My impression from the BSC title game Thursday is that I wouldn’t take Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford with the first overall pick. I know that’s harsh, given that it was just one game and he had such a spectacular season overall.
But in this particular game, I didn’t see the same caliber of athlete I saw in previous games. I think the main reason is that Florida probably has the best raw material in college football. It provided a more realistic view of how Bradford stacks up athletically with NFL players than, say, Texas Tech or even Texas. He seemed more slight of build. His arm strength is OK, but doesn’t appear to be exceptional. He needed to make plays. He wasn’t able to so. At times, he looked more like a "system" quarterback than he did before. In terms of the measurable factors (arm strength, size, even speed) Georgia QB Matthew Stafford appears as the better pro prospect. He played three games against Florida in his career - one well (in 2007) and two poorly. Stafford’s lack of consistency makes him questionable with a real early pick in the draft.
Both are being projected as top five picks in the upcoming NFL Draft by some gurus. I’m not sure if it will play out that way. Now if they drop down to 19th or 20th, it would be more reasonable for the Lions to take one of the two with their second first-round selection. They need to take a QB with one of their first five selections because it is such a glaring hole, but the dropoff after Bradford and Stafford is considerable. That could change if USC QB Mark Sanchez decides to come out. Apparently he is pondering doing so. But would he be worthy of the first overall pick? Doesn’t appear so. Sanchez was surrounded by the best talent of them all at USC.

Random Thoughts

- Tim Tebow will probably go back to Florida, but count me among those who feel he is a better pro prospect than he is being given credit for. I don’t care if he never takes snaps under center or if Alex Smith didn’t make it after playing in Urban Meyer’s system at Utah, Tebow is an extraordinary athlete and a winner. You saw the game? Who was the better QB - Tebow or Bradford? Look to me like Tebow - hands down.

- In my opinion, Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is a more viable candidate for the Lions head coaching job than Jason Garrett. The Lions need to think defense first. And look at what the Titans defense has done lately compared to the Cowboys offense?

- And so Grady Sizemore and Curtis Granderson are both on the USA team for the World Baseball Classic. Who starts in center field if both are in the lineup? Talk about picking between elite defenders, eh?