Come on, CK. When I asked if it would shocking to see him go #1 (considering everyone had taken for granted Luck at #1), you said it would be! I'm just messing. You bring up a ton of great points. Ten years ago, I wouldn't like the idea of drafting Newton in the 1st . . . Five years ago, I probably wouldn't. In today's NFL, based on what I've seen from him, no spot in the 1st RD is too high. There isn't a more talented player in the draft, and he plays the most important position in football. I think his athleticism tempers the potential for him to be a flat-out bust. At worst, I see a QB who is good enough to take a great team to the SB (M. Vick). At best, I see a QB who can absolutely carry almost any team with moderate talent to the SB any given year.
For a team that doesn't have a QB, I love that risk/reward.
Also, Slimm, I think I remember you saying you loved Sanchez despite his one year of starting experience. Sanchez pretty much replicated Booty's success at USC. I remember you favoring Sanchez because he played in a "pro style" offense. Correct me if I'm wrong on this. But, if I'm looking at a 1-year starter, I'd rather have a guy who carried his team to a National Championship - and has an embarrassment of physical tools - than a guy who couldn't take one of the most talented teams in the country to the title. Factor in the SEC/Pac 10 credentials, and I don't see how Sanchez is a comparable prospect to Newton - let alone a better one.
Mark Sanchez is the ONLY exception I've ever made for a 1 year starter as a 1st round pick.... I had him over Matthew Stafford despite Stafford also playing in a pro style offense, being more experienced, and playing in the SEC.
I watched Matthew Stafford get shut down by Nick Saban and Bama's defense too... going something like 8 for 15, 50 yards, no TD's and an interception in a single half of football, which lead to Bama taking a 31-0 halftime lead. Saban called off the dogs in the second half which allowed Stafford to pad his stats... I've seen this before.
Stafford was always a slow starter... he would often come out in the first half of games with bad footwork and his accuracy would suffer.. Mike Bobo would have to get the ground game going with Moreno in order for Stafford to find a rhythm and execute play action passes.
Sanchez had a lot of things going for him that I like to see in a quarterback, coming from a pro style offense wasn't the kicker.
To your point, all Cam Newton did was replicate Chris Todd's success in Malzahn's offense from a passing perspective, but Todd couldn't play running back too. Take that as a positive if you choose... but at least Booty was an NFL prospect, Chris Todd wasn't.
Winning national championships is irrelevant in the NFL... who are the successful NFL quarterbacks who won national titles? How many of them who won national titles never played a single down in the NFL?
Nick Fairley was just as much of a revelation for Auburn as Cam Newton was, and just as much of an X-factor. But this was a better Auburn team all around than they were the year before, everyone was more experienced... and having pups like Michael Dyer and Phillip Lutzenkirken be able to contribute like the did was tremendous. Auburn had the right chemistry this year, and Cam Newton was a big part of that.
But this is also the Auburn team who jumped out to a 14-0 lead on Bama last year with Chris Todd, and it was Bama who had to mount the comeback. It wasn't all Cam Newton....this was a better football team than they were the year before.
I typically don't fall in love with the physical aspects of a quarterback, I've been around too long for that.... especially when he does it playing running back.
