Originally Posted by Scouting report on Ryan Leaf
(Post 6821341)
Sunday, April 5th 1998, 2:04AM
DREW BLEDSOE was the last quarterback taken first overall in the NFL draft. That was five years ago. Brett Favre is the only quarterback drafted in the '90s to win the Super Bowl. And he didn't even do it for the team that picked him.
The '90s has not been The Decade of The Quarterback.
Tennessee's Peyton Manning and Washington State's Ryan Leaf have a chance to change that. They will go 1-2, or 2-1, in the April 18 draft to the Colts and Chargers, two bad teams.
So who is better? Manning vs. Leaf is the hot debate of this year's draft.
In the last three weeks, the Daily News polled a coach, GM or personnel director from 25 teams. The question: If you had the first pick, would you take Manning or Leaf? An overwhelming 20 said they would take Manning, three went for Leaf and two declined to give an opinion.
"If there is a more impressive guy in the country than Peyton Manning, I would be shocked," Bucs coach Tony Dungy said.
Bills GM John Butler would take Leaf. "He takes some hits and can buy extra time with his exceptional strength," he said. "He can look off people and get it done. You like the big, strong guys. It's a tough game where you take a lot of punishment."
Some of those picking Manning said they were just more familiar with him than Leaf. The bottom line: Manning may be the best-prepared quarterback to ever come into the NFL. He absorbed football through his father, Archie, and has a coach's understanding of the game. He's the safe pick with big-game experience and has a better chance to have success right away than Leaf.
Leaf is more physically imposing with a better arm; he's unshakable in the pocket, an aggressive, confident player who may have more long-term upside than Manning. Both, though, could be starters as rookies.
"It's probably a situation where you can't go wrong with either guy," said Steelers personnel director Tom Donahoe, who would take Manning. "They both look like quarterbacks you can build a team around."
But only the Colts have to figure it out. They conducted workouts last week with Manning and Leaf and now have 13 days to make their decision. "I like them both," new Colts coach Jim Mora said. "They are both going to be good players in the NFL."
Mora, the former Saints coach, has a connection to the Manning family. Archie Manning was a Saints radio announcer during Mora's years in New Orleans and Peyton Manning used to visit training camp and throw the ball around when he was a kid.
Meanwhile, Colts president Bill Polian, who inherited Jim Kelly in Buffalo and drafted Kerry Collins in Carolina, has had success with the big, strong QBs, and that's Leaf. Neither Mora nor Polian, however, have said which QB they will take. They might not even know yet.
Chargers GM Bobby Beathard, who paid a big price to move up from third to second to insure getting Manning or Leaf, said he'll be happy with whoever the Colts leave for him.
A year ago, Manning passed up the opportunity to become the foundation of Bill Parcells' rebuilding job with the Jets. Now he could wind up in Indianapolis, which lost its first 10 games last year before finishing 3-13.
The Chargers lost their last eight games and finished 4-12.
Of course, having the right quarterback in place can expedite any rebuilding.
In 1989, Troy Aikman was the first pick overall by the woebegone Cowboys, who went 1-15 that season. But by Aikman's fourth season, he helped start a streak of three Super Bowl titles in four years.
Bledsoe and Rick Mirer, in 1993, were the last QBs to go 1-2 in the draft the first time quarterbacks were the first two picks since 1971, when Jim Plunkett went to the Patriots and then Archie Manning to the Saints. Bledsoe has been to the Super Bowl; Mirer has been a bust.
"(Leaf) has some remarkable talents," said Bledsoe, who also played at Washington State. "He's probably not as polished as Peyton at this point. At the same time, give him a couple of years in the league, and he will do some special things."
Leaf and Manning are both 6-5. Leaf surprised NFL people when he checked in at a hefty 261 pounds at the scouting combine in February, one month after playing in the Rose Bowl. But in his recent workouts he's been at 244, right around his playing weight. Manning is 230.
Manning is a cerebral, Bernie Kosar-like QB, yet more athletic than the former Browns star. Manning does not have the arm strength of Leaf, but is more accurate. Leaf is an absolute rock; his toughness has been compared with Jim Kelly. Manning has more experience: Including bowl games, he threw 1,505 passes in college. Leaf, who gave up his last year of eligibility, threw 880.
"I've studied them quite a bit. I would take Peyton," Vikings coach Dennis Green said. "I think he brings a great knowledge of the game . . . he brings the whole package."
Seahawks coach Dennis Erickson, whose family is friends with Leaf, says, "I think he will be a great player in the NFL and one of the future stars in the league."
Manning or Leaf? The Colts will soon answer that question. But it will take until the next century to find out if they were right.
Joel Buchsbaum, draft expert and the author of Pro Football Weekly's 1998 Draft Preview, compares Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf:
Accuracy: Manning
Arm strength, velocity: Leaf
Leadership, huddle command: Manning
Learning ability: Even
Mobility, ability to escape the rush, ability to run for positive yards, and to throw with tacklers on him: Leaf
Setup quickness, release quickness, footwork and technique: Manning
Size and stature: Leaf
Timing, touch: Manning
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