With the new NFL regular season only a few weeks away we are all focused on how our teams are going to start the season. We are excited about what players are going to perform and which rookies are going to make an impact.
Here in sport city we love all things football related and with one eye on the pro game our other will be on the college game and which prospects we think could be the next great ones and maybe come to our teams and lead the franchise to a superbowl. Many experts will tell you the quarterback position is the most important one on the field so our look ahead will begin there with a look at my top five junior and senior prospects.
QUARTERBACKS.
5. Nathan Enderle, Idaho, 6,4″, 235lbs, Senior.
Enderle is a fifth-year player that already has three years of playing experience. He is very smart and has good athletic ability. Check out his final drive in the Vandals’ Humanitarian Bowl victory over Bowling Green last season.
4. Pat Devlin, Delaware, 6,3″, 225 lbs, Senior.
Devlin transferred from Penn State after the 2008 season, where he was a backup. He was the all-time passing leader in Pennsylvania high school history. He does not have as strong an arm as Joe Flacco, but is more mobile. He figures to be a second or third-round pick, who will move up if he has a good year.
3. Christian Ponder, Florida state, 6,2″, 220 lbs, Senior.
Overshadowed a bit amid the hype surrounding Washington quarterback Jake Locker, Ponder enters his senior campaign rated just as highly as the Huskies passer by some pro scouts. It isn’t difficult to understand why. Though a bit smaller than most scouts would like, Ponder’s underrated arm strength and mobility combine with his high football IQ and accuracy to make him a legitimate first-round prospect. A shoulder injury suffered against Clemson knocked Ponder out early last year, but he still ranked first in the ACC with 301.89 passing yards per game. If Jimbo Fisher is to have success immediately, it will be Ponder who helps him attain it. Jimbo Fisher thinks he can develop into a better NFL prospect than JaMarcus Russell, who he coached at LSU. He projects to be a low first-round pick.
2. Ryan Mallett, Arkansas, 6,5″, 235 lbs, Junior.
Ryan Mallett has an absolutely amazing arm and he can make just about any throw you ask of him and it will have zip on it. I have seen him throw lasers off balance without his feet set, which speaks to his outrageous arm strength. He can put the ball where-ever he wants it. Mallett could go number one overall in next years draft with his arm strength and the show he could put on during the combine or at a private workout could impress anyone in any front office.
1. Jake Locker, Washington, 6,3″, 230 lbs, Senior.
Locker’s size/speed/arm strength combination has garnered comparisons to John Elway. He likely would have been an early first-round selection in last April’s draft despite the fact that he’s never led the Huskies to a bowl game or earned anything more than honorable mention all-conference honors. Locker’s exceptional talent was obvious in high school and, as such, he was recruited by every major program in the country. With little talent around him in Seattle, it wasn’t until last season that he finally began making strides as a pro-style passer. Locker led the Pac-10 with 3,188 yards of total offense, but if he is to remain the top quarterback prospect for the 2011 draft, he’ll need to make more sizable gains in Year Two under Steve Sarkisian. He runs a 4.5 40.
By Rhodri Jones.
Tredegar, Wales, U.K.
