Another Great Wes Bunting Article

Who really are the best quarterbacks in the draft?


Gotta say, Wes seems to be spot on with these evaluations.

Someone asked this in the comments section:
"If you think these seniors are going to be better in the NFL, why aren't they higher in your rankings? Doesn't make sense. Please explain. Starting to question your credibility when you say one thing in this article and your rankings say another."

Wes Buntings response:
"Please read through the grading scale...Newton, Mallett and Locker all have a 6.6 which is ...Clean player who is inconsistent in his play due to character, technique, alertness or competitiveness… Has all the physical tools needed to become a starter… If he overcomes his deficiencies he will be a star in the league… If he doesn’t he will be a complete failure — There is NO middle ground!

So they are either a stud or bust...If i was an NFL team these three guys would not even be on my draft board, but we have to rank them accordingly.

Ponder has a higher ground, three of the other four as looked at as potential starters with a high ceiling. Please read the grades before making a comment."


Here's to hoping we land Ponder, Stanzi, or Dalton.

Couldn't agree more.

Just my opinion..

Cam Newton - it's hard to argue about any report regarding the negative side on this kid.. but the fact is, he only played ONE year in college and he ruled the NCAA for that year.. if it's really based on experience, then he should be drafted around the 4th - 7th round.. but forget the experience and relive how magical he was in his 1st year, and how can you argue about the talent he does possess.. The kid has IT, and he's a winner.. no ONE YEAR kid should be able to carry a team alone thruout the whole year, and lead a comeback against a Nick Saban Defense.. That game alone, tells you how special this kid is... He may not be ready like Sam Bradford and Matt Ryan, but once he's tutored and gets the experience, he will be a very special QB in the NFL

Locker - he's got every negative report in him that was similar to a gunslinger from yesteryear,. a kid from Southern Missiissippi.. a kid who was drafted in the 2nd round.. a kid who watch the entire NFL passed on him in the 1st round.. a kid who was passed on the 1st round because two QBs named Dan McGwire and Todd Marinovich were more NFL mentally ready.. a kid who was traded by the team that drafted him because the only promised he can show to the coaching staff was the ability to throw the football from the 50 yard line all the way to the bleachers.. that some kid's name is Brett Favre..

Mallett and Gabbert - I just really see too much David Klinger and Ryan Leaf from these guys.. so, i do agree that they dont belong in the 1st round

Dalton - the guy just does enuff.. but not enuff to make you get up on your seat and say he's the franchise.. he's a grade below Joe Flacco, and what i mean is that he'll make one great or unbelievable pass one play, then a he'll bring his self back down to earth..

Ponder - is this kid really special? is he any different from the other outstanding QB that came from Florida State?? He's a teaser in my opinion.. Im a Seminole fan and watched this kid play for the last 2 years and the name that comes to my mind whenever i have to compare him to another NFL quarterback is Dave Krieg..

Originally posted by 9moon:
Just my opinion..

Cam Newton - it's hard to argue about any report regarding the negative side on this kid.. but the fact is, he only played ONE year in college and he ruled the NCAA for that year.. if it's really based on experience, then he should be drafted around the 4th - 7th round.. but forget the experience and relive how magical he was in his 1st year, and how can you argue about the talent he does possess.. The kid has IT, and he's a winner.. no ONE YEAR kid should be able to carry a team alone thruout the whole year, and lead a comeback against a Nick Saban Defense.. That game alone, tells you how special this kid is... He may not be ready like Sam Bradford and Matt Ryan, but once he's tutored and gets the experience, he will be a very special QB in the NFL

Locker - he's got every negative report in him that was similar to a gunslinger from yesteryear,. a kid from Southern Missiissippi.. a kid who was drafted in the 2nd round.. a kid who watch the entire NFL passed on him in the 1st round.. a kid who was passed on the 1st round because two QBs named Dan McGwire and Todd Marinovich were more NFL mentally ready.. a kid who was traded by the team that drafted him because the only promised he can show to the coaching staff was the ability to throw the football from the 50 yard line all the way to the bleachers.. that some kid's name is Brett Favre..

Mallett and Gabbert - I just really see too much David Klinger and Ryan Leaf from these guys.. so, i do agree that they dont belong in the 1st round

Dalton - the guy just does enuff.. but not enuff to make you get up on your seat and say he's the franchise.. he's a grade below Joe Flacco, and what i mean is that he'll make one great or unbelievable pass one play, then a he'll bring his self back down to earth..

