The common denominator in a championship team is usually the quarterback.  Going into the 2008 draft there are only nine NFL teams that can say they have a franchise Quarterback.  With that said, this is a weak quarterback class and some teams may overpay for QB’s that may not be worth such a high selection.

Brian Brohm, Louisville – Brohm is a very smart quarterback with a good arm and great pocket presence.  Brohm was riddled with nagging injuries at Louisville, but he put them on the map and had some monstrous college games with a very average offensive line. 

Chad Henne, Michigan – Henne has a very strong arm and can make all the throws.  Henne does have problems throwing under pressure, but who doesn’t?  Henne has a great arm, but most importantly throws all his passes with excellent touch and has a great understanding for routes and communication with his wide receivers.  

Andre Woodson, Kentucky – Tremendous decision maker as far as understanding it’s better to take a sack than throw an interception.  Has a great work ethic and great size, coupled with excellent touch and rapport with receivers.  Woodson never played with upper-level SEC athletes and still put up tremendous numbers.  Unorthodox delivery makes the coaching staff he goes to all that more important. 

Joe Flacco, Delaware – Flacco is picking up steam because he has “the best arm seen in years”.  Most of the time when evaluating a quarterback, if the first thing said about a guy is that statement, he probably has a lot of other things that need work.  Flacco transferred to Delaware from Pittsburgh because he couldn’t beat out incumbent Tyler Palko (Undrafted in ’07).  Flacco tends to rely too much on arm strength, hasn’t played against top competition, and most importantly only threw 23 touchdowns against the lesser competition.  His instincts and ability to pick up an offense are far behind other QB’s in this draft. 

Sleeper:  Colt Brennan, Hawaii – Brennan is not technically a “sleeper”, but he is being looked over because of his offense, poor showing against Georgia, and poor senior bowl practice/game.  Brennan can be had in the 3^rd round or later, and the reason he’s a sleeper is that the top QB in this draft isn’t heads and shoulders ahead of Brennan.  Brennan has some character questions, but an undeniable passion for the game and unmatched timing with his receivers.  Put in the right system and Brennan could be the best QB in the draft.

Potential Bust:  Matt Ryan, Boston College – Ryan is the most over hyped QB in a class lacking a star QB.  Ryan only recorded three games without an interception (UMass, Georgia Tech, and Bowling Green), and conversely threw two or more interceptions against Wake Forest, Army, Virginia Tech (twice), Florida State, Maryland, and Miami.  Ryan is too prone to mistakes and it seems he doesn’t have the swag that great QB’s have in big games.  

Top 10 Quarterbacks in 2008 Draft:

1. Brian Brohm – LOUISVILLE
2. Chad Henne – MICHIGAN
3. Andre Woodson – KENTUCKY
4. Matt Ryan – BOSTON COLLEGE
5. Colt Brennan – HAWAII
6. John David Booty – USC
7. Joe Flacco – DELAWARE
8. Eric Ainge – TENNESSEE
9. Dennis Dixon - OREGON
10. Josh Johnson – SAN DIEGO