Matt Leinart (01/2005)

Position:

QB

School:

USC

Height:

6' 5"

Weight:

235 lbs.

General Variables:

31 out of 40

Size

9

Strength

7

Speed

8

Athleticism

7

Position Variables:

50 out of 60

Man coverage:

8

Zone coverage:

8

Deep accuracy:

9

Short/Intermed. acc.:

9

Footwork:

8

Mobility:

7

Positives:

Matt Leinart is a man.  I criticized Carson Palmer for being a system QB coming out of school, but that does not apply to Leinart.  He's got everything an NFL team would want in their franchise quarterback.  ***Warning many NFL clichés to follow***  He's got perfect size, a big arm, makes great decisions, and can make every throw on the field with accuracy.  He plays in a pro style system, and has shown himself to be the best quarterback in the country.  He sets up well, throws a tight spiral, and shows excellent maturity going through his progression.  He rolls out well, throws on the run with comparable accuracy to being set in the pocket, and mobile enough to avoid the rush and make positive yardage.  Leinart makes throws while never looking rushed, panicked or that he's forcing a throw.  Best of all for me, he's a natural leader, and at times threw that Tojans team on his back and won in spite of them.

Negatives:

Leinart has had an amazing 2 years at USC.  How much of that success is attributed to the system he plays in?  Some say none, some say all of it.  I fall somewhere in between.  No doubt he will regress some in the transition of learning a new offense.  Who knows…he may be shown to be a total fraud (no, I don't believe what I just wrote).  Also, although he is more mobile than Rogers, Leinart will never be mistaken for Michael Vick.

Overall:

If Leinart declares, the discussion will start with the 2nd pick, because I think the 1st pick will be a lock at that point.  Aside from the concern or speculation that he's really not as good as he looked in college, there really isn't anything you can say that doesn't point to Leinart being a franchise QB for ten years.  A lot of folks thought Leinart might take a step back in 2004 with a very young group around him – all he did was play even better.  That ability to make your teammates better, young players at that, and facilitate their development, not just be a caretaker of an offense, is something rarely seen in today's NFL.   From just a football standpoint, there's very little Leinart can do better, but considering he's only a junior, it's not at all out of the question to believe he can still be much better.  One thing that stands out to me is Leinart is totally fearless.  No matter which of his teammates is in the pattern, or who's defending them, he shows no hesitation is making the throw.  That kind of confidence is hard to match.

Final Word:

IT – There's nothing I like less than a debate of NFL prospects with the endless use of ambiguous words and phrases, but when you watch Leinart play, you can see that he has "it" (whatever "it" is).  Even in games where USC didn't play well, he always looked in control.  There was never a time watching him play where I felt like he didn't have the total confidence of his coaches and teammates, as if he was going to make sure they won.  He's won two national championships, the Heisman Trophy, and been the leader of the best team in the country over the last two years.  I'd put him as the best QB prospect of all the QBs drafted the last 3 years, and when you look at the names on that list, that's saying something. 

Curtis Popejoy

Scouting Director