NFL Draft BUST-O-METER: #8 Blaine Gabbert

The BUST-O-METER is back again to break down our top 15 draft bust risks. The series of articles will look at two prospects per week breaking down why I feel they have a high potential for busting. Many factors played into my ranking including potential draft position. The draft position is very important because if they are selected high than what their production warrants it puts them at a higher likely hood of busting. These articles always bring a ton of feedback and are highly controversial which is what makes them so fun.

For a reference, I like to classify a bust as someone that doesn’t live up to their draft position. This means that if a player is selected #1 overall I expect him to be a dominate player in the league. I also take into consideration what position the player is projected to play in the NFL. For example, if someone is selected in the top 10 and is projected as a rush 3-4 linebacker I expect to see a high sack total. Of course, there are many other factors that are specific for each player so check out the rest of the article after the JUMP.

Also don’t forget to stop by our Scouting Reports page to get an in-depth look at each prospect.

BUST-O-METER: 7 out of 10

Projected Draft Range: Top 10

Thoughts: The buzz around the NFL is that Carolina will use the #1 overall pick on either Cam Newton or Blaine Gabbert. While there is still plenty of time for that to change it appears these two are lock in a battle to be the #1 pick. The quarterback position always gets extra attention as very few teams are successful without a star quarterback. This and other factors usually result in inflated quarterback draft stocks. Gabbert is not immune to this phenomenon and has gone from a late 1st round prospect to being considered for the top pick.

Gabbert has a lot of athletic ability and shows tremendous upside. He is extremely accurate in the short passing game and delivers a nice intermediate pass. His arm strength is above the NFL average having the ability to make every NFL throw. Gabbert appears to have no off the field concerns with good intangibles and leadership ability.

However, Gabbert will be facing a tough transition into the NFL. He is coming from a spread offense which did not prepare him for the NFL. He is going to need to become more comfortable taking snaps from under center and reading defenses while dropping in the pocket. Gabbert will also need to work on identifying defenses while under center and not from the clearer shotgun view. Pocket presence is a problem area for Gabbert as he often drops his eye level and stares at the rush. After watching several games, I am concerned with Gabbert’s ability to deliver a catchable deep ball. He is very inaccurate when it comes to pushing the ball down the field.

Gabbert has tremendous upside but question marks still remain. The talk of him being a candidate for the top pick is concerning. I have Gabbert ranked #12 on my big board with the above concerns playing a role in that ranking.