Top 10 Quarterback Prospects In The 2012 NFL Draft

Here at NFLMocks.com, we strive to be your number one source when it comes to all things draft related. While most draft sites get slow in summer, we have already begun our write ups for the 2012 NFL Draft prospects. You can view the top 2012 NFL Draft prospects by team here. We already have 23 write ups and are still going strong. As we continue to put out more team write ups, we are going to take it one step further and start ranking these prospects by position. Now, it should be noted that these rankings are premature and will definitely change once the college football season starts. Nevertheless, we are going to start making our lists of the top prospects by position. We start with the Quarterbacks and this could be a class unlike any other.

1. Andrew Luck
Luck would have undoubtedly been the 1st overall selection if he had declared for the 2011 NFL Draft. Instead, he is taking a big risk heading back to Stanford to pursue a National Championship. Luck could struggle in the upcoming year thanks to the loss of his coach John Harbaugh, but I would be shocked if Luck falls beyond the top 3 picks in the 2012 NFL Draft. Luck has great size, a strong arm and elite pocket awareness. He makes quick, smart decisions and he is accurate, completing 70 percent of his passes while throwing 32 touchdowns to just 8 interceptions. His stats this year may dip a bit, but he has all the tools to be an elite franchise QB in the NFL.

Projection: Top 3 Pick

2. Matt Barkley
Matt was the top ranked prospect in his class when he committed to USC. He became the first ever Trojan quarterback to start as a true freshman. He finished his freshman year throwing for 2735 yards while throwing 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Barkley improved greatly his sophomore year throwing 2791 yards while throwing 26 touchdowns to just 12 interceptions. Barkley will be a true junior this year and could have a huge year. He is going to have a WR corps that consists of 3 5 star rated wide receivers. If he has the huge year that many think he could have, he could overtake Luck as the #1 QB prospect of 2012 if he declares. Barkley has good arm strength. He is capable of making all the NFL throws. He has good footwork and has great vision. He moves well within the pocket. Unless his offensive line fails him, he should have a monster year and could be the top pick in 2012. He won’t fall past the top 3.

Projection: Top 3 Pick

3. Landry Jones
Replacing Sam Bradford was not supposed to be an easy thing to do yet Landry Jones has done it very successfully. He took over for the Sooners in 2009 when Bradford got injured and had a nice year throwing 3198 yards, 26 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. In 2010, his numbers improved as he threw 4,718 yards, 38 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He will get Heisman consideration this year if he continues to improve. Jones has good size, a very nice arm, and makes good decisions with the football. He’s smart and he has continued to improve throughout his college career. He will be a redshirt Junior this year so he might not even come out. If he does, he will be a top 10 pick with a good chance of being picked in the top 5. If him and Barkley don’t come out this year, they would both be undoubtedly competing for the #1 selection in 2013.

Projection: Top 5 Pick

4. Nick Foles
Call me crazy, but if Foles had declared for the 2011 draft, I think he could have been drafted in the top 10. He is a clutch player that has performed very well for the Arizona Wildcats. He had a nice 2010 year until he got injured and the year went down the toilet. Foles has a slightly above average arm. He should be able to make all the throws, but he certainly doesn’t have the arm that Luck, Barkley, or Jones do. He is extremely accurate completing 67 percent of his passes last year. He has put up great numbers at Arizona, but that could be a result to the type of offense they run. He is a good QB who could really vault up some board with a big year. Right now, I have him ranked as a 1st/2nd round prospect.

Projection: Late 1st/Early 2nd Pick

5. Terrelle Pryor
Terrelle Pryor is going to be the Tim Tebow/Cam Newton of the 2012 NFL Draft. By that I mean that every scout is going to question whether he can be a under the center, drop back passer. Many scouts are down on Pryor, but I am one of the few people who like the guy and his future, but only if he can mature. First off, the guy is a winner. In his entire career at OSU, he has lost just 6 games total. He completed 65 percent of his passes in 2010 while throwing 27 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He is an athletic freak who will undoubtedly be compared to Vince Young. He has above average arm strength to go with improved decision making skills. He has had solid production throughout his career. Now, he has bad mechanics and has character concerns, but he has raw talent that could force some team (Oakland) to take him early next year.

Projection: Late 1st/Early 2nd

6. Kirk Cousins
Cousins is the unquestioned leader of the Spartans offense. He orchestrated several comebacks last year and could catch the eye of many talent evaluators this year. He possesses good size (6 ft 3, 210 lbs) and a decent arm. He is an accurate QB completing 66 percent of his passes while throwing 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions last year. He is instinctive in the pocket and can scramble when needed. One problem with Cousins is that he stares down his receivers too often. However, he is a nice QB prospect who could have a very good year. Right now I have him rated as a fringe 1st rounder.

Projection: Late 1st/Early 2nd

7. Ryan Lindley
Lindley comes from San Diego State of the Mountain West Conference. He has been the starting quarterback for the Aztecs ever since his freshman year. He has great size standing at 6 ft 4, 215 pounds. He has a good arm and a nice, quick release. He has improved each year as the starting quarterback for the Aztecs. He had his best year as a junior when he threw for 3,830 yards, 28 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He led the Aztecs to a victory in the Poinsettia Bowl against Navy. Now, he has never completed more then 57% of his passes, he needs to work on his footwork, and he stares at his receivers too often. However, he is a guy with some nice upside.

Projection: 2nd-3rd

8. Darron Thomas
In his first year as the starter of the Oregon Ducks, Thomas led his team to a Championship Bowl Game. His Ducks are expected to contend once again this year. He threw for 2881 yards, 31 touchdowns and 9 interceptions last year. He has good size standing at 6 ft 3, 215 pounds coupled with great athleticism. Now, he runs a gimicky offense where he works primarily out of shotgun. He will need plenty of work on his mechanics and his footwork. He also displays just average arm strength. He is a prospect that all scouts should keep their eyes on. The Ducks are poised for another run at the Championship and Thomas will be the deciding factor in whether they can win it all or not.

Projection: 3rd-5th

9. Kellen Moore
Moore is going to be a quarterback prospect that many draft analysts will talk down about. The 6 ft, 187 pound quarterback doesn’t have the look of an NFL QB. He runs an offense that produces great stats. He threw for 3845 yards, 31 touchdowns and 6 interceptions while completing 71% of his passes. He needs work on his footwork and mechanics. However, I think Moore is going to be drafted higher then most expect. He has a fantastic work ethic, good intelligence, and is dedicated to his craft. He is definitely facing an up-hill battle. He needs to have a good year before he faces the crucial evaluations at the Senior Bowl and Combine.

Projection: 3rd-5th

10. Ryan Tannehill
Tannehill is a very interesting prospect. He played quarterback in high school, but committed to the Texas A&M Aggies and converted to WR after he lost the QB battle his freshman year. He played WR his freshman and sophomore season before he was given a chance at quarterback mid-way through his junior year. Tannehill made the most of it by throwing for 1638 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions with wins over Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Texas. Tannehill will be the starting QB in the upcoming season and could generate some buzz. He is someone to keep an eye on.

Projection: 5th-7th

As you can see, the 2012 Quarterback class has the potential to be one for the ages. Assuming all of the Juniors declare(which as Andrew Luck showed us is not a certainty by any stretch), I see 7 quarterbacks who could be taken in the first 2 rounds. This class has a lot of potential and it will be exciting to see how it shapes up over the course of the year.

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