Yes, history is repeating itself in the sense of people getting excited about a future QB prospect, but the differences between the 2 are like night and day, as I am quite sure you are more than aware.
Our team just drafted a 6'7" gunslinger, who puts the ball on a time with the flick of his wrist. His raw talent and skillset are unquestioned. They always have been unquestioned. It was his 'off the field issues' that concerned teams. Last summer/early fall he was in the Heisman running, and went out and proved himself once again against top-level SEC competition + brought his team back to almost win the Bowl game against a top 5 overall defense in OSU.
Many believe that under the tuteledge of one of the top 2-3 coach/QB combos of all time, that he can succeed here. And that isn't even bringing up the fact that his off the field issues should be quickly quieted under the leadership of 'men' here, rather than the 'boys' at Arkansas. They took a shot on a wild child of sorts, the same way they did with Dillon, Moss, Hernandez etc. Whether or not it works out will obviously remain to be seen.
By risking a 3rd rounder on him, it's almost as if they set themselves up for a low risk/high reward scenario. This team collects early round draft picks quicker than they can even remember or keep track of, and a 3rd rounder is even actually getting awfully close to a mid-rounder--which we'd consider a 4th. I have no problem with the pick, and I have no problem if it doesn't work out, especially if it had a double bonus by keeping him from a division rival. The whole drafting process in itself is a gamble. I do however, feel as though they increased their odds by choosing a guy who ran a pro style offense, and has such God given talent already. The question is whether or not they can keep him focused, and properly utilize his skillset to his fullest potential.
As far as people getting excited---I kind of expect them to. It's an exciting pick, and may even speak volumes about the way this front office and coach think about and look ahead to the future.
The KOC and Mallett threads are nothing different than the "Chung being the next Rodney Harrison," or "Tate being the next Branch" threads around here. In other words, I'm not sure how many (including yourself) would have been comparing a high DE/OLB pick had we taken one, to the "Crable being the next McGinnest" threads from years past. You'd have been excited, and likely saying that the players in comparison are very different.
That said, I certainly do respect your apprehension, as only time will tell if the gamble ever pays off or not. I am often cautiously optimistic too. I do feel as though we'd be able to at the very least, receive a 4th or 5th for Mallett even if it didn't necessarily 'work out' here. In the end, it may not work out in regards to being the QB of the future, but I don't think they'll walk away with nothing at all in return. In a worst case situation, they may lose a draft round or two--and that's fine by me, considering the upside that this kid seems to have. You have to take a risk sometimes in order to strike gold--especially in regards to the position of QB.
So to wrap it up, I always will expect 'Patsfans.com history to repeat itself,' because most of us are going to be excited at the potential of draft picks. We'll always have interest in guys with potential and great skills--that won't ever change. I expect the hype to die down in the next couple months, as we're only 2 weeks removed from the draft itself.
