The 2011 NFL draft is three months away but might as well be around the corner with the 2011 Senior Bowl in action this week and a heavy dose of 2011 NFL draft talk going on. One of the most intriguing story lines in this draft is who the top quarterback will be.
With QB Andrew Luck staying at Stanford, there are a few players vying for the top position including Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert, Auburn QB Cam Newton and Washington QB Jake Locker. ESPN's Mel Kiper recently conducted a conference call and touched on each of those quarterbacks.
On Gabbert, Kiper says the issue is the system in which he plays. This is a very real problem that Gabbert will have to overcome. Despite the number of spread quarterbacks that are coming into the NFL these days, no one has quite figured out what translates and what doesn't. Gabbert's sophomore year was better from a statistical standpoint so he also has to deal with the perception that his game dropped from his sophomore to junior year.
On Newton, Kiper says he has a ton of upside and thinks the Redskins will be taking him with the 10th overall pick. Depending on who needs a quarterback in the top 10, he could be the first quarterback taken.
On Locker, Kiper said he had a sub-par year against college defenses so he's not sure he's a great prospect.