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* Aaron Rodgers #8 - 6'2" 220 lbs. - California - Sp. 4.7 Rating 92
Slick throwing talented strong-armed junior passer finished his career with back-to-back excellent efforts as a junior and sophomore. Aaron is an excellent passer who combines arm strength, mechanics and delivery to make all the throws. He is a well-built athlete with both a live arm and quick feet to give an offense a versatile threat under center. He has developed quickly as an athlete, improving in every aspect of QB play over his two-year starting career under the tutelage of HC Jeff Tedford. He has filled out as an athlete and possesses a strong live arm with the mobility to be a threat on the perimeter and the agility to throw on the move. He has quick footwork that creates passing lanes and allows him to avoid the pass rush, though he has only adequate footspeed to scramble outside the pocket. He has a compact quick delivery with sound mechanics that allows him to throw the ball very accurately on a game to game basis. He is a good ball handler and carries carry out play action well with good fakes In his basic setup, he is quick to get back in the pocket with the footwork to plant and drill the ball down the field. He has excellent pocket presence with keen awareness of his unit and the quick decision making to identify defensive coverage and get the ball to the hot receiver. He has improved significantly as a passer each season, showing good arm strength to throw the out and deep ball and the uncanny accuracy in the intermediate and short game to cut defenses apart. He shows rare field vision that has allowed him to make the proper read throughout the game and seldom forcing the ball into heavy coverage. In the pocket, he looks off the safety better than any recent college passer in addition to identifying defensive coverage quicker to make the quick decision and throw. His accuracy is in a class by itself whether throwing the slant, out, or deep pass. He has learned to put air under his throws to allow his receivers to make plays. He has exceptional timing and accuracy to the point that he hits receivers in stride consistently and allows them to break a play after the reception. He shows courage in the pocket and waits until the last minute to fire the ball to the open receiver. He can make all the throws with the toughness to hang in the pocket and take the hit and get the ball off and not be intimidated by a strong hit. In big game situations, he impressed scouts with his arm both from an accuracy and velocity standpoint in addition to his smarts and mobility to manage a game with minimal mistakes and unnecessary risks. He needs work on the finer points of the position to maximize his fine throwing arm and athleticism. Though he is not a finished performer at this point, he developed quickly over his short career and responded well to pressure situations. He became the key component on a Cal club that was an annual doormat in the Pac 10 prior to his starting time. Over his two seasons, he was the only QB to beat USC that he accomplished during his sophomore season and almost achieved again last fall when he fell just short despite a great performance. He shows the ability to adjust quickly to new situations and make the correct decision. For a young passer, he shows fine poise and composure that allowed him to elevate the play of his unit and bring the Cal program back to bowl status after a long dry spell. During the course of a game, he gets into an excellent passing rhythm that increases his confidence immensely and that positive attitude gets conveyed to his teammates to play at a higher level. He has a good feel for backside pressure in the pocket with fine foot quickness to avoid a rush and the ability to pull the ball down and make positive yardage. He has the frame to fill out further and checked in at an even 6’2� at the NFL Combine, fine height for a starting passer.
1. Eli Manning #10 - 6'5" 225 lbs. - Mississippi - Sp. 4.8 Rating 95
1 Talented senior passer completed an outstanding career in the SEC, earning numerous honors over his final season. Eli comes from a long family of pro QBs, including his brother Peyton the current NFL MVP and father Archie a Pro-Bowl performer from the ‘70s. Eli followed his fathers’ footsteps by attending Old Miss and shattered his dad’s passing records over the course of his career. This fifth year senior will challenge for the first overall selection in the NFL Draft ’04 whether the Chargers retain the pick or trade it. He has been one of the premier players in college football this past few seasons consistently putting up big numbers against a high level of competition. Over his first three starting seasons, he has developed nicely in all aspects of play and hopes to follow in his brother’s footsteps as the first overall selection in April. He developed nicely under the tutelage of head coach David Cutcliffe who ironically coached Peyton at Tennessee during the ‘90s as offensive coordinator/QB coach. Over his five-year career at Old Miss, he made excellent progress in the finer aspects of the position, which is so critical in the development of a young passer. He is a good athlete with a strong arm, fine intangibles and good mobility to avoid the rush and run with the ball. He sets up smoothly, displaying excellent footwork and the ability to quickly read coverage. He has a fine delivery that is quick to release the ball and wastes little motion. He throws a tight spiral, combining both velocity and accuracy that allows receivers to catch the ball in stride and make plays after the catch. He is a well-developed passer who combines the athletic ability with the intangibles and maturity necessary to succeed in the NFL. He is a sturdy well-built athlete with quick feet that allow him to setup fast in three, five and seven step drops. He delivers the ball with outstanding timing and precision, displaying the ability to make the consistently sound decision and reads in coverage. His basic mechanics are very sound and he has learned to set his feet firmly before passing the ball with a good follow through. He is a fine ball handler and has learned to work the play action exceptionally well. He runs well for a QB of his size and can make a critical play as a runner, though he is not a great scrambler. He has shown both poise and courage in the pocket with the ability to hang in ‘til the final moment and allow his