Today we cover the two most talked about players in this year’s class. Robert Griffin III put Baylor football on the map after years of anonymity. And yet, Griffin was destined for a different school just days before he became a Baylor Bear.
Griffin was committed to the University of Houston. The fortunes of both Baylor and Houston changed when Cougars Head Coach Art Briles was hired as Baylor’s head coach in the 2007 offseason. Griffin decided to follow Briles to Baylor and the rest is history.
As we know, Washington traded the equivalent of their first born child for the Rams’ second overall draft pick. A graveyard for quarterbacks since the days of Doug Williams, the Redskins are in desperate need of a franchise Quarterback who can lift the skins from perennial laughing stock to championship contender. Taking Griffin second overall on April 26th is the first step in reaching that goal.
Vitals
Height: 6’2
Weight: 223 Pounds
Class: Junior
Born: February 12, 1990
Combine Numbers
40-yard dash: 4.41
Vertical jump: 39′ inch
Broad jump: 120′ inch
Arm length: 32′ 1/4 inches
Hands: 9′ 1/2 inches
College Stats
2011: 13 GP 4,293 Yards 72.4 Comp % 37 TD 6 Int
2010: 13 GP 3,501 Yards 67 Comp % 22 TD 8 Int
2009: 3 GP 481 Yards 65.2 Comp % 4 TD 0 Int
2008: 12 GP 2, 091 Yards 59.9 Comp % 15 TD 3 Int
What the experts say
A “plus” athlete who can really throw the football, is a student of the game and is only starting to scratch the surface of his potential. Has as much upside as any prospect in the draft and looks like a future franchise signal caller.
I love everything about the kid. The question I have is he doesn’t throw with anticipation, mostly because he doesn’t have to. In that offense there is minimal footwork and they spread it out so wide and he has talented receivers and he has great touch and accuracy. He has arm strength and athletic ability. He’s tough. … He’ll stay in and take hits. We all know he can run also. He initially looks to get the ball down the field. His eyes are down the field. He can make plays with his eyes and arm as opposed to his legs.
In just about any other draft, Griffin would be the No. 1 overall pick. He is the complete package with a cannon for an arm, great accuracy, elite athleticism, toughness, intelligence and worth ethic. Just like Luck, Griffin has tremendous intangibles. He put all that on display at the Scouting Combine and had a 40-time that was truly remarkable. At his pro day, Griffin continued to show his unique skill set. Increasingly, there are analysts that are talking him up over Luck. However, it seems like a stretch for Griffin to go to Indianapolis, so Griffin is highly likely to go with the second-overall pick to the Washington Redskins.
After spending three seasons manning Baylor’s spread offense, Griffin must show evaluators that his game suits a pro-style offense. As a freakish athlete with outstanding speed and quickness, his ability to make plays with his feet is attractive to teams looking for a true playmaker at the position. And Mike Shanahan’s Redskins certainly apply. Griffin’s improvisational skills stand out on tape, and his dazzling display of explosive quickness at the NFL Scouting Combine cemented his status as one of the best athletes in the draft.
An elite athlete with quick feet and superior speed smooth, flexible and leggy. Has magic escapability and adds an extra dimension with his legs. Makes something out of nothing, keeping defenders off balance and forcing poor angles because of his jets. Very good patience, vision and instincts as a runner with football toughness more than simply a track athlete.
When it comes to quick release, accuracy and avoiding mistakes, to me, Griffin is better than Luck in all three of those categories based on what I charted out watching the film…it’s a small difference, but I would take Griffin over Luck.
Working out for scouts one day before Luck, Griffin made a strong argument that he is the top prospect in the 2012 draft with a dazzling pro day that left even veteran talent evaluators grasping for ways to describe it. RG3 is unquestionably more athletic and possesses a stronger arm than Luck, which gives him an even higher upside. He does carry some risk, however, due to his average size and the transition he’ll have to make from a spread offense. The reality is, he’d be the No. 1 pick in most drafts — just not this one.
That’s his strength, is throwing it accurately on the deep ball. Throwing it down the field was remarkable this year. His numbers, I think, across the board, were better than Andrew Luck. Now, he’s not as good as Andrew Luck as a prospect, but I think the passing ability of RG3 is very understated and underrated going into this year, and finally everybody’s jumped on the bandwagon
There are two sure things in this draft according to the majority of draftniks we’ve read. Andrew Luck and RG3 have separated themselves from the pack by quite a distance. Luck’s experience in a pro style offense at Stanford has given him the edge over the former Baylor star.
However, what was once thought to be a large gap between the two signal callers has narrowed considerably. Fans in Washington hope the Colts get some karma payback for the Manning-Leaf draft back in 1998.
I like how he’s born in 2990…he’s that futuristic!