The number three ranked QB prospect

Just about everyone agrees the top two QB prospects in the 2007 NFL draft are Jamarcus Russell and Brady Quinn, but who is number three?

Opinons are all over the map. Ask just about any scout or draft expert and you're likely to receive a different anwer.

Drew Stanton seems to have the best chance right now of being the third QB taken. Stanton has all of the skills you dream of when you think of a quarterback. He has good size, a good arm, but is also a very good athlete. The biggest problem with Stanton is his consistency.

Kevin Kolb also receives some talk at number three. Kolb has all the skills to develop into a quality NFL quarterback, but will need to adjust to an NFL playbook as he didn't play in a pro-style offense at Houston.

Trent Edwards is the sleeper candidate right now. He has flown under the radar because Stanford has been so bad, but he has the skills and the toughness to project to the next level. He is a talented pocket passer, has good size, and shows the ability to stand in the pocket and deliver the football with accuracy.

Troy Smith has seen his stock really fall since his awful BCS showing and sub-par Senior Bowl. Some still consider him the 3rd best QB, but those who do are becoming scarce.

Other names mentioned at number three are John Beck, BYU and Matt Moore, Oregon State.

Scout says Troy Smith will flop

According to Philly.com, Cincinnati Bengals' scout Greg Seamon called Troy Smith an overhyped Heisman-winning quarterback who would flop in the NFL.

"Really, he's not that fast," Seamon said of Smith. "He gets run down by defensive ends. He's not real big. He kind of stares down his targets. You didn't see those breathtaking, thread-the-needle throws [against Florida] that you'd hope to see from a top-of-the-draft quarterback."

Quarterbacks at the Senior Bowl

Fox Sports has a huge article on Senior Bowl week. Including an in-depth look at the quarterbacks. Here are some of the comments:

Drew Stanton - ...he's back and playing well enough to be a late first-round prospect.

Troy Smith - His arm has been average and the height issue has been a factor.

Chris Leak - He's been rock solid this week showing he can be deadly accurate on the short-to-midrange throws.

Kevin Kolb - He's big, mobile, through not a runner, and has the arm.

Jordan Palmer - great arm, lousy decision maker

Tyler Palko - this week showed he can't throw at an NFL level

Stanton impressive during 2nd day

MLive.com reports that Michigan State quarterback Drew Stanton impressed teams during this morning's practice.

Stanton displayed accuracy, zip and arm strength in his throws, and combined with his protypical NFL QB size (6- 3, 235) he was surrounded by scouts from at least five NFL teams as the morning workouts were completed. Among the teams expressing interest in Stanton were the Chiefs, the Patriots, the Vikings and the Texans.

Stanton had a disappointing senior season and his draft stock has suffered. Prior to the 2006 season many scouts felt he could be a first rounder. A great senior bowl week could raise his stock and position him as the number three quarterback behind Jamarcus Russell and Brady Quinn.

Troy Smith off to a good start at Senior Bowl

DaytonDailyNews.com reports Troy Smith looked good during the first day of practice. He was on the money with his passes, hitting his receivers in stride, and threw the ball with nice touch and pinpoint accuracy. Bucs head coach Jon Gruden was impressed.

"Troy's arm strength was impressive, and he's learned the playbook quickly," Gruden said. "It's going to be a pleasure to work with him this week."

Senior Bowl Question: Next Jay Cutler?

Last year, heading into the Senior Bowl all the QB talk was about Young and Leinart. During Senior Bowl week, while Young and Leinart sat at home, Jay Cutler wowed scouts and his stock took off.

Again this year, the top two QB prospects are not at the Senior Bowl. Brady Quinn has a minor knee injury and will skip the game, while JaMarcus Russell is a junior and can't participate. Which QB will impress scouts during the week to move into the number three ranked QB spot?

Here are the QBs that will participate:

Trent Edwards, Stanford
Kevin Kolb, Houston
Chris Leak, Florida
Tyler Palko, Pitt
Jordan Palmer, UTEP
Troy Smith, Ohio St.
Drew Stanton, Michigan St.

Brennan will return for senior season

University of Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan announced Wednesday he will return for his senior season. Brennan filed paperwork to enter the NFL draft on Monday, but had 72 hours to change his mind.

Brennan declares, still could return to Hawaii

Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan declared himself eligible for the NFL draft. According to Hawaii spokeswoman Lois Manin, Brennan filed as a formality to meet the NFL deadline, but is still deciding whether he'll skip his senior season. Brennan has 72 hours before he needs to make an official decision.

