I’ve posted on this before, but if Stafford has the kind of year in ’08 we all hope he’s capable of, it’s going to be hard for him to resist the siren song of the NFL draft.
… Stafford is noncommittal about whether he will think about entering the draft after next season.
“I don’t know,” he said. “It depends. There’s a whole lot of time between now and then as far as injuries can happen, the team can or can not play good. There’s a whole bunch of stuff that can happen. There’s a lot of factors that boil down into it.”
Stafford has a good resource. He is good friends with an NFL scout who used to work for Dallas and lived across the street from Stafford in Texas.
“That really, really helps,” Stafford said.
Gil Brandt, the former Dallas Cowboys personnel executive and a draft analyst with NFL.com, watched Stafford play in high school.
“I think he has outstanding ability and he’s a very mature guy,” Brandt said. “As an example, I talked to (Dolphins No. 1 overall pick) Jake Long and told him you ought to send a nice big check to Lloyd Carr for advising you to stay in school and make considerably more money. I think for somebody in Stafford’s case, if he stays there through his fourth year, he has a chance to be the first player taken in the draft.”
Georgia coach Mark Richt told quarterback recruits for the next signing class that they would have a chance to compete for the starting job in 2010.
That’s true no matter what Stafford decides.
“You just tell them by Year 2, you’ll be competing with Logan Gray and whoever else we sign in this class and maybe a guy a year behind you,” Richt said. “The numbers are not that daunting. It’s a very good time to come in and go compete.”
In case you were wondering why Richt thinks it’s crucial for Georgia to sign two QBs in the class of 2009…
Get The Picture 
Senator: What do you think has to happen in terms of stats and wins for Stafford to enter the draft next year?
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I’d say it’s gonna depend more on his stats than wins unless we totally fade like Brohm and Louisville last season.
I’d say he needs to get around a 3 to 1 TD/INT ratio with 25 or more TDs. He’d need to average about 225 yards or more a game and get his completion pct. near 60 or better.
Honestly, I’d like to see us win it all and Stafford be OK but not spectacular. I have a feeling we’ll need to replace our starting RB as well. A lot of people seem to think it’s a given he’ll be back, but if he improves on what he did last year I see nothing to prevent him from being a first round pick and no reason why he’d stay.
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I agree with kckd that wins won’t enter into the equation.
As for stats, I don’t think there’s a specific target Matt has to hit, as long as he continues to show steady progress as a collegiate QB.
The main factor in Matt’s decision is likely to be that the current group of senior QBs is lackluster.
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Anybody think winning the MNC this year would heavily influence his (and Moreno’s) decision?
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I think that might factor in. So would coming agonizingly close to winning the MNC.
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Completion percentage is the collegiate stat that is the best predictor of success in the pros, I believe (and it’s not perfect by any stretch).
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If stats were the indicator then how in the hell did Matt Ryan get the 3rd pick in the draft??
59% completion rate against ACC defenses, 56-37 td to int ratio. His arm strength is average, he struggles with the deep ball (and that’s being kind), he’s not mobile (worse that David Greene, imo), he’s not fast, and he’s NOT an athlete.
From the looks of it, MS should’ve come out THIS year.
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Don’t overlook the fact that Gil Brandt seems to be telling Stafford he should stay all four years. Brandt will no doubt be someone Stafford consults with at length before making his decision.
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I don’t know that if he has a breakout year he’s gonna leave. He seems to enjoy the college life and his family isn’t depending on him to be the monetary pillar. The next draft may not be strong for QB’s but ’10 draft won’t be comparable to the ’83 draft for QB’s either. Unless he’s improved on some of his fundamentals (footwork for example) one more year will only help him barring injury (God forbid).
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The next draft may not be strong for QB’s but ‘10 draft won’t be comparable to the ‘83 draft for QB’s either.
If no QB leaves early for next year’s draft, in comparison to it, the ’10 draft will seem like the ’83 one… 😉
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