The 2013 NFL Draft is chock-full of talent, with depth at many positions.  Unfortunately for a lot of teams, quarterback isn’t one of them.  The crop of quarterbacks leaving the college ranks this season is nowhere near the level of last year’s and we may see teams reaching more than usual to find their new signal caller.  That said, there is still a lot of talent with this year’s quarterbacks, they just might need more time to develop before finding success at the NFL level; which is a big difference over last year’s class of instant starters. 

So, with just a day to go before the Senior Bowl, let’s take a brief look at the current top-five quarterbacks on my big board.  Keep in mind, following the Senior Bowl, pro day workouts and the NFL Scouting Combine this list will change based on performances. 

1.  Geno Smith, West Virginia
Smith jumped out to an incredibly hot start in 2012 but as the season wore on, his numbers declined a bit.  However, he did finish the season with 4,205 passing yards, 42 touchdowns and only six interceptions; with a 71 percent completion percentage.
 
Smith has an above average arm and can really put some zip on the ball.  He can also hit very small windows and receivers in stride; accuracy that is crucial for the west coast and spread offenses.  His mobility and ability to escape the pocket to create more time downfield or run for the first down also add to his value. 

The one knock on Smith is his occasional inability to move through his progressions past his number one target, which is not something to be overly worried about; any decent quarterback coach or offensive coordinator can fix that. 

Like I said before, Smith’s talents make him an ideal quarterback for the west coast or spread offense; which are the systems likely to be used by new head coaches Andy Reid and Chip Kelly in Kansas City and Philadelphia respectively and we could see one of these teams reaching in the first round to select Smith. 

2.  Tyler Wilson, Arkansas
Coming into the 2012 season, Wilson was one of the quarterbacks I was most interested in seeing.  He was poised to have a big year under then head coach Bobby Petrino and possibly solidify his position as the best quarterback in this class.  Then Petrino was shown the door and John L. Smith came in and changed everything around. 

Despite losing his mentor and adjusting to a new coaching staff, Wilson still had a good season in the incredibly tough SEC; throwing for 3,300 yards and 21 touchdowns, but displayed poor footwork and slightly below-average accuracy completing 62 percent of his passes and throwing 13 interceptions. 

Wilson’s potential to develop into an elite pocket passer is undeniable: he shows great poise in the pocket, has great arm strength and shows good anticipation.  He possess the ability to get out of tough situations and playing in a pro style offense definitely helps his draft stock.  But, Wilson’s footwork has been poor in his two years as a starter at Arkansas and this is the biggest culprit of his accuracy problems.  Good coaching at the NFL level should alleviate this problem and help round out his game. 

3.  Landry Jones, Oklahoma
At the end of last season, Jones was the number three quarterback on my list (and many other peoples’), behind Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III.  Instead of entering the draft, he decided to return to Oklahoma for his senior season.  By all accounts he had a great season; completing 66 percent of his passes for 4,267 yards, 30 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions.  He showed great poise and led Oklahoma to two huge, come-from-behind victories against West Virginia and Oklahoma State, something he’d struggled with in the past.  The only real downsides to this season were his two-turnover loss against Kansas State and the blowout at the hands of Texas A&M. 

Jones does a great job of standing his ground in the pocket and moving through his progressions downfield.  He has the arm strength and accuracy to be a successful quarterback at the next level.  He’s fallen quite a bit on most scout’s and expert’s boards this year, which is something I don’t agree with.  If Jones can have a good showing at the Senior Bowl, his private workout and the Combine; he could catapult his way to the top of many team’s lists and could even be the first quarterback taken in the draft. 

4.  Mike Glennon, North Carolina State
In his two season as a starter at NC State, Glennon put up exceptional numbers; completing 61 percent of his passes for 7,085 yards, 62 touchdowns and 29 interceptions. 

Glennon has a rocket of an arm, and he possess the strength, velocity, touch and accuracy necessary to be an elite gunslinger at the next level.  The biggest thing holding Glennon back is poor decision making when under pressure; he tends to throw the ball into heavy coverage (resulting in unnecessary interceptions) instead of looking for the checkdown or throwing it away.  To prove he can be a franchise quarterback, he’ll have to show teams that he can stay cool under pressure and make the right decision. 

5.  Tyler Bray, Tennessee
Bray is the only Junior on this list, and for good reason.  at 6’6” and 215 pounds, he’s a beast in the pocket; with a rocket arm comparable to the likes of Matthew Stafford or Aaron Rodgers.  This season at Tennessee, Bray threw for an impressive 3,612 yards, 34 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions while completing 59 percent of his passes. 

There is no question that Bray can throw the ball to any part of the field, but his lack of mobility, questionable accuracy and poor decision making skills leave a bit to be desired.  In my opinion, Bray definitely would’ve benefited from returning to school for his senior season and polishing these skills, but a change of coaching staff and losing his two favorite targets to the draft likely led to his decision to leave school early. 

Bray projects to be a second or third round pick, but could potentially move into the first round with a strong pro day and showing and the Combine.