3rd
#8
Ken
Dorsey
6’ 4”
205 lbs
Miami - Senior
Last year the knock on
Dorsey was his lack of body mass. This
year it is his lack of arm strength. Both are areas he has continued to work on, adding muscle over the
off-season, and it’s paid dividends this year. Dorsey is a very intelligent quarterback who knows his position and his
limitations. He reads the field very
well and is excellent at play action, reading through his progressions, and
looking off the safety. Dorsey is a
leader in every sense of the word, the question now is if he a pro
quarterback. The Fiesta Bowl will hurt
his standing, as the Ohio State defense exposed many of his weaknesses,
including his lack of arm strength. But
he rebounded nicely for the East West Shrine Game, which will help. Will be best suited in an offense that has
everything in place around him, so that he isn’t asked to carry the load. Denver might be a good fit.
Likely to be drafted: Early
part of Round 3
#9
Brad Banks
6’ 1”
200 lbs
Iowa - Senior
A one-year starter, Banks
was really moving up draft charts after leading Iowa on a very improbable run
to the top of the Big 12. That was,
until the Orange Bowl against USC, which may have knocked Banks back down a
bit. A bit on the small size, Banks
plays above his size with good athleticism. Very dangerous when he takes off and runs, and effortlessly throws a
nice ball while on the run.
Likely to be drafted: Mid Third
Round
#10
Brian
St. Pierre
6’ 2”
218 lbs
Boston College – Senior
St. Pierre is a strong-armed
pocket passer with solid athletic skills. However, he gets flustered when under pressure, which is when most of
his mistakes will happen. Doesn’t
really ever set his feet and can be a very hot or cold quarterback.
Likely to be drafted: Fourth
Round
#11
Jason
Gesser
6’ 0”
180 lbs
Washington State - Senior
Gesser is the ultimate
competitor but may not have what it takes at the next level. Very much fits into the Doug Flutie mold,
but isn’t as good as Flutie. Has a
decent arm, is very instinctive, and athletic. Lack of height and overall size will hurt him at the next level, as will
his penchant for getting sloppy at times with his accuracy, which is a result
of being slow to set up in the pocket and having happy feet.
Likely to be drafted: Fourth
Round
#12
Kliff
Kingsbury
6’ 3”
206 lbs
Texas Tech - Senior
A very smart pocket passer
who has a good short to intermediate game. Kingsbury has a good release and is good at finding the hot read.
Has trouble with the long ball, which could
be due to a lack of arm strength or his tendency to step out of throws. Many fear that Kingsbury may be just a
product of the system, and he will need to prove otherwise before the draft.
Likely to be drafted: Fifth
Round
#13
Seneca
Wallace
5’ 11”
183 lbs
Iowa State - Senior
In the early going, it
looked like Wallace could run away with the Heisman, then the competition got
tougher. Still, Wallace has all the
skills you could ever want from a quarterback. Athletic, with a strong arm and excellent running ability, Wallace’s
biggest weakness is his ability to read defenses. His lack of size could see him moving over and playing wide
receiver, ala Hines Ward and Antwaan Randle El.
Likely to be drafted: Sixth
Round at QB, Possibly in the Third for WR/RB
#14
Jason
Thomas
6’ 3”
241 lbs
UNLV – Senior
A case of all the talent in
the world, and can’t seem to do anything with it. As athletically gifted as any quarterback coming out, but Thomas
has never been able to put it all together. Bad mechanics and injury problems have really held him back.
Tries to muscle balls in, instead of using
good technique, and throws off his back foot. Might be worth a look for a team that is a few years away from needing a
quarterback and is willing to groom him slowly.
Likely to be drafted:
Seventh Round
#15
Tony Romo
6’ 2”
224 lbs
Eastern Illinois - Senior
Romo played at a lesser
level of competition than most of the other quarterbacks in this draft, but
performed well at his level. A solid
arm and pocket awareness are two of his stronger attributes. He does, however, have problems finding
passing lanes with big linemen in front of him.
