If you would have asked me the question posed in the title of this piece a few months ago, I would have unequivocally said Andrew Luck.
Now I’m not so sure.
I still feel that the Indianapolis Colts will take Stanford’s Luck with the first pick in April’s NFL Draft and groom him to replace Peyton Manning – provided Manning is able to return next season. However, in my opinion, Baylor’s Robert Griffin’s play this season has closed the gap between him and Luck. As a matter of fact, I now believe that Griffin may be the better NFL quarterback of the two.
I’m still on the fence, so don’t beat me up just yet. I actually wanted Luck to go pro last season and be the number one pick of my Carolina Panthers, but that obviously didn’t happen, something I’m extremely satisfied with now.
When the Panthers selected Cam Newton, I was very critical. I actually preferred a guy like Jake Locker.
Boy was I wrong. Newton has been nothing short of spectacular and is clearly going to be named the NFL’s Rookie of the Year after a season in which he totaled over 4,000 passing yards and accounted for 35 touchdowns (21 passing and 14 rushing).
And out of Luck and Griffin, I think it’s pretty obvious that Griffin is the most like Newton.
Granted, Luck is bigger (although neither guy is Newton’s size), standing in at 6-4 and weighing 235 pounds compared to Griffin’s 6-2, 220-pound frame. To me, Griffin may still be the better choice.
If you compare the two players’ career numbers, you will see that Griffin’s completion percentage (67.1%) is actually slightly better than Luck’s (67.0%), that he has passed for more yards (10,366 compared to 9,430) in just two more games (41 compared to 39), and that his touchdown-interception rate (78-17 compared to 82-22) is quite comparable as well.
All stats aside, Luck is probably more NFL ready at this point. However, the surprising (at least to me and many so-called “experts”) success of Newton has seemingly changed the game. If Griffin is placed in the right system, I truly feel that he could end up being a better NFL quarterback than Luck. With that said, I think both passers possess the intangibles necessary to succeed at the next level.
The thing is, Griffin is more than a passer. He’s also mobile (Luck can run the ball as well, but not to the extent that Griffin can). These days, the combination of the two is very desirable. And why wouldn’t it be? Who wouldn’t want a dual-threat quarterback?
That, to me, is what separates Griffin from the other quarterbacks in the draft. Plus, he won the Heisman Trophy this past season, beating out a well-known second-place finisher: Andrew Luck.
Is this a sign of things to come? Will Luck always play second fiddle to RG3? Only time will tell.
One thing is for sure: I can’t think of a time when there were more exciting young quarterbacks than there are right now.
Source: ESPN.com