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Quarterbacks: top senior prospects

Sporting News, The, Sept 27, 2004 by Dan Pompei

1. Andrew Walter, 6-5, 232, Arizona State. Tall passer who needs to play more like he did two years ago and not like he did last year, when he slumped. Has decent arm strength. Can step up and find receivers. Inconsistent with intermediate passes. A statue in the pocket.

2. Kyle Orton, 6-4, 217, Purdue. Sees the field well and makes good decisions. Has a nice pocket presence and can create second chances. Has been productive. Has good arm strength but an elongated throwing motion. Can avoid pressure but isn't very athletic.

3. David Greene, 6-3, 224, Georgia. A Jake Delhomme-style quarterback with strong intangibles. Smart leader with command of his offense. Prepares well. Lefty has a nice touch on the ball and is accurate in the short game. Has average arm strength and movement skills. Has been streaky.

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4. Dan Orlovsky, 6-4, 229, Connecticut. Heady player who knows how to manage a game. Makes good reads and throws with velocity. Shows leadership. Isn't a great runner but can avoid the pass rush.

5. Charlie Frye, 6-3, 227, Akron. Has not lived up to the hype. A tough guy who makes plays with presnap reads. A leader with intangibles. Has average arm strength and marginal movement ability. Might not be able to take an NFL-style pounding.

6. Derek Anderson, 6-6, 239, Oregon State. Has good arm strength to go with an NFL body. Is athletic and a leader. Decision making is questionable. Isn't always accurate.

7. Jon Beutjer, 6-5, 215, Illinois. Transfer from Iowa has good arm strength and decent accuracy. Mature player who has shown improvement every year. Has a slow release. Could climb the charts.

8. Timmy Chang, 6-1, 205, Hawaii. Undersized system quarterback who has been very productive. Reads defenses well. Has average ability and can be undisciplined at times.

9. Jason White, 6-2, 220, Oklahoma. Heisman winner would be rated higher if not for the terrible condition of his knees. Won't pass some NFL physicals. A winner who does things right. Great decision maker with so-so arm strength. Isn't consistently accurate. Comparable to Ken Dorsey if healthy.

10. Chris Rix, 6-2, 208, Florida State. Probably the most talented of all the senior prospects. Has all the physical skills. Fast, strong and tough. His accuracy and decision making hold him back. Is inconsistent.

DRAFT DISH

By War Room scouts

Top-five prospect RB Carnell Williams (Auburn) is proving he's the real deal. A hard-nosed back who runs like a beast, Williams explodes through tacklers and fights for every last yard. He has great balance and can find the holes and adjust quickly to hit them.... Auburn backup RB Ronnie Brown is making the most of his opportunities and has a shot at being a second-round pick. Brown isn't deceptive, but he's last and tough to tackle.... Georgia WR Fred Gibson needs to show he has NFL toughness, or his second-round stock will slide. He has tremendous physical ability but seems to do all he can to avoid contact. He doesn't like to go over the middle, will run to the sideline rather than take on a tackler and will miss a catch rather than take a hit.... Oklahoma C Vince Carter (6-3, 294) might be undersized, but he's agile and a terrific blocker who has great awareness in protection. He should be a solid NFL starter and could sneak into the first round.... Tennessee OLB Kevin Burnett is proving to be a prime-time player; he had 16 tackles against Florida. Burnett wasn't himself last season--he was coming back from a torn ACL--but this year he's showing the speed and explosiveness to move into the first round.

Who's rising? Who's falling? Get the latest draft analysis and rankings by subscribing to Pro Football War Room at warroom.sportingnews.com

Quarterbacks: top senior prospects

Sporting News, The, Sept 27, 2004 by Dan Pompei

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