Grading 1st Round QB's - Last 10 Yrs.

[leeman]

Grading first-round QBs during past 10 years

Charles Bricker | Sports Columnist April 21, 2008

2007 - Performance - Grade
JaMarcus Russell - Signed late, missed season - Incomplete
Brady Quinn - Didn't win starting job - D
2006 - Performance - Grade
Vince Young - Could be a star - B
Matt Leinart Injuries and interceptions - C
Jay Cutler - No one is giving up yet - C
2005 - Performance - Grade
Alex Smith - Good in '06, bad in '07 - D
Aaron Rodgers Favre - backup gets his shot - Incomplete
Jason Campbell - Work in progress - C+
2004 - Performance - Grade
Eli Manning - Super Bowl winner (bingo!) - A
Philip Rivers - AFC title game - B
B. Roethlisberger - Super Bowl winner - A-
J.P. Losman - Lost No. 1 job, no composure - D
2003 - Performance - Grade
Carson Palmer - Great thrower; average club - B+
Byron Leftwich - Lost starting job, future a ? - D
Kyle Boller - Not starting quality - D+
Rex Grossman - Erratic Super Bowl runner-up - C
2002 - Performance - Grade
David Carr - Flunked with two clubs - F
Joey Harrington - Someone's decent backup - D
Patrick Ramsey - With third team, not a starter - D
2001 - Performance - Grade
Michael Vick - Prison team all-star - B
2000 - Performance - Grade
Chad Pennington - Weak arm, bad '07 season - D
1999 - Performance - Grade
Tim Couch - A thorough bust - F
Donovan McNabb - Not quite elite, but close - B+
Akili Smith - Another flop - F
Daunte Culpepper - Injuries have stalled career - C
Cade McNown - Done nothing remarkable - D
1998 - Performance - Grade
Peyton Manning - One of top two QBs in league - A
Ryan Leaf - One of life's great mysteries - F

Good QBs not taken in 1st round: Trent Edwards (6th, 2007), Derek Anderson (6th, 2005), David Garrard (4th, 2002), Drew Brees (2nd, 2001), Tom Brady (6th, 2000), Marc Bulger (6th, 2000), Kurt Warner (undrafted, 1999), Matt Hasselbeck (6th, 1998)

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[TAZZ]

So with the stats
1st round QB's are pretty much a wasted pick

[leeman]

Well, it is a risky proposition, but so are a lot of other positions besides QB. You could make similar lists of running backs or defensive tackles taken in the first round. Quite frankly, 1st round picks are over-rated, and the players are given too much money considering the fact that they haven't done a thing in the NFL. Every year many are hits, and many are busts.

I know that Saints fans are still stinging from watching the Saints trade 2 first round picks in order to trade up and pick DT Johnathan Sullivan with the 6th overall pick - a complete bust.

When the Saints drafted Reggie Bush with the 2nd overall pick, people talked about him as though he was "Un-tackle-able". With a 3.7 yds/carry career average, what draft pick would Reggie Bush be worth now? Don't get me wrong, I am not calling Reggie Bush a bust, but I would not pick him with the 2nd pick overall right now, and he isn't producing on the level in which he is getting paid.