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North QBs
Drew Stanton
Height - 6-3 -- Is tall enough to scan the field from within the pocket.
Weight - 235 -- Good build for a quarterback.
Speed - 4.80 -- Lacks elite speed, but is quick enough to scramble for a few yards.
Intelligence - Flashes the ability to move the offense efficiently, but decision making is inconsistent. Doesn't always take care of the ball.
Toughness - Bounces back from vicious hits and covered punts for the Spartans during the 2003 season.
Strength/Flex - Powerful open-field runner who can break tackles. Flashes the ability to make the first defender miss.
Durability - Area of concern. Tore anterior cruciate ligament in 2003, separated shoulder in 2004, injured his throwing hand in 2005 and had problems staying healthy during senior season.
Character - Presses too much, but is a leader on the field.
Production - Though numbers dipped dramatically in 2006, threw for 22 TDs and over 3,000 yards during an impressive junior season.
Monday (1/22/07): Stanton has shed nearly 10 pounds from last spring, but he looks to be in very good shape at nearly 6-foot-3 and 226 pounds. As far as practice is concerned, Stanton stood out above Troy Smith and Tyler Palko as the clear-cut top quarterback prospect on the North roster. In all reality, he seemed to be one of the best overall players on the field. Stanton displayed quick feet, a strong arm, a quick release and better accuracy than anticipated. Despite the rainy conditions, he showed impressive control of the ball. If Stanton continues to stand out the rest of the week, he will solidify himself as the third quarterback in the 2007 class and could re-emerge as a first-round prospect.
Tuesday (1/23/07): Stanton fell to the ground after getting his feet tangled during the team drill and he threw behind Notre Dame WR Rhema McKnight during the 7-on-7 portion of practice. Other than that, he had one of the crispest practices of the six quarterbacks at this year's Senior Bowl. He continues to display a great over-the-top release and above-average zip on his passes. He also showed good touch when throwing downfield and, other than the one pass to McKnight, showed above-average accuracy when dumping the ball underneath. In other words, he looked like a professional quarterback out there.
Wednesday (1/24/07): One concern emerging from Wednesday's practice is Stanton locking onto receivers at times. He won't be able to get away with that at the next level and must do a better job of looking defenders off more consistently. That said, Stanton is still having a strong week. He arguably looked his best during the team's red-zone drill. He made sound decisions and put the ball where only his receiver had a chance to come down with it. Overall, Stanton had the best practice of any of the quarterbacks at the Senior Bowl today.
Troy Smith
Height -6' -- Marginal height is single biggest flaw as a prospect.
Weight - 220 -- Thickly built. Looks more like a RB than a QB.
Speed - 4.62 -- Has outstanding speed and agility for the position. Consistently buys extra time and is a threat to run.
Intelligence - Has a history of making intelligent decisions on the field, but questionable decisions off.
Toughness - Arguably the toughest quarterback in the 2007 NFL draft class.
Strength/Flex - Squatty build, but he's an extremely strong and flexible athlete.
Durability - Outstanding. He never missed a game due to injury in college.
Character - Past issues are still a concern. Suspended twice (illegal benefits and after found guilty of disorderly conduct charge) at OSU.
Production - Exceptional. Threw for 16 TDs, rushed for 11 in 2005. Won the Heisman in '06, throwing 30 TD passes and only six INTs.
Monday (1/22/07): Smith had a good opening day at the Senior Bowl. For starters, he can breathe a sigh of relief after measuring in at 6-foot even during the morning weigh-in process. While he is still considered short by NFL standards, there was speculation that Smith was closer to 5-11. Believe it or not, that inch is a big deal from a scouting perspective. As for practice, Smith showed good accuracy and velocity on his throws. He seemed to have lots of confidence in his ability and his quick feet were evident when he was working with the other quarterbacks on drop-back drills. However, Smith's wind-up delivery was extremely evident when he was throwing alongside Michigan State QB Drew Stanton, who has a much more compact release.
Tuesday (1/23/07): Smith continued to shine during Tuesday's practice. His release is not as compact as scouts would like to see, but that's not going to change much moving forward. Otherwise, Smith is doing an excellent job of moving his feet to find passing windows, which allows him to overcome his marginal height. He is showing more confidence in his reads and throws than all the other quarterbacks here. Smith also displays as good -- if not better -- arm strength, touch, timing and accuracy as Drew Stanton.
Wednesday (1/24/07): Smith had his most complete day of practice on Wednesday. He shows a good understanding of coach Jon Gruden's scheme and seems to be ahead of most the North players in that regard. He continues to display a strong arm and above average accuracy as a passer. The only time Smith has struggled is when he can't seem to find a passing window in time and tries to throw over his offensive linemen. In those instances, Smith's ball has had a tendency to sail high. That's a direct byproduct of his marginal height.
Tyler Palko
Height - 6-1 -- Palko is on the short side for an NFL QB.
