2011 NFL Draft Prospects Indvidual Evaluation: Cam Newton

CAM NEWTON                        

HT: 6’ 5”  WT: 250LBS

40 TIME: 4.53

 

ARM STRENGTH:  Possesses an absolute cannon for an arm. Has the ability to fit the ball in between tight coverage and can throw the  ball a mile with just a flick of the wrist. Consistently throws the ball with velocity and has excellent ball rotation on his throws.

  GRADE: 19 OUT OF 20

 

ACCURACY & THROWING MECHANICS: Newton has a smooth delivery and a quick release. Shows decent touch, but not on a consistent basis. Occasionally overthrows receivers, and misses open targets, but his overall completion percentage has managed to stay above 60%

   GRADE: 17 OUT OF 20

 

FOOTWORK & MOBILITY: Newton combines his 4.5 speed with a 6’ 5” 250lbs frame which is a deadly combination. Newton is able to escape pressure, break tackles, stiff arm pass rushers, and still get the pass off. As a ball carrier, on numerous occasions, he will lower his shoulder on defenders as he is capable of trucking linebackers and simply dismantling defensive backs in the open field. Without a doubt, he adds a whole other dimension to the offense that opposing defenses have to account for.

 GRADE: 19 OUT OF 20

 

STATISTICAL PRODUCTION: This past season Newton threw for over 2800 yards and 30 td’s with only 7 int’s. His rushing stats were equally impressive: 1285 yards rushing with 20 td’s. His production last year was outstanding, but he only has one season of numbers to go by.

  GRADE: 17 OUT OF 20

 

INTANGIBLES: Cam Newton past indiscretions are well documented. A number of red flags have been raised such as the accusations of theft and alleged academic cheating while at Florida, and most notably, the alleged actions of his father during his recruitment out of junior college. Despite the negatives, no one can deny Newton’s ability to transform a program into an immediate winner. After transferring from Florida he led Blinn Junior College to the NJCAA Championship. From there, he joined what had been an above average Auburn team, playing in the toughest conference in college football, and led them to a National Championship. In order to be successful at the next level, he will not be able to simply rely on his natural abilities. His devotion to film study, and his overall football IQ will be make or break for him at the next level. What will be his learning curve? At Auburn, Newton ran a very explosive offense, but not one that translates very well to the pro level. One thing working in his favor; he had to learn three different offenses during his college tenure and he seemed to have very little problem adjusting.

  GRADE: 15 OUT OF 20

OVERALL GRADE:  87

EARLY PLAYER COMPARISON: BEN ROETHLISBERGER

Looking to gain some insight from my readers. Post your comments and let me know your opinion after reviewing the analysis and film

-AT