Landry Jones

Sam Bradford left some big shoes to be filled at Oklahoma, and Landry Jones has done a damn good job of filling them.  Having since taken over the QB duties at Oklahoma as a red-shirt freshman, Jones has lead the Sooners to a 30-9 record and 3 bowl victories, including the 2010 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.  Experience is a huge plus with Jones, although playing in the Big-XII is not saying much about the defenses he faces on a weekly basis.  With that said, Jones has been a proven leader during his time at Oklahoma, and 2012-13 looks to be a year he can elevate himself to top 5 status.  Arm Strength is a positive with Jones, capable of making all throws on the field, but not in the same class as an Elway.  His accuracy is better than what his numbers show, and is deadly between the hashes and has a knack for hitting receivers in perfect stride.  As mentioned above, experience is a big plus with Jones, and NFL teams will know they are getting a quarterback who has some hair on his chest (or dick if you wish).  Something Jones has that his predecessor lacked is durability; he has yet to miss a game as a starter.  He has the desired height/weight of a franchise QB, 6'4 230lbs, and looks every bit the part of a NFL quarterback.  A big plus with Jones is his ability to read the play, not necessarily his decision, but he has great vision-as do many Oklahoma QB's.  He should be great at checking down as long as he isn't overconfident and force throws.

Even though he has nearly 40 games as a starter, Jones still makes some mind boggling mistakes.  You don't throw a career high 15 INTs by being careful.  Jones has a tendency to try and force the ball into coverage, simply because he believes in his arm that much.  Coaches want to see this, but not to the extent Landry is.  His throwing mechanics are criticized by some, saying he "pushes" the ball without using his legs to get some zip on the ball.  Jones does not play under center, and although I don't personally believe this is a damning factor, but some believe this will really hinder is development.  A big drawback with Jones is the lack of pro-style offense.  At Oklahoma he runs a no huddle shotgun offense, something you NEVER see in the NFL.  For Jones to have any success at the next level he needs to make that transition immediately following the upcoming college football year.  Jones is essentially a tree in the pocket, and his lack of mobility may come to haunt him when he is consistently facing top notch defenses and NFL caliber pass rushers.

2012-13 is going to be a huge year for Jones.  He is going to be heading in regarded as a top 10 pick by some, and can solidify his place by dropping his INT total and increasing his completion percentage.  Jones is not, however, going to be thought of as the top QB in this class unless he unleashes hell upon college football, as did Bradford (50 TDs 8 INTs).  Just look above, the negatives and positives are nearly equal in length.  Whoever ends up taking Jones is getting a QB who has all the physical tools to be a great passer, but lacks the knowledge of a pro style offense.  Jones has the look of a boom or bust prospect-either he learns how to run an NFL offense and is successful, or fails to grasp the concepts and becomes another 1st round bust.






RATINGS
ACCURACY:A
ARM STRENGTH:B+
POCKET PRESENCE:B
MOBILITY:C-
DURABILITY:A
POTENTIAL:B
OVERALL:B+

Tyler Bray

Prototypical height? check.  Arm strength? check. Understanding of the game? check.  Tennessee uniform that calls for Peyton Manning comparisons? check.  Tyler Bray has all the tools to be the top pick in 2013 if Barkley regresses or Bray explodes.  Stuck at fledgling Tennessee in the NFL-AAA known as the SEC, Bray has been surrounded by mediocre talent and unable to put up those eye popping stats found with the other  potential franchise QB's of 2013. What Bray does have doing for him is experience-he was a starter as a true freshman in the big boy SEC.  Bray also has that arm strength coaches love to see  in a franchise QB; he is able to make any throw on the field with relative ease. Playing in the SEC is also a plus, as the speed of the game is faster in the SEC than it is in any other conference in college football.

On the downside, Bray has yet to play a complete season of college football-a red flag to some teams when evaluating a QB you expect to lead your franchise for the next decade.  Although standing 6'6", Bray is just over 210 lbs, and after two years of being on U Tennessee's football team still looks like a gangling HS senior.  Athletically, Bray leaves much to be desired, but this isn't a necessity for success-just ask Peyton or Brady.

Overall, the team that drafts Bray is looking at the potential QB he can become.  His mechanics and release are   better than most QB's at this point in development.  His height is ideal, although he needs to add more bulk to endure the pounding the NFL will put on him.  He has the looks/intelligence to be a leader, but has yet to have a weapon that has remained healthy for him to experiment with and lead his team to victory.  For Bray to warrant the top overall pick he must remain healthy the entire 2013 season as well as lead a Tennessee resurgence and put up impressive numbers.  If he doesn't, he is still a 1st round pick based off of his potential/mechanics/arm.


RATINGS
ACCURACY: B+
ARM STRENGTH: A
POCKET PRESENCE: A-
MOBILITY: D+
DURABILITY: C+
POTENTIAL: A
OVERALL: B+

Matt Barkley

Hey everybody-excluding Mel,

Time to start scouting the future NFL players of 2013, starting with the guy everyone seems to agree is the consensus number 1 pick overall, Matt Barkley.

First things first, this kid is really good.  Had he declared for the draft, RGIII and Barkley would have been battling it out for #2 overall, with a fair share of people clamoring for him to go #1.  A three year starter at USC, Barkley has improved drastically each year, just look at his completion percentage-60%, 62.6%, and a huge increase to 69%.   His decision making has also progressed at an alarming rate, nearly cutting his INT's in half from 2010-2011 (12 to 7).  Now having Robert Woods always helps, and playing in the weak PAC-12 may inflate his numbers a bit, but he has put together some huge games against the top competition USC has faced.  Oregon, Stanford, and Notre Dame saw Barkley put on a show, especially Stanford, going toe to toe with Andrew Luck and nearly pulling out a huge victory.  Barkley shows above average to good coverage reading ability as well as the ability to throw on the run.  His pocket presence is already good and will continue to improve.  Although he doesn't have a cannon for an arm, he can make nearly any throw on the field and should have no problem making NFL quality throws.

Detractors of Barkley cite his lack of elite size (6'2") and mobility (-41 yds on 107 carries), and that he plays in the weak PAC-12.  Also having Robert Woods, an elite WR and potential top 5 talent, seems to be another reason for Barkley to be knocked down a few pegs.  His accuracy was also questioned heading into the 2011 season, but the gaudy 69% seems to have settled that debate.

Although not on par with Andrew Luck as a projected NFL superstar QB, Barkley should develop into an upper echelon QB who could start for the majority of NFL franchises.  If Barkley goes to the right team, and is allowed to develop, he has a chance to be a Drew Brees type of QB.  The flip side of that argument is that he can become a less athletic Mark Sanchez if he is rushed and not allowed to Develop.



RATINGS
ACCURACY:A-
ARM STRENGTH:B+
POCKET PRESENCE:B+
MOBILITY:C
DURABILITY:A
POTENTIAL:A-
OVERALL:A-