The 2011 Draft: Middle to Late round QBs

[Dukes and Skins]

After reading this, I went and checked out some Stanzi highlights, brought up the Iowa v Michigan State game, and the player who really stood out to me was Clayborn. Extremely disruptive player, that is more suited to play de in a 3-4, but I'm worried he might not be ideal for a 2-gap scheme.

Taking him at #10 would be too early as well IMO better fit in the 20's range and looks like TB would be a great spot for him

[darrelgreenie]

I think a guy like Ricky Stanzi from Iowa, I think he’s a real logical player. He’s a big, strong guy. He makes every throw. He’s been a little bit inconsistent especially in the fourth quarter. But I think he’s the kind of guy that makes sense for what they do.

http://blog.49ers.com/2011/02/17/nfln%E2%80%99s-mike-mayock-talks-draft/

Q. I’ve got two Virginia topics. One, Tyrod Taylor as a quarterback, what his potential might be in your opinion?

As far as Tyrod Taylor is concerned, he’s a pretty interesting guy. I think he’s got a bigger arm than people want to give him credit for. I saw him down at the East‑West game in addition to the tape I’ve watched.

I think the perception that he can only be a scrambling quarterback, that’s a little unfair to the kid. He’s almost 6’1″, 216 pounds. I think he was 24 touchdown passes against five interceptions with a 50 or 61% completion rate this year. He was the ACC Player of the Year. My gut tells me give this kid a try.

Is he going to be a high level first, second, third round pick? No. But like most undersized quarterbacks, he’s going to have to prove himself. Just because he has athletic ability, he doesn’t have to be a pocket passer.

[Dukes and Skins]

http://blog.49ers.com/2011/02/17/nfln%E2%80%99s-mike-mayock-talks-draft/

Yeah I saw that makes sense for us, my top 5 guys for us to look at are though

1. Gabbert

2. Locker

3. Dalton

4. Ponder

5. Stanzi

[darrelgreenie]

Yeah I saw that makes sense for us, my top 5 guys for us to look at are though

1. Gabbert

2. Locker

3. Dalton

4. Ponder

5. Stanzi

If there isn't a run on 1st round QBs and Kaep stocks rises (2nd/3rd round), I still think there will be a decent mid-late round QB prospect available.

Maybe even in the 4th/5th round.

But, I still believe the safest bet is to acquire a 3rd/4th round pick to make sure we land Dalton/Stanzi.

PS-I finally finished watching the Enderle kid.

I like that he comes from a pro-style offense you can tell that he's adept at reading through his progressions and does some pre-snap work.

Doesn't have a big arm but seems to have enough, can move a little but no threat to run and isn't a playmaker.

He seemed to make a higher number of decsions i disagreed w/ then most of the prospects I watched though.

[ABSTRACT]

Apparently Mike Mayock had a media conference call today:

Can't find a complete transcript though

I thought this was interesting:

http://www.mockingthedraft.com/2011/2/17/1999648/mike-mayock-conference-call-cliffsnotes

I TOLD Yall that Stanzi fits Shanahan scheme. Nobody wanted to believe me lol:pfft:

Everything I seen from him shows me that dude would be PERFECT in our WCO scheme. I hope we pick him up in the 2nd round maybe.

[darrelgreenie]

I TOLD Yall that Stanzi fits Shanahan scheme. Nobody wanted to believe me lol:pfft:

Everything I seen from him shows me that dude would be PERFECT in our WCO scheme. I hope we pick him up in the 2nd round maybe.

Easy killer, If you remember I was one of the people that liked Stanzi.

And Stanzi fits Kyle's scheme better then he fits Mike scheme.

I like Stanzi too especially since he could be available in outside the 1st 2 rounds.

Here's my take:

Ricky Stanzi is not any type of real threat to run nor does he have a big time arm.

He lacks the physical superlatives like a Locker or Newton.

But he has proto-typical NFL frame, decent arm (i hope he throws at the combine), good production/efficiency (almost on par w/ Luck) and comes from a pro-style offense.

Nice compact throwing motion w/ a quick release.

(although and this is just a nit-pick he sometimes holds the ball kinda low and very very rarely seems to pat the ball or hitch his delivery)

Good footwork 3-5-7 step drop back foot hits the ground the balls out.

Has a clean drop back, sets his feet, and throws from a solid base.

He moves well in and out of the pocket and can throw on the run.

