Andy Dalton might be the most interesting case study among this year’s NFL draft quarterback class. That’s because while Blaine Gabbert, Jake Locker, Cam Newton and Ryan Mallet will receive more attention over the next couple of months, Dalton could be that second day sleeper that turns out to be more successful than all of them.
Not all starting quarterbacks are former first round picks. Tom Brady was a sixth round pick. Drew Brees was a second. Matt Schaub was a third and Matt Cassel was a seventh. Granted, most successful quarterbacks (i.e. Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan, Philip Rivers, Jay Cutler, Joe Flacco, etc.) were chosen in the first round, but that doesn’t mean that teams can’t find a gem later in the draft.
That’s where Dalton comes in. Quarterbacks are supposed to be leaders and that may be the former Horned Frog’s biggest attribute. He’s a tireless worker and he was a winner in college (he won 44 career games and went 25-1 over his last two seasons at TCU). Despite being unable to showcase his arm in TCU’s dink-and-dunk offense, he can make all the throws, too. He doesn’t lack the physical ability to succeed at the next level and hopefully at this weekend’s Senior Bowl, he’ll prove to pro scouts that he has a quick release and is highly accurate.
Of course, the knock on Dalton is that he ran a spread offense in college, just like Tim Tebow and countless other quarterbacks who disappeared after putting up great numbers in the NCAA. While TCU did use a variety of formations from five wide receiver sets to two tight ends and two backs, Dalton usually took snaps out of the shotgun. Pro scouts want to be assured that prospects know how to take a snap from under center and get into his three or five-step drop. They want to know that the signal caller has the ability to run a pro-style offense before they invest a draft pick in him (even if it’s a late round pick).
Over these next couple of months, Dalton needs to shine. He certainly has what it takes to make the transition from college to pro, but unlike Gabbert, Locker, Newton and Mallet, he has more to prove because of the program and system he ran in college. Will he be a diamond in the rough or just another highly successful college quarterback who fades into obscurity once his eligibility ran out?
