Heading down the stretch of our pre-draft evaluations of potential Tennessee Titan signal-callers, today, we’ll take a look at a quarterback whose stock is climbing as we approach next week’s draft.
Despite the color of his hair and initially being deemed as a 2nd-3rd round selection, TCU’s Andy Dalton has impressed scouts enough that he could possibly hear his name called before the end of the first round on Thursday night.
Whether via a trade back into the end of the first round or at their current #39 draft position in the second, Dalton could be on the Tennessee Titans radar.
Why the Titans should draft him
Dalton isn’t the type of quarterback that will have scouts drooling over his impressive measurables. Despite his ordinary physical stature, Dalton knows how to play the quarterback position. He’s a winner who depends on accuracy and smarts instead of arm strength and athleticism to get the job done.
Speaking of his athleticism, he’s anything but Ryan Mallett when it comes to speed. Dalton is deceptively quick and knows how to elude pursuing defenders inside and outside of the pocket.
Unlike more highly regarded QB draft prospects such as Cam Newton and Blaine Gabbert, Dalton is more of a finished product than a project at this stage of his career. While he lacks Newton and Gabbert’s upside, there’s a solid chance that Dalton is better prepared to make a contribution during his rookie campaign in the NFL.
Why the Titans should pass
There’s some concern that Dalton’s skill-set projects more to a career NFL backup than a guy who’s going to emerge as a franchise QB one day. Despite his winning ways in college, evaluators are still a bit skeptical when it comes to Dalton’s abilities to make all of the throws conducive to achieving success at the NFL level.
Verdict
It’s hard not to like what Dalton brings to the table in the form of his knowledge of the quarterback position, intangibles/leadership and accuracy.
While I’m not too enthused with the idea of the Titans trading back into the latter stages of the first round to acquire him, Dalton would be a solid pick in the second round if he’s still available at selection #39.
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