Top 10 Quarterback's of the 2014 NFL Draft

With the 2013 NFL Draft giving us a rather disappointing crop of quarterbacks (at least from a talent standpoint), the 2014 class has a lot of potential to resemble some of the outstanding rookies that came out of the 2012 class. So whilst Geno Smith is getting settled into Tim Tebow’s old room, we thought that we’d help the New York Jets get next year’s 1^st round pick lined up early with a preview of the top 10 quarterbacks of the 2014 class. 

Whilst most of these picks are going to be seniors who have exhausted their eligibility, a couple (and I think you might know who), are some choice underclassman who I think have the potential to declare themselves eligible and make an early appearance in next year’s draft.

N.B. '*' denotes an underclassman and the players are ranked in the order I believe they would come of the board if the 2014 draft was held right now.

1 – Teddy Bridgewater*, Louisville.

The Sugar Bowl MVP tore up the Florida Gators number one ranked pass defence and is widely regarded as one of the top talents at the college level. If he has another season like the one just gone then I'm almost certain that he will enter the draft and in doing so will make himself a high pick. He's tough, has fantastic arm talent and can scramble around when he has to, I don't think there's any question that he won't have another big year and if he does I think he'll be the first quarterback taken in the draft next year.

2 – A.J. McCarron, Alabama.

He's the first quarterback to win back-to-back National Championships and has a legitimate shot at doing it a third time on a very talented Alabama Crimson Tide team. Even though he's doesn't set the world alight with his talent and has at times been accused of being a game manager, I've seen him put the Tide on his back more and more throughout the last year (watch the last drive of the LSU game) and will have the ability to contribute straight away at the pro level without a team having to change their offensive philosophy to have him be effective. 

3 – Aaron Murray, Georgia.

When the scouts watch Aaron Murray next year there's one big thing that they'll be scrutinising, and that's if his decision making is at an NFL level. Apart form his lack of "ideal" hight, Murray has everything the NFL scouts are looking for in a quarterback with his strong arm, good athleticism, good mechanics and leadership ability, the nagging concern is that sometimes he's too aggressive with the football which causes an excessive amount of interceptions. If he goes to a team that can let him develop as a backup I think he has the possibility of being one of the better quarterbacks out of the 2014 draft when all is said and done.

4 – Tajh Boyd, Clemson.

The man that runs the Clemson Tiger's explosive offence is going to be an intriguing prospect for the 2014 draft. If you want an NFL comparison then I would say that Russell Wilson is a good place to start, Boyd is a little on the short side but has the body type to take the NFL hits and I believe he can make all the throws at the next level. One problem I foresee him running into is the fact that he rarely takes a snap from under centre and his production is slightly over inflated due to his talented offence turning short passes into long scores. In my opinion Boyd could be one of those guys that will divide opinion amongst NFL teams and could end up falling like Geno Smith this year.

5 – Jonny Manziel*, Texas A&M.

Here he is, Jonny Football™, everyone's favourite celebrity/ college QB. With all the hoopla that surrounded his Heisman win and his outrageous standard of play in the SEC he would probably have entered the NFL this year if he was eligible, but as it is he has to play at least one more season. I think there's a very good chance that Manziel will enter the draft next year and if he does I can honestly say I don't know where he would go. He's a very exciting quarterback and has tremendous athleticism and poise but is he the kind of quarterback that the NFL is looking for? With the rise of the zone-read in the NFL I think the window is there for him to get on a roster and run away with a starters spot once he gets a chance.

6 – Zach Mettenberger, LSU.

Personally, I am really not a fan of Mettenbergers, and whilst he has a lot of potential and some scouts will fall in love with that potential, I don't think he's proved enough at LSU to warrant a high pick. Of course he has another year of college ball to show us exactly what he is capable of, but so far I've seen a quarterback that isn't able to deal with pressure effectively and has been demoted to the role of game manager on numerous occasions. For me the bottom line is that if he has a great season then he will likely go in the first round, but I for one wouldn't trust him.

7 – Stephen Morris, Miami.

I have watched quite a few of Morris's games and I think he has the potential to benefit the most from his senior season and really climb up a lot of draft boards. Has a great arm, is a good runner and really made the Miami offence what it was last year with so many big plays. With a little help from his defence this year I can see him taking the Miami team very far and improving his stock enough to find himself on that 1st-2nd round boarder.

8 – Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech.

Thomas made the correct decision to stay in school for another year and get another year of college experience before being put under the NFL's scouting microscope. He's built like Cam Newton and has a comparable skill set and even if it's not on the same level as Newton's, he will be highly sought after in next year's draft IF he can improve his consistency. He needs his senior season to show that last year was just a blip on his record and that he is the talented quarterback that everyone raved about after his sophomore season.

9 – Derek Carr, Fresno State.

The brother of the infamous David Carr, Derek is also a Fresno State quarterback that has been putting up some seriously good numbers against decent competition. If he maintains his 2012 production this year then he will be talked about a lot in the run up to next years draft. A very similar prospect to his brother when he was coming out of college but without the signature wins, I feel like his name might unfairly tarnish his draft reputation even if he does have a big year. 

10 – David Fales, San Jose State.

 Not too many out there will have watched David Fales ply his trade at San Jose State but he's a top quarterback that could cause a couple of shocks this season with his play. He has the ideal height and size to play in a pro system and backs it up with a good arm that's very accurate. The step up in calibre of competition he faces this year may prove to be the biggest contributing factor in his pro projection if he maintains the type of numbers that he put up last year.