Matt Ryan Scouting Report

Most teams will have Matt Ryan as the top quarterback on their board. The 6-5, 220 pound senior has the best physical tools of any quarterback in this class and even has an inch on Louisville's Brian Brohm, who most considered the top quarterback prospect heading into this college season. However, it was Ryan, not Brohm, who led his team to a successful 2007 collegiate campaign, culminating with a victory in the Champ Sports Bowl. That success has made Ryan the hot quarterback this draft.

Ryan may lack that special something that would make him a can't miss prospect, but he does have plenty of intangibles. He is a great leader and remains extremely calm under pressure. Being a quarterback in the NFL is more than just throwing the ball and Ryan is the type of guy that appears to be able to handle the pressure on and off the field.

The reason the buzz around Ryan is not all that big outside of Boston is due to his lack of a skill to hang his hat on. There are guys out there with stronger arms or better mobility, but Ryan has no weaknesses in any category and that will make him the safest quarterback to draft in June.

2/27 Update: Matt Ryan did not throw at the NFL Combine and for now he remains a likely top three pick in the draft. Boston College will hold their Pro Day on March 18th and Ryan will show off his arm with receivers he is familiar with at that time. The question for now is whether or not the Dolphins want to take him with the first overall pick and, if not, does Atlanta want him to be the face of their franchise.

3/28 Update: Matt Ryan did not impress many people at his Pro Day. He reportedly completed, if you will, 48 of 52 passes for whatever that is worth. With a ton of coaches and media watching, Ryan did not do too well under the pressure, forcing some passes. Herm Edwards was the only head coach in attendance and it is looking like Ryan may slip out of the top five. The one thing working in his favor is the limited amount of senior-to-be quarterbacks in the college ranks. Next year there very well could be a limited number of first round worthy quarterbacks and teams might take their chances this year instead.

4/18 Update: If Matt Ryan does indeed slip out of the top five, where would he end up? The Falcons might think about looking in another direction and that is still Ryan's best opportunity to end up in the top five. Baltimore would certainly think about him with the eighth pick and now the Carolina Panthers are jumping into the mix. The Panthers certainly have bigger needs, but they might not be able to pass up a potential franchise changing quarterback who could just as easily be a top three player overall.