NFL Draft: National Title Success Means Little For QBs

Aug 24, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback A.J. McCarron on the sidelines against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

One of the great myths of college football and assessing players is basing them on championships success.  Especially for quarterbacks.  Winning on a national title has to mean they have what it takes to win a Super Bowl, right?

Not necessarily.

One of the biggest errors teams in the NFL draft can make is equating the success a quarterback has in college winning a championship to it being anything like the pros.  There are so many different responsibilities and demands of the position from one level to the other but if one were to seek proof that mining championship college teams for championship quarterbacks, they need only look at the recent history.

NCAA Champion QBs Since 2000:

• A.J. McCarron
• Cam Newton*
• Greg McElroy
• Tim Tebow*
• Matt Flynn
• Vince Young
• Matt Leinart
• Matt Mauck
• Craig Krenzel
• Ken Dorsey
• Josh Heupel

Of the list above those with their names in bold successfully reached a Pro Bowl in their pro careers while the asterisks represent at least one playoff victory.  None of them have successfully gone from national championship to Super Bowl.  A.J. McCarron, who has two rings, is a backup for Andy Dalton.

The point is a major NFL draft mistake teams can make is putting too much faith in championship winner to fix their own problems at the pro level.  That is especially true for the quarterback position.

Thus one must pose the question.  How much of Jameis Winston being consensus 1st overall is his own talent and how much was it the success of his Florida State team?