It’s now March and the NFL draft seems to be right around the corner.  Now that the combine is over, teams need to develop their draft boards and determine who is worthy of having a chance to crack their roster.  Since Vince Young single-handedly defeated the mighty Trojan’s in the National Championship, people have been singing his praises.  Draftniks have him scattered anywhere from #1 to #4 across the Internet.

So, why after a 12-minute academic test, is the quality of Vince Young’s athletic ability in doubt?  Naturally, every team wants an intelligent leader; however, more importantly, every team wants a leader who can win football games, Super Bowls, and of course, entice fans to spend their money on game days.

Regardless of the speculation of the scores, (6 or 16), the results are not indicative of a rocket scientist.  So let’s look back at NFL Quarterbacks that have excellent Wonderlic scores.  Ryan Leaf scored a 27.  Wow, that’s impressive, he obviously knew that September was the 9th month of the year.  Eric Crouch (24), Kyle Boller (27), Joey Harrington (32), and Craig Krenzel (38) all outperformed Vince Young on the Wonderlic test.  The most intriguing member of this list is Joey Harrington.  If this guy is so intelligent, how can he not produce better results, with all the Lion’s offensive weapons?

On the flip side, Randall Cunningham (15), Daunte Culpepper (15), and Donovan McNabb (16) didn’t fair that well on the test, but seem to be have played in the league with some success.  These QB’s all have 1 thing in common and that’s their ability to scramble and gain yards with their feet as well as their hands.  Maybe it’s a coincidence their scores are all similar.  It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that when 11 guys are trying to tackle you, you need to run as fast as you can. 

What is my point?  The test may be of concern for second day picks with average ability; however, the impact for the premier prospects is quite negligible.

If I was a scout for a NFL franchise (Yes, I am looking for a job), I’d be more concerned with prospects that do not participate in the physical tests.  Why didn’t Vince Young throw at the combine?  Probably, because he has already shown what he can do and he believes in his abilities and previous on field prowess.

I am not necessarily a fan of running QB’s.  They tend to have a shorter shelf life than their pocket-passing brethren; however, it would be foolish to consider that Vince Young will drop out of the top 10 based on the Wonderlic test.  So, for all those Cardinal fans, don’t expect Vince Young to be available in the #10 spot.

I realize this is my first submission in a few weeks…I was absorbed in the Olympics…Nevertheless; I ‘m back and expect to become more vocal during the weeks leading up to the draft.