the Miami Sports Dude

Combine Report: Part One, Quarterbacks

While Jamarcus Russell and Brady Quinn were in Indianapolis this weekend, neither participated in the combine’s quarterback drills. They’ll both show their stuff during their individual pro days in March. Some things of note, however, were Russell’s weight (265 lbs.). He’s a big pup. But what struck some scouts was Russell’s lack of muscle definition. I don’t think it’s a big deal. Russell has a cannon for an arm and his size will only help him at the next level. I still think he will go number one to the Raiders. His pro day will be important but nothing should hinder him from being the first overall player to be taken come April.

As for Brady Quinn, he launched his efforts to elevate his stock during a press conference on Friday. "It's strange to be slipping down when we haven't even started doing anything," Quinn said after he was asked about his current draft position among the experts. Quinn also participated in the 225 lbs. bench press with the offensive linemen. Quinn benched an impressive 24 times (by comparison, Wisconsin OLT Joe Thomas benched 28 times). Quinn is doing all he can to get his stock back on the rise. His pro day will be a huge factor. If he impresses, then his chances of landing in Miami will fade as the draft approaches. I’m still holding out hope that he will fall to the Fins at number 9 – although it’s a fainting, dying hope. The latest team to show “interest” in Quinn are the Vikings. They have the 7th overall pick.

But as I noted a few weeks ago, if Quinn should be snatched up by another team, the Dolphins can still take a shot at another QB in rounds 2 or beyond. Michigan State QB Drew Stanton had a very good combine. He made impressive throws during the passing drills and ran a 4.73 in the 40 – the third fastest among the participating quarterbacks. His accuracy was good and he clocked in a solid ball speed at 55.7 MPH.

Toby Korrodi of Central Missouri State clocked in the fastest ball speed at 63 MPH. John Beck of BYU was next best at 61 mph. Kevin Kolb of Houston clocked in the third fastest ball at 55.3.

Boise State QB Jared Zabransky really stood out. He ran the fastest 40 among the QBs at 4.5 and was very impressive during the passing drills. He threw an excellent deep ball and his height and strength have some scouts wanting to see him give the free safety position a shot. Zabransky led Boise St. to an impressive undefeated season in 2006, posting 2,587 yards and 23 touchdowns for the season, including impressive numbers in their exciting 43-42 Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma last month. I think he’s worth looking into in the later rounds.

Conclusion: In my opinion, Quinn should be the first player on the Dolphins draft board. Should he go before they pick, then I think the No. 9 selection should be used on the best player available, in my mind a cornerback. After that, I still like Drew Stanton as the third best QB in this class and he did plenty this weekend to keep my confidence in him high. I think the Fins should explore the possibility of grabbing him with their second pick. Kevin Kolb still stands as my number 4 QB but his ranking is shaky at the moment. Trent Edwards out of Stanford is moving up the MSD board. I was really impressed with Toby Korrodi and Jared Zabransky. I’d consider them 4th or 6th round guys if we spend our first several picks on other needs.

Up Next: Offensive Linemen, then WR, then LB, then DB/DL … booya.