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2009 NFL Draft Quarterback Rankings

Written April 24, 2009 by Steve Janus

1. Matthew Stafford (Georgia) - Big surprise here, right? With all the coverage that the NFL Draft gets these days, you’ve probably already heard nearly everything there is to hear about this guy, including the fact that nobody is really sold on him being a franchise quarterback. This is an unfortunate situation for the Detroit Lions. They have to do something to wash the bad taste of the 0-16 season out of their mouths, and the only logical thing for them to do is to take a quarterback, right? I mean this is the position that holds the most weight on the football field, so it should follow that replacing last year’s starters with some fresh blood will make the team better. I’m not sold. Stafford has a pretty strong arm, but I think his instincts are lacking for an NFL quarterback. The problem is that he is a “prototypical quarterback” for the NFL. That means he is tall, has a strong arm, and has a smooth delivery. My guess, however, is that he will not have much success in the NFL simply because he is not very accurate and not very consistent, the two most important characteristics you can have as an NFL quarterback. The Lions might be better off trading for more picks in the first round, and spending the money they can save by not taking the overall #1 on a veteran arm with a little more consistency. Detroit isn’t the Miami Dolphins. They aren’t going to turn their 0-16 season into a playoff run in 2009 no matter what they do, but they are setting themselves up for several more years of disappointment if they take Stafford first overall.

2. Mark Sanchez (USC) – Another shocker. Yes, Mark Sanchez is the second-best quarterback in the NFL draft in 2009, and he’s already taken to the media, which has only fueled the hype around him. My impression of Sanchez is that he is probably more ready to play in the NFL than Stafford, mostly because he is coming from more of a pro-style offense at USC and has shown more consistency. With that being said, I still think his ceiling as an NFL quarterback is more limited than Stafford’s simply because he doesn’t have the same raw physical talent.

3. Josh Freeman (Kansas State) - Freeman might have the most potential of any of the quarterbacks on this list, but he has not had the talent around him to prove he deserves serious consideration. He has a cannon for an arm and is the most pure athlete of the top 3 on this list. My gripe with Freeman is that he sometimes forced passes for Kansas State, trying to make plays when there weren’t plays to be made. That’s bad decision making in my book. To be successful in the NFL, he will have to learn that sometimes a sack or a throw-away is the best play you can make.

4. Pat White (West Virginia) – I would like to see a team give this guy a chance to prove he can be a quarterback in the NFL. He’s far from a traditional quarterback as far as size, but he’s a super athlete and can make things happen with his speed. White can be an impact player for some team, but to what extent is up in the air. There are better raw passers down the line, but I think he’s worth taking a chance on given that most of the QBs in this year’s draft are probably going to be career back-up guys anyway.

5. Nate Davis (Ball State) – Davis has an NFL arm, but his stock fell significantly after a poor performance in the MAC Championship game, and there is some concern that he will not perform well in a complex NFL system. My concern is that he did not play well in games against BCS schools, so his accuracy numbers may be misleading as he played against inferior secondaries. Again, I do not think there is an elite starting quarterback that will come out of this year’s draft, but I think someone will take a chance on Davis late in the draft (probably the 5th or 6th round) because he does show some potential.

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