NFL Draft: The Myth of the Sure Thing QB
Jan 31, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and girlfriend actress Olivia Munn on the red carpet prior to the NFL Honors award ceremony at Symphony Hall. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Rodgers famously slid to the Green Bay Packers and sat behind Brett Favre. That probably was the best thing for him. ESPN’s Len Pasquarelli ranked Rodgers 3rd behind Alex Smith and Jason Campbell coming out in the 2005 NFL Draft and had this to say about his downside:
"Downside: Taller than people thought he would be at the combine but still does not have prototype size. Doesn’t play as quick as his stopwatch speed and won’t make plays with his feet and outside the pocket. Very mechanical, almost robotic at times, in his overall mechanics. Played in an offense that largely emphasized the short and intermediate game and wasn’t asked to throw deep very often. Might be more a product of the system in which he plays, and perhaps the latest Jeff Tedford-coached quarterback to fall short at the NFL level. The dish: Yeah, we know he’ll likely be the first player selected overall, and that some will be ready to send over the guys with the straitjackets for rating him as only the No. 3 quarterback prospect. Maybe he’ll become the first Jeff Tedford protégé to succeed in the NFL, but we’re going to wait and see, and maintain a healthy skepticism."
Rodgers is a unique situation but it was clear that few, if any, thought he was a sure thing coming out of college. He has proven all of those people wrong and is now considered the best QB in the NFL. Is he the lone, best example of a great QB not being a sure thing?
Next: Peyton Manning