NFL DRAFT: THE REST OF THE QUARTERBACKS

BY ADAM GREENE

As we zero in on the rest of the nameless rabble vying to be paid a mid-six figure income to get set unreachable high scores on Tiny Bird Garden, I’d like to once again touch on the NFL’s desperate need for a developmental league.

Thanks to Dwayne Johnson, we should get another dose of the XFL come 2022, but the league shouldn’t just leave it up to the eponymous Rock to make such an endeavor work. Though the XFL was taken out by the COVID-19 pandemic and the AAF was murdered by its own financial incompetence, both managed to produce NFL quarterbacks in their short time on the field. And that’s really the most important job served by a minor league football program; building future NFL quarterbacks.

The league is desperate for them.

Last season two playoff teams took back up quarterbacks into the postseason thanks to the XFL and AAF. The Washington Football Team turned to Seattle BattleHawks starter Taylor Heinicke to start their Wild Card game against the eventual Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Heinicke played toe-to-toe with Tom Brady, throwing for 304 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

John Wolford, formerly of the AAF’s Arizona Hotshots, started the season finale for the Los Angeles Rams, a must-win against the Arizona Cardinals. He won it, throwing for 231 yards and a pick while rushing for 54 yards. Wolford got the start in the ensuing week’s playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks, but was knocked out early and replaced by regular starter Jared Goff.

It’s not a stretch to say that without the AAF and XFL, no matter how short their seasons were, Wolford and Heinecke would not be in the NFL.

Back when the NFL did invest in a minor league (the World League/NFL Europe) they produced multiple quarterbacks, including three guys that started Super Bowls and two that won them (Kurt Warner and Brad Johnson). The guys on this draft list are here for a reason, they are not in the same league as Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields and the rest. But all of them could benefit by a chance to start in an XFL. No time in practice can make up for actually playing in actual games. For most of these guys, especially those from non Power 5 schools, the XFL players would still be the most talented they’d ever play with or face as a whole.

JAMIE NEWMAN, WAKE FOREST, GEORGIA

6-4, 230 pounds

2020: Did Not Play

While I don’t blame anyone for sitting out 2020 due to the possible dangers of COVID-19, Newman might have been better served coming back to school next season. He obviously thought he’d be in the first round conversation and that’s just not happened. In 2019, he completed 60.9 percent of his passes for West Virginia for 2,868 yards, 26 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 574 rushing yards, six rushing touchdowns.

He’ll definitely get drafted, but probably not earlier than the fourth round. Of all the QBs on this list, Newman looks like the one with actual starter potential.

DAVIS MILLS, STANFORD

6-4, 225 pounds

2020: 66.2 completion percentage, 1,508 yards, seven touchdowns, three interceptions, three rushing touchdowns

Mills just doesn’t have the tape to warrant any first or second day draft pick. He played a total of 11 games in his college career after dealing with injuries as a sophomore and junior. There’s some talent there, and certainly he could be a solid back up. As such, you’re looking at him going in the fifth or sixth round.

KELLEN MOND, TEXAS A&M

6-3, 217 pounds

2020: 63.3 completion percentage, 2,282 yards, 19 touchdowns, three interceptions, 294 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns

Being real, it wouldn’t shock me to see all of the quarterbacks from this point forward go undrafted. Mond looks like somebody who could be a decent reserve quarterback and make plenty of money at the NFL level. There’s worse fates than spending 15 years in the league as a Josh McCown or Ryan Fitzpatrrick.

FELEIPE FRANKS, ARKANSAS

6-6, 228 pounds

2020: 68.5 completion percentage, 2,107 yards, 17 touchdowns, four interceptions, 204 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown

Franks looks exactly like every NFL back up you’ve seen flail around in the preseason for the last 20 years. As such, he’ll likely end up on a roster. Franks could sneak onto a roster in the seventh round if a team needs a back up and has skipped it through the first six.

SHANE BUECHELE, SMU

6-1, 207 pounds

2020: 65.4 completion percentage, 3,095 yards, 23 touchdowns, six interceptions, 10 5 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns

Speaking of the XFL, it’s time for the Rock to start filling up his league, because, after Franks, it’s difficult for me to see any of these guys making an NFL roster.Buechele looks like every single CFL quarterback I’ve ever seen. So I hope he likes Tim Horton’s and back bacon. If there is a “draftable” cutoff in this QB class, Buechele is probably it.

SAM EHLINGER, TEXAS

6-3, 225 pounds

2020: 60.2 completion percentage, 2,566 yards, 26 touchdowns, five interceptions, 377 rushing yards, eight rushing touchdowns

I’m a firm believer that every team should draft or bring in a QB (or two) via UDFA every offseason. There’s no reason not to see if you can steal yourself a Kurt Warner or Tony Romo, after all. As I write that, Ehlinger doesn’t look like either of those guys to me, but he’s got practice squad potential and could land as a No. 3 when the final cut downs happen.

The rest of the guys, K.J. Costelloe (Mississippi State), Ian Book (Notre Dame), Brady White (Memphis), Zac Thomas (Appalachian State) and Brady Davis (Illinois State) all look like guys that will have to continue their football careers as coaches. There are worse fates.

The NFL DRAFT begins on April 29 at 8 p.m. EST. You can check out my first mock draft by clicking here. You can view all of of BetOnline’s NFL Draft props by clicking here.

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