1. Teddy Bridgewater, Louisville

Notes: Has the arm strength, poise, intelligence, vision and confidence to become an above-average starter quickly. Has the “it” factor. Smallish frame and spotty downfield accuracy are legit knocks. Worthy of No. 1 overall consideration.

Projection: Top 10 overall 

2. Derek Carr, Fresno State

Notes: Tough as nails, strong-armed and athletic. Great upper-body mechanics with the ability to accurately drive the ball all over the field. Has some bad habits (back foot throws, unnecessary altered arm angles) and often tries to do too much. Will need time to adjust to level of competition in NFL and to a pro-style offense. Maturity a real plus. Compares as “not quite” Matthew Stafford.

Projection: First round, perhaps early 2nd 

3. Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M

Notes: Very athletic, creative gunslinger with outstanding mobility. Throws well on the run and creates outside the pocket. Plus arm strength. Still developing vision, pocket presence, and patience. Polarizing personality and improvisational style is not for everyone. Lack of height and bulk are serious issues. Extreme boom/bust prospect.

Projection: Top 8 pick 

4. Blake Bortles, Central Florida

Notes: Size and athletic metrics are straight out of QB central casting. Smart and competitive. Excellent touch and arm strength on shorter throws. Inconsistent mechanics and accuracy, notably impacted by weather. Work in progress, high ceiling but not close to it yet. Will be drafted high on potential that must be carefully developed. A less polished, more athletic Carson Palmer as a prospect.

Projection: Top 3 overall 

5. A.J. McCarron, Alabama

Notes: Smart and mechanically sound, with experience running a talented, pro-style offense. Feisty and courageous. Great touch on short/intermediate throws. Average arm, average athlete, average pocket sense. Compares slightly better than Andy Dalton.

Projection: Late first/mid-second round

6. Jimmy Garoppolo, Eastern Illinois

Notes: Small-school gunslinger with compact, quick release. Natural leader with high football IQ who does all the little things well. Needs mechanical work, tends to fall off his throws and close his hips too early. Average arm, ball velocity really tails off down the field. At least a year away from being NFL ready, but got better every day in Shrine Game/Senior Bowl practices.

Projection: Second round 

7. Aaron Murray, Georgia

Notes: Intangibles are through the roof, outstanding field general and team leader. Great accuracy and touch, good enough arm strength. Driven competitor who makes good decisions. Lacks size, bulk, and only an average athlete. Does see ghosts in the pocket on occasion, not much improv ability. Coming off torn ACL that will make him get drafted at least a round later than he should be.

Projection: Fourth or fifth round 

8. Brett Smith, Wyoming

Notes: Incredibly agile, creative chucker at his best on the move. Gritty and charismatic. Slightly built with average arm, which he lowers with wonky, crude mechanics and terrible fundamentals. Streaky spray-gunner with dual-threat ability. Brash personality not for everyone. Very raw even for a 3-year starter, must humbly take coaching and develop for at least a year. Compares to a skinnier Drew Stanton, but upside is high.

Projection: Third or fourth round 

9. Tom Savage, Pittsburgh

Notes: Big-armed, mechanically pretty thrower with outstanding downfield velocity. Very accurate and concise from a clean pocket. Big and tough. Sorely lacking mobility and has bad tendency to hold the ball too long. Takes far too many big hits, already has concussion history. Transferred twice. Struggles without clean pocket. A more likable Ryan Mallett that could thrive behind a good line.

Projection: Anywhere from late second to early fifth round

10.  Jeff Mathews, Cornell

Notes: Very accurate with an above-average arm and strong mechanics. Poised with good field vision, can make coverage reads and progressions that are NFL-ready. Tough, smart, and confident. Not very athletic and doesn’t react well to pressure around him. Overestimates his arm at times. Very emotional, both a positive and negative. A poor man’s, hot-blooded Matt Schaub.

Projection: Fifth round

11.  Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech

Notes: Physically imposing, built like a tight end with great agility, huge arm and outstanding strength. Flashes brilliance in spurts but incredibly inconsistent and erratic in all manners of play. Tantalizing physical talent but needs major work, both mechanically and mentally. Might be a better tight end prospect. Has coachable upside through the roof.

Projection: Second or third round

12.  Connor Shaw, South Carolina

Notes: Gritty, smart and athletic. Great leader. Throws well on the run and has ability to improvise and run. Dramatically improved as a senior after years of inconsistency. Durability is a major question, small-framed and has already suffered several injuries to multiple body parts. Good short-range velocity but deep ball lacks zip.

Projection: Sixth or seventh round

13.  Keith Wenning, Ball State

Notes: Fire-armed rhythm passer with great mechanics and confidence. Clunky movement skills, cannot reset once moved from his spot. Deep ball velocity and accuracy tails off, very evident during Shrine Week practices. Stares down his target and doesn’t make progressions well.

Projection: Seventh round or UDFA 

14.  Dustin Vaughn, West Texas A&M

Notes: Might have best arm talent in this draft, can really rifle the ball all over the field. Tall and thickly built, strong. Has a low trajectory on his passes. Reactionary thrower who tries to muscle balls into tight windows. Average athlete with slow feet. Has to make a major leap in level of competition. Developmental upside, has the attitude to make it work.

Projection: Potential Mr. Irrelevant, UDFA

15.  David Fales, San Jose State

Notes: Very accurate inside 20 yards, outstanding ball placement and anticipation. Quick release, consistent mechanics. Lacks athleticism and arm strength is average at best from a clean pocket. Cannot improvise. Transferred from Wyoming to avoid competing with Brett Smith. Smart and likeable. Compares to Kellen Moore with a slightly better arm.

Projection: Third to fifth round

16.  Zach Mettenberger, LSU

Notes: Looks the part with great size and outstanding arm strength. Showed significant progress in a pro-style offense as a senior. Reactive thrower with a slow release and poor pocket presence. Slow-footed and cumbersome as an athlete, issues compounded by a major knee injury late in ’13. Accuracy and ball placement are often terrible. Has some character flags from his dismissal from Georgia. His arm and improvement under Cam Cameron will get him drafted far earlier than his overall skills would dictate.

Projection: Second or third round 

None of the rest project as draftable talents but are included for informational purposes. Gilbert and Boyd could be drafted as high as the fifth round in May.

17.  Tajh Boyd, Clemson

18.  Stephen Morris, Miami FL

19.  Jordan Lynch, Northern Illinois

20.  Tommy Rees, Notre Dame

21.  Bryn Renner, North Carolina

22.  Garrett Gilbert, SMU

23.  Kenny Guiton, Ohio State

24.  Brendon Kay, Cincinnati

25.  Keith Price, Washington