Wes Bunting did a great article on Christian Ponder the other day. Here it is: http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Is-Ponder-the-drafts-dark-horse.html I pretty much agree with Wes on everything he states there. The only area where I disagree with him is where he has Ponder as the second best quarterback in the draft. I can understand why he puts him there without knowing what his medical reports will show at this time, but the fact is, Christian Ponder is THE BEST quarterback prospect in the 2011 NFL Draft. The reason he is the best prospect is stated in this article: The part I bolded is the reason he is the top quarterback prospect in this draft. Physical skills are nice to look at when you are watching the player throw when he has shorts and a tshirt on, but what separates the great quarterbacks in the NFL from the rest of the pack is what I bolded - their mental ability. To be a quarterback in the NFL, you have to be able to decipher information quickly and accurately, and you have to be able to handle adversity. You also have to be a drop back passer. Christian Ponder has that ability. None of the other quarterbacks who are rated highly have that ability.
If Christian Ponder is the best QB in this draft, then this truly is a horrible class. Being an FSU alum/fan, I've seen pretty much every snap the guy has taken, and not once in 4 years did I ever see him do anything that made me think he was a future NFL starter. His skill set is average in every phase of the game. I don't know what Wes Bunting saw in 4 years to make him think that Ponder is some super smart rocket scientist, considering the numerous bonehead plays the guy made, particulalry when on the run.
[video=youtube;zCuu6UyO3B0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCuu6UyO3B0[/video] This is a clip from his junior year. The guy has it all. He reads the field at multiple levels. He anticipates when his receivers will come open. He throws a catchable ball that allows his receivers to gain yards after the catch. You don't see him looking to the coach on the sidelines to find out where to throw the ball. His drops are clean. He gets the ball out quickly and accurately.
I assume Keith quoted Bunting's most recent piece on Ponder. The one thing in that piece that doesn't jive with me is talking about how Ponder's negative mental tendencies in 2010 were a result of his injuries. The problem with this is, the same thing could have been, and WAS said about Chad Henne's senior season and his shoulder injuries. Guys that don't progress, and in fact regress, have to scare you. And Christian Ponder has a pretty big brain fart factor IMO, and when he has a brain fart it's not something advanced like rolling out from a broken pocket, seeing a receiver sitting between the zones and thinking you can fit the ball into a tight space, getting burned for it. When Christian Ponder has a brain fart it's something basic and dangerous, like losing his grip on the ball and throwing up a dead baby to the inside of the field where any number of NFL DBs would claim that ball for their own. But, I like Ponder. I don't want to give the impression I don't. I like T.J. Yates just a little bit better, fewer injury concerns, he actually progressed all the way through his senior year, and his mistake moments tend to be more understandable and less absurd.
Average arm coupled with poor mechanics coupled with a program not known for producing NFL Qb's= Career Backup.
Poor mechanics. I have no idea where you get that, yet you want to bring Vince Young in? Christian Ponder is much more advanced from a mechanical standpoint than Cameron Newton is. Whether he has an average arm is meaningless. He has enough arm, and that's all that matters. I could care less if he can throw the ball through a brick wall, he has enough arm strength to make all the throws. What he has that guys like Newton don't have is instincts and anticipation in the passing game. Basically, he has a quarterback's brain where Newton/Young/White have a runner's brain. I told you that you can't coach instincts into a player when we debated, and you lost the argument about Pat White.
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sp...ponder-adversity-comes-in-a-variety-pack.html http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ys-lockervsponder012411 Bad elbow, bad shoulder, poor mechanics as he himself admits, and a program that attracts top Qb high schoolers but rarely places anyone in the NFL. Career backup. As an aside, an article/commentary from a senior bowl attendee detailed the mechanical issue and some draft guru/scout type said if you watch for such and such, you can see why he has been injurying his elbow, and they recounted as soon as that was said Ponder proceeded to do the very thing that was leading to his elbow issues. Cannot find it atm as there is so much material out there right now, however I guarantee you that was written.
