Written by Jason Askew

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This is the first in a series of looks at position groups in the upcoming NFL Draft. I think it is best to try and isolate some potential prospects who could help the Browns both early and later in the draft. Obviously there are too many potential draftees to cover them all so we will touch on a few early, mid round, and later round prospects. Our first look will be at the most important (or at least the most talked about) position on the field; the quarterbacks.

When it comes to the Browns nothing can bring about heated emotions like quarterback talk. In all the years since the comeback, the Browns have come up empty on the QB front. This year if you bring up the subject you will usually get two distinct opinions;

 *The Browns need a QB early because we don’t trust Colt McCoy. I can understand the stance. A third round pick in his second year is usually not trusted amongst NFL clubs as a “franchise” guy.

 *The Browns have a guy who has a great resume’ and who performed better than expected when thrown into the fire. So why not give him a fair shake?

Mike Holmgren has a history of being able to identify QBs who can run the WCO so I understand that second mindset also. We will honor both points of view and discuss the guys who will go early and also try to filter the list of later round guys down to those best suited for the WCO.

Early candidates (Rounds 1-2)

Blaine Gabbert (Missouri) - Like most QBs this year there are areas of concern with the Missouri QB. Gabbert has not played under center in college so his footwork is still developing. He shows good but not great arm strength. His accuracy is really good on short and intermediate routes. The most impressive part about the accuracy is that he has shown the ability to be very accurate while moving. He can throw the ball from unconventional release and balance points while maintaining that accuracy. He doesn’t really have a history of throwing deep balls so he will need to work on it. His trajectory is a point of emphasis.  There have been some rumblings of late on some arrogance issues. Some feel he rubs people the wrong way.

Cam Newton (Auburn) - Cam Newton is the definition of ‘boom or bust’ prospect in most people’s eyes. He is a consummate winner and has led every team he has been on to a championship. Physically he is big, strong and quick. He has a rocket right arm and has shown, at least up until this point, that he will put in the work to improve his game. His red flags are similar to the other top QBs. He has not played under center, his footwork is inconsistent and his accuracy to spots is inconsistent. Off the field there are some who question whether his love is for football or fame. He has already shown that his mechanics have gotten better with hard work since the end of the season. If teams are sure he will continue to work and develop he is sure to go high.

Newton has the highest ceiling of any QB in the draft.

Jake Locker (Washington) - If ever there was a prospect who stayed in school too long, Jake is that guy. Some projected him as the first player taken had he come out last year. This year, after a senior year where he really showed no improvement from the previous year, his stock has dropped considerably. Teams wonder if he will continue to develop or is he is as good now as he is going to get. He will put in the work but some question whether it will pay off.

Physically Locker is another elite athlete. He is thick through the upper body already and he is both fast and quick. He struggles with pocket passing because he seems to have trouble seeing the field from the pocket.  Outside the pocket he is probably the most accurate passer in the draft.  Size, arm strength, and athletic ability considered he is a prototype for the WCO.  Accuracy will be his biggest obstacle because  he can't survive as a 55% passer in the NFL.

Ryan Mallet (Arkansas) - I am not going to spend much time on him. He is an elite passer who athletically would struggle in the WCO. He can make passes no other QB in this draft can make but he is big and slow. He is ideal for a down field vertical passing system. Not to mention, he comes with more baggage than any other prospect.

Andy Dalton (TCU)- Dalton is an ideal WCO QB.  He can do everything you want a QB to do in this offense as he throws with accuracy, his footwork is good, he is athletic enough and he is smart enough. Some will say he is not big enough, but 6-2 is acceptable although not ideal. He is the best of the guys who have no ‘wow’ factor. He is good, not great, in most departments and, while some question arm strength because he doesn’t have a rocket, he has enough to get the job done because of a quick release. That quality is reflected by the fact he was sacked only eight times.

