Draft, NCAA to NFL, Will Wilson and Moore Make the Grade?

Two simply awesome college Quarterbacks that have been absolutely snubbed by all of the so-called experts out there are Boise State’s Kellen Moore and Wisconsin’s Russell Wilson!

How many NFL General Managers will have the foresight to break free from the pack mentality and draft one of these truly gifted athletes?

Russell Wilson 5’11” 201 lbs. (Graduate Student) Quarterback University of Wisconsin (Badgers).

All Russell Wilson did his senior year is blossom into one of the best all-around college Quarterbacks in the Country. Wilson took a very good Wisconsin Badger team and missed playing for the National Championship because of two (2) Badger defensive lapses.

Wilson developed into an excellent college Quarterback and Wilson did this by improving his passing numbers across the board and by utilizing his running ability for the maximum benefit of his team.

Wilson threw 33 TD passes in his one year at Wisconsin and this is a really special number because he did this on a team that had a running back that scored 33 rushing touchdowns and caught 6 passes for touchdowns. Also, instead of running at the drop of a hat, Wilson ran when the situation dictated.

He finished his senior year with 79 attempts, 320 rushing yards (after sacks), 4.1 yards per rush, and 6 Rush TDs. He went from averaging 120 carries per year to just 79 in his senior season.

This shows maturity and patience. It shows that Wilson transitioned from a run at first read Quarterback to a run when you need Quarterback.

This is something that Michael Vick, after 9 NFL seasons, still has problems with. We’re talking about patience in the pocket.

Patience in the pocket alone should move Russell Wilson, to me, looks like a bigger, stronger, faster Fran Tarkenton. Wilson’s stock in the NFL draft up a few notches. Showing considerable improvement, his senior year, in his passing abilities should jump Wilson up to at least the third round but any GM worth his salt may take him even earlier than that. Maybe not a first rounder but nothing keeps Russell Wilson from going in the second round of the 2012 NFL draft.

Kellen Moore 6’1” 191 lbs. (Senior) Quarterback Boise State University (Broncos).

All Kellen Moore did was win, win, win! Moore hit the ground running as a very good college Quarterback and became excellent. Moore took an excellent Boise State team and made them even better.

Moore and the Boise State Broncos beat ALL comers. In most cases the Broncos obliterated the opposition under the guidance of Kellen Moore. This included: Oregon (twice), Virginia Tech, and Georgia.

Four years as a starting Quarterback and he compiled a won/loss record of 50-3. NO ONE in the history of NCAA football has ever done this before and it may not be done again.

Over the course of four seasons Kellen Moore lost only 3 out of 53 games by a total of 5 points.

Kellen Moore played 53 college games and threw one (1) or more TD passes in 49 of the 53 games he played. Kellen Moore threw at least 2 TD passes in 46 of the 53 games he played and had 2 TD passes or more in 26 straight games. That was his entire junior and senior years. Moore had 10 games with a passer rating above 200.

Kellen Moore is a miniature Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Bart Starr and Johnny Unitas all rolled into one. Is he mobile? Not really. Does he have a rocket arm? Not really. Can he find the open receiver? Really. Can he lead a team? Really. Can he play Quarterback? Really!

Moore should be a late first rounder or early second round pick in this year’s NFL draft. Where he will be drafted will depend on the chutzpah that NFL General Managers exhibit.

Table 1. Russell Wilson’s Career Statistics, year by year and totals.

275

1955

54.5

7.11

13.0

17

1

25

133.9

2009

224

378

3027

59.3

8.01

13.5

31

11

30

147.8

2010

308

527

3563

58.4

6.76

11.6

28

14

39

127.5

2011

225

309

3175

72.8

10.28

14.1

33

4

22

191.8

Career

907

1489

11720

60.9

7.87

12.9

109

30

116

147.2

Table 2. Russell Wilson’s rushing statistics, year by year and totals.

Rush Attempts

Yards

Yards Per Attempt

Rush TDs

2008

116

388

3.3

4

2009

103

260

2.5

4

2010

143

435

3.0

9

2011

79

338

4.3

6

Career

441

1,421

3.2

23

Table 3. Kellen Moore’s Career Statistics, year by year and totals.

SEASON

CMP

ATT

YDS

CMP%

YPA

YPC

TD

INT

SACK

RAT

2008

281

405

3486

69.4

8.61

12.4

25

10

13

157.1

2009

277

431

3536

64.3

8.20

12.8

39

3

5

161.7

2010

273

383

3845

71.3

10.04

14.1

35

6

6

182.6

2011

326

439

3800

74.3

8.66

11.7

43

9

7

175.2

Career

1157

1658

14667

69.8

8.85

12.7

142

28

31

169.0

Table 4. A look at some Big numbers.

300 Yard Games

3 TD Games

70%

Completion Games

Wins-Losses

Win %

Russell Wilson

14

18

15

30-20

60.0%

Kellen Moore

16

32

30

50-3

94.3%

I guess only time will tell if Wilson and Moore can make the transition from the NCAA to the NFL.

Remember, they are not NL failures if they are not drafted or are not played, if they don’t get the opportunity to show us their stuff!

Oh yea, Russell Wilson will most likely be drafted in the fourth (4^th) round and Kellen Moore may not get drafted until the sixth (6^th) round or he may even be passed over and eventually get signed as a free agent. Sad to think two of the best college Quarterbacks of 2011 are not looked at as being capable of playing football.