Likely to be drafted:
Seventh Round
#16
Justin
Wood
6’ 0”
203 lbs
Portland State - Senior
A solid prospect, even given
his low level of competition. A student
of the game, who has a decent arm and is a leader on and off the field. Isn’t the biggest quarterback, which could
hurt him some.
Likely to be drafted:
Seventh Round
Undrafted Free Agents
Curt
Anes
6’ 0”
221 lbs
Grand Valley State – Senior
Divison II player of the
year and for good reason. Anes
completed over 69% of his passes as well as averaging 6.1 yards per rush
attempt. Possessing a strong arm, Anes
would be worth a look for any team that has a couple years to let him adjust to
the pro game.
Marquel
Blackwell
5’ 11”
207 lbs
South Florida – Senior
A solid athlete, Blackwell
has a strong arm as well as good feet and speed, making him a threat to run the
ball. Doesn’t adjust the speed on his
short passes and tends to throw the ball up for grabs at times. Plays in a spread offense will could hurt
his chances of being drafted, plus has marginal size to be a NFL
quarterback. Might make the switch to
safety or running back in the pros.
Jeff Blakenship
6’ 2”
208 lbs
Eastern Washington - Senior
Blakenship has a strong arm
and can make almost all the throws. Is
a very accurate passer, and led the Big Sky conference in passing yards per
game, efficiency, and total yards per game. A division 1-AA prospect who could be worth a look late.
Dave
Bryant
6’ 3”
213 lbs
Iowa Wesleyan – Senior
Good enough to be invited to
the combine but was ineligible this past season and did not play. Has good size and decent arm strength.
A fringe prospect at best, but will at least
have a chance to prove himself at the combine.
Brooks
Bollinger
6’ 0”
204 lbs
Wisconsin - Senior
Bollinger has progressed
each year he has played, showing good touch on his balls and an increased
ability to hit his receivers in stride. Durability has been an issue and his sub-par arm strength could keep him
from making an NFL roster.
Daniel Cobb
6’ 3”
224 lbs
Auburn – Senior
Cobb started his
injury-plagued career at Georgia, before transferring to Auburn in 1999. Has good size and is comfortable in the
short to intermediate passing game, showing good accuracy. Does not have zip on his deep balls and will
often throw the ball up for grabs instead of hitting his receiver.
Marc
Dunn
6’ 2”
203 lbs
Kansas State – Senior
Dunn is a pretty good pocket
passer. Showing good arm strength, he
can make all the throws. Tends to be
hot and cold. Struggles reading
coverages and will force the ball. Has
only started at the division 1 level for one year and has the tools to develop
if given time.
Bret
Engeman
6’ 5”
238 lbs
BYU – Junior
Engeman has a lot of
athletic talent that he can’t seem to consistently show on the field. A big kid with good arm strength and
accuracy, he’s continued to improve over the years. Shoulder surgery in 200 will need to be examined.
Could find his name called late in the
draft.
Jose
Fuentes
6’ 2”
214 lbs
Utah State – Senior
Fuentes has good arm
strength and size, but must add some bulk in the pros. Does not show a lot of zip on his deep
throws. He’s good at reading the blitz
and buying extra time in the pocket. Not good at reading coverages and will throw the ball up for grabs.
Fuentes is a system quarterback and did not
play against top level competition.
Casey Printers
6’ 2”
200 lbs
Florida A&M
Printers, with good arm
strength and zip on his downfield passes, is tough, willing to take a hit, and
can buy second chances with his feet. Can be very inconsistent with his accuracy.
Was 22 and 9 at TCU before transferring to Florida A&M. Could see his name late in the second day of
the draft.
More Player Links:
Jason Thomas
Brooks Bollinger
Daniel Cobb
Marc Dunn
Bret Engeman
Jose Fuentes
Casey Printers