what college QBs did you consider "can't miss" prospects over the years?

[GameBeforeTheMoney]

The guy I picked right was Russell Wilson.

The guy I picked wrong was Danny Weurfel.

One guy who really impressed me with his accuracy in college was Matt Ryan. I didn't think he was a can't miss prospect per se but I remember think he had a good chance.

[JameisBrownston]

Another guy I wonder what happened to: David Klingler. If I had been alive then, that's a guy I would've thought couldn't bust. The OG Joe Burrow.

That was the offense (R&S) and Houston's proclivity for running up the score (e.g. infamous post-SMU death penalty game) and padding stats (e.g. Klingler v. Eastern Washington) in that era. Particularly against lesser opponents -- their non-conf schedule and whoever was at the bottom of the SWC.

Andre Ware to David Klingler to Jimmy Klingler, the latter put up huge numbers also but a coaching change for his Sr. year possibly cost him being the 3rd 'bust' in a row, at least if NFL teams hadn't caught on yet.

If it's more your era; college stats wise at least, think Tech with Kingsbury, Symons, Cumbie, Hodges, Harrell, to Potts and why none of them were first round picks/did anything in the NFL.

I can't find stats for some of the guys you mentioned. It seems NFL teams had learned their lesson about these dudes by 2000, though, and they quickly went from late-round picks to undrafted and unnoticed. Case Keenum is another one, who actually made a career out of it. In the early 90s, Ware and Klingler were a flashy new thing and their sleight of hand hadn't been exposed yet. It doesn't seem like Ware ever got an extended chance to start, though; did he have injuries?

[Reaser]

I can't find stats for some of the guys you mentioned. It seems NFL teams had learned their lesson about these dudes by 2000, though, and they quickly went from late-round picks to undrafted and unnoticed. Case Keenum is another one, who actually made a career out of it. In the early 90s, Ware and Klingler were a flashy new thing and their sleight of hand hadn't been exposed yet. It doesn't seem like Ware ever got an extended chance to start, though; did he have injuries?

Yeah, those were just the QB's during Leach's Texas Tech "air raid" days. They all put up huge numbers but it was the "air raid" that put up the numbers, not a string of legendary future NFL starting QBs. Close enough comparison to the Houston Cougars run and shoot era (their MAPO version of it anyway,) it was the offense that put up the #'s, not three special once-in-a-generation QBs in a row. Where I was going with that, anyway.

Ware was behind Peete and Kramer in Detroit. After that every NFL team that brought him in to take a look wasn't impressed and let him go.

Whether NFL, CFL or NFL Europe, as a pro he always seemed like a 50/50 QB to me. As in 50% chance he'd hold the ball too long/slow in his reads, 50% chance if he had an easy completion that he'd miss/make the throw, if a drive would end in a TD pass or int 50% chance it'd be either.

[JameisBrownston]

Ware was behind Peete and Kramer in Detroit. After that every NFL team that brought him in to take a look wasn't impressed and let him go.

Was there a time when top 10 pick QBs didn't automatically get an extended starting leash if the team didn't like what it saw in practice? If so, that has certainly not been the case anytime within my lifetime. Nowadays, even obvious wastes of draft capital like Zach Wilson get a couple full years to stink up the joint before being cast off. No team would ever dare think about sitting one behind a guy the caliber of Rodney Peete for more than one month of their rookie year.

[Reaser]

Was there a time when top 10 pick QBs didn't automatically get an extended starting leash if the team didn't like what it saw in practice? If so, that has certainly not been the case anytime within my lifetime. Nowadays, even obvious wastes of draft capital like Zach Wilson get a couple full years to stink up the joint before being cast off. No team would ever dare think about sitting one behind a guy the caliber of Rodney Peete for more than one month of their rookie year.

Trey Lance was named starter and only lost that because he got injured so not sure if he fits your criteria. Probably have to go back to Rich Campbell with the Packers for what you're looking for?

[JameisBrownston]

Was there a time when top 10 pick QBs didn't automatically get an extended starting leash if the team didn't like what it saw in practice? If so, that has certainly not been the case anytime within my lifetime. Nowadays, even obvious wastes of draft capital like Zach Wilson get a couple full years to stink up the joint before being cast off. No team would ever dare think about sitting one behind a guy the caliber of Rodney Peete for more than one month of their rookie year.

Trey Lance was named starter and only lost that because he got injured so not sure if he fits your criteria. Probably have to go back to Rich Campbell with the Packers for what you're looking for?

Well, Andre Ware came after Campbell. Lance only didn't get the job back because Purdy was unexpectedly too good to sit. The most recent similar example would probably be Paxton Lynch, but he was a late 1st rounder.

[JameisBrownston]

While we're on the topic of "what happened to...", on a positive note, what happened to Joe Burrow? In one year, this guy went from a presumed late-round talent putting up very pedestrian numbers with no sign of a breakout, to dropping a 143 passer rating in the SEC and essentially becoming a manufactured can't-miss prospect. Did he get struck by an intergalactic meteorite? Did he switch to the Run & Shoot?!

[Bryan]

Well, Andre Ware came after Campbell. Lance only didn't get the job back because Purdy was unexpectedly too good to sit. The most recent similar example would probably be Paxton Lynch, but he was a late 1st rounder.

Josh Rosen, Akilli Smith?

[SeahawkFever]

Well, Andre Ware came after Campbell. Lance only didn't get the job back because Purdy was unexpectedly too good to sit. The most recent similar example would probably be Paxton Lynch, but he was a late 1st rounder.

Josh Rosen, Akilli Smith?

Ah yes, Josh Rosen. He once said “there were nine mistakes taken ahead of me.”

Little would he know that all nine of those players would have more of a career than he has. But to be fair, I’ve heard people say that there wasn’t much around him in Arizona in 2018.

[Brian wolf]

Rosen took hits to the head even before he went to the Cardinals. He never seemed to recover from that disappointing rookie season, though he had chances. Was he simply, wrongly evaluated coming out of college? Matt Leinart enjoyed so much success out of college, that he admitted to being overconfident and unprepared for pro football but the dysfunction in Arizona, had to affect every QB, including Warner and Palmer, despite their limited success.

Speaking of "cant miss", Carson Palmer could have been another Troy Aikman but just couldnt overcome the dysfunction and collection of malcontents within the Bengals franchise. At least he had a great season in Arizona in 2015 but the team had way to many nerves going against Carolina in the championship game.