6 Blue Chippers As Of Now - Do You Agree?

[mgteich]

OK, so he isn't in the top 7 on my board either. So what! In this draft, given the other QB's available, Ryan is almost assuredly at top 6 pick. And if he slips to 7, we should have a valuable trade down.

I would not tag Ryan as elite.

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

OK, so he isn't in the top 7 on my board either. So what! In this draft, given the other QB's available, Ryan is almost assuredly at top 6 pick. And if he slips to 7, we should have a valuable trade down.

Yep, the QB class is going downhill fast. Ryan looks like the only top ten QB so both your conclusions are exactly correct IMO. The opposite for McFadden, he'll go high but there won't be a big trade up for him because it's a tremendous year for RB.

 

[PonyExpress]

According to who? In the words of Demi Moore, I strenuously object. Of those seven quarterbacks you've listed, he is probably a better prospect than Smith (who was drafted because he was an easy sign) and maybe Cutler. Eli was the hands down number one pick, and whether is was because of his name or his game, he was a much stronger prospect than Ryan. In hindsight, it's easy to say Aaron Rodgers, but if he were willing to sign for what Smith did, he would have likely been the #1, as the Cal offensive system was (at the time) considered a good one for NFL development. Ryan a better prospect than Quinn? Short memory. This is the weakest QB draft since 2005 (Alex Smith). If Ryan was in last year's draft, I seriously doubt he's in the first round. If he was in the 2006 draft, I doubt he goes in the first two rounds.

That said, I do think he's the best QB prospect in this draft by a good margin.

Both Mayock and Nawrocki have Ryan ranked as the #1 prospect in the draft as of right now. NFL draft scout has him at #6. If a Qb has the talent to be drafted #6, he has the talent to be drafted #1, because of the inherent value of the position. It sounds to me like you've been subjected to negative propaganda about Ryan. My guess is you'll reevaluate him and change your opinion as the draft approaches. When I say that Ryan is a "better prospect" than those Qbs, I'm not referring to how those former prospects were thought of prior to the draft, but to their actual ability after several years of NFL evidence. Ryan is an ideal NFL QB, and IMO should go #1 to Miami.

Ryan is a better bad weather Qb, with better natural leadership skills than Manning. I also believe he is a better short range passer than Manning. He is tougher than Leinart with a quicker release. He is world's better than A. Smith, and although personally I like Aaron Rodgers, Rodgers lacks some leadership traits and pocket presence, plus the ability to play in anything other than a WCoffense. Cutler has inconsistent mechanics and some sketchy leadership skills. He struggles at times with short range touch and long range accuracy, despite his cannon. Quinn has accuracy issues, though I still believe he will be a quality NFL QB.

The knocks on Ryan are off the mark. He has been criticized for throwing 19 INTs. What people seem to miss is that he threw the ball over 600 times and his INT % was less than that of many other top Qb prospects. He threw the ball 50 times a game down the stretch, as BC had no running game. His O-line, beyond Cherilus, was a sieve. He was battered consistently, played in brutal weather, never lost his composure. He had no quality offensive targets. The highest skill position player on the team was Challenger, who may not get drafted, so Ryan threw into extremely tight windows. He was forced to improvise in the pocket, throw from different arm angles, play under every kind of adversity and demonstrated poise under intense pressure. As a result it is very easy to view how Ryan translates to the pro game, where nobody is open, the pocket is collapsing, the weather is miserable and all the games are tight on a weekly basis.