What's your assessment?

I think these were from last year.

B/c looking at "youtube" film from this year i don't see most of the above flaws.

nepatriots mention-

throwing from the pocket mechanical flaws-but his footwork especially looks very sound and consistent i see good weight transfer and his feet seem light.

Again this must be a review from last year b/c its hard imo to reconcile locking onto a receiver/fitting the ball in tight spaces/decision making need work when you consider his production from this year:

64.8 comp %

8.65 YPA

25 TDs

4 INTs

160.5 Efficiensy rating

In the pros?

He reminds me of Marc Bulger-Matt Schaub type QB.

BTW-

I love Noel Divine i bet some team that values the screen game will drafting him before the 4th round

[Mahons21]

Taking him at #10 would be too early as well IMO better fit in the 20's range and looks like TB would be a great spot for him

Oh I agree completely, I was more discussing the possibility of it if we traded back or he was still there for our 2nd round pick.

[Dukes and Skins]

Oh I agree completely, I was more discussing the possibility of it if we traded back or he was still there for our 2nd round pick.

If he makes it to the 2nd round I'd run up to the podium as fast as possible and take him

[Mahons21]

If he makes it to the 2nd round I'd run up to the podium as fast as possible and take him

Really? Everything I've read has been saying late 1st early 2nd, and it appears he has some work ethic issues, which might let him drop to us. But honestly I don't know much about the guy, other than he was one hell of a disruptive force in the MICH ST Iowa highlights that I watched.

I'm nervous the skins scheme wouldn't utilize Clayborn's greatest asset, his explosiveness.

[Dukes and Skins]

Really? Everything I've read has been saying late 1st early 2nd, and it appears he has some work ethic issues, which might let him drop to us. But honestly I don't know much about the guy, other than he was one hell of a disruptive force in the MICH ST Iowa highlights that I watched.

I'm nervous the skins scheme wouldn't utilize Clayborn's greatest asset, his explosiveness.

When I look at him I think he has the anchor and motor to be a very good player, his explosiveness is a positive to add onto what he has. I'm not too worried about his work ethic as I really have't heard much about it. We'll see though what comes out of the interview process about him

[AllRedskins.Us]

I checked out those Stanzi highlights, I am really impressed with his quick release and his natural ability to stand tall in the pocket. Hopefully he flies under the radar a little bit for the Redskins to pick him up in the second perhaps.

He reminds me of a Colt McCoy in his accuracy and spiral/touch, but I like Stanzi at 6' 4" compared to McCoy at 6'1".

I think Shanahan will definitely like Stanzi's mobility and ability to escape the pocket and make a big field down play.

I hadn't seen Ricky Stanzi really play thanks for the highlight, although the music was pretty asburd haha.

[Campbell's_da_man]

For a late rounder this year, I like the kid from Nevada, Kaepernick. I like Ponder also, but I'd be surprised to see him available after the 3rd round. Another late possibility might be Enderle from Idaho.

[darrelgreenie]

I checked out those Stanzi highlights, I am really impressed with his quick release and his natural ability to stand tall in the pocket. Hopefully he flies under the radar a little bit for the Redskins to pick him up in the second perhaps.......He reminds me of a Colt McCoy in his accuracy and spiral/touch, but I like Stanzi at 6' 4" compared to McCoy at 6'1".

....................I think Shanahan will definitely like Stanzi's mobility and ability to escape the pocket and make a big field down play.................................I hadn't seen Ricky Stanzi really play thanks for the highlight, although the music was pretty asburd haha.

I think McCoy is more accurate and far more athletic, but Stanzi probably has a stronger arm and has more prototypical NFL size.

Yeah, that music was terrible but if you want to see a game cut-up the Iowa vs Michigan St. is on youtube.

---------- Post added February-18th-2011 at 11:37 PM ----------

For a late rounder this year' date=' I like the kid from Nevada, Kaepernick. I like Ponder also, but I'd be surprised to see him available after the 3rd round. Another late possibility might be Enderle from Idaho.[/quote']

I think Kaep is an interesting prospect, he's got a big time arm but a quirky, elongated throwing motion.

He's coming from a pistol/spread offense and presents as more of a project then some other the other prospects that come from pro-style offense.

And judging from Kyle's statement about Tebow last year, I don't think he's eager for a QB like Kaep.

