Expert Warns 2017 NFL QB Class Could Be 2011 All Over Again
By Erik Lambert
The 2017 NFL QB class is frustrating a lot of people. It’s clear enough the group has some physical talent worth getting excited about.
Yet each and every one of the top names have a serious red flag that is beyond difficult to ignore. Mitch Trubisky started just 13 games in college. Deshaun Watson has accuracy issues at times and suffers from surprisingly low ball velocity. Two big problems for the NFL. Patrick Mahomes is the epitome of a gunslinger with a powerful arm and the reckless streak to go with it. Sure it’s easy to get excited about these kids, but none bring any level of comfort.
Yet because of the nature of the NFL and how it’s a quarterback-driven league, that may not be enough to stop teams from pulling the trigger anyway. It’s a classic case of the supply running low and the demand getting higher than ever. There are as many as 10 teams that could make a case for selecting a 1st round quarterback.
Beware ignoring history
Marc Sessler of NFL.com warns that this could lead to the biggest overdrafting disaster in six years, when the 2011 class reared its ugly head.
"“None of these quarterbacks suggest the second coming of Joe Montana, but teams with burning needs will ensure, once again, that unpolished arms go long before they should in the draft.It’s fair to wonder if this is 2011 all over again — minus the presence of a Cam Newton-level headliner. That class was equally bereft of plug-and-play starting passers, but that didn’t stop the likes of Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert and Christian Ponder all finding homes by the twelfth pick of the draft.”"
For some context understand this. Locker is retired from the league. Gabbert helped oversee the rapid decline of not one but two franchises in Jacksonville and San Francisco. Ponder played a full 16-game season in 2012. He threw for a whopping 2,935 yards and 18 touchdowns. One can argue he didn’t have to throw much because he had Adrian Peterson but truthfully he should’ve been way more productive given the threat Peterson posed.
So yeah, the 2011 class was pretty terrible. The fact there is no Cam Newton in this class certainly makes things even dicier. What makes it all so frustrating? The fact that each of the top four or five guys at the position have enough talent and good enough tape to indicate they’re capable of serious success at the pro level. It could truly be a roll of the dice like never before.