Akron Beacon Journal/MCTThe 2007-2008 National Football League draft is on the horizon, and the depth at quarterback is relatively thin. Question marks are being placed on the teams that need a quarterback. The real question is, do you take Brady Quinn or JaMarcus Russell?
It’s important to note the differences between the two brilliances at the helm. Brady Quinn, quarterback at Notre Dame, is a poised passer that is comfortable in the pocket much like an Eli Manning-type player. Quinn has 46 starts, which proves him to have more experience over Russell. According to cbssportsline.com, Quinn has a touchdown to interception ration of 5:1. With this said, Russell has somewhat of an edge over Quinn.
Russell, the Louisiana State University quarterback, is probably going to be the better pick in the draft, despite his lack of experience. Russell has the build of a defensive-end in the NFL, and the mid- 1990’s has a good track-record for oversized quarterbacks. Superstars such as Donovan McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles, Daunte Culpepper of the Miami Dolphins and Byron Leftwich of the Jacksonville Jaguars are all examples of quarterbacks that have a large build.
According to a report by ESPN.com, Russell can throw 50 yards on his knees and about 85 yards upright. This is the strongest arm strength out of any college football player, probably in history.
So why would an NFL team take the less experienced goliath over the poised veteran? One word, injuries.
Russell could take more hits in a season than any quarterback in the NFL. Like David Carr, who is the most sacked quarterback in NFL history, it’s good to know that your quarterback can take a licking four or five times a game.
According to Mel Kiper, NFL draft esteemed analyst Calvin Johnson, the wide receiver at Georgia Tech, is said to be the number one overall pick, but Russell could go second overall to possibly the Oakland Raiders.
This years NFL draft is going to be interesting. It will be even more interesting to see where the hometown team Philadelphia Eagles go with their first overall pick.
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