January 17, 2007

In my first report on small school players it seems only fitting to start with the most important position, the quarterback. This year is a great class for finding quarterback gems among the small school elite. There are 5-6 who could make it in the NFL from this class alone. Two are top four round talents with 3-4 more worthy of bringing into camp as developmental players.

Here is a look at the top 5, along with a list of a few noteworthy names to remember

TOP 5 SMALL SCHOOL QUARTERBACKS

1. Joe Flacco , Delaware , 6'6, 237lbs, 4.84 40

Flacco originally attended Pittsburgh before transferring to Delaware after his redshirt year. Flacco was scheduled to compete in this week's East-West Shrine game but received a late invite to the Under Armour Senior Bowl and opted out. This will be a huge step in determining his final grade. For those who love the stats, his completion percentage dropped as the season went on and he struggled heavily against Appalachian State's speed in the first half of the FCS title game. He then settled down and showed his pocket presence, strong arm, accuracy, toughness, and even some touch on his passes. If he can learn to put touch on his passes and continue to work on reading defenses, he could be a sleeper out of this year's class. He rates anywhere from the 2nd-5th round by most NFL scouts. Some see only his upside while others see many mistakes and a player who will take time to develop. Expect someone to fall in love with this pocket passer and pull the trigger on him in the late 2nd or early 3rd round.

2. Josh Johnson, San Diego , 6'3, 200lbs, 4.56 40

Johnson is one of the more intriguing prospects as he comes from non-scholarship FCS San Diego. Johnson didn't face the best competition but he torched them in his career. Perhaps the most impressive sta