After an entertaining 2012 NFL season Fantasy Football fans begin to shift their focus to the talent displayed in the upcoming NFL draft. With the high level of success by NFL rookie quarterbacks you have to think teams like the Oakland Raiders are shaking their heads in disappointment for giving up what turned out to be valuable opportunities to gain immediate impact players. Of the twelve playoff teams in 2012 six of those teams had either first or second year quarterbacks and almost all of which were an asset to many fantasy teams as well. The first order of business in the grueling months of NFL scouting is the Senior Bowl and although there weren’t any standout performances from a group that has been most recently described as “mediocre” we did learn a few things other than the most popular topic of top prospects Geno Smith and Matt Barkley choosing for better or worse not to participate. Best potential Fantasy QB? I have mixed feelings and think it’s too early to tell but here are some assessments of what we have seen so far for the 2013 NFL Draft and some things to think about for 2013 Fantasy Football.
Geno Smith West Virginia: Even with his “non participant” status in this year’s Senior Bowl Geno has solidified himself as the number one quarterback in this year’s NFL Draft. Smith’s explosive play making ability with his legs and incredible accuracy with his arm of 71 percent in 2012 make him the closest thing to what we have seen from players like RG3, Russell Wilson and Collin Kaepernick. Smith could land in Kansas City, Jacksonville, Oakland, Philadelphia, Arizona or Buffalo with Kansas City and Arizona being the most likely candidates.
Matt Barkley USC: After passing on the 2012 NFL Draft Barkley was regarded as the clear number one quarterback prospect in college football. This quickly took a turn for the worse while in their quest for a National Championship Matt Barkley and the USC Trojans finished 7-6 including a 21-7 Sun Bowl loss to Georgia Tech. Luckily for Barkley he still had a respectable season and due to the lack of depth in this year’s draft he still remains one of the top overall prospects at quarterback. The major concerns that surround Barkley is his size at 6’ 2” and lack of arm strength, there are also many questioning that his success was a direct result of the talent he has had around him during his time at USC. Barkley could likely be headed to Jacksonville, New York Jets, Arizona, or Buffalo and if not selected by one of these teams could fall to the late second or early third round.
Mike Glennon North Carolina State: After the first two we fall into the second tier of quarterbacks, the tallest member of this group is Mike Glennon at 6’ 7”. Glennon has those intangibles with his height and arm strength and is surprisingly quick for his size. The biggest challenge for him is he needs a lot of work to do in terms of pocket presence, accuracy and making the correct reads. He could also be classified as untested as he is in only his second year as an ACC starter and has yet to play in a major bowl game. A few first round teams might be willing to take a chance with him ending up in Arizona or Buffalo but the most likely scenario is that teams will wait until the 3rd or 4th round where he would become a formidable backup.
Senior Bowl Stats
Passing: 8-16 82 YDS 0 TD 0 INT
E.J. Manuel Florida State: The biggest surprise of the Senior Bowl, was the unlikely MVP, E. J. Manuel. The well built and very athletic quarterback might have the highest ceiling of any quarterback in this draft but with inconsistency issues he is regarded as a “work in progress”. It really is up to Manuel to continue to show that he is ready and with that his stock could rise from a mid round pick to possibly a late first or early second round pick as he has done by recently winning the College All Star QB Accuracy Challenge. We also don’t want to get too carried away with the Senior Bowl MVP title and its relevance as the 2011 MVP was Christian Ponder and you have to go back as far as 2004,Philip Rivers, to find an MVP recipient of worthy mention. Teams that could aim for E.J. in the second round would be Jacksonville, Oakland, or Philadelphia.
Senior Bowl Stats
Passing: 7-10 76 YDS 1TD 1INT
Rushing: 4 10 YDS 1 TD
Ryan Nassib Syracuse: Geno Smith and Matt Barkley’s absence opened the door for Syracuse quarterback Ryan Nassib to show what he had as an alternate in this year’s Senior Bowl. Nassib performed well on the practice field showing his sound fundamentals and incredible velocity and accuracy with his intermediate throws. The weakness in Nassib’s game is clearly when he needs to stretch the field and make long throws. During practice as the throws became longer the accuracy and decision making became less and less impressive. NFL scouts are going to need to see him progress in making the long throw as it has become such a needed asset in an NFL quarterback. He also made a terrible decision in the Senior Bowl to run backwards which netted a 21 yard loss. The Syracuse QB could go as early as the first round to Buffalo or Arizona but doesn’t fit any other the other coaching schemes for teams that are in need of a quarterback making him a more likely pick up for later rounds.
Senior Bowl Stats
Passing: 4-10 44 YDS 0 TD 1 INT
Rushing: 1 -21 YDS 0 TD
Tyler Wilson Arkansas: Wilson might be the safest pick in the draft but has limited upside, he is well balanced confident and has excellent fundamentals. The senior bowl was Wilson’s opportunity to really show what he had and instead he produced very mediocre numbers by checking down almost every chance he got in a very Alex Smith like fashion. Wilson didn’t necessarily hurt his draft stock but he didn’t do much to raise it either. Wilson would most likely end up on a team that needs a quarterback to just do enough not to lose the game or could serve as a very good back up.
Senior Bowl Stats
Passing: 8-11 40 YDS 0 TD 0 INT
Zac Dysert Miami Ohio: The one quarterback who made the most of what was given to him was Dysert who led all passers in yards and added a touchdown to go with it. He was described as having better than average arm strength and was confident enough to take several shots down the field. His mechanics and awareness needs serious work but is worth a mid round pick to a team that is willing to work with him. Most likely the Miami Ohio QB will fall to the fourth or fifth round but could pleasantly surprise the team that drafts him.
Senior Bowl Stats
Passing: 10-16 93 YDS 1 TD 1 INT
Landry Jones Oklahoma: Even as a record breaker at OU (Big 12’s all time passing leader) there are a lot of questions surrounding Landry’s ability to play at the next level. His inconsistency and lack of experience in under-center offenses leads most people to believe he has a lot to prove before he is ready for an NFL offense. His performance at this year’s Senior Bowl provided evidence to those doubts by showing below average skills in drills and an extremely poor performance in the live game. He is most likely a late fourth or fifth round QB at this point in time.
Senior Bowl Stats
Passing: 3-9 16 YDS 0 TD 0 INT
Rushing: 2 -22 YDS 0 TD
