Robert Griffin III, 2nd-Ranked Quarterback in 2012 Draft Robert Griffin III, Baylor (6-2, 223) My selection of Andrew Luck over Griffin reminds me of the year I ranked Marshawn Lynch No. 1 over Adrian Peterson. I made that choice because I felt Lynch was a more complete player despite stating in my rankings that the less-refined Peterson had potential to become a once-in-a-generation player along the lines of Eric Dickerson, Earl Campbell and Jim Brown. Griffin's upside is good enough that he could develop into that rare, elite quarterback who dominates the game. However, unlike running back, quarterback is not only the most difficult position to transition to from college football to the N.F.L., but it is also arguably the most difficult position in sports. As much as I admire Griffin's intelligence, charisma and toughness, there are enough risk factors associated with his style of play that he may never reach his huge potential. Griffin takes a lot of hard shots in the pocket. Although 220 pounds and 6-2 is a healthy size for a pro quarterback (think Aaron Rodgers), he takes a lot of unnecessary risks and invites contact from defenders that leaves him slow to regain his feet. I believe the root cause is the extraordinarily fast pace at which he does everything, and his reactions to pressure are frequently exaggerated. Where one or two steps at a moderate pace would be enough to elude pressure in the pocket, Griffin often takes that one extra step and at a pace so fast that he creates more pressure than what was originally there. Although his pocket presence is considered good - and in many respects it is - he has to learn a different level of pacing that is based more on awareness than athletic reaction time. Griffin's lack of economy with managing the pocket not only causes him to expend more energy, but he also frequently has to lose more yardage to extract a gain. Most troublesome is that he'll wait until the last second to make a decision and incur contact that he could have avoided. He is likely to get away with these decisions against pressure on a more frequent basis than an average quarterback in the N.F.L., but he is still taking a greater risk than necessary with the ball in his hands. As a runner, Griffin's pad level also needs to get better because he'll run into contact without lowering his pads and take some shots that clearly hurt him. Griffin's game is closer to the edge than any quarterback in this draft. He has the athletic luxury to wait until the pocket has nearly collapsed on him and then use his speed to find an escape hatch that most quarterbacks could not access. It's exciting, but he frequently lacks the control that you want to see. His pacing will often get frenetic to the point that he'll rush some throws. When a defense takes away the deep part of the field and applies pressure to force him to target the intermediate range of the field, he gets less comfortable. Although he demonstrates good patience over all in these situations, he made enough mistakes that, in the N.F.L., an opposing defense will capitalize on throws across his body and throws down the middle of the field. I think he senses pressure in front of him, but his normally good internal clock goes a little haywire when there is a good downfield coverage and he thinks he has more time because there aren't defenders flashing around him. There is a point where he also has to exhibit better situational football and tuck the ball when no one comes open in the red zone versus a three-man rush. Griffin sometimes abandons the pocket when he should stand tall and deliver the ball to an open receiver. All he needs is a little more anticipation and vision of what's happening with coverage. Other times, Griffin tries to stand in the face of contact and deliver the ball with no footwork and all arm, which results in an inaccurate throw into coverage. His footwork is basically good, but he needs to improve how he hitches and sets his feet in the face of pressure. While I have seen Griffin do a sound job of taking hitch steps to climb the pocket, he is not yet consistent enough with this technique. He has a tendency to throw the ball off his back foot or not completely set his feet, and the ball will sail on him downfield. I like that Griffin has an over-the-top release that is compact. But there is a tendency for him to bring his back leg to the front of his body in mid-release. That creates a lurching motion where his entire body elevates 4-6 inches and then drops that same distance during the top of his release point to the end of the follow-through. This doesn't happen with every pass. In fact, I saw it repeatedly only against Washington in December, and the velocity and accuracy of his short and intermediate passes were not affected. I have also seen him use a more natural motion with his back leg during his release that has no lurching hitch at the top. It's still something to be aware of because it's a strange technique quirk. That's a lot of criticism for a quarterback who will go No. 2 in the draft, but there is also a lot to love about Griffin. I think the easiest comparison to make is that he shares the natural arm talent and blinding speed and agility of Michael Vick, but with better pocket skills and decision-making at the same stage of their careers. I think a more accurate attempt to describe Griffin's potential in shorthand would be Griffin's Potential = Steve Young + Mike Vick + Randall Cunningham. He is a natural thrower capable of delivering the ball with velocity, distance and reasonable accuracy from a variety of angles that doesn't require the power of the lower body to support the throw - he can make throws with "all-arm." Also, like Vick, Griffin has special speed, acceleration and agility. His first 10 yards are so fast that he's a danger to break a big play with his legs at any time. Griffin is bigger and stronger than Vick, which makes him more capable of handling punishment, and he's a more rugged presence in the pocket and between the tackles. This is where I see Cunningham, who could also force defenders to account for him and then throw the ball over their heads. Griffin also throws with better form than Vick and he shows some skill to climb the pocket and keep his eyes downfield, which is reminiscent of Young at his best. He routinely does a good job of spotting the single coverage at the line of scrimmage and targeting those receivers. What is special about Griffin's game is the speed of it. He can play fake, drop, set and deliver a ball with accuracy and velocity at such a fast, fluid rate that it is almost disturbing to watch. He's on to the next task as a defender is just beginning to react to the first. Griffin often demonstrates good footwork, a quick release and good skill throwing with his feet under him. One of the details of Griffin's game that I love is his ball fakes. He sells the play fake thoroughly, and there are times that his pump fakes are best described as "violent." He can get a defender to jump when he uses it. The pump fake is an excellent weapon in the N.F.L., and Griffin is going to find this a handy tool in his arsenal. Although Griffin has more glaring weaknesses than Andrew Luck (and in my opinion, some of Ryan Tannehill's skills are just as refined, if not more refined), his combination of talents is rare. And those talents are at such a high level that his strengths will probably cover his weaknesses long enough for him to shore up the critical issues and become a long-term star.