Ponder - is this kid really special? is he any different from the other outstanding QB that came from Florida State?? He's a teaser in my opinion.. Im a Seminole fan and watched this kid play for the last 2 years and the name that comes to my mind whenever i have to compare him to another NFL quarterback is Dave Krieg..

Cam Newton.. The kid was a great college qb. No doubt about it. BUT let's not forget he had a pretty awesome oline, a great run game, and a system that catered to him in every way. Not to mention a defense with some really special talent. Auburn was the perfect fit for Newton and Newton was the perfect fit for Auburn. Nobody questions Cam Newtons arm, or even his intangibles. His it factor. They question can he read defenses.

Gabbert...Spot on.

Dalton... You sure you've watch this ginger? "he'll make one great or unbelievable pass one play, then a he'll bring his self back down to earth.." I've watch EVERY game of his for the past 3 years. I've never seen that. He's about as consistent as it gets at the QB position. I mean, he hasn't thrown more than 8int's in the last 3 years. He averaged 66 completion % this year. How's that anything like what you said about him?

Ponder is an amazing qb. The fact he fought through fluid in his elbow all year and still was fairly productive... shows me he's not like any other FSU qb. He has the best touch pass of any qb i've seen in a few years. He showed up at the Sr Bowl against top competition and really stood out. Not sure what you're not seein out of the kid.

Saying Newton is not worthy of a first round grade told me all I need to know of Wes Bunting. Man is a JOKE.

DALTON - go watch his mechanics and his game against San Diego State.. then go back a year against Boise State in the BCS, you'll see how the future wiith him in the NFL is gonna be.. Like I first stated, Dalton will play in the NFL, but his plays will just be "enuff but not good enuff"..

QBs in the last 10 years that he reminds me of: John Freisz

Originally posted by 9moon:
DALTON - go watch his mechanics and his game against San Diego State.. then go back a year against Boise State in the BCS, you'll see how the future wiith him in the NFL is gonna be.. Like I first stated, Dalton will play in the NFL, but his plays will just be "enuff but not good enuff"..

QBs in the last 10 years that he reminds me of: John Freisz

2 games in 4 years.

And in the SDSU game he had a 4:1 TD to INT ratio

So really 1 game in 4 years. That's "enuff but not good enuff" in your eyes? Man i'd hate to be your kid. Anything less than perfection..."sorry son, i love you. you do enuff, but not good enuff".

Wes Bunting will say something that absolutely impresses me one day, then make a complete statement the next

I can't get a read on the guy, but either way he makes for a decent read and it looks like he actually tries his best

and I follow him on twitter

I always find it funny how draft experts are so quick to put a 2nd round grade on QB's but yet LOVE to elevate guys at other positions.

I think most that have been paying attention know that the QB's in this class all have warts but quite frankly, MOST QB's that have come out had concerns about them when they were drafted. If that was not the case, they would never have dropped out of the top 1-2 picks.
Any draft expert can say what he wants after the fact but if everyone was convinced Joe Flacco would have become even as good as he has so far, there's no way he drops to #18. The same can be said about Big Ben (#11) and Josh Freeman (#17). Even Matt Ryan does not drop to #3.

Yes, there have been a lot of busts at the QB position, but there have also been a lot of busts AT EVERY POSITION. Look at the guys in the top 10 this year:
Peterson - can he play off coverage? Is he agile enough to cover all over the field?
V. Miller - will he be able to disengage consistently?
Bowers - will he be able to consistently get after the QB?
Prince - is he fast enough to be a shutdown corner?
Fairley - is he a one year wonder?
Quinn - he has not played in a year, will he be able to develop additional pass rush moves
Dareus - will he be able to get sacks or is he just a pocket pusher?

I mean they all have a chance of busting. And history has seen several players at those positions bust in the last few years.

What I'm saying is that although the player has to have a number of different talents already come draft time, he also has to love football in my opinion, and be willing to work extremely hard. BUT NONE is a finished product. Otherwise, they would have annihalted college football.

On a side note; it was interesting that Bunting compared the emotion/attitude issues of Vince Young to Jamarcus Russell. Both talented but their heads keep them from achieving success.