[jefeweiss]

I've briefly looked at the first ten or so guys in the current draft order, and I think Stanzi and McElroy are the two that stand out as being better bets as NFL quarterbacks. Not to say that any of the others won't become NFL quarterbacks, but the areas of concern tend to be more problematic to me. Both Stanzi and McElroy have more experience in correctly reading defenses while dropping back. If either of these guys were available in the later rounds, they may very well be worth selecting.

Reading the draft analysis by experts, I just don't understand why they are considered experts. A guy who is tall and strong but makes poor decisions or has work ethic problems at the college level is unlikely to improve when they get to the NFL. Making good decisions at the college level would be a bare minimum for a NFL quarterback, to me. The decisions don't get any easier and the time available to make those decisions is going to be a fraction of what it is in college.

[darrelgreenie]

I've briefly looked at the first ten or so guys in the current draft order, and I think Stanzi and McElroy are the two that stand out as being better bets as NFL quarterbacks. Not to say that any of the others won't become NFL quarterbacks, but the areas of concern tend to be more problematic to me. Both Stanzi and McElroy have more experience in correctly reading defenses while dropping back. If either of these guys were available in the later rounds, they may very well be worth selecting.

I definetely agree about Stanzi, but it looks like he might not be a mid-late round prospect anymore.

I like that Stanzi operates in a traditional pro-style offense where (to my eye) does more pre-snap work then the top QBs prospects and he smoothly follows his post snap progressions.

Kyle's version of the Denver WCO places more emphasis on pre-snap recognition and post snap reads/progressions more so then Mike's version of the same offense.

QBs w/ those skills that lack the exceptional arm strength and mobility aren't required to execute Kyle's offense and those QBs can typically be found later in the draft and certainly out of the 1st round.

[darrelgreenie]

Kiper on the middle to late round QBs (who seem to keep climbing)

If I had to make a decision right now, I'd go beyond those two and go with Ricky Stanzi. He's 6-4, 220 pounds. He's a good leader. He's been solid. Productive. He's 26-9 as a starter. 3-0 in bowl games. 25 TDs, 6 INTs this year, which was dramatically improved over last year. 59.2 percent on third down, 7 TDs, no picks. He improved on the deep ball, even though he still made a couple of bad reads. That's a kid that deserves to be a second round pick.

Yeah, I think Tyrod Taylor from VT is an interesting guy. I think he deserves the chance to play QB. He's 6-1, so he has adequate height. He improved dramatically as a passer. He deserves a chance. If he doesn't make it as a QB, he could be someone you work in as a slot reciever or into the return game. I think he'll end up being a 3-4 round pick. I've heard some positive commentary from people on him.

No. I think that's too high. He's a second or third rounder. He's not the pure passer that you need to be a first round pick. At the Senior Bowl, he was decent, not spectacular. There wasn't a lot of buzz around him coming out. Christian Ponder had a better Senior Bowl week. But Dalton is one of those overachieving QBs. He has that "it" factor. He just finds a way to get the job done. Great huddle presence. Very experienced. He's a gamer

.

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/37131/football-guru-mel-kiper

[darrelgreenie]

The updated no one asked me combine QB notes:

1st group:

Speed Out x3 (Left/Right) -5 step no hitch and throw: 3 big-2 quick open hips/rocker step throw:Locker (L) 3 good ones ® 3 good ones

Mallett (L) 3 good ones ® 2 good ones

Dalton ® 3 good ones

Kaep ® 2 good ones

Jerrod Johnson ® 2 good ones

Slants x3 (Left) 3 quick and throwMallett 3 very good ones

Locker 2 good ones

Dalton 3 good ones

Go Route 7 step w/ hitch 3 big 4 quick-small 1 hitch

Kaep +2 launched 1 on a line

Locker +3 (completed all the 3) but didn't uncork any underthrew one and threw a perfect one

Mallett +3 didn't complete any IIRC but freakin launched all 3 of his

Dalton +3 completed all 3

Sterling Sharpe was impressed w/ Mallett

Mayock and Sharpe both impressed w/ Locker's arm and accuracy (AJ Green was impressed too)

Group 2:

Speed Out x3 (Left/Right) -5 step no hitch and throw: 3 big-2 quick open hips/rocker step throw:

Stanzi ® 3 good ones (L) 3 good ones -throwing to a spot not worried about the completions

Ponder ® 1good one (L) 2 good ones*

Newton ® 1 good one*

Portis ® 3 good ones (L) 3 completions**

Tyrod ® 3 good ones but was throwing very under control

*Ponder and Newton were hitching (taking an extra step or waiting) at the top of their drops and it threw off their rhythm.

