From boon to bust

Success of first-round QBs varies greatly

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Journeyman QBs Rich Gannon Tom Pidgeon/Allsport Only two of the top-10 rated passers in 2000 were drafted in the first round, and only three were playing for their original teams. QB  Rating  Rd.  *Griese, DEN  102.9  3  Green, STL  101.8  8  Warner, STL  98.3  --  *Culpepper, MIN  98.0  1  Garcia, SF  97.6  --  *Manning, IND  97.6  1  Gannon, OAK  92.4  4  Grbac, KC  89.9  8  Flutie, BUF  86.5  11  Brooks, NO  85.7  4  * Still with original team Note: Minimum 100 attempts

By Jacob Luft, CNNSI.com

Drafting a quarterback in the first round is risky business these days.

Sure-fire No. 1 selection Michael Vick could be another Troy Aikman and lead his team to the Super Bowl. Or, he might be a stiff like Dan McGwire, in which case the toilet bowl is more likely.

Since 1990, there have been 21 quarterbacks selected in the first round of the NFL Draft with decidedly mixed results.

For every Drew Bledsoe, there is a Tommy Maddox. Steve McNair is doing just fine; Heath Shuler is selling real estate. Peyton Manning is a superstar; Ryan Leaf is already working on team No. 2. See the chart below for the most spectacular QB draft busts since 1990.

The problem is particularly acute with quarterbacks who, like Vick, leave college early for the NFL. There have been 10 pre-senior quarterbacks taken in the first round since the NFL began allowing underclassmen to declare for the draft in 1990.

Of the 10, these six definitely needed more college experience before flaming out in the pros: Andre Ware (1990), Todd Marinovich ('91), Dave Brown ('92), Maddox ('92), Shuler ('94) and Leaf ('98). Among the other four -- Jeff George, Bledsoe, Trent Dilfer, Tim Couch -- only Bledsoe and perhaps Couch can say for sure that they made the right decisions. George and Dilfer have had what may be termed as successful careers, but not with their original teams.

Here are some other nuggets on the subject:

Of the 12 quarterbacks who led their teams to the postseason last year, only one left college early for the pros -- Baltimore's Dilfer.

Couldn't play a lick: QB busts since '90

Ryan Leaf		Jim Druckenmiller
Year: '98 | Drafted: 2nd		Year: '97 | Drafted: 26th
	Career w/Chargers G  Pct.  Yds  TD  INT  21  48.0  3,172  13  33		Career w/49ers G  Pct.  Yds  TD  INT  4  40.4  239  1  4
Comment:  Signed five-year, $31.25 million deal out of school, but all he really earned was the nickname "Cryin' Leaf." Now with Bucs after being waived.		Comment: Started one game for 49ers before being traded to Miami for a seventh-round pick. Great arm couldn't make up for inability to read defenses.

Heath Shuler		David Klingler
Year: '94 | Drafted: 3rd		Year: '92 | Drafted: 6th
	Career w/Redskins G  Pct.  Yds  TD  INT  19  47.7  2,403  13  19		Career w/Bengals G  Pct.  Yds  TD  INT  31  54.6  3,880  16  21
Comment: This Heisman runner-up lost his job to a guy selected 194 picks later in the same draft -- Gus Frerotte.		Comment: The Bengals obviously learned nothing from Detroit's Andre Ware debacle.

Tommy Maddox		Dan McGwire
Year: '92 | Drafted: 25th		Year: '91 | Drafted: 16th
	Career w/Broncos G  Pct.  Yds  TD  INT  29  54.9  758  6  9		Career w/Seahawks G  Pct.  Yds  TD  INT  12  50.3  745  2  6
Comment: Also known as Dan Reeves' boy, he never matured as John Elway's heir and is now the XFL's leading passer with the L.A. Xtreme.		Comment: At 6-foot-8, he was the tallest QB in league history. Seahawks gave up on him by '93 when they took Rick Mirer in the first round.

Todd Marinovich		Andre Ware
Year: '91 | Drafted: 24th		Year: '90 | Drafted: 7th
	Career w/Raiders G  Pct.  Yds  TD  INT  8  50.7  1,345  8  9		Career w/Lions G  Pct.  Yds  TD  INT  14  51.6  1,112  5  8
Comment: Issues with drugs and a lack of progress on the field got him cut in 1993.		Comment: Heisman winner couldn't feast on weak competition in the pros like he did in college.

 

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