This past April, four different teams drafted quarterbacks in the first round; the Jaguars, Panthers, Titans, and Vikings. The Panthers were the first team to make such a move, picking Auburn product Cam Newton with the number one overall selection. The Titans followed suit, selecting Jake Locker out of Washington with the 8th overall pick. Blaine Gabbert (Missouri) and Christian Ponder (Florida State) rounded out the first round quarterbacks, going 10th and 12th, respectively. All four quarterbacks are currently viewed as future starters for their respected teams, but unlike years past (Sam Bradford, Josh Freeman, Mark Sanchez, and Matthew Stafford) none are guaranteed starting jobs. So, the question is, which of the four rookies are poised to make the greatest impact this season?
The clear cut most athletic of the group is Cam Newton. Newton posses a combination of speed, size, and power that the NFL has never seen at the quarterback position. During his lone season at Auburn, Cam dazzled fans with a rocket arm combined with the running style of a tailback (with size of a linebacker). Standing at 6 foot 5 and 248 pounds, Newton is a physical specimen. However, Newton is not without critics. Scouts believe that Newton may not have the pocket presence or mental makeup that are critical to producing a quality NFL quarterback. Also, anyone who watched the “Gruden QB Camp” on ESPN knows that Newton does not seem to be among the most intellectually gifted. Going into this season, Newton has the best chance at starting right out of the gate as he battles with second year quarterback Jimmy Clausen for the QB1 position. Newton looked decent in his three pre-season appearances, but Clausen does have the experience factor going for him. Another knock against Newton’s chances of having the greatest impact this season is the team he plays with. The Carolina Panthers were awarded the #1 draft pick last season for a reason, they were awful. The offense, though not lacking in star power with DeAngelo Williams and Steve Smith, was abysmal. Other than Smith, the Panthers have no viable options at wide receiver. Newton, or whoever is the week 1 starter, will benefit from the addition of veteran tight end Greg Olsen, however.
Entering the 2010 NFL Draft, many scouts believed that Washington University’s Jake Locker had a chance to be the first overall selection (that honor went to St. Louis Rams QB Sam Bradford). However, Locker chose to stay at school for his senior year and probably lost millions in the process. Locker struggled this past season as he saw his accuracy and decision making take a free fall. However, the Tennessee Titans still thought highly enough of Locker as they made him the 8th overall selection in the ’11 draft. Locker is gifted with speed and strength to go along with one of the strongest arms in football. Entering the season, Locker is #2 on the depth chart behind veteran free agent addition Matt Hasselbeck. Hasselbeck is an established starter in the league, but his age and injury history are a reason to think that Locker might get to see valuable playing time this season. If Chris Johnson ends his holdout and does in fact play for the Titans this season, accompanied with Hasselbeck showing his age, Locker could have an opportunity to do great things for the Titans this year.
The third quarterback selected in the first round of this years draft is the one that many scouts believe to be the most “NFL ready”; Blaine Gabbert. Gabbert slipped in the draft a tad to the Jaguars at the 10th spot, partly because of the only QB needy teams in the top 9 going elsewhere (Buffalo elected to go with Von Miller, and the Titans chose Locker over Gabbert). In watching the preseason games this summer, Gabbert shows great knowledge for the game and tremendous footwork in the pocket. However, the one thing standing in his way from running the Jacksonville offense is veteran David Garrard. Garrard has spent the last few seasons as the captain and quarterback to the Jaguars, but his age is evident in his play. Although the Jaguars have a good core with running back Maurice Jones-Drew, they have never been able to make that next step in the AFC South. With division rivals Houston and Indianapolis both primed and reloaded, the fans in Jacksonville could be in for a long, losing season. If this is the case, look for Gabbert to emerge as the starter by midseason, taking the remainder of the games to showcase his skills and give a glimpse into the future of the Jaguars.
The fourth, and most unexpected, quarterback to be taken in the first round was Florida State’s own Christian Ponder. Ponder was selected 12th overall by the Vikings after predecessor Brett Favre retired(?) in the off season. When the Vikings selected Ponder, it was presumed that new head coach Leslie Frasier had taken Ponder on to be the starter. However, after the lockout ended and free agency began, the Vikings made a move for former Eagles and Redskins quarterback, Donovon McNabb. With McNabb onboard and a ready to win team, Ponder likely will not see much playing time this season. If McNabb falls to injury or poor performance like he did in Washington, Ponder may get a chance to be the starter, but his job will be to primarily hand the ball off to the Vikings all-world running back Adrian Peterson.
With this in mind, the most obvious choice for biggest impact among the four rookie first round quarterbacks is the Panthers Cam Newton. Newton has shown this preseason that he is a little raw, but also that his athletic ability is greater than that of Jimmy Clausen. Look for Newton to be named the starter for week 1, and to have the Panthers compete in several of their games. Among this years class, I see no Sam Bradford or Mark Sanchez, don’t look for any of the four quarterbacks to lead their teams to the playoffs. However, I do believe that Newton will perform well for the Panthers, as they go through a rebuilding year under first year head coach Ron Rivera. His weapons on offense with a presumably healthy DeAngelo Williams and Steve Smith, and slot receiver Armani Edwards give the Panthers offense a lot of speed and a lot of power. As for the other quarterbacks, look for Jake Locker to make a significant impact with the Titans later on in the season, when the playoff hopes are dashed and Hasselbeck is ultimately replaced. In the cases of Gabbert and Ponder, look for them to make their own marks in the 2012 season.
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