SENIOR BOWL: QUARTERBACKS REVIEW

January 26th, 2009 by Daniel Freer

After a week of preview and review of the current crop of NFL-auditioning college seniors, some things were quite apparent:

Among the quarterbacks appearing in the 60th annual Senior Bowl game in Mobile, Alabama, none of the attendees really stood out as future NFL stars, at least for the moment.

Do not look for a Matt Ryan or a Joe Flacco out of the current crop of prospective NFL QBs…rookies who will immediately start, and, lead their teams to turnaround seasons or playoff appearances.

But, that does not mean that the QBs who participated in the 2009 Senior Bowl were necessarily all duds. Some, like West Virginia QB Pat White (photo, thanks IconSMI), fared better than the pre-game “conventional wisdom” would have one believe.

In general, the six signal-callers who were invited to the game all demonstrated that “yes, we deserve to be here”…all were legitimate pro prospects and not just merely invited because of national, local, or regional popularity/fan base. However, all six demonstrated that they lack that “complete package” (at least, at this time) to be every-day starting QBs.

Here is a breakdown of all six QBs who participated in the Senior Bowl (Note: players not ranked in any certain order…and seperated based on the all-star team they played for)

NORTH QBs

GRAHAM HARRELL – Based on national attention and appeal, Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell was arguably the most nationally-renowned QB to participate in this year’s Senior Bowl. However, among the QBs, Harrell probably hurt his NFL stock the most.

Harrell has some arm-strength, but his arm at times (especially during the game) is positioned too low…which would make it easy for NFL defensive linemen to bat his passes down. He has mobility, but is a little awkward when trying to escape a pass rush. During the Senior Bowl game, he struggled most of the time in moving the North team down the field on drives.

I believe Harrell needed to demonstrate to the NFL scouts that his NCAA-record success was not merely based on “the system” run at Texas Tech, or, the talented receivers he had to throw to. Harrell, for the most part, was unable to do so while in Mobile.

RHETT BOMAR – The “interesting” college career of Sam Houston State QB Rhett Bomar did not hurt his pro chances…possibly dropping him some rounds in the draft…but not hurt it too much. Having played previously at Oklahoma meant that Bomar already had experience playing with, and against, Division I FBS-level talent.

Among all QBs at the Senior Bowl, Bomar has the best chance to have a long and successful NFL career. He has a strong arm, and can make the NFL-desired throws most collegians are incapable of doing. His release and arm-positioning are good…not overly great…but good…good enough for the next level.

The one drawback with Bomar is that he has a slight “hitch” in his throwing motion, which will require some work on mechanics at the next level. However, unlike most QBs who have a “hitch” in their throwing motion, Bomar has so many other attributes that I believe the NFL will work to clean up any mechanical flaws.

NATHAN BROWN – Considering most folks never heard of Central Arkansas (Division I FCS school in the Southland Conference), Nathan Brown did not have the pre-game hype to live up to. However, to those wondering why a player from UCA was invited, Brown demonstrated why.

He has a good arm, and strong enough to make NFL-type throws…and displayed more arm-strength than most of his Division I-FBS counterparts. He demonstrated some leadership skills (not just in John Huss upcoming podcast interview of Brown) during the game in leading a late first-half drive to keep the North close at halftime.

The one drawback on Brown is that he is not very big, and will need to bulk up a little to withstand the pounding in the NFL. He also positions his arm just a little too low…not as low as Harrell…but a little low…considering his size. I think, overall, Brown helped his stock in the NFL Draft during his week in Mobile.

SOUTH QBs

JOHN PARKER WILSON – At first, I wondered if the invite to Alabama QB Wilson was just to sell tickets, and not because he was a serious NFL prospect. Although Wilson probably will never star in the NFL, he did at least justify why he was invited.

Wilson has good arm-strength and is surprisingly quick…attributes that we did not get to see much during the Crimson Tide’s 11-win 2008 season, as the Tide ran a conservative, ground-pounding offense. He demonstrated leadership on the field, especially during the first-quarter scoring drive…and has command of the game.

Wilson may be a little “too mechanical” in his throwing motion…just a little slow when winding up and throwing. He will need to speed it up to play at the next level. However, Bama traditionally produces surprisingly productive NFL QBs, past and present, even with running a traditonally-conservative offense. Do not be surprised Wilson is on some NFL team’s roster next season.

CULLEN HARPER – The Clemson QB was one of the top QB prospects heading into the 2008 season, but has seen his stock drop like the Dow Jones Industrial Average. And, it keeps dropping.

Harper did nothing to really impress NFL scouts while in Mobile. He has average arm strength, and an unusual throwing motion…a modified Dan Marino wrist-flick…without the Dan Marino arm attached to it. It makes for great release time, but without great arm-strength…it takes velocity off of Harper’s throws.

The Clemson QB needed to impress the scouts in Mobile…that he was not a pre-2008 season media darling. Judging his performance while in Mobile, Harper was unable to do so.

PAT WHITE – Probably the QB who has the least-chance of making an NFL roster (as a QB), the West Virginia QB performed above all projections and predicitions…but probably not enough to be considered an NFL QB.

Most are already familiar with White’s mobility (he is the all-time NCAA leader in rushing among QBs), but White did display some arm-strength in his throws, and accuracy in his long passes…his 38 yard third-quarter TD pass to Ole Miss WR Mike Wallace was near-perfect. However, White is too small to play QB in the NFL, and has that Randall Cunningham-like long windup when throwing…which would negate his mobility. His athleticism will ensure a spot on a NFL roster next season…just not at QB.

Among all the Senior Bowl participating QBs, White has the most unusual dilemma. Although his QB skills do not translate well for the NFL, he definitely would make a fine QB in the Canadian Football League (CFL), which is a more wide-open game and favors QB with mobility. White’s arm is strong enough for the CFL, and, being a lefty gives him another advantage at that level (especially with the wider CFL field). The big decision for White: Go to the NFL and collect a bigger paycheck playing another position, or, continue playing QB for less money in the CFL?

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