Brohm to return to Louisville for senior season

Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm will return to the Cardinals next season rather than enter the 2007 NFL Draft.

Troy Smith's Florida nightmare

Florida's defense dominated Ohio State and Troy Smith in the BCS Championship game. The Heisman trophy winner managed just 7 total yards and was hurried and harassed all night, spending most of the game running for his life or on the ground. When Smith did manage to get a pass away it was usually off the mark. He completed just 4 passes on 14 attempts.

This will knock Smith down on some draft boards and he'll have a lot to prove at the Senior Bowl and scouting combine. The first question to be answered will be his height. If he is only 5-11, as rumored, he won't stand much of a chance at being chosen in the first round, maybe not even the second. He'll also have to show he can perform against other elite prospects, something he couldn't do against Florida.

Petrino to the NFL, Brohm and Bush next?

Louisville coach Bobby Petrino has accepted a five-year, $24 million offer from the Atlanta Falcons to become their new coach. One has to assume that Louisville's Brian Brohm and Michael Bush are now going to enter the NFL draft.

Brohm, a junior, was thought to be headed back to Louisville for his senior season. However, he is unlikely to return for a new coach and to learn a new offense. If he enters the draft he'll be a first round pick, possibly in the top ten.

Bush, a senior, could return to Louisville with a medical redshirt. He broke his leg in the first game of the 2006 season and won't be completely healthy till March.

JaMarcus Russell signs with agent, will go pro

According ProFootballTalk.com, LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell has signed with agent Eric Metz and will enter the 2007 draft.

Russell could be a top ten pick in April's draft and is a possibility for the Raiders at number one.

Russell downs Irish, next stop NFL?

LSU junior quarterback JaMarcus Russell dominated Notre Dame's defense in LSU's Sugar Bowl win. Russell threw for 331 yards and 3 total TDs, outperforming Brady Quinn. Was this Russell's last college game?

He has yet to make his intentions public, but it will be hard for him to return to LSU. Russell's stock continues to rise and he could be a high first round pick if he enters the draft.

Chris Leak, the other BCS QB

Troy Smith has received all the accolades and is the discussion of numerous draft debates, so what about the opposing quarterback in the BCS championship game? Florida's Chris Leak doesn't posses Smith's athleticism, but is an experienced and productive college quarterback with NFL potential.

He’s been a starter since his true freshman season, playing in the tough SEC. He's had to deal with coaching changes and learn three different offenses (two OCs under Zook and Meyer's), playing well in them all. Leak isn't a spread option QB and playing in Meyer's offense the last two season has actually hurt his draft stock tremendously. He's a classic drop-back pocket passer and could excel in a pro style offense that relies on quick decisions and quick throws.

His biggest weaknesses are his height (only 6') and the lack of a big time arm. Still, he can make all the throws and would be a nice mid-round choice for the right NFL team.

JaMarcus Russell's decision to impact draft

LSU junior quarterback JaMarcus Russell is expected to be a first round selection should he enter the NFL draft. He has yet to give any indication on what his decision will be, but teams, players, and agents are all anxious to learn if the 6'-6" QB with a cannon for an arm will go pro. If he does, it will change the make up of the entire top of the draft.

The number one overall pick will lose some of it's value as Brady Quinn won't be the only elite QB in the draft. Teams won't want to give up as much to move into the first pick.

Brady Quinn will have some competition for the first QB taken. Most scouts still rank Quinn higher then Russell right now. However, that could change after Russell displays his skills for scouts during the combine and workouts. Some say Russell has one of the strongest arms to ever play the game.

Troy Smith might fall to the second round. The Smith bandwagon has been picking up steam and many consider him a first rounder. That could change with both Quinn and Russell expected to go higher then him.

Quinn and Smith accept Senior Bowl invites

Troy Smith and Brady Quinn will both compete in the Senior Bowl on January 27, 2007. The Senior Bowl is an important pre-draft event featuring the nation's best senior collegiate football stars and top NFL draft prospects. Players are coached by the entire coaching staffs from two NFL teams and practices are attended by over 700 general managers, head coaches, assistant coaches, scouts and other front office personnel. Past Senior Bowls have had a big influence on the draft stock of the top prospects.

For Smith, the weigh in portion of Senior Bowl week could have a huge impact in his draft stock. If his official height is around his listed 6-1, he'll have a good chance of being a first rounder. If he measures up to only 5-11, as rumored, it's doubtful he'll make the first round.

Quinn has less to prove and some may question why he'll even participate in the Senior Bowl. However, NFL personal will appreciate his desire to compete and unless Quinn has a miserable game his draft stock shouldn't be affected.