And I can guarantee you that any article that tries to detail a mechanical issue with Christian Ponder is pure bunk. There are no mechanical issues with his play.
Well, counted against is not what I had in mind, more taken into account, FSU has garnered top Qb prospects for yrs and rarely do they even place anyone in the CFL let alone starting in the NFL, and these are guys surrounded with top athletes. What are the reasons for that lack of advancement? That should surely be a question that comes up in terms of Ponder, when the "best" Qb they have produced is Brad Johnson, and he was a better college BBall player than a Qb, there is something out of sync in the way they do things in Tallahassee.
I've got two elbow issues and a shoulder, what do you have? Not to piss on Ponder the prospect as he fits what you look for, however there are issues.
"It's an interesting system, and I agree with him for the most part. I'd downgrade Christian Ponder a little due to his injury history, but he definitely has some NFL ability. I've been saying for a while that my three favorite quarterbacks in this draft are Pat Devlin, TJ Yates, and Ricky Stanzi. Another guy that I absolutely love watching him play the position is Kellen Moore, but he's coming back for his senior season likely. Kellen Moore is another Drew Brees." Not sure which post of yours is accurate? or which QB is your "pick" ....
Correction. Ponder has no structural damage to his elbow. He did not tear his ulnar collateral ligament. He doesn't have medial or lateral epicondylitis. He does not have olecranon bursitis. He does not need ulnar nerve transposition surgery. He did have a shoulder injury, and Miami passed on signing Drew Brees because of a shoulder injury.
I loved Ponder prior to the season, but his showing in the bowl game scared me quite a bit. I think if his arm checks out he's probably the most game ready QB we can draft this year, but his arm strength isn't the best which may limit his upside.
The hilarious thing about Ponder is...I cant tell you how many times Ponder had one read and take off. Now its not really because he cant read defenses. Its more to do with his problem handling pressure. Hes not good with in the pocket, and doesnt know how to work within it. KB saying how great his presence within the pocket was just flat out wrong.
You can't tell me because it didn't happen. I have watched at least 7 games of his over the past two years, and he is among the best in this draft with his pocket presence.
Ive watched about 20 games in Ponders career. I am a FSU fan. His pocket presence is among the worst. Its gotten better, however, compared to where he was early in his career, where he would just dreadfully drift back out of the pocket the entire game. He now can throw from the pocket, but its still awful. Outside of that...are you telling me that he doesnt take off and run quickly...ever?
I would be happy with ponder in the third round and why not andy dalton later.........drafting 2 QB could be a good idea this year and with why not ingram in the first, after that all OL in FA
Wrong. Not sure why im arguing with you. ill leave this conversation alone. I let other people argue with someone that believes Ponder is great within the pocket.
I like Ponder, but with all of his arm issues, will he end up the next Chad Pennington? That's my issue. Or I guess he could end up being Drew Brees...ala go off of the med doctors other than Miami's ha.
I've seen every single game Ponder's play. Hell, last season I was paid to watch FSU home games. Wanna know why Ponder's stats show a regression? The answer Jarmon Fortson, Richard Goodman, and Rod Owens. Jarmon failed drug test - goodbye! Richard Goodman - graduated UDFA Chargers Rod Owens - graduated UDFA Patriots.
I like Ponder as a player but he seems akin to signing Grove and then being surprised that he has injury problems and that you haven't solved anything. Even without the injury concerns, I have him behind Kaepernick and Yates on my desires list. I don't think he has as much upside as those other two.
I think he's just a guy. He doesn't seem to have any skill that sets him apart. I see him as the kind of guy who could develop, but is more likely to be at best a career back-up. I think he's in that group behind Ponder as a prospect.
I love Ponder myself and if i was running things, i'd try and trade down and pick him up in the late 1st and use the other pick on a C or OG.
Had not read that post Boom, I'd like to find that blog post, as that was the gist of what the writer had to say. Made sense at the time with his throwing arm problems.