I think the wanted to complete the pass rather then just throw it to the spot and were waiting on there WRs where as Stanzi just ripped it on time on target if the WR was there or not.

Newton seemed very deliberate in his drop like he was thinking about it, which is probably b/c he is thinking about it: executing a 5 step drop rhythm throw is new to him.

**Portis drop back was off rhythm but his throws were on time his footwork reminded me of Cutler bad footwork good throw.

Poster Corner (Right side) 3 big 4 quick-small hitch and throw

Stanzi 3 good ones

Newton 2 good ones

Portis 3 good ones

Tyrod 2 good ones

Tolzien(sp?) 3 good ones

---------- Post added February-27th-2011 at 10:34 PM ----------

There were a number of QB i didn't see but of the ones I saw I thought the mid-round/late round prospects Stanzi, Dalton and Josh Portis consistently threw the ball well.

Stanzi threw it well w/ very crisp footwork.

Portis was a surprise because he threw the ball very well despite not have a disciplined drop back.

Dalton looked good.

Ponder threw the ball well at times too but was off on the speed outs.

Tyrod starting off good on the speed outs but looked liked he started 'aiming' the ball after his 1st 3 throws.

Jerrod Johnson was meh some good short throws all over the place deep.

[darrelgreenie]

http://insidepittsburghsports.com/story/nfl-combine-buzz-cal-u-qb-josh-portis-met-with-13-teams/35726/

NFL Combine Buzz: Cal U QB Josh Portis met with 13 teams

Portis meets with 13 teams

Former California University of Pennsylvania quarterback Josh Portis improved his draft stock with a strong performance at the NFL combine in what was a big day for Portis and the Cal U football program.

Portis was among the top performers in drills on Sunday, and according to sources, fared well during the interview process as character issues have followed Portis from his time with Florida University and Maryland.

There is some intrigue surrounding Portis and at the combine he was right up there with the likes of Cam Newton in drills, breaking the QB vertical jump record (40.0) and tying Newton for first place in the broad jump at 10.6.

Portis, the cousin of NFL star Clinton Portis, met with 13 teams at the combine.

"He met with thirteen teams and performed very well in the testing, " a high ranking official from the Cal U football program told Inside Pittsburgh Sports.com on Tuesday morning. "He broke the QB record for vertical jump and finished in the top three of every category."

"Additionally he threw the ball as well as he has ever thrown it. Great day for him and CalU, " the official said.

Portis was the first player from the Vulcans to attend the NFL Combine. He was one of only 18 quarterbacks invited to attend the annual event.

[GibbsFactor]

Good for Portis.

[Skinsinparadise]

Since Stanzi is being discussed some, here's a good site on him -- people seems to be all over the place on him, some definitely picked on him for his combine performance.

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=78822&draftyear=2011&genpos=qb

02/27/11 - Ricky Stanzi, Iowa - Another tough day for him as his throws were all over the place. Only thing he did well was a quick release. Passes were short and low. He threw a deep ball better than he did at the Senior Bowl but it was short most of the time. Did not improve his chances. - NFL Combine Pool Report - Joe Reedy, Cincinnati Enquirer

01/27/11 - SENIOR BOWL PRACTICE, WEDNESDAY: Stanzi's practice was very similar to Locker's. He came up short on multiple passes when his receiver was in perfect position to receive the throw and sailed the ball on seam passes. He is able to stand tall and deliver a tight ball from the pocket, which will entice teams who like his 6-foot-4, 221-pound frame and starting experience. - NFLDraftScout.com

01/25/11 - SENIOR BOWL PRACTICE, TUESDAY: Stanzi threw one ball into the turf when running to his left, but connected on an intermediate out route while escaping the pocket against closing defensive end Cameron Jordan (Cal), who probably would have brought him down on the play if in a game situation. Stanzi looked off safeties throwing out routes, which is a rare sight at Senior Bowl practices. - Chad Reuter, NFLDraftScout.com

01/24/11 - SENIOR BOWL PRACTICE, MONDAY: Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi doesn't possess Locker's athletic upside or Kaepernick's arm strength. His instincts and consistency make him one of the better "second tier" quarterbacks in this class. Stanzi, wearing a bright yellow helmet Monday, chose to pepper the defense with underneath passes too often for scouts' liking, but that can hardly be considered a surprise considering the ball-control offense he ran at Iowa. - Rob Rang, NFLDraftScout.com

[darrelgreenie]

Andy Dalton, QB, TCU - People like Dalton because he won a lot at TCU and he's done well in key games, but his throwing performance at the combine reflected what I saw at the Senior Bowl as well. His stats inflated in a spread offense, Dalton has proven unable to make consistently forceful throws into narrow windows even at the intermediate level.

