INDIANAPOLIS - When the 2009 NFL Draft occurs on April 25 and 26, former Ball State University football players Robert Brewster and Nate Davis will benefit from the amount of depth at their positions.
However, the reasons why they benefit from the depth differ.
Davis will benefit from the lack of depth at the quarterback position in this year's draft while Brewster will benefit from the good amount of depth at offensive tackle, NFL.com Senior Columnist Vic Carucci said on Saturday at the NFL Scouting Combine.
"I think [the quarterback class is] extremely thin," Carucci said. "The general managers that I've spoken with about the QB group, every conversation starts and finishes with Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez."
With only a couple of quarterbacks being highly rated, Carucci said, Davis could move up teams' draft boards because of his natural skills.
"I think Davis, in what is perceived to not necessarily be the strongest year for quarterbacks, is held in good regard because he has the two things that you can't coach, which is size and strength," Carucci said.
The amount of talent available at offensive tackle is very different than quarterback, Carucci said. He wrote a column for NFL.com that said six offensive tackles are likely first round picks.
"I think the fact that it is a deep group is helpful [to Brewster] because teams that have the need in that area are going to wait for the better guys to get pushed down because teams make decisions to go with other positions," Carucci said. "That could create an opportunity for him."
Carucci called Brewster a worthy prospect who is worth extra looks from NFL teams. The former Cardinal could be a mid-round selection in the NFL Draft, which lasts seven rounds, the columnist said.
University at Buffalo quarterback Drew Willy, who was also at the NFL Scouting Combine, said on Saturday that he is impressed with Davis.
"He can throw it. He can sling it," Willy said. "Any quarterback that can do that you've got to be impressed with. I think he's pretty athletic as well in the pocket, and I think he does a good job leading his team as well."
Buffalo ended Ball State's perfect season in the Mid-American Conference Championship Game with a 42-24 win. Willy said he and Davis did not talk about the game much when they reminisced about careers while getting tests done for the Combine.
People told Willy he could go anywhere from the fifth round to being an undrafted free agent at the 2009 NFL Draft, he said. Although experts said Davis will likely go in the first three rounds, Willy said he likes how he stacks up with the former Cardinals' quarterback.
"I think I'm right up there with Nate," Willy said. " I think we do a lot of similar things, and we do a lot of different things. I would just say my leadership is right up there with his, and I think I can throw it just as well."
Carucci said Davis made a good decision to enter this year's NFL Draft, but he is probably someone who will sit on the bench a couple years to develop. One NFL general manager told Carucci it is a good year to not have a need to address at quarterback in the Draft, he said.
"I hear very little good about the quarterback position in general," Carucci said.
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