Rhodri Jones
Rhodri Jones was last on location in California, covering Superbowl 50 for us here at sportcitychefs.com. Over the past six years, Rhodri has established himself as a great writer and has entertained the world with his supreme sports knowledge and confident, laid back style with our NFL draft and weekly NFL radio shows during the season. He's appeared on national broadcasts both in the U.S and U.K and it won't be long before we see much more from him. His accent and knowledge combination is niche in the industry at the highest level and it really sets him apart. Rhodri' talents truly just begin there. In 2012, during one of his adventures here in the United States, Rhodri got his foot in the door at GQ magazine as a potential contributing writer and his journalistic skills are second to none. His current featured work is about the great Dianne Halloway and her amazing men's footwear company '' The Halloway collection ''. Rhodri was schooled in the Welsh language and is a passionate Welsh-man. As a writer here at Sport city, Rhodri has given us many of his great articles and we dare you not to be inspired when you read them. In 2013, Rhodri was a vital part in the creation of the movie ''The Last Fall''. A film created and directed by former NFL wide receiver Matthew A Cherry through his production company in Los Angeles. When asked his inspirations in life, Rhodri started with his family and in particular his mother who he said was '' truly one of a kind and the most courageous but kindest person he'd ever known ''. She's no doubt a big reason behind Rhodri's drive and determination. In the sports industry he said, as a child he would attempt to emulate the style of Wales international rugby center Scott Gibbs and did so on the field until a serious injury took his dream away. Never the less, Rhodri returned to the field 4 years later and then to the grid-iron in South Wales after fighting to recover from the serious back injury that held him back. In the NFL, players like Jim Brown, John Lynch, Payton Manning, Ray Lewis, Walter Payton, Qadry Ismail, Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Oher, Hines Ward,Troy Polamalu, the late Junior Seau, Pat Tillman, Steve McNair and many others both current and past have all been massively inspirational to Rhodri during his life and a huge reason behind his passion for the game. In the UK sports media industry he gives much love and respect to Sky Sports NFL, C4 NFL, BBC sports and the likes of Nat Coombs, Mike Carlson, Kevin Cadle, Neil Raynolds and Nick Halling for their support, motivation and for making his name known to fans in the UK by reading his messages and tweets out live to the nation each week on their live NFL shows. We'd imagine they'd be equally grateful to Rhodri for his depth of knowledge and his unique views. Rhodri has been a great ambassador for us at London's Wembley stadium since the NFL introduced it's 'International series ' games there. Rhodri has visited the United States many times and has covered games in Detroit, Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, Oakland and Indianapolis and has attended many more as a fan in both the pro and college game, bringing many players and coaches to us here at sport city. Rhodri started out with us here through his great friend Tyrone 'TP Tymeless' Powell. They came in together after TP left a company in New York and brought his loyal friend with him. Rhodri was known to NFL fans in America at this point through his correspondents on NFL.com with the likes of current NFL experts, coaches and players like Gil Brandt, Pat Kirwin, Phil Simms, Bill Parcells, Brian Billick, Teddy Bruschi, Ray Maualuga and Steve Wyche to name just a few. Hopefully all will be re-united at Superbowl 50 so stay tuned for posts and insight from our very own Rhodri Jones here on sportcitychefs.com.
Great evaluations and some good insight. I think you have these ranked perfecly. I’m a big Ryan Mallett fan but I agree with you on his position ranking. Do you think he will be a top 10 pick Rhodri ?
Thanks for the kind words Jamar. With his arm strength I have little doubt Ryan Mallett will be a top 10 pick. If he decides to turn pro at the end of this season he will battle Jake Locker to be the first quarterback taken and to be honest theres a few teams with G.M’s that I know will consider him as their franchise quarterback. If he decides to stay he could have a better chance to be the first quarterback taken but then you would have to consider Andrew Luck who I would rank on this list already so I think a lot will depend on who is picking in the top 5, Which of those teams need quarterbacks, What they have him projected to go and what front office will be looking at him. i.e.. If Oakland are picking 1st and knowing Al Davis, it would be a better chance for Mallett than if Washington had the1st pick and Shannahan was picking it’s likely he would prefer Locker based on his skill set so it depends on a lot of things. All Mallett has to be concerned with is playing his best football every week and seeing how the land lays pre draft. If I were him I would stay another season based on the success rate of underclassmen in the league and also the fact that Locker also has a great arm but scouts will love the fact he played all his time and that he was coached in a pro style offense under Steve Sarkisian. Playing that extra season will benafit Mallett when he’s up against guys like Andrew Luck and who ever else comes through as a few are sure to shoot up the charts even in this years draft.
That was little doubt he would not be a top 10 pick. lol. He could go 1st overall eventually.
Read the column and thought it was well said, by the looks ill start to watch the NFL