NFL Draft: The Top 10 Quarterbacks for 2018

Josh Rosen -UCLA

It was tough to pick who the number one quarterback would be, but I had to go with Rosen based on the fact that I believe he is the most NFL ready. Rosen has the most established presence in the pocket of all the quarterbacks in the draft, his accuracy is solid at 63%, and his mechanics are terrific. Being in the UCLA system will help his transition into the NFL go very smoothly. Some areas of concern are his durability, arm strength, and his leadership. Rumors have been going around that he isn’t the easiest to coach. At the next level, he’s going to have to get grown men to rally behind him. Bottom line is; his mechanics are sound and he’s NFL ready.

Projection- Round 1

 Josh Allen -Wyoming

I really do like Josh Allen out of Wyoming. He’s got a great build and fantastic arm strength. Apparently, he can throw the football 90 yards! Numbers wise, he didn’t have that great of a year. People should look more closely to his 2016 season when he had more talent at Wyoming. Unfortunately, his problem is his accuracy. He has yet to have a season where his completion percentage is over 56%. He’s going to have to show that he can throw the short and mid-range plays since there’s no question that he can throw the deep ball. He’s got great pocket presence and is able to extend plays, but he is probably the biggest boom or bust quarterback in the draft.

Projection- Round 1

 Baker Mayfield -OU

Mayfield might be the player I’m most excited about in the draft. He was definitely the most exciting player to watch all season long, even if his antics were always questionable. The Heisman winner put great numbers this season: 4,627 passing yards and 43 touchdowns. Some folks are comparing him to Johnny Manziel, which I believe is unfair. Mayfield may have some questionable judgment calls at times, but he’s driven and more stable than Johnny Manzel ever was. This guy is a born leader that will get respect from NFL players as soon as he walks into the locker room. He leaves it all out there every single game and at the end of the day, that’s all you can ask for from an NFL Player. He’s going to have to prove that his size doesn’t matter at the next level, which I have no doubt that he will.

Projection- Round 1

 Sam Darnold -USC

I’m not that impressed with Sam Darnold. I think the best thing for him would be to stay at USC one more year. From what I’ve watched on Darnold has been very disappointing. I can see him being good 2 years from now, but he’s not NFL ready. Most scouts have him ranked as the number one quarterback in this year’s draft, I just don’t see it. What he’s got going for him is: He’s got good size, good in the pocket, takes what the defense gives him and doesn’t over complicate things. His numbers this year were good, but not the best: 4,143 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, with 13 interceptions. Let’s not forget that he did turn the ball over a lot this season as well. I don’t think the Browns should take him because he needs time to develop. I’m very eager to see how his draft status turns out, I have a feeling he could drop.

Projection- Round 1

Lamar Jackson -LOU

Quarterback or Wide Receiver? Seems like people are starting to get confused at what dual-threat capabilities are. Just because Jackson is extremely quick and can do a lot outside of the pocket, doesn’t mean that he needs to switch positions. I understand that the game is changing back to the standard pocket quarterback, but I believe Jackson will be good in a few years.  He completed 59.1 percent of his passes (254-of-430) for 3,660 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Jackson also ran for 1,601 yards and 18 touchdowns (both in the top 10 nationally) on 232 carries. Jackson is an Elite playmaker that can create big plays with his arms or legs. The biggest question mark is his durability. Will his style of play and body build be able to sustain the type of hits that are about to come his way? Chris Simms seems to think so…

Projection- Round 2

 Mason Rudolph -Oklahoma State

Rudolph’s got great size and stands tall in the pocket and does a good job of letting routes develop. He gets the ball out quick and keeps his eyes locked downfield when moving around the pocket. His stats were great this season at 4,904 passing yards, 37 touchdowns, and just 9 interceptions. He’s the quarterback in this year’s draft that could be a delightful surprise a couple years from now. However, Rudolph can be inconsistent at times, which will devalue you him in the draft. His decision making is questionable when scrambling out of the pocket and he’s got some ball security issues as well. Bottom line is that Rudolph has good size and is a pocket quarterback, which will be attractive to teams.

Projection- Round 3

 Mike White -Western Kentucky

The former high school pitcher threw for 4,177 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. These numbers weren’t as impressive as the previous year, but he played well enough to be named second-team All-Conference by league coaches. White has got tremendous arm talent and can fit the ball into tight windows. White can make all the throws, he just lacks mobility and decision making when being blitzed. It’s hard to judge him off this year since his offensive line was so bad he didn’t have time to make good decisions. His arm talent will get him a shot at the next level, but the turnovers and the awareness will make or break him.

Projection- Round 3 or later

Luke Falk -Washington State

Falk’s senior season didn’t go as planned since he was benched at times and only received honorable mention All-Conference Honors. His numbers weren’t bad at 3,593 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions, but it wasn’t the production to that of the 2016 season. However, the first three seasons were great and hopefully, that’s what the scouts will be looking at. Falk’s got a quick set up in the pocket, has a quick compact release, and has natural accuracy. His health will play concerns since he did get beat up in that offense. He also makes a lot of ill-advised plays and needs to improve his arm strength.

Projection- Rounds 3-4

 Kyle Lauletta -Richmond

Richmond had a marginal campaign in 2017, but Lauletta showed accuracy and mobility that intrigued scouts; 64.9 completion pct., 3,737 yards, 28 touchdowns, 12 interceptions. Lauletta finished out the season with a strong performance at the Senior Bowl. Everyone has praised Lauletta for his leadership. He was elected as team captain twice. The Richmond quarterback has good accuracy and mechanics to work with but his lack of arm strength will limit the number of NFL teams that will look at him.

Projection- Round 5 or later

 Riley Ferguson -Memphis

Riley Ferguson has shown significant growth from last season. This season he had a solid stat line of 4,257 passing yards, 38 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. This was a great jump from 2016. Ferguson is very established in the pocket, his drops are quick, and he looks very comfortable in play-action schemes. Scouts are hesitant with his lean build and his inconsistency throwing the ball. He’s shown trouble throwing the ball into tight windows and leading linebackers as well. He’s had a great two seasons, which I think will play well for him in the draft, but he will need to show better decision making at the next level.

Projection- Round 5

 Honorable Mentions- Kurt Benkert (Virginia) & Tanner Lee (Nebraska)

~Ben Vasconcellos

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