Over the past few days, a couple of FanPosts and FanShots have brought up some different criterion that various football gurus have used when selecting a quarterback during the draft. I was going to try to combine them all into one FanPost, but after further review, I think they need to be looked at separately, so that's what we'll go with. Yesterday, NMVike brought us the "26-27-60" rule, which says that a quarterback should score at least a 26 on the Wonderlic Test that's given at the Combine, start 27 games in college, and complete 60% of his passes.
The folks over at Hogs Haven have done the "heavy lifting" when it comes to figuring out these quarterback numbers. . .well, at least the starts and the completion percentage rules, since the Wonderlic hasn't been given yet. They have given us SB Nation bloggers permission to use those numbers, so we'll put those after the jump for your perusal.
Jake Locker, 6'2" - 228 lbs - (FAILED COMPL % MISERABLY)
Year |
School |
Conf |
Class |
Pos |
Cmp |
Att |
Pct |
Yds |
Y/A |
AY/A |
TD |
Int |
Rate |
2007 |
Washington |
Pac-10 |
FR |
QB |
155 |
328 |
47.3 |
2062 |
6.3 |
5.1 |
14 |
15 |
105.0 |
2008 |
Washington |
Pac-10 |
SO |
QB |
50 |
93 |
53.8 |
512 |
5.5 |
5.7 |
1 |
0 |
103.6 |
2009 |
Washington |
Pac-10 |
JR |
QB |
230 |
395 |
58.2 |
2800 |
7.1 |
6.9 |
21 |
11 |
129.7 |
2010 |
Washington |
Pac-10 |
SR |
QB |
184 |
332 |
55.4 |
2265 |
6.8 |
6.6 |
17 |
9 |
124.2 |
Career |
|
|
|
|
619 |
1148 |
53.9 |
7639 |
6.7 |
6.2 |
53 |
35 |
119.0 |
Colin Kaepernick, 6'4" - 225 lbs - (FAILED COMPL %)
Year |
School |
Conf |
Class |
Pos |
Cmp |
Att |
Pct |
Yds |
Y/A |
AY/A |
TD |
Int |
Rate |
2007 |
Nevada |
WAC |
FR |
QB |
133 |
247 |
53.8 |
2175 |
8.8 |
9.8 |
19 |
3 |
150.8 |
2008 |
Nevada |
WAC |
SO |
QB |
208 |
383 |
54.3 |
2849 |
7.4 |
7.8 |
22 |
7 |
132.1 |
2009 |
Nevada |
WAC |
JR |
QB |
166 |
282 |
58.9 |
2052 |
7.3 |
7.7 |
20 |
6 |
139.1 |
2010 |
Nevada |
WAC |
SR |
QB |
233 |
359 |
64.9 |
3022 |
8.4 |
8.6 |
21 |
8 |
150.5 |
Career |
|
|
|
|
740 |
1271 |
58.2 |
10098 |
7.9 |
8.4 |
82 |
24 |
142.5 |
Ricky Stanzi, 6'4" - 230 lbs - (FAILED COMPL %) - High Enough to Squeak Through, though
Year |
Team |
G |
Cmp |
Att |
Comp % |
Yds |
Yd/A |
TDs |
Int |
Sacked |
Yds |
2007 |
Iowa |
2 |
0 |
4 |
0.0 |
0 |
0.0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2008 |
Iowa |
13 |
150 |
254 |
59.1 |
1956 |
7.7 |
14 |
9 |
22 |
138 |
2009 |
Iowa |
11 |
171 |
304 |
56.3 |
2417 |
8.0 |
17 |
15 |
23 |
175 |
2010 |
Iowa |
13 |
221 |
345 |
64.1 |
3004 |
8.7 |
25 |
6 |
19 |
135 |
Career |
|
39 |
542 |
907 |
59.8 |
7377 |
8.1 |
56 |
31 |
64 |
448 |
Christian Ponder - 6'2.5" - 222lbs - PASSED
Year |
School |
Conf |
Class |
Pos |
Cmp |
Att |
Pct |
Yds |
Y/A |
AY/A |
TD |
Int |
Rate |
2007 |
Florida State |
ACC |
FR |
QB |
8 |
18 |
44.4 |
105 |
5.8 |
1.9 |
1 |
2 |
89.6 |
2008 |
Florida State |
ACC |
SO |
QB |
177 |
318 |
55.7 |
2006 |
6.3 |
5.3 |
14 |
13 |
115.0 |
2009 |
Florida State |
ACC |
JR |
QB |
227 |
330 |
68.8 |
2717 |
8.2 |
8.1 |
14 |
7 |
147.7 |
2010 |
Florida State |
ACC |
SR |
QB |
184 |
299 |
61.5 |
2044 |
6.8 |
7.0 |
20 |
8 |
135.7 |
Career |
|
|
|
|
596 |
965 |
61.8 |
6872 |
7.1 |
6.7 |
49 |
30 |
132.1 |
Cam Newton - 6'6" - 250 lbs. - (FAILED - ONLY 14 GAMES PLAYED)
Year |
School |
Conf |
Class |
Pos |
Cmp |
Att |
Pct |
Yds |
Y/A |
AY/A |
TD |
Int |
Rate |
2007 |
Florida |
SEC |
FR |
QB |
5 |
10 |
50.0 |
40 |
4.0 |
4.0 |
0 |
0 |
83.6 |
2008 |
Florida |
SEC |
SO |
QB |
1 |
2 |
50.0 |
14 |
7.0 |
7.0 |
0 |
0 |
108.8 |
2010 |
Auburn |
