Sam Bradford: NFL Draft Profile

We will take a look at Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford as he enters the 2010 NFL Draft.  We’ll examine his strengths/weaknesses, his college career and our expectations for his upcoming NFL career.

Strengths

Accuracy: Averaged 68.6 completion percentage in his two full years as Oklahoma QB.

Decision-making: Very good at reading defenses; ability to hit receiver in stride.

Pocket awareness: Keeps feet stable; doesn’t dance around.

Weaknesses

Injury concern: Injured his shoulder, which kept him out this past season.  Teams tend to be scared of damaged goods; durability is a huge concern.

Arm Strength: Has decent arm strength, but NFL cornerbacks may eat him up on deep routes.

Mechanics: Bradford has a three-quarter delivery, may get him into trouble.

Size: Bradford is skinny (6-4, 213); will need to bulk up before he can take hits from unforgiving defensive linemen.

Potential Destinations

Seattle: This team needs a fresh start at quarterback; Hasselbeck is a trainwreck.

St. Louis: Mark Bulger has been destroyed by opposing defenses for the past three years; his confidence is gone.

Oakland: JaMarcus Russell may have earned himself one more shot under center next year; but if he fails, Bradford will be the man for the job.

After his first start as a redshirt freshman, you knew Sam Bradford was going to be a special player; he completed 21-23 passes for 363 yards and three touchdowns against The University of North Texas.  The very next game just cemented that notion as he completed 22 straight passes breaking Jason White’s school record.  Bradford ended the season with 36 touchdown passes, breaking the NCAA freshman record of 29.  Bradford played his first BCS Bowl game when the Sooners played in the Fiesta Bowl against West Virginia losing 48-28.  While the Bowl loss was a difficult blow to the young star, expectations were high entering Bradford’s sophomore season.

Bradford’s sophomore season was full of individual awards, highlights and wins for the Oklahoma Sooner football team.

Some of the accolades that the team enjoyed were that they became the first team in NCAA history to exceed 60 points in five straight games while on their way to breaking the NCAA record for points in a season with 702.  Oklahoma ended the regular season with a record of 12-1, earning them a trip to the National Championship game against Florida and Tim Tebow.   Unfortunately, Bradford threw two costly interceptions in the game essentially handing Florida the win; 24-14.  While the team lost the National Championship, Bradford had one of the Best individual seasons in NCAA history.  He threw for 4,700 yards, 50 touchdowns and eight interceptions capturing the Heisman trophy in the process.  He also won the Davey O’Brien award, Sammy Baugh trophy, AP Player of the Year, Sporting News Player of the Year, Harley Award and the NCAA QB of the Year.

After his Heisman winning sophomore season in which Bradford was widely projected as the first quarterback that would have been taken in the 2009 NFL Draft, he decided to forgo the draft to return for his junior season.  While it’s refreshing to see that a young man would pass up millions of dollars to win a national title, it turned out to be a detrimental mistake.  In the first game of the season, Bradford was crushed by a defensive lineman causing him to endure a 3^rd degree sprain of the AC joint in his right shoulder.  Bradford came back for two games, but during the 2^nd game, he re-injured the shoulder, resulting in season-ending shoulder surgery.

Bradford finished his college career with 8,403 yards and 88 touchdowns.

In the 2010 draft, Bradford looks to be the #2 ranked quarterback behind Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen, which should correlate to a mid-first rounder.  While his talent cannot be debated, the question marks that surround the Oklahoma star are very prevalent.  Will the surgically repaired shoulder hold up?  That remains to be seen, but NFL scouts will get a taste of what Bradford has to offer in the combine this year.  If he has a great performance, then a top #10 pick could be on the other side.  Conversely, if he stumbles, then he could potentially be dropped into the second round.  Another concern is that Bradford has only two full years of experience at the college level, which doesn’t translate over well to the NFL.  However, if the franchise that chooses Bradford isn’t relying on him right away, then he will be able to take a year to learn the NFL game, which will be extremely beneficial.  At Oklahoma, Bradford was blessed with a great offensive line and snaps out of the shotgun came at a premium.  Unfortunately for Bradford, the pro game won’t be that easy.  As said, the question marks seem limitless, but if Bradford can stay healthy, then the opportunities for the young quarterback are endless.