Is RG3 the sixth-best QB Draft pick of all time? Expert says yes.

Andrew Strickert is my long time blogging colleague who covers the Tennessee Titans for Total Titans on the Bloguin Network. Andrew overheard an assessment of Robert Griffin III and his NFL prospects that he thought would interest Washington Redskins fans — not that Redskins fans need convincing about RG3. We thought it was good enough to turn into a guest post. Read on.

Mike Detillier, an analyst for Titans Radio, also authors/produces the M&D Draft Report and also works in some type of capacity for both the Saints and LSU, so you can consider him a draft/scouting expert of sorts.

For the last six months or so, I’ve heard him say multiple times that the highest grade he has ever given a quarterback prospect in 27 years has been to Andrew Luck (his previous highest grade went to Troy Aikman.)

This weekend on Titans Radio he repeated that, but with a few extra nuggets.  He said that RG III had the sixth highest grade he had ever given and Peyton Manning had the third highest.  He didn’t disclose whom he had given the fourth and fifth highest grades to.

Anyway, I thought you’d be pleased to know that RG III got the sixth highest QB grade in 27 years.

If you want to speculate on who Nos. 4 and 5 might be, these are the QBs drafted in the top three spots in the last 27 years.  Though some didn’t live up to expectations, all of them should have theoretically received pretty high grades.

1986 Jim Everett #3 overall
1987 Vinny Testaverde #1
1989 Troy Aikman 1
1990 Jeff George 1
1993 Drew Bledsoe 1
1993 Rick Mirer 2
1994 Heath Shuler 3
1995 Steve McNair 3
1998 Peyton Manning 1
1998 Ryan Leaf 2
1999 Tim Couch 1
1999 Donovan McNabb 2
1999 Akili Smith 3
2001 Michael Vick 1
2002 David Carr 1
2002 Joey Harrington 3
2003 Carson Palmer 1
2004 Eli Manning 1
2005 Alex Smith 1
2006 Vince Young 3
2007 JaMarcus Russell 1
2008 Matt Ryan 3
2009 Matthew Stafford 1
2010 Sam Bradford 1
2011 Cam Newton 1
2012 Andrew Luck 1
2012 RG III 2

If I had to guess, Detillier graded them:

1. Andrew Luck
2. Troy Aikman
3. Peyton Manning
4. Jeff George
5. Carson Palmer
6. RG III

Thank you for pulling this together, Andrew. Only argument I have is the idea of Jeff George arguably ranked higher Cam Newton. If Detillier did a “re-draft”  like Mel Kiper, I doubt he would rerank George or Carson Palmer in the top six. 

Check out more Tennessee Titans coverage by Andrew Strickert at TotalTitans.com.