receiver to break open. He has developed quick decision-making to go with the athletic talent to run or throw in or outside the pocket. As a passer, he has an outstanding arm with the strength to make all the throws and he has progressed in each aspect of that game. He uses the pump fake well and shows a fast trigger that allows him to bait cover men on the first move and then lay it out on a deeper throw. He can fire the quick out, seam or slant pass, in addition to the ability to use exceptional touch to make the fade, screen and deep plays work well. He throws the fade well, giving his receiver a chance to make a play on the ball. On the deep pass, he has progressed and learned to put just the right touch on his passes to allow his receiver to run under the ball. On the slant and crossing patterns, he displays a quick release with the zip, accuracy and timing to hit receivers in stride. Though not a great athlete, he is a self-made athlete who has worked hard in all areas of play to get the most out of his fine talent. He has developed a strong work ethic, nice intangibles and instincts through experience and following the advice of his dad, brother and coaches. He has excellent pocket presence and feels backside pressure quickly with the ability to make sound decisions to minimize negative plays. He uses his quick feet to avoid the pass rush with the toughness to fight off tacklers using his good strength and mobility to move outside the pocket and make plays. He throws fairly well on the move, displaying the ability to retain his accuracy and hit the open receiver. He made great strides over his career of reading defenses and has learned to pick up secondary receivers and find the best match up. As a senior, he was very impressive, displaying a strong, live arm with the touch and accuracy to make all the important throws. He has developed the courage, leadership and poise to lead an NFL offense. With five years to develop his talent, he has matured well in areas of football instincts and overall intangibles. He combines fine athletic talent with those intangibles to make him one of the most developed and refined QB prospects of recent years.
1. Carson Palmer #3 - 6'4" 220 lbs. - Southern Cal - Sp. 4.8 Rating 95
Gifted senior passer completed an outstanding final season that earned him numerous honors including the prestigious Heisman Trophy award. Carson finally lived up to the hype that surrounded him when he entered USC five years ago. This fifth year senior will challenge for the first overall selection in the NFL Draft ’03 whether the Bengals retain the pick or trade it. He became the premier player in college football this past season when four years of hard work finally translated into consistent big play ability on the football field. Over his first four seasons, he attempted to do too much as a leader and key player on the USC offense. The constant changes in the coaching staff was a chief deterrent to his development, with new systems implemented annually, in addition to all the personnel changes that occur on a yearly basis in college football. Over his five-year career at USC, he had four offensive coordinators which explains his 39 TD to 39 interception ratio during his first four seasons. He is a big physical passer with a very strong arm, fine intangibles and good mobility to avoid the rush and run with the ball. He posted amazing passing numbers as a senior and got better with every snap. He really responded to offensive coordinator Norm Chow's schemes in the coach's second season with the club. He is a well-developed player who combines the athletic ability with the maturity necessary to succeed in the NFL. He is a well-built athlete with quick feet that allow him to setup fast in three, five and seven step drops. He has an excellent delivery with a quick release that allows him to deliver the ball with outstanding timing and precision. His basic mechanics are sound, he sets up quickly and has learned to set his feet firmly before passing the ball. As a good ball handler, he works the play action call exceptionally well. He uses the pump fake well and has a quick trigger that allows him to bait cornerbacks on the first move and then lay it out on a deeper throw. His improvisational skills are good and he has surprisingly good scrambling ability. He runs very well for a QB of his size and he can be especially dangerous in the openfield and capable of really hurting a defense. He has developed quick decision-making to go with the athletic talent to run or throw in or outside the pocket. As a passer, he has an outstanding arm with the strength to make all the throws. He has excellent velocity and accuracy on his passes and can fire the tough out, seam or slant pass as well as the exceptional touch to make the fade, screen and deep plays work to a high percentage. He throws the fade well, giving his receiver a chance to make a play on the ball. On the deep pass, he has learned to put just the right air under his passes to allow his receiver to run under the ball. On the slant and crossing patterns, he displays the quick release, accuracy and timing to hit receivers in stride which allows them to run with the ball after the catch. He has developed nice intangibles and instincts through experience and some difficult times and changes at USC. He has excellent pocket presence and can feel backside pressure very well. He uses his quick feet to avoid the initial rush and his fine strength to fight off tacklers and move outside the pocket. He throws well on the move in either direction, displaying the ability to lay the ball accurately to receivers to turn a broken play into a positive play. He made great strides over his final two seasons of reading defenses and learning to take what those units give him. Earlier in his career, he tended to force the ball into bad situations that led to mistakes. As a scrambler, he is a good runner who is capable of breaking and avoiding tacklers with the ability to pull the ball down and make a critical first down. At the Senior Bowl practices, he was very impressive, displaying a strong, live arm with the touch and accuracy to make all the key throws. He has developed the leadership, composure and poise to lead an NFL offense. With five seasons to hone his talent, he has developed the football instincts and overall intangibles combined with his excellent athletic talent make him one of the best and most refined QB prospects of recent memory.
