2011 NFL Draft: Ranking Best QB = Mitch Mustain Tops List

by Thomas J Andrews on January 6, 2011

On Thursday, Stanford Cardinal’s star quarterback, Andrew Luck declared that he will not be entering the 2011 NFL Draft. Now the big question will be, with Andrew Luck out of the equation, who is the best quarterback available?

The best quarterback available in the 2011 NFL Draft is USC’s Mitch Mustain. Many people may disagree with me. But he has tremendous talent with prototypical size for the NFL.  Many people are projecting Mustain as a 7th round pick or a free-agent pickup. I believe that any team who picks him up would get great value for the talent he has.

Mustain has great arm strength, good mechanics and is very accurate with his intermediate and long throws. However, sometimes he tends to float the ball to his receivers. His throws need to get to his receivers quicker. He is most accurate when he is in the 2 minute offense. However, he lacks patience and vision. Overall, if he can get into a good team with great coaches such as the New England Patriots or Indianapolis Colts, he could become the next Matt Cassel.

Below are my top 7 quarterbacks in the 2011 NFL Draft (starting with the best):

1)      Mitch Mustain, USC – prototypical size, good accuracy, worked under both the spread and pro-style offenses at Arkansas and USC, respectively

2)      Andy Dalton, TCU – spent 4 years as a starter. Lead team to 2011 Rose Bowl win against Wisconsin Badgers

3)      Christian Ponder, FSU – has great size. Accuracy is an issue, but everything else is good

4)      Ryan Mallett, Arkansas – accuracy is good however, mechanics is troubling. Not very good in big games (i.e. interception thrown in 2011 Sugar Bowl against Ohio State). Too erratic and takes too much risks.

5)      Ricky Stanzi, Iowa – great short and play action passer. Intermediate and long throws are an issue.  Not a good arm. Great leader.

6)      Cam Newton, Auburn – runs spread offense. Not the best quarterback in draft.  Heisman Trophy Winner = Bad Omen

7)      Colin Kaepernick, Nevada – I believe he is going to be the next Brad Smith. I can see a team taking him anywhere between the 5th and 7th round. Great talent but overall he is still raw. Lacks size and lacks patience when in the pocket.

photo: marianne

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Related articles:

  1. 2011 NFL Draft Order Projections With Mock Draft Picks For Top 10
  2. Mitch Mustain To Stay At USC = Huge Mistake, Won’t Transfer To Tennessee Vols
  3. Mitch Mustain Leaving USC, Transfers To Tennessee? Vols To Get Last Laugh?
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Tagged as: 2011 nfl draft, andrew luck, colin kaepernick, matt cassel, mitch mustain, usc

Articles by

Thomas J Andrews is a freelance writer based in California. He holds many interests including bowling, tennis, reading and swimming. He joined Modesto Press in early 2010.

has written 157 awesome article(s).

  • Scott Serles

    You must be smoking crack!

    Mitch Mustain will be a good number 2 NFL QB, but the best in this years draft?

    1. Jake Locker
    2. Cam Newton
    3. Andy Dalton
    4. Ryan Mallet
    5. Blaine Gabbert
    6. Tyrod Taylor

  • JP

    I’m assuming you mean RICKY Stanzi. He’d be a terrible pro quarterback. I’m a life-long Iowan and a HUGE Hawkeye fan. Each year I’ve watched him make little to no reads. He has a neurotic tendency to stare down his one target – I’m convinced he cannot easily be trained to stop. It’s not like having David Carr throw ladders to get rid of a sidearm. It implies Stanzi can’t read a defense.

  • Moris

    your are stupid SC fan i think ! how can you put mustain first? the guy failed at college yes he could be the next cassel but even cassel needed a great coach to develop him

  • Himeros1

    this guy is an idiot, hahaahahah, ive seen Luck an Mallet in person, and Mallett is the best by far an will prove it on pro day. Pac-10 qb just get the recognition, but sit Mallett for a year or 2 in the NFL and he will be an all star, people say hes bad in big games but they are wron, its a team sport and he beat 4ranked teams this year, this guys a joke

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  • DownNoutNla

    Mitch Mustain as NFL material??? Step away from the pipe Mr. The NFL won’t let Bec tell them how much playing time and how many throws per game Mitchy gets.

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  • Bill

    Moron. 100%

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  • Animal

    Being a long time Mustain supporter and can firmly say that I do believe he has NFL potential. I don’t believe for one second he ever really got a fair shot at USC…Barkley was a home state guy and he was going to play no matter what.

    That being said I think Mustain at this point is more of a project that you would take in the later rounds if at all. Even if he’s able to impress in the workouts and combine I don’t think he gets above a 4th round selection. It may be better for him to go free agent and pick a team that wouldn’t mind stashing him away like the Colts or Patriots or Chiefs on a practice squad.

    My Top QB’s

    1. Mallett
    2. Newton
    3. Locker
    4. Dalton
    5. Gabbard
    6. Ponder
    7. Mustain
    8. That Boise State guy
    9. and who cares…

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  • obligatory grammar check

    “takes too much risks” Wow. they really will publish anything these days. It is hard to take the rest of your analysis seriously.

  • Gargohawg

    so many grammatical errors in that article it was depressing, not to mention putting Mustain first.

    Dalton didn’t “lead” TCU. He “led” them, past tense.
    Mallett in reality doesn’t take too many risks, and certainly too “much” risks.

    Content F, mechanics F

  • Landstar

    Do they have a drug testing policy in place at the Modesto Press ?

  • Jamiew8033

    this article was obviously written by a 3rd grader. Mustain didnt run a spread offense at AR he handed to the ball to jones or McFadden. mallets mechanics are troubling not “is” troubling. Mallet takes too many, not too “Much” risks. Dalton led team, not “lead”. And pretty much every sentence uses the vocabulary of a grade schooler. How can you take this article seriously?

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