The 2015 NFL Draft has the potential luxury of underclassmen like Brett Hundley, Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston and Connor Cook.
But sticking with seniors rather than players who still have eligibility remaining, here are the best. Right now, the class doesn’t boast a first-round worthy senior passer.
1. Shane Carden, East Carolina: The Pirates have emerged as a non-Power 5 conference team to watch, and that’s in large part Carden's doing. While his velocity on the edge limits him and ECU's offensive system will discourage some scouts, his placement, timing and repositioning in the pocket makes him coveted. He’s a firm third rounder for us so far this year.
2. Bryce Petty, Baylor: Playing in one of the more productive offenses in the country, Petty has kept himself in the national spotlight. But for NFL teams, production isn’t enough. Petty has earned NFL buzz thanks to great size, velocity down field and downfield ability outside the usual constraints of the offense. His reliance on anticipation/timing worries a bit, but thus far he’s one of the only senior passers to warrant a top-3 round grade.
3. Bo Wallace, Ole Miss: While he has release concerns and hasn’t shored up his accuracy flaws, Wallace has shown that he’s vertical passer with plus velocity and overall arm talent. While he’s not as polished in some areas as the quarterbacks below him, it’s the upside that makes him worth watching for NFL evaluators to consider in that mid-round, developmental sweet spot for quarterback drafting.
4. Taylor Kelly, Arizona State: After drawing comparisons to Russell Wilson before the season, Kelly has put up good — not national spotlighting — performances. His style is a unique mix between Johnny Manziel and Wilson. He needs to rebound from the injury that kept him out of this past week’s game and thrive in Pac-12 play.
5. Sean Mannion, Oregon State: The tall, strong-armed passer emerged as nationally relevant while throwing to Brandin Cooks. His performance as a junior nearly led him to declare early, but he wisely stayed. With plus anticipation, body type and velocity across the field, Mannion has the buzzword tools to draw NFL appeal. He needs to be more effective vertically (without Cooks) to show teams he’s the full package.
6. Cody Fajardo, Nevada: Fajardo may be the biggest surprise on this list, but he’s built on flashes last season to showcase an impressive, dual-threat skill set. With success as a runner against Washington State and managing an efficient game plan in a narrow loss to Arizona, Fajardo showcased a developmental NFL skill set. While he doesn’t have ideal arm strength and his transition to the pro level may not be smooth, he does have the tools to be draft-worthy.
7. Rakeem Cato, Marshall: Cato’s size limits his NFL future, but his play on the field has been thoroughly impressive. After struggling early in his career with lackluster talent, he’s become a leader of the offense and has shown confidence and multiple-read comfortability as a passer. He’ll be viewed as a career back-up with some long-term starter upside if he can bulk up and prove his frame can hold up in the NFL.
8. Chuckie Keeton, Utah State: After three rough games to start the season, including a lackluster performance against Tennessee, it’s easy to sour on Keeton. While he hasn’t merited a top 100 grade thus far and his past and current injuries are a major red flag, you can’t completely dismiss his previous flashes. NFL teams will watch closely to see if he’s still worth NFL development.