Quarterbacks
1. DAVID CARR #8 - 6'3" 225 LBS. - FRESNO ST.- SP. 4.8 RATING 95
Athletically gifted senior passer completed an outstanding final season that has him challenging for the first overall selection in the NFL Draft '02. David has been one of the premier players in college football over the past two seasons, posting amazing passing numbers on a weekly basis. He is a well-developed player who combines the athletic ability with the keen intangibles necessary to succeed in the NFL. He is a well-built athlete with quick feet that allow him to setup fast in three, five and seven step drops. He has an excellent delivery with a quick release that allows him to deliver the ball with outstanding timing and precision. His mechanics are also well developed, he sets up quickly and has learned fine ball handling skills that allow him to work off the play action exceptionally well. He uses the pump fake well and has a quick trigger that allows him to bait cornerbacks on the first move. His improvisational skills are good and he has shown the quick decision-making and athletic talent to run or throw outside the pocket. As a passer, he has an excellent arm with the strength to make all the throws. He has fine velocity and accuracy on his passes - delivers the out in great shape and shows an exceptional touch on all his passes. He throws the fade well, allowing the receiver to make a play on the ball. On the slant and crossing patterns, he throws very well, displaying the quick release, accuracy and timing to hit receivers in stride. His intangibles and instincts rank with the best passers of the past decade. He has excellent pocket presence and can feel backside pressure very well and uses his quick feet to avoid the initial rush and move out of the pocket. He throws well on the move in either direction, displaying the ability to lay the ball out for receivers to turn a broken play into a big play. His three quarter delivery has drawn the attention of scouts, but it is not an issue with him due to his fine accuracy and mobility. Though not a scrambler of note, he is a good runner who is capable of pulling the ball down and making a critical first down. At the Senior Bowl practices, he was very impressive, displaying a live arm and accurate passing. He also shows the composure and poise to lead an NFL offense. His football instincts and overall intangibles plus his excellent athletic talent make him one of the best and more well rounded QB prospects of the past decade.
RUNNING BACKS
LaDAINIAN TOMLINSON - 5'10" 220 LBS. - TEXAS CHRISTIAN
Powerful compact tailback completed a record setting career with an impressive senior season which included rushing for over 2000 yards. LaDainian set numerous TCU and WAC rushing marks over his career in addition to a new NCAA single game mark as a junior. He lead the nation in rushing as both a junior and senior totaling over 4000 yards rushing in the process. He is a strong compact runner with quick feet and the natural running skills necessary to be an NFL feature back. He displays natural running instincts including vision, decision making and balance. He gets into a rhythm over the course of the game and wears down a defense with his relentless combination of power, quickness and toughness. He is very strong and has a recorded 600 lb. squat displaying the lower body strength to run through tacklers consistently. He has the ability to find the soft spots in a defense and get the most of every rushing attempt. As a senior, he rushed for a TCU record of 2158 yards on an amazing 369 carries for a 5.8 yard average and 22 TDs. His rushing yardage was the 4th highest in NCAA history as only the 8th runner to gain over 2000 yards on the ground. What's amazing in this performance is that he fumbled only once as a senior despite the 369 carries and being keyed on virtually every play. He also caught 10 passes for 40 yards which brought his career total to 40 receptions. He does need further development in the passing game after playing in the TCU veer offense. He does show sure soft hands as a receiver and the ability to follow his blockers in the openfield. He needs more reps in his route running and reading zone coverage to become more comfortable in that role. During his junior season, he rushed for 1850 yards on 268 carries and 18 TDs and lead the nation in the process. He set a new NCAA record for rushing in a single game with an unbelievable 406 yards on 43 carries vs UTEP. He is a fine cutback runner showing the quick feet, vision, balance and speed to break an ordinary play for a big gain. Once on the perimeter, he combines power and speed with sound running decisions. He gets excellent use of a strong straight arm that allows him to finish each attempt with a powerful close. He has the quick burst to the hole and the change of direction and lateral movement skills to turn an ordinary carry into a big play. He follows his blockers exceptionally well where he sets up defenders often, with his swivel moves and quick footwork. He is an excellent goal line runner with 54 TDs over his career most as a junior and senior. He has deceptive speed with the ability to separate from tacklers in the openfield. At the Senior Bowl practices and game, he showed the ability that made him one of the premier runners in the nation. He displayed the ability to run inside and also showed sure hands as a receiver and the ability to pick up things quickly in the passing game. He had a strong combine and ran a 4.44 time with a 40.5" vertical leap and a 10'1" broad jump. He is a tough durable back who is not afraid take on LBers as a blocker and more than held his own in that role. He is a high character athlete, with the leadership qualities teams want in their feature back; combined with the natural and well developed running skills to be a fine pro and a player who is ready to perform in that role as a rookie. He had an impressive March workout catching the ball and solidified the first overall runner chosen. Early 1st round player and a player you want to go to war with. Bears have him as their guy with the 8th overall selection. Chiefs and Panthers are interested and are trying to move up into the top five picks to select him.