Ricky Stanzi, QB, Iowa - Like Dalton, Stanzi failed to dig his way out of an indifferent Senior Bowl performance. He struggled with accuracy and consistent velocity, and he was even less on target than Dalton was. In Mobile and in Indy, Stanzi consistently came up short on even simple throws, elevating convern about his ability to do more than carry a clipboard in the NFL.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Mallett-leads-list-of-2011-Combine-Fallers?urn=nfl-328734

*I don't agree w/ Farrar about Stanzi and Dalton in re: there throwing at the combine.

I don't even agree that Stanzi had a bad SB performance.

But, if the team scouts agree then Stanzi and Dalton might be back in play in the 5th round.

[Skinsinparadise]

From Kiper today

zach (MI)

whose stock went up the most and whose dropped the most after the combine?

Good question. Stock up the most since the combine, I would say Blaine Gabbert, Jake Locker, Christian Ponder, Jordan Todman, Shane Vereen, Edmund Gates, Denarius Moore, Ryan Bartholomew, JJ Watt, Cameron Jordan, Ryan Kerrigan, Christian Ballard, Muhammad Wilkerson, Scott Lutrus, Von Miller, Patrick Peterson, Prince Amukamara.

Mel Kiper

(1:28 PM)

Stocks that dropped: Cam Newton, Ricky Stanzi, Mikel Leshoure, Vincent Brown, Lance Kendricks, Jeremy Beal, Akeem Ayers, Ahmad Black. zach (MI)

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/

[ChiefPowhatan17]

The SKINS should take Tyrod Taylor in the late rounds 5 or 6.

[darrelgreenie]

Mayock talking abuot Cam Newton but also about the process of throwning at the combine in general:

That was the first opportunity to see the ball come out of his hands, and I think he was a little frustrated by his inaccuracies. He didn't throw a bunch of completions. What happens here is when you don't have your receivers, and they are throwing the 10 yard speed out and you're hitting the fifth step, and they're telling you, the coaches are telling you to throw to an area. You've been coached your entire life to complete passes, so there's a little bit of a contradiction in your head, as a kid who's never done this before. So I kind of feel empathy for these kids, and I appreciate the fact they chose to throw the football today, because they might expose exactly what you saw, which is sometimes the ball hits the ground

---------- Post added March-3rd-2011 at 02:35 PM ----------

Both Christian Ponder and Jake Locker had excellent days; many observers thought Ponder’s all round performance stole the show for the signal callers, whilst Locker, showing off some new footwork – not such a deep final step in his drop leading to a longer step to throw which invariably leads to inaccuracies – looked much better than in Mobile. The Dolphins spoke to both and some analysts believe Ponder is pushing the fringes of round 1.

Ponder is apparently according to draftniks being considered as a 1st rounder?

So, I guess he's off the list of mid-round prospects.

Miami also had a sit down with TCU’s Andy Dalton who’s a QB I struggle to get behind. I like very much how he controls the offense and can manipulate the defense with snap count or checks at the line. I just don’t like the arm. They also showed a lot on interest pre-draft in California (PA) passer Josh Portis. He was “the other guy” at Florida behind Tim Tebow and Cam Newton. He went to Maryland and struggled, so transferred to the Vulcans. He was a shade under 6’3 and 211 and threw the ball well and accurately. He had a 4.62 forty and a 40-inch vertical. He sat down with the coaches at the NFLPA/Texas Vs The Nation game and then again in Indianapolis, along with 11 other teams and we’ll have more on Portis in the next few weeks.

http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports/columnists/hyde/blog/2011/03/draft_winds_qbs_offensive_play.html

[ABSTRACT]

The SKINS should take Tyrod Taylor in the late rounds 5 or 6.

I agree man. I would love to have Tyrod Taylor and Darell Scott in the 5th.