Talent pool deep at QB for '08 draft

Given the instability and absence of depth at the position this season, there figure to be quite a few teams scrambling to grab quarterbacks in the 2008 draft. The talent pool at the game's most critical spot appears to be deep.

Just among the senior prospects alone, there are probably nine quarterbacks who likely will be selected in the first three rounds: Erik Ainge (Tennessee), John David Booty (Southern California), Colt Brennan (Hawaii), Brian Brohm (Louisville), Dennis Dixon (Oregon), Chad Henne (Michigan), Josh Johnson (San Diego), Matt Ryan (Boston College) and Andre Woodson (Kentucky).

By recent standards, that looks to be a bumper crop for the top part of the draft.

In the eight drafts since 2000, the first three rounds have produced only 41 prospects, an average of 5.1 per year. In 2007, six quarterbacks were chosen in the first three rounds, and no draft since 2000 has had more than seven QBs selected in the opening three stanzas.

But why list the nine prospects cited above alphabetically? Because scouts don't have a good feel yet for how to rank them, either.

Despite the hype for guys such as Ryan, Brohm and Woodson, each has a wart or two that concern talent evaluators. Scouts are beginning to question the arm strength of Brohm and the accuracy of Ryan, wonder if Brennan is simply a product of a run-and-shoot offense that always inflates a quarterback's numbers, and believe that Woodson might be a bit too mechanical.

There are, justifiably, injury concerns about Ainge, Booty, Henne and Brennan. Dixon, who has been drafted by the Atlanta Braves, may opt for a baseball career. And Johnson is a bit of a late bloomer.

So while the first three rounds of next year's draft probably will see an increase in the number of quarterbacks chosen, there remain lots of questions at this early juncture of the overall evaluation process. And most scouts say that the number of possible top-10 quarterback prospects has been overstated.

"Put the top four or five names in a hat, pick 'em out, and your order would be as good as anyone's right now," said one AFC director of player personnel.

One name to watch: Joe Flacco of Delaware, who definitely is on the rise and whose arm strength seems to compare favorably to that of the more well-known prospects. The former backup to Tyler Palko at the University of Pittsburgh, Flacco transferred in 2006 and has put up big numbers for the Blue Hens, completing 472 of 712 passes for 5,448 yards, with 31 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions, in less than two full seasons.

Flacco is 6-foot-6 and 236 pounds, has good pocket presence and has thrown only three interceptions this year in leading Delaware to an 8-1 record. Although there has been no official announcement yet, Flacco has been invited to the Hula Bowl all-star game.

He may need some time to develop at the NFL level, but Flacco could be a middle-round bargain, a guy who costs a lot less than most of the better-known prospects, but who might offer just as much upside as many of the others.

My neighbor and I were talking about this on Friday.

This class resembles the Class of '83 as the "Year of the Quarterback"

Because of the six QB's chosen in Round 1 --
Elway, Marino, Kelly, Eason, Ken O'Brien and Todd Blackledge

It's a good comparison...I think we could see as many as 5 taken in the first round in April, and as many 5 more in the next 2 rounds...I can't remember when we saw 10 QBs taken on Day 1 like that, so it would be somewhat interesting and exciting...problem is, if we have a high pick (top 5) I don't want to take a QB there...I'd rather draft OLine that can actually help this team right away, and come back at the bottom of the first and take or possibly early 2nd and take our franchise QB... of course this means we miss out on Brohm, Woodson, or Ryan...Personally, I'm fine with that... :)