ASU’s Osweiler rising up NFL draft boards, UA’s Foles trails

Many questioned Brock Osweiler’s decision to forego his
senior year at ASU in order to enter the NFL Draft.

After all, why leave school just to become a late-round
selection, when another year of seasoning at the
collegiate level could vault you to first-round status?

Well, what if Osweiler is already there? ESPN NFL Draft
expert Todd McShay said he’d take the ASU signal caller
with a late first-round pick.

“I popped in the tape and I’m watching this guy,” McShay
told ESPN Radio’s Mike and Mike. “I’m not sure he can
move, his mechanics are awful, he’s falling off at the end
of his throws.

“The more I watch, the more I love him. He’s a competitor,
he does move well…and he’s accurate despite
unusual mechanics and that unusual release.”

Osweiler only started one season in college, completing
63.2 percent of his passes for 4,036 yards with 26
touchdowns and 13 interceptions, but has seen his
potential trump inexperience.

Because, while McShay has been on the Osweiler bandwagon
for a while now, he’s been joined by fellow draft analyst
Mel Kiper, who ranks the Sun Devil as the third-best QB in
the draft.

That puts him ahead of Arizona QB Nick Foles, who Kiper
says is worthy of a second-round selection.

“Has the size, he has the arm to be a second-round draft
pick,” Kiper said of the Wildcat. “What concerns me,
though, is inaccuracy at times.”

Kiper said Foles could be a very good NFL quarterback if
he irons out a couple of his issues, but that he grades
him lower because he did not see the QB take his game to
an elite level in his senior season.

Then again, Foles did post career-best numbers last
season, completing 69.1 percent of his passes for 4,334
yards while throwing 28 touchdowns and 14 interceptions
for a team that struggled to run the ball and protect the
passer.

The 2012 NFL Draft is still a couple months away, and a
lot will happen between now and the time names are called.
But as of now, it appears Osweiler made the right call in
leaving school early. But will his name be called before
Arizona’s star?

Follow @theAdamGreen