Weight - 210 -- Good build with thickness and definition.
Speed - 4.92 -- Plays faster than his timed speed, but will not run away from defensive backs or linebackers at the next level.
Intelligence - Son of a well respected high school coach, Palko is a film rat with an excellent understanding of the game.
Toughness - Showed great toughness at Pitt behind suspect offensive lines. Took a pounding and played hurt.
Strength/Flex - Good, but not great, flexibility. Can contort his body to make plays, avoid pass rushers and break out of arm tackles.
Durability - Excellent. He is a tough guy and is built to take a pounding.
Character - Great strength. The football junkie is tough, and well respected and liked by his teammates. Leader.
Production - Up and down. Really struggled as a junior, but had fine sophomore and senior seasons.
Monday (1/22/07): Palko did not have a bad day on Monday, but it was rather evident that he's the least talented of the three North quarterbacks at this year's Senior Bowl. Palko measured just shy of 6-foot-1 and weighed 217 pounds at this morning's weigh-in, which is a little shorter and lighter than expected. During practice, Palko displayed good timing and accuracy as a passer. However, he does not stack up with Drew Stanton or Troy Smith in terms of arm strength or mobility. When called upon to make a throw vertically or on a deep out, Palko noticeably dropped down and wound up even more than usual in his delivery. That's something NFL scouts will frown upon considerably.
Tuesday (1/23/07): Palko struggled today and looked somewhat out of place next to Troy Smith and Drew Stanton. A forum like this does not play to Palko's strong suits as a "gamer". His timing with his receivers was off, which isn't unusual for the second practice. What was more concerning was his delivery and arm strength. He pushes the football and doesn't snap it off with authority and that motion becomes more pronounced the deeper the throw. While Palko was eager and made sound crisp decisions, he simply didn't throw the football very well today.
Wednesday (1/24/07): Palko played better today, but he still doesn't measure up with the other quarterbacks on the South roster (Smith and Stanton). It's plain to see that Palko is a mid-to-late round prospect that will need to earn a spot as an NFL backup. He could become the type of player who is underwhelming during practice and in forums such as this one, but really attracts the attention of his coach and teammates once he gets in his first few preseason games. If he gets drafted by a West Coast passing team, which he should, Palko may end up being the type of quarterback that digests the playbook quickly and is ready to make the most of an opportunity if he gets one. But for now, his stock is dropping and the combine probably will not help his cause, either.
Drew Stanton
Height - 6-3 -- Is tall enough to scan the field from within the pocket.
Weight - 235 -- Good build for a quarterback.
Speed - 4.80 -- Lacks elite speed, but is quick enough to scramble for a few yards.
Intelligence - Flashes the ability to move the offense efficiently, but decision making is inconsistent. Doesn't always take care of the ball.
Toughness - Bounces back from vicious hits and covered punts for the Spartans during the 2003 season.
Strength/Flex - Powerful open-field runner who can break tackles. Flashes the ability to make the first defender miss.
Durability - Area of concern. Tore anterior cruciate ligament in 2003, separated shoulder in 2004, injured his throwing hand in 2005 and had problems staying healthy during senior season.
Character - Presses too much, but is a leader on the field.
Production - Though numbers dipped dramatically in 2006, threw for 22 TDs and over 3,000 yards during an impressive junior season.
Monday (1/22/07): Stanton has shed nearly 10 pounds from last spring, but he looks to be in very good shape at nearly 6-foot-3 and 226 pounds. As far as practice is concerned, Stanton stood out above Troy Smith and Tyler Palko as the clear-cut top quarterback prospect on the North roster. In all reality, he seemed to be one of the best overall players on the field. Stanton displayed quick feet, a strong arm, a quick release and better accuracy than anticipated. Despite the rainy conditions, he showed impressive control of the ball. If Stanton continues to stand out the rest of the week, he will solidify himself as the third quarterback in the 2007 class and could re-emerge as a first-round prospect.
Tuesday (1/23/07): Stanton fell to the ground after getting his feet tangled during the team drill and he threw behind Notre Dame WR Rhema McKnight during the 7-on-7 portion of practice. Other than that, he had one of the crispest practices of the six quarterbacks at this year's Senior Bowl. He continues to display a great over-the-top release and above-average zip on his passes. He also showed good touch when throwing downfield and, other than the one pass to McKnight, showed above-average accuracy when dumping the ball underneath. In other words, he looked like a professional quarterback out there.
Wednesday (1/24/07): One concern emerging from Wednesday's practice is Stanton locking onto receivers at times. He won't be able to get away with that at the next level and must do a better job of looking defenders off more consistently. That said, Stanton is still having a strong week. He arguably looked his best during the team's red-zone drill. He made sound decisions and put the ball where only his receiver had a chance to come down with it. Overall, Stanton had the best practice of any of the quarterbacks at the Senior Bowl today.
