Matt Stafford, 2009 NFL Draft Prospect

Quarterback Junior 6”3’ 235 lbs.  Strengths: Very strong arm, excellent size, good leadership skills, athletic   Weakness: Decision making, Turnover Prone, poor stat production University of Georgia By John L. Clarke

He has the look of the prototypical NFL Quarterback with his size and throwing ability.  He plays for a storied football University and even while in High School, so-called NFL expert Mel Kipper jr. declared that he would be going #1 in the NFL draft one day.  That prediction may come true in the 2009 NFL Draft.

Although QB Matthew Stafford appears to be poised to have a great season, the fact of the matter is that this is based on his talent versus production.  Not too many 1^st overall picks have a career (albeit just 2 seasons) in which their touchdowns (26) and their interceptions (23) were so close.  His overall completion percentage is a subpar 55% which, again, is not going to set stat watchers hair on fire.  According to the pieces of paper I have seen, he is an average quarterback.

Here is what makes him intriguing.  He is 17 – 4 as a starter, which is the most important stat a QB can have.  Last season (2007) he threw for 2,523 yards and 19 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. He was named Captain as a sophomore, which shows his leadership ability…an important quality for a quarterback.  He has the pocket presence of Tom Brady…okay, any references to Tom Brady are fleeting at this point, but the kid always knows where he is on the field.  He is a very athletic 235 lbs.  He will not blow anyone away with his speed like West Virginia QB Pat White, nor shed tackles like Florida QB Tim Tebow, but he can get first downs and avoid sacks with ease.  To quote Gene Hackman from the movie The Replacements, “Winners always want the ball when the game is on the line” this accurately describes Stafford.  In the two most critical games down the stretch last year, the sophomore had a 206.27 QB rating, three TDs and one interception against Florida, and a 186.89 QB rating, two TDs and one interception against Auburn.

One last reason why he may go 1^st despite his average stats: his arm strength.  If we writers learned anything from the last several years is that NFL Scouting Dept. LOVE a strong arm (ala Joe Flacco) which was the first reason why Stafford appeared on the radar.  He can vary his strong arm with touch, as he showed in a pressure situation during the Alabama overtime game.

He is nowhere near polished, and all his intangibles are great, but he needs the production to make them relevant.  This is a make or break year for Stafford, and if he can stay focused and injury free, he could blow up like JaMarcus Russell did or become the next Kyle Wright (former University of Miami QB) in which he has all the talent in the world, but could not get it done on Saturdays.

An average year could yield Stafford going mid 2^nd round while a bad year better have him returning to school for one last go of it or suffer through not getting picked until Day 2.

Awards and Accolades

• 2008
  2008 Pre-season All-SEC second team
  2008 SEC’s Best Passer by The Birmingham News
  2008 Lindy's 2nd Team All-SEC (Pre-Season)
  2008 Phil Steele's 6th rated quarterback (Pre-Season)
  2008 Mel Kiper's top rated junior quarterback (Pre-Season)

• 2007
  2007 was Named Captain of Bulldogs (Team  Honor)

• 2006
  2006 SEC Freshman of the Week twice during the season.
  2006 Named Rivals.com's National Freshman of the Week for his performance against Auburn (11/11/06).
  2006 University of Georgia's  Offensive Newcomer of the Year Award.
  2006 SEC Coaches' All-Freshman Team
  2006 Offensive MVP of the Chick-fil-A Bowl