What do you picture when you think of what a quarterback looks like? Probably someone who is 6-foot-4, has big hands, an athletic build that is somewhere between that of a wide receiver and tight end, and likes to throw from the pocket because he can’t outrun the blitz. You probably think of a guy who looks like Peyton Manning or Tom Brady, and who can blame you?
For as long as football has been around, most successful quarterbacks have looked like those guys. This season however, has proved that you do not have to be the prototypical pocket-passer to be a successful quarterback in the National Football League. Despite the fact that they do not fit the picture of the prototypical quarterback, players like Colin Kaepernick, Russell Wilson, and Robert Griffin III have all burst onto the scene and taken the league by storm. What they all have in common however, is that they have been winners in both college and the NFL.
More and more of the league’s top quarterbacks are becoming double threats in that they are able to not only throw the ball well, but to also use their speed to escape sacks and even gain yardage on the run. This past weekend’s 49ers-Packers game exemplified how successful such an attack can be, as 49ers quarterback Kaepernick exploited the Packer defense by forcing them to cover the deep ball while having to also cover short to make sure Kaepernick did not break off a big run; it was essentially pick your poison for the Packers defense.
Kaepernick is not the only double threat to have success of late.Aaron Rodgers–Kaepernick’s opposing QB in that Packers game–also has a set of wheels on him, as do Robert Griffin III, Michael Vick, Cam Newton, and Russell Wilson.
In addition to the group of double threats, there is also a group of short quarterbacks that have found success in the NFL. In addition to being a part of the double threat group, Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, and Michael Vick all find themselves on the shorter side, standing at 5-foot-11, 6-foot-2, and 6-foot-0 respectively. Drew Brees is another name on that list, standing at 6-foot-0, as are Tony Romo and Andy Dalton, who’re both 6-foot-2.
Despite the rise of the unconventional quarterback in football, scouts are still drafting quarterbacks solely based on their obvious skills and talents. They draft guys based on their height, hand size, throwing mechanics, bench press, vertical leap, etc. It is not necessarily bad to draft players based on such skills because, in order to play in the NFL, you need to be fast and strong. Problems arise when scouts get so caught up in how a quarterback looks, they forget to focus on what he actually does on the field. As a result, players like Blaine Gabbert go first overall despite a lack of great success and winning in college, while successful college players like Russell Wilson come in around 75th. When drafting a quarterback, the first thing you have to look at is not a certain skill set or look, but how well the quarterback leads, plays on the field, and, most importantly, wins.
I understand the argument against having a mobile quarterback as opposed to a pocket-passer. Mobile quarterbacks tend to be more susceptible to injuries because they are tackled more in the open field. Guys like Vick and Randall Cunningham have had a number of seasons cut short because of the amount of contact they face as mobile quarterbacks. Quarterbacks like Peyton Manning and Eli Manning rarely get hurt, however, because they do not expose themselves as much to such contact. There is also an advantage to having tall quarterbacks because they have an easier time seeing over the offensive line. Problem is, staying healthy and seeing over the line do not matter if you cannot win, and too often teams draft tall losers as opposed to small winners.
It is time for NFL teams to give unconventional quarterbacks who have proven they can win a shot. Teams need to give guys like Wilson and Kaepernick and even Tim Tebow (yes, I said it) an opportunity to start at quarterback. Stop looking at height and start looking at wins, or else the guys that you overlooked because of their physical shortcomings or running habits are going to be the ones that make you pay come postseason.
Find out how versatile Alex is at alau@georgetownvoice.com
