2013 NFL Draft Quarterback Rankings: An Early Look at the top prospects

Matt Barkley has a firm grasp on the top spot in quarterback rankings across the country. His biggest shortcoming is his height. Despite standing at just 6-feet-2-inches tall, Barkley presents a set of tools that could make him the top pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. He has a strong, accurate arm. He is advanced at going threw his reads and delivering a catchable ball to his receivers. To top it all off, he is experienced as a leader in a pro-style offense.

Tyler Bray is not this high on many boards, but his arm talent is too great for me to ignore. Possessing a tall but skinny frame, Bray stands tall in the pocket and absolutely fires the ball to his receivers. He has a gunslinger's mentality and is not afraid to fit the ball into any window. Some view that as a negative, but I love that Bray is a confident competitor who wants to make tough plays with his arm. He does occasionally get lazy with his footwork, causing inaccurate passes, and he has an injury history. Those two things keep him from the top spot.

Tyler Wilson is a strong-armed passer who is tough as nails in the pocket. He is very competitive and shows an ability to make throws on the run and from weird arm angles. His accuracy was inconsistent and he didn't play his best in some of Arkansas' biggest games. Those are two areas he'll need to improve on in 2012.

Geno Smith is a smooth athlete with a rocket arm. He has put up some incredible numbers at West Virginia, but transitioning from Dana Holgerson's system to the NFL could be tricky. Still, Smith's physical traits make him an attractive prospect and one that will shoot up draft boards.

Upside is the buzz word when people are talking about Logan Thomas. With his massive frame, strong arm and rushing ability, upside is certainly an appropriate word to use. However, inconsistent is just as appropriate. His accuracy is not where it needs to be, and Thomas needs to do a better job of keeping his eyes down field and going through his progressions. He has a lot of maturing to do as a passer.

Zac Dysert is an impressive quarterback despite playing in the MAC. His big frame and strong arm will get him noticed, but his toughness in the pocket and ability to read defenses is most impressive. This kid is a leader and deserves to be higher on most boards.

Aaron Murray is a gutsy, experienced quarterback in the SEC, which will carry a lot of weight on draft day. While he is a bit undersized, Murray has a strong enough arm to make any throw and isn't afraid to take a hit. His footwork and accuracy can both be a bit inconsistent at times, though. His third year as a starter will be key.

Keith Price is oozing with physical ability. A gifted runner and passer, Price has made some jaw-dropping plays in his career. Price needs to develop into a more consistent threat week-to-week, however, in order to win over talent evaluators.

Landry Jones will get a lot of praise for the great numbers he puts up, but he's not much of an NFL prospect. He needs a clean pocket and wide open receivers to make plays. His mechanics gets thrown out of whack when he faces pressure, and in big games, he tends to fade. Needs to improve by leaps and bounds in his senior season.

E.J. Manuel possesses decent physical tools. He's big, has a strong arm and is able to make plays with his feet. But his accuracy is all over the place, and he always locks onto one receiver. He's incredibly raw at this point.

A strong arm will only take a quarterback so far. Mike Glennon needs to learn to go through reads instead of locking onto his target. It also wouldn't hurt for him to improve his accuracy. He's a day three pick at best.

Ryan Nassib is confident, athletic and has a strong arm. Those three traits alone intrigue me. He is also a good leader and has decent accuracy. I want to watch more of his games before moving him up this list, but his senior season is off to a strong start.