On Wednesday we pointed out the 26-27-60 rule, a formula in which to measure the incoming class of quarterbacks in every draft. Not, it's not necessarily the be-all-end-all rule because like most rules, there are exceptions that change the balance of any formula. There's debates in science because the truth is, there's too many variables to consider. And things tend to happen that upsets the formula. And really, what's the difference of an incomplete pass that pushes a quarterback's completion percentage from 60.0% to 59.999%? Unless of course the incomplete was an interception returned for a touchdown that lost the game for the team. Lord, we've had enough of those.
That being said, former Giants, Jets, Patriots and Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells has his own methodology to drafting a quarterback in the NFL. It's not a formula. It tends to rely on the common sense in the mind of Bill Parcells. They are:
- The quarterback must be a senior... because you need time and maturity to develop into a good professional quarterback.
- He must be a graduate... because you want somebody that takes their responsibilities seriously.
- He must be a three-year starter... because you want to make sure his success wasn't a fluke and to know that he has been "the guy" for a significant period of time.
- He must have 23 wins... because big numbers don't mean a whole lot if you don't win.
With that being said, only three quarterbacks pass Parcells' methodology -- Iowa's Ricky Stanzi, Nevada's Colin Kaepernick, TCU's Andy Dalton. The rest are either juniors (Blaine Gabbert, Cam Newton, Ryan Mallett), have failed to pick up 23 wins (Jack Locker and Christian Ponder) or not a three-year starter (Greg McElroy).
Even though the Wonderlic still has to be administered, comparing the 26-27-60 rule with the Bill Parcells rule for drafting a quarterback, that only leaves TCU's Andy Dalton.