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2010 Rookie Class: The Quarterbacks
This is the first installment in a position-by-position series reviewing the top Fantasy prospects selected in this year’s draft. Today: The Quarterbacks.

1) Sam Bradford (STL) – After passing on Matt Ryan in 2008 and Mark Sanchez in 2009, the St. Louis Rams finally decided that they found a franchise quarterback worthy of their attention in the first round of the draft. Bradford is a spread quarterback who has been very accurate throughout his career. If you combine that accuracy with a great sense of anticipating routes, it gives him a nice starting point. His arm strength is considered at least adequate though some say he looked stronger throwing after his shoulder surgery than before it. He’ll need to prove he can take some punishment as well as build up his body, but his future looks very bright. His intelligence will aid him in learning a pro offense.

2) Jimmy Clausen (CAR) – As a team that entered this draft desperately needing a quarterback, the Carolina Panthers must have felt like Christmas came in April when their turn came to select with the 48th pick in the draft. Clausen was the most pro-ready quarterback in this draft which gives him a reasonable chance to get on the field early this year. He features solid mechanics and a very quick release. He does have a longer delivery when he wants to throw the ball hard as well as floating his deep balls, but his 28/4 ratio of touchdowns to interceptions in 2009 was exceptional. His tendency to miss his receivers by throwing high will get him in trouble as will his proclivity to throw ‘jump balls’.

3) Colt McCoy (CLE) – The Cleveland Browns were known to have an interest and a need for a quarterback in this year’s draft and they found one at a good value point. After having won more games in college history than any other quarterback, McCoy’s transition to the NFL game is not going to be easy. He offers stellar intangibles along with excellent accuracy in the short passing game, but his size and lack of arm strength are going to work against him in a conference that features plenty of bad weather games late in the season. He reads defenses well, but he will need to acclimate to a pro-style offense. He will need to build his arm strength to make defenses respect the deep ball so he can operate successfully in the shorter zones of the field.

4) Tim Tebow (DEN) – Lacking a franchise quarterback of the future on the roster, the Denver Broncos believe they filled that need when they traded back into the first round of the draft to make their choice. Certainly the most talked about prospect in this draft and perhaps the most successful player in collegiate history, not many NFL teams thought Tebow was worth a pick on the first day of the draft. Tebow possesses a strong arm and pristine intangibles in a physical package that is almost ideal. Unfortunately, what he seems to lack are the qualities that make up a solid pro passer. He is not experienced in reading defenses, his delivery is far too long and his accuracy comes and goes. His transition to the NFL game is not a given and will take time.

5) John Skelton (ARI) – The Arizona Cardinals are adjusting to life after Kurt Warner and now find an uncertain future when it comes to what to expect from their quarterbacks going forward. As they transition to a more run-oriented offense, they still found room to add a quarterback in Skelton who offers big-play capability. With prototypical size and owning the strongest arm in this year’s draft, Skelton has immense potential. Coming from a small-school background, he’ll need to adjust to the speed of the NFL game as well as learn to look off defenders and not rely on his arm strength. Given the opportunity to learn from Todd Haley, Skelton has the work ethic and intelligence to take the required steps to be a success.