SEC |
JR |
QB |
185 |
280 |
66.1 |
2854 |
10.2 |
11.2 |
30 |
7 |
182.0 |
Career |
Overall |
|
|
|
191 |
292 |
65.4 |
2908 |
10.0 |
10.9 |
30 |
7 |
178.2 |
|
Florida |
|
|
|
6 |
12 |
50.0 |
54 |
4.5 |
4.5 |
0 |
0 |
87.8 |
|
Auburn |
|
|
|
185 |
280 |
66.1 |
2854 |
10.2 |
11.2 |
30 |
7 |
182.0 |
Greg McElroy (ALA) - 6'2 - 222lbs - (PASSED)
Year |
School |
Conf |
Class |
Pos |
Cmp |
Att |
Pct |
Yds |
Y/A |
AY/A |
TD |
Int |
Rate |
2007 |
Alabama |
SEC |
FR |
QB |
8 |
9 |
88.9 |
73 |
8.1 |
10.3 |
1 |
0 |
193.7 |
2008 |
Alabama |
SEC |
SO |
QB |
8 |
11 |
72.7 |
123 |
11.2 |
8.9 |
1 |
1 |
178.5 |
2009 |
Alabama |
SEC |
JR |
QB |
198 |
325 |
60.9 |
2508 |
7.7 |
8.2 |
17 |
4 |
140.5 |
2010 |
Alabama |
SEC |
SR |
QB |
222 |
313 |
70.9 |
2987 |
9.5 |
10.1 |
20 |
5 |
169.0 |
Career |
|
|
|
|
436 |
658 |
66.3 |
5691 |
8.6 |
9.2 |
39 |
10 |
155.4 |
Andy Dalton (TCU) - 6'2" - 213 lbs - (PASSED)
Year |
School |
Conf |
Class |
Pos |
Cmp |
Att |
Pct |
Yds |
Y/A |
AY/A |
TD |
Int |
Rate |
2007 |
TCU |
MWC |
FR |
QB |
222 |
371 |
59.8 |
2459 |
6.6 |
5.8 |
10 |
11 |
118.5 |
2008 |
TCU |
MWC |
SO |
QB |
182 |
307 |
59.3 |
2242 |
7.3 |
7.3 |
11 |
5 |
129.2 |
2009 |
TCU |
MWC |
JR |
QB |
199 |
323 |
61.6 |
2756 |
8.5 |
8.8 |
23 |
8 |
151.8 |
2010 |
TCU |
MWC |
SR |
QB |
209 |
316 |
66.1 |
2857 |
9.0 |
9.9 |
27 |
6 |
166.5 |
Career |
|
|
|
|
812 |
1317 |
61.7 |
10314 |
7.8 |
7.9 |
71 |
30 |
140.7 |
Ryan Mallett - 6'6" - 238 lbs. (37 games) - (FAILED COMPL %)
Year |
School |
Conf |
Class |
Pos |
Cmp |
Att |
Pct |
Yds |
Y/A |
AY/A |
TD |
Int |
Rate |
2007 |
Michigan |
Big Ten |
FR |
QB |
61 |
141 |
43.3 |
892 |
6.3 |
5.7 |
7 |
5 |
105.7 |
2009 |
Arkansas |
SEC |
SO |
QB |
225 |
403 |
55.8 |
3624 |
9.0 |
9.7 |
30 |
7 |
152.5 |
2010 |
Arkansas |
SEC |
JR |
QB |
266 |
411 |
64.7 |
3869 |
9.4 |
9.7 |
32 |
12 |
163.6 |
Career |
Overall |
|
|
|
552 |
955 |
57.8 |
8385 |
8.8 |
9.1 |
69 |
24 |
150.4 |
|
Michigan |
|
|
|
61 |
141 |
43.3 |
892 |
6.3 |
5.7 |
7 |
5 |
105.7 |
|
Arkansas |
|
|
|
491 |
814 |
60.3 |
7493 |
9.2 |
9.7 |
62 |
19 |
158.1 |
Blaine Gabbert - 6'5" - 235 lbs (29 games) - PASSED
Year |
School |
Conf |
Class |
Pos |
Cmp |
Att |
Pct |
Yds |
Y/A |
AY/A |
TD |
Int |
Rate |
2008 |
Missouri |
Big 12 |
FR |
QB |
5 |
13 |
38.5 |
43 |
3.3 |
3.3 |
0 |
0 |
66.2 |
2009 |
Missouri |
Big 12 |
SO |
QB |
262 |
445 |
58.9 |
3593 |
8.1 |
8.2 |
24 |
9 |
140.5 |
2010 |
Missouri |
Big 12 |
JR |
QB |
301 |
475 |
63.4 |
3186 |
6.7 |
6.5 |
16 |
9 |
127.0 |
Career |
|
|
|
|
568 |
933 |
60.9 |
6822 |
7.3 |
7.3 |
40 |
18 |
132.6 |
So, out of nine bigger name quarterback prospects, only four of them. . .Gabbert, Dalton, Ponder, and McElroy. . .passed according to the 26-27-60 standard (Wonderlic scores pending, of course). Gabbert is thought to be, possibly, the top quarterback prospect in the draft since he's declared early, Dalton and Ponder have been mentioned in the second or third round range, and McElroy has been bandied about as a mid-round prospect at this point.
I understand that these rules aren't the be all and the end all of drafting a quarterback. There are some quarterbacks that didn't meet these criteria that have gone on to NFL success. . .most notably Brett Favre, Donovan McNabb, and Ben Roethlisberger (all of whom scored too low on the Wonderlic test). But it's a pretty good starting point, if nothing else.
In the next day or two, we'll measure these same quarterbacks by another set of quarterbacking rules, those set forth by one of the preeminent team builders of our time, Bill Parcells.