Mid round (3-5)

Christian Ponder (Florida State) - This kid could end up being the best choice the WCO has to offer. His pocket mobility and footwork are really good. He is a little on the short side like Dalton but 6-2 is adequate. He has all the physical skills that a coach would love but can also give a coach a heart attack. He has a good arm but he often trusts it too much as he will sometimes try and put balls in windows he should not. Ponder  takes too many risks allowing DBs to get their hands on the ball and should have had more picks than the 8 he had his senior year. He also locks onto guys too often and seems to struggle getting to secondary receivers . Coaches will love his skill and they’ll think he can be coached out of his bad habits. If he clears medical, he could even be picked ahead of Dalton.

Colin Kaepernick (Nevada) - Kaepernick is truly a project. He is an elite athlete and clocked a faster 40 time and 3 cone then Cam Newton did. He is big at 6-4 5/8 and has a rocket launcher on his shoulder for an arm. He came from a spread option so his footwork and mechanics from under center are not yet NFL-caliber. He is ideally suited for a down field vertical passing game, but like all the really athletic guys he could probably pick up the foot work with time.  He also scares me with his elongated throwing motion. Kaepernick has a very high ceiling but it will take a ton of work for him to reach it.

Pat Devlin (Delaware) - Here lies a guy who could be picked in the later middle rounds(5) and turn into a real player. He was a big time recruit out of high school who went to Penn State and grew impatient. Devlin transferred to Delaware and torched up that level of football. He will be compared to Ryan Flacco because they have similar transfer stories from the same school, but he really doesn’t have Flaco’s elite arm. He does have very good feet , is accurate and led that level of football in completion percentage at 68%. Devlin will be questioned because the level of competition and some durability concerns. He doesn’t have the elite arm to climb up draft boards but he does have a very quick, accurate release that would fit the WCO for sure.

Late Rounds (6-7)

Greg McElroy (Alabama) - This QB comes from a pro style system at Alabama, is a consummate winner and has a reputation as a great leader. He is just the type of guy a team could rally around. He is a bright kid which was evident by the 43 he scored on the wonderlic test and he is also extremely accurate  on short to intermediate routes but struggles due to  arm strength on anything deeper. He is a nickel and dime guy in the mold of Matt Hasselback andI think his best chance at success will be the WCO where he won’t have to struggle with a vertical passing game.

T.J. Yates (North Carolina) - This is a QB that has gotten dramatically better in each of his years. He is a guy that would have been a four year starter but broke his ankle his sophomore year. I think if Gregg Little had not been suspended, he would have had monster numbers this year but he still produced 19td/9ints and hit on 67% of his passes. He was also hung out to dry by a horrible offensive line that 'helped' lead him into 37 sacks. He was good when upright and will get his shot to continue developing in the pros. Athletically he doesn’t have the best measurables, but the one thing that stands out is his shuttle time. Even though he only clocks a 5.10 40 time, he runs the short shuttle in the same or better as some of the elite athletes. This shows his good feet in the pocket. He was quicker than Cam Newton and clocked the same as Locker in that shuttle drill.

Now, knowing what Head Coach Pat Shurmur and Mike Holmgren have said about giving Colt a shot this coming year, I actually don’t think they will draft someone in the early rounds, although they very well could. This being said, if I had to pick one from this list as a target, I could see the Browns taking Pat Devlin in the 6^th round as a value pick.

Player with the most upside- Cam Newton

If this guy has the determination to get better in the passing game and has anything close to the effect he has had at other levels of football , he could be a special force for  years to come.

Projected Pick- Pat Devlin
This could be a late round pick given the Browns statements regarding McCoy getting his shot and Holmgren’s history of taking a developmental QB.

Sleeper Pick-Tyrod Taylor

If Holmgren sees any of Seneca Wallace in the kid from Virginia Tech I don’t think he would have a problem drafting him on the last day of the draft.  He is a good enough athlete to play somewhere else if QB doesn’t work out.

Stay Away- Ryan Mallet

Big, slow, off-field issues, on-field brain lock-ups, etc. I would not want to see kids wearing jerseys with Mallet on the back representing the orange and brown.