I think I'm in the minority, based on what I've heard and read over the last 2 days, in liking the Ponder pick. We it a reach at 12 - no doubt. But can this guy be our QB for the next 10 years - most definitely. I'll take 1/2 credit for making the call on him, I thought there was no way they made him their choice at 12 which is why I had them pegged to take Prince but trade back up into late round 1 to grab Ponder. I guess I underestimated their desperation for a young QB, but that doesn't mean it was a bad move.
I will admit, I was disappointed when it wasn't the Purple making the move up to 10 to get Gabbert and I assumed we would be relegated to another year of piecing together a bunch of C- to D+ options at QB and try again next year in the draft. When the pick was made, I was a little shocked...but in about 10 minutes I actually feel really good about it.
Ponder is the complete antithesis of TJack/Daunte. He's doesn't have the huge arm and anonymity of the 2 small school QB's who have been our last 2 designated "franchise" QBs. At FSU, I probably watched him 12 times over the last 3 years. Which is about 12 more than I saw DC or TJack in college. My point here is that everyone has seen his flaws or perceived flaws so he might not have that appeal that the other 2 did, albeit for a short while in TJack's case. Ponder played in a big-time program in a complex offense and won a lot of games. He's extremely intelligent, has huge hands, and is very athletic. He gets knocked for his deep ball ability and being injury prone. Well, he had a shoulder injury all of last year which greatly effected his arm strength so I am not 100% buying the label as a weak arm guy. The injury prone thing is very subjective, Matt Stafford was never hurt in college but hasn't made it through more than 1/2 an NFL season. I guess injuries seem to be more of a luck thing to me, and knowing that Ponder played through a severe injury most of last year tells me what I need to know about his toughness.
So we have a guy who won games, is very bright, is tough and labeled as a leader by his former coach and teammates and we're all anti-Ponder because we took him too early? I doesn't make sense to me, I guess when meatballs like PA get the whole world riled up for a guy like Jake Locker and then you draft a guy that fewer have heard of or talked about (even though he won twice as many games and completed his passes at a much higher rate in college than Locker) then you get the reaction we have had.
Give it time, you can usually tell in the first 6-8 games the guy plays whether you've got something or not. Personally, I'm thrilled to finally have a guy who I think can elevate this team and answer the always tricky QB question that we seem to have had ever since I can remember. Maybe he'll get the Jerry Kill treatment where the knee jerk reaction is uber negative, but after discovering what we have the people will love him. Have I pre-ordered my Ponder jersey yet, no, but I'm thinking about it. Do I feel 100% better about the Purple than I did on Wednesday night...yes.
My prediction, he shows flashes this year on a decent team that should be fringe playoffs and next year he takes us up a level and emerges with Gabbert as the best QB's of the bunch from this week's draft.
Beyond Ponder, I like the Rudolph pick. Very questionable 4th round pick with the DT from Iowa...the guy got busted at the combine for pot and we still pick him? Imagine that, an Iowa guy busted for drugs?! Beyond that, who knows...not worth thinking about for at least 2-3 months when we finally start seeing some action on the field...hopefully.
Skol.
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