Peter King lists Troy Smith #2 overall

In a recent issue of Sports Illustrated, Peter King's mock has Troy Smith going number two overall to the Oakland Raiders. Troy Smith's stock continues to rise and while he could go in the first round, it seems like a stretch to predict he'll go that high. While scouts love Smith's athleticism they are worried that his lack of height (listed at 6-1, but might be 5-11) could cause problems at the next level.

Brennan might go pro after all

Hawaii junior quarterback Colt Brennan, who earlier stated he was returning to Hawaii for his senior season, now says he'll consider going pro if he's a first rounder.

"That's a pretty big opportunity and there's no guarantee it (being a first round pick) would be there later" Bennan said. "If they (the NFL advisory board) suggest it, I would have to take a step back and look at things."

Some scouts consider Brennan a first rounder and Kiper recently named him his top junior QB prospect ahead of Brian Brohm.

Troy Smith now in Kiper's top 20

Troy Smith made his first appearance on Kiper's big board this week at number 20. Smith has seen his stock skyrocket this season and could be selected in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft. A big performance during the national championship game could give his stock another boost, as it did for Vince Young last year. Before Young's performance, few considered him a first round talent, let alone a top five pick.

Brohm backtracks, leaves NFL options open

Louisville junior quarterback Brian Brohm said after Saturday’s game that he “definitely expected” to return for his senior season. Now Brohm is backing off that statement, saying that he would keep his NFL options open until after the Orange Bowl. “I definitely want to win a national championship," Brohm said. "but you’ve got to see where you might be picked and weigh all your options to see what is the best thing to do.”

You can expect a lot of this type of activity from junior prospects over the next month as they waiver back and forth over their decision. A lot of them are quick to 'return' to make their college fans happy, only to head to the NFL in the end.

If Brohm declares, he'd be a first round lock and a possible top ten pick.

Brian Brohm to return for senior season

Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm announced he plans to return in 2007 for his senior season. "I definitely expect to be back next year," said Brohm. His return was predicted and he'll make a run for the National Championship and Heisman trophy next season. Look for Brohm to be a top prospect for the 2008 NFL draft.

Quinn Loses, Still Number One Pick

Brady Quinn couldn't lead Notre Dame to victory Saturday night against USC, however it won't effect his draft stock. It's hard to imagine Quinn not being selected as the number one overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft. NFL teams value QBs more than any other position and Quinn is a prototypical NFL QB prospect. He has great size at 6'4 - 231, very good arm strength, can make all the throws on the field and his accuracy has continued to improve every year. On top of that he's spent the last two seasons in Charlie Weis' pro-style offense.

Hawaii Quarterback Colt Brennan Intends to Stay

Colt Brennan intends to stay at Hawaii and said it would take an "extraordinary situation" to make him forgo his senior season. However, he left the door open if he were to project as a first-round selection in April, saying, "you'd have to consider (applying for the draft). That doesn't mean I'd go, but you'd have to consider it."

Brennan has received a lot of buzz from draft watchers after Kiper named him his top junior QB. Supporters point to his production at Hawaii, quick release, and intelligence for his high rankings. Critics argue that his unorthodox throwing motion and Hawaii's schedule and offense distort his true potential. Decide for yourself... here is a 4 min highlight video from youtube.

Troy Smith's Stock Up After Big Win

Troy Smith put an exclamation mark on his impressive college resume with a performance fitting a future Heisman winner. In the biggest game of the year, Smith dominated the talented Michigan defense. He completed 70% of his passes for 318 yards and 4 TDs. Smith showed he can make all throws and has an NFL caliber arm. He displayed a remarkable ability to avoid the rush and throw accurately on the run. Smith's performance earned a berth in the National Championship game, a Heisman trophy, and a possible spot in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft.

Russell's final game in Tiger Stadium?

If LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell decides to enter the NFL draft, the Tigers' home finale against Ole Miss will be it. Russell isn't dropping any hints as to his decision. "Right now, that's nowhere in my head," Russell said. "My main thing is finishing out this season and putting my teammates first." FF's Robert Davis thinks he'll go pro and has him rated as the #4 QB, however he could be the second QB selected after Quinn depending on who declares and post-season performances.

No More Excuses for Losman, Bills Could Draft QB

The Buffalo News says it's time to stop making excuses for Losman and look for a QB in the draft. Brady Quinn would be the choice if available at the Bills pick, however chance are he'll be gone by then. Brian Brohm or Drew Stanton are also possibilities.