Joe Flacco, 2008 NFL Draft Prospect

Quarterback Delaware Senior Ht: 6’ 6" Wt: 235 lbs. Strengths: Arm, Size, Potential Weaknesses: Accuracy, Mobility, Poise Pro Comparison: Derek Anderson Scouting Report by Daryl Breault

            It’s a long way from Delaware to the NFL and Joe Flacco is about to find out how far.  So far the small school prospect has wowed scouts with the strongest arm in this class and his elite size, but questions still hang without ready answers.  His accuracy looked great throughout All Star Game practice and combine drills, but on tape his accuracy appears only average.  His size is as elite as is his arm strength, but his mobility is well below average and what’s arm strength without accuracy?  He lit up a lower level of competition, but why couldn’t he hack it at Pitt?  He couldn’t beat out Tyler Palko despite his superior physical attributes, meaning the mental aspect of Flacco’s game may be lacking. 

            Squarely in the middle of ’07 prospects: JaMarcus Russell and Jordan Palmer, Flacco has the production to back the physical skills much like what made Russell the top pick last year, but he carries many of the same question marks as Palmer.  Russell may be the leading candidate to start for the Raiders next season, but it's unclear if he is more than just a fullback playing QB. While Palmer will probably never iron out the inconsistencies in his game long enough to carve out a meaningful career and I’m afraid Flacco just has too many of the weaknesses of Palmer to take advantage of his Russell-like attributes.  His size and arm strength will have teams over-looking his glaring weaknesses.  In my opinion, Flacco will make or break the careers of the coach and G.M. who take a chance on him.

            So we’ve covered his size and arm strength, the attributes that have everyone buzzing.  Flacco made a name for himself by setting 20 school records and dominating his competition.  He gives scouts a solid body of work to analyze with two years of starting experience and he dispalyed durability and toughness while at Delaware.  He’s a quiet leader, but he commands a huddle and knows what he’s talking about, something that will endear him to coaches and teammates.  He has a quick release and can still generate great velocity without planting his feet.

            Once we get past his size and arm, I see a sketchy QB that took advantage of lesser competition.  His accuracy wavers and despite improvement, too often relies on his cannon to fit passes in tight spaces rather than scanning the field and reading the defense.  He will need to tighten up his mechanics, which break down under pressure, and slow down his mind and game.  Flacco played out of the shotgun quite often in college.  He quickly got the hang of taking snaps under center during all-star practices, but will need extensive repetition to make this second nature for him.

            Arguably the most polarizing prospect of this draft, Flacco is currently everyone’s darling and if he can ride that momentum into the draft he will push for a high 2^nd round pick.  His potential makes him a sexy pick for a team that can afford to be patient.  As intrigued by his size and arm as I am, I can’t find a whole lot else that leads me to believe he is an elite QB-in-waiting.  It will take strong coaching and patience to bring out the best in him.  If that happens, watch out, Flacco is exciting when he is in a groove and will chuck the ball all over the field.  He can eat up yardage with his arm and will always be looking to stretch a defense to its seams.  But let’s not go gaga over his stellar off-season, Flacco has a long way to go.  Sleepy Delaware is light years away from the NFL.

Robert Bryant, owner of NFL Draft Dog says, "Hold your horses Daryl, while the odds are against him, I think he is much more than everybody's darling. I have seen him make some throws that very few quarterbacks can make, at any level. His accuracy is fine and will only get better. Arm strength is like speed, it just can't be taught. He did some amazing things at Delaware, he almost single handedly took the Delaware Blue Hens from one game of a division 1AA championship. Flacco has as much talent coming out of college as strong arm quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger and Jay Cutler, who played college at Miami (Ohio) and Vanderbilt, not exactly football powerhouses.

Yes Delaware is step down, but he just gets the job done, he completed 331 of 521 passes for 4,263 yards and 23 touchdowns with just five interceptions during the 2007 season. He ranked No. 6 in the nation in passing yardage per game (284.2), No. 10 in total offense per game (285.7), and No. 18 in passing efficiency (144.91). The odds are against Flacco, but unlike Daryl, I will take those odds because the potential rewards are just too good. If you swing for the fence you might strike out, but it sure feels nice to hit that home run once in a while.