Today we take a look at some of the young quarterback talent in the NFL. As we all know, in order to have success in rebuilding a franchise you need a top quality NFL quarterback. Every year there are potential dynasty quarterbacks taken in the draft.
Many end up as busts and very few end up as a franchise quarterbacks. In the past three years there have been some very high quality quarterbacks coming out of college (with the exception of this past draft where top quarterback picks E.J. Manuel and Geno Smith have a lot to prove).
This year I am excited for this amazing, quarterback deep, draft class of 2014 where there at least seven quarterbacks that have starting NFL quarterback potential. But for now let’s see what we have already in the NFL with the top five young quarterbacks in the NFL today:
5. Robert Griffin III, Redskins (12-11) as starter – 23 games played, 63.3 percent completion, 5369 pass yards, 29 TD, 14 interceptions, 169 rush attempts, 1072 rush yards, 7 rush TD
Griffin has a lot of potential to be great but what holds him back are his injuries. Ever since he was diagnosed with that major knee injury he is obviously not the same RGIII we saw early in his rookie season and his college years.
One of the reasons why he was the second overall pick was because of his ability to extend plays and escape the pocket for big gains when needed. In one and a half seasons Griffin has over 1000 yards rushing with seven touchdowns.
If he can ever recover back to 100 percent, he will be a very successful dynasty quarterback but by the looks of it he is still nursing his knee. When a player has an injury on his mind he will always nurse it while on the field which will hold back Griffins full potential.
It is only his second season in the league so he has a lot of time to show how good he can be as the dual threat quarterback we are all used to seeing. You can think of this season as Griffin being in his sophomore slump.
Once he gets another full offseason to rest his legs and knee, he can come back next year and really surprise everyone. I predict that Griffin will have an exceptional year (compared to this season) next season.
4. Colin Kaepernick, 49ers (11-4) as starter – 24 games played , 59.9 percent completion, 3433 pass yards, 19 pass TD, 8 interceptions, 114 rush attempts, 707 rush yards, 8 rush TD
To be perfectly honest, I am not a fan of Colin Kaepernick. It is nothing against him personally but I love quarterbacks that put up big numbers and he is not that type of player.
Granted he has not played a full season of football yet but that doesn’t take away the fact that he is a winner. The only reason that I have Kaepernick this high on my list is because he led the 49ers to the Super Bowl. The 49ers are a great team and have a top ranked defense but it was not just the defense that carried them to the promised land.
Kaepernick had an amazing run when he took over for Alex Smith when he went down with an injury. He is the type of quarterback (in my eyes) that can lead you to the Super Bowl but I do not believe that he will help you win it.
The way I see it, if Kaepernick was on any other team that had less than an above average defense, he would be not as successful as he is now. I give a lot of props to coach John Harbaugh for setting up a system that helps Kaepernick to his advantage.
Don’t get me wrong, he is an exceptional quarterback with amazing arm strength and accuracy. But until Kaepernick starts consistently putting up over 200 yard passing games with a couple touchdown passes or runs, he and the 49ers will not be an elite team.
3. Cam Newton, Panthers (18-22) as starter – 40 games played, 60 percent completion, 9721 pass yards, 53 pass TD, 36 interceptions, 308 rush attempts, 1698 rush yards, 26 rush TD
Newton has been around one season longer than the rest of the quarterbacks on this list. Newton has excellent upside because of his dual threat ability.
In his career so far he already has 26 rushing touchdowns and is clearly on pace to beat Steve Young’s record of 43 rushing touchdowns in a career.
What will help Newton the most to be a franchise quarterback is having him be put in the right offensive system.
With the right weapons and the right defense to support him will do wonders for his stats and his label as a franchise quarterback. We all know that Newton’s rookie year was one for the record books where he had over 4000 passing yards, 21 pass touchdowns and 14 rushing touchdowns. He helped the Carolina Panthers increase their win total by four games from the previous season. Every year in fact, the Panthers have increased their wins since Newton became their quarterback. And now they sit at a record of 5-3 and look to take a seat in as a wild card team as they make a push for the playoffs. When you really study this team you notice all the potential they have and it all starts with Newton. One or two more offensive weapons for him and the Panthers are a viable team to make a deep run in the playoffs.
2. Russell Wilson Seahawks (19-6) as starter – 25 games played, 63.5 percent completion, 4963 pass yards, 41 pass TD, 16 interceptions, 161 rush attempts, 864 rush yards, 5 rush TD
Wilson has been surprising everyone since he was named the starter last year in his rookie season. No reporter, scout, or analyst gave him a shot at being an elite NFL quarterback. The way I see it, Wilson is like a Kaepernick and a Newton who have to be in the right systems to use their skills to their full potential.
Coach Pete Carroll seems to have perfected that so far. With a solid running game and a top notch defense, the Seahawks are something to look out for this season and the upcoming seasons. Wilson has an exceptional completion percentage which means he is always looking for the open receiver instead of trying to put it in a tight window in double coverage.
He is quite literally on pace to repeat his last season stat line of 26 touchdowns, 3118 pass yards and 10 interceptions which is very good for a young quarterback. The Seahawks are an excellent team and found a gem late in the draft when they selected Wilson. The one thing that will make this team unstoppable is a number one receiver on the outside that Wilson can connect with deep down the field. The day the Seahawks provide this for their quarterback, you have found yourself a dynasty with a top franchise quarterback.
1. Andrew Luck, Colts (17-7) as starter – 24 games played, 55.3 percent completion, 6219 pass yards, 36 TD, 21 interceptions
The expectations were high for Andrew Luck when he was coming out of Stanford. All of the scouts were saying that they haven’t seen a quarterback prospect this good since John Elway in 1983.
Coincidentally Elway also attended Stanford and was drafted number one overall by the Colts (eventually being traded to the Broncos). But Luck wasn’t going anywhere. The Colts totally redesigned their organization and roster which seemed to look like they were rebuilding their franchise around Luck.
And boy was that a good idea.
No one expected Luck and the Colts to be as good as they are. As high as the expectations were, no one predicted such a hot start this quickly. In his rookie year, Luck threw for over 4000 yards and 23 touchdowns. His completion percentage and interceptions are a little concerning but that will find its way over time by him gaining valuable experience over the years.
What amazes me most about Luck is his ability to stay composed and focus late in the game when his team is down. He has 10 come from behind victories in the fourth quarter out of the 17 games he has won as a starter. If you want a franchise quarterback with tons of potential, look no further than Andrew Luck.