Why QB Draft Values Should Drop In Near Future Unless............
When it comes to the QB position it is the most over overrated and over hyped position in the NFL! The QB position is the only position that has not evolved athletically over the years as every other position has! Which has placed the QB position athletically inferior to most positions on the field of play. And makes for an obvious competitive disadvantage.
For this reason, the lack of athleticism you see, is one of many reasons why the NFL continually modifies & updates rule changes to hopefully perfect, and close the gap for QB's lacking in the area of overall athleticism. Such as allowing QB's to throw balls away once outside the hashes. Which avoids oncoming defenders hits, and compensates for lack of athleticism. If the game was to be played like it was suppose to not so long ago, the majority of QB's would be out for the year on IR. When the majority of QB's can't allude DT's that are almost 100lbs larger, what does that tell you?
Where does the majority of this athletic gap begin? I would say at the collegiate rankings. For the most part at the high school level most teams place their best athletes at QB. So these athletes can have the ball in their hands more frequently, and have their football IQs take over. Then once these players make their way to the collegiate level the majority of these athletes are moved to other positions. But why? I can understand by sheer numbers you need to fill other positions on the team, both on offense & defense.
The question I have is? If the most important position to fill at any level is the QB position, then why wouldn't you place your best athlete, with ideal measuarables, and a good football IQ at the position? Many times you will find athletes such as WR Calvin Johnson 6-5, 236 Detroit Lions and WR Brandon Marshall 6-4, 230 Denver Broncos moved from high school QB to collegiate WR why?
Wouldn't conventional wisdom tell you that if you can have your cake and eat it to, that you would place your best athletes that fit the prototype dimensions desired from the QB position there? The players above Calvin Johnson & Brandon Marshall fit those dimensions in every way. The detractors may say well what if the players don't want to play the position? Or what if they may not have the mindset to play the position? Or what if this or what if that? The bottom line is if a college coach is determined to fill his QB position with the player that best meets the required intangibles, athleticism, and measurables coveted, then he SHOULD be more than willing to convert a highly touted high school player (such as a Calvin Johnson or Brandon Marshall) from one position who meets ALL the required needs for filling the most important position on the team, QB!
If you were to start to see college coaches placing their best recruited athletes at the QB position, eventually this new prospect of QB would make their way to the NFL level and close the athletic deficiency gap, now existent between the QB and every other position at the NFL level. Imagine a QB like Calvin Johnson at 6-5, 236lbs, running a 4.3/40! A player like this is much more valuable behind center running your offense, than having a great talent as Calvin Johnson relegated to limited targets thrown to, at a position (WR) ultimately dependent on the success of his QB!
As long as the majority of QB prospects coming out of the college ranks continues to be deficient athletically (which immediately places that NFL team drafting him at an obvious athletic competitive disadvantage on the field) coupled with the fact that past history will tell you drafting a QB out of college takes anywhere from a 2-3 years process before that QB can make his way behind center and feel comfortable. These two factors alone should drop a QB's value during the NFL draft significantly!
Hopefully there has been an athletic deficiency gap established of the QB at the NFL level since reading this article. Along with establishing that, more often than not, the QB position is a developmental position over a 2-3 year period even with so called franchise top 10 overall selections. This 2-3 year period is at the expense of the teams success till that QB matures,if ever! Then with these established major pitfalls to overcome at the QB position to be successful. Why are QB's prospects EVER selected at the top of the draft? It makes more since to take a QB in the 2nd or 3rd rounds that you can develop in your offensive system that is based on a strong O-Line & running game, until that drafted QB realistically develops enough to be a success behind center.
Example: The drafting of QB Marc Sanchez by the Jets with the 5th overall selection in the "09" draft, along with the big cap number, and compensation given to move up to select him. All of this adds up to bad value! The Jets are not realistically going to win a Super Bowl at least for 2-3 years after drafting Sanchez. History tells you this. Instead they could have drafted someone like Texas A&M QB Stephen McGee (whom I feel was an excellent value as a true potential successful starter in the NFL) in the 4th round. Saving a tremendous cap figure, less pressure on player & team, and in 2-3 years if Sanchez would be more successful than McGee, will his success really overcome the major compensation given for Sanchez??? Not to mention the numerous draft selections I accumulated moving out of the 5th overall pick to help the on field success & development of my 4th round selection of QB Stephen McGee. So in 2-3 years what team will be the better overall team to have more of a chance to not only compete to make the playoffs, but also have a chance to win it all?????
This is a subject I could go on about for as long as there is someone that will listen! Until the draft value of the QB position is dropped for obvious reasons, this type of draft philosophy is the best way to go. WHAT IS YOUR OPINION??????
by: Ken Becks aka TheScout!
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