Troy Smith
Height -6' -- Marginal height is single biggest flaw as a prospect.
Weight - 220 -- Thickly built. Looks more like a RB than a QB.
Speed - 4.62 -- Has outstanding speed and agility for the position. Consistently buys extra time and is a threat to run.
Intelligence - Has a history of making intelligent decisions on the field, but questionable decisions off.
Toughness - Arguably the toughest quarterback in the 2007 NFL draft class.
Strength/Flex - Squatty build, but he's an extremely strong and flexible athlete.
Durability - Outstanding. He never missed a game due to injury in college.
Character - Past issues are still a concern. Suspended twice (illegal benefits and after found guilty of disorderly conduct charge) at OSU.
Production - Exceptional. Threw for 16 TDs, rushed for 11 in 2005. Won the Heisman in '06, throwing 30 TD passes and only six INTs.
Monday (1/22/07): Smith had a good opening day at the Senior Bowl. For starters, he can breathe a sigh of relief after measuring in at 6-foot even during the morning weigh-in process. While he is still considered short by NFL standards, there was speculation that Smith was closer to 5-11. Believe it or not, that inch is a big deal from a scouting perspective. As for practice, Smith showed good accuracy and velocity on his throws. He seemed to have lots of confidence in his ability and his quick feet were evident when he was working with the other quarterbacks on drop-back drills. However, Smith's wind-up delivery was extremely evident when he was throwing alongside Michigan State QB Drew Stanton, who has a much more compact release.
Tuesday (1/23/07): Smith continued to shine during Tuesday's practice. His release is not as compact as scouts would like to see, but that's not going to change much moving forward. Otherwise, Smith is doing an excellent job of moving his feet to find passing windows, which allows him to overcome his marginal height. He is showing more confidence in his reads and throws than all the other quarterbacks here. Smith also displays as good -- if not better -- arm strength, touch, timing and accuracy as Drew Stanton.
Wednesday (1/24/07): Smith had his most complete day of practice on Wednesday. He shows a good understanding of coach Jon Gruden's scheme and seems to be ahead of most the North players in that regard. He continues to display a strong arm and above average accuracy as a passer. The only time Smith has struggled is when he can't seem to find a passing window in time and tries to throw over his offensive linemen. In those instances, Smith's ball has had a tendency to sail high. That's a direct byproduct of his marginal height.
Tyler Palko
Height - 6-1 -- Palko is on the short side for an NFL QB.
Weight - 210 -- Good build with thickness and definition.
Speed - 4.92 -- Plays faster than his timed speed, but will not run away from defensive backs or linebackers at the next level.
Intelligence - Son of a well respected high school coach, Palko is a film rat with an excellent understanding of the game.
Toughness - Showed great toughness at Pitt behind suspect offensive lines. Took a pounding and played hurt.
Strength/Flex - Good, but not great, flexibility. Can contort his body to make plays, avoid pass rushers and break out of arm tackles.
Durability - Excellent. He is a tough guy and is built to take a pounding.
Character - Great strength. The football junkie is tough, and well respected and liked by his teammates. Leader.
Production - Up and down. Really struggled as a junior, but had fine sophomore and senior seasons.
Monday (1/22/07): Palko did not have a bad day on Monday, but it was rather evident that he's the least talented of the three North quarterbacks at this year's Senior Bowl. Palko measured just shy of 6-foot-1 and weighed 217 pounds at this morning's weigh-in, which is a little shorter and lighter than expected. During practice, Palko displayed good timing and accuracy as a passer. However, he does not stack up with Drew Stanton or Troy Smith in terms of arm strength or mobility. When called upon to make a throw vertically or on a deep out, Palko noticeably dropped down and wound up even more than usual in his delivery. That's something NFL scouts will frown upon considerably.
Tuesday (1/23/07): Palko struggled today and looked somewhat out of place next to Troy Smith and Drew Stanton. A forum like this does not play to Palko's strong suits as a "gamer". His timing with his receivers was off, which isn't unusual for the second practice. What was more concerning was his delivery and arm strength. He pushes the football and doesn't snap it off with authority and that motion becomes more pronounced the deeper the throw. While Palko was eager and made sound crisp decisions, he simply didn't throw the football very well today.
Wednesday (1/24/07): Palko played better today, but he still doesn't measure up with the other quarterbacks on the South roster (Smith and Stanton). It's plain to see that Palko is a mid-to-late round prospect that will need to earn a spot as an NFL backup. He could become the type of player who is underwhelming during practice and in forums such as this one, but really attracts the attention of his coach and teammates once he gets in his first few preseason games. If he gets drafted by a West Coast passing team, which he should, Palko may end up being the type of quarterback that digests the playbook quickly and is ready to make the most of an opportunity if he gets one. But for now, his stock is dropping and the combine probably will not help his cause, either.
