It might be an understatement to say the University of Arizona has gone through a dry spell of pro-caliber quarterbacks. In the past fifty years, only two Wildcats signal callers have taken a snap in the NFL: Eddie Wilson (1962-65) and Bill Demory (1973). Only Wilson was drafted.
Chances are, Nick Foles will end that drought this week.
Though Foles' became UA's all-time leading passer in 2011, his draft stock fell during the team's 4-8 season. Still, FOX Sports NFL Draft analyst Taylor Jones believes Foles is an NFL-ready quarterback with a good deal of upside.
"I have him kind of in that third tier," Jones said. "He's not in the top 100, but a QB-needy team looking for a backup could easily go after him in the fourth, fifth or sixth round. I think he definitely gets drafted, and there's only a couple guys behind him."
Jones said Foles' size, body type and strong arm make him appealing as an NFL prospect, and his decision-making ability is sound. The knock on the 6-foot-5, 240-pound passer is his consistency.
"He's a typical hot and cold guy," Jones said. "He's extremely streaky. When he's on fire, he barely misses, and when he's bad, he's really bad."
Foles' accuracy issues, Jones believes, are often related to how the rest of the game has gone, perhaps suggesting Foles can be easily knocked out of his comfort zone. Additionally, Foles is heavy-footed in the pocket and limited in mobility.
Regardless of these criticisms, Jones says the NFL is a quarterback-driven league, and a talent like Foles will find a landing spot somewhere in the later rounds, and possibly a bit higher. Jones has drawn some comparisons to Texans quarterback Matt Schaub.
One of Foles' favorite targets in Tucson might hear his name a littler earlier in the draft, as Juron Criner looks to become the first UA wide receiver drafted since 2009. Criner caught 11 touchdowns in each of the past two seasons, totaling 2,189 yards on 157 receptions in that span.
Working against Criner is the glut of receivers in this draft. Jones said Criner, at 6-foot-3 and 224 pounds, simply doesn't stand out from a crop of similar receivers with comparable skill sets.
"Other years, Criner may have benefited from the fact that he was one of the bigger kind of prototypical NFL type guys," Jones said. "But you look up and down the board and that's all you see this year."
Jones projects Criner could be taken anywhere between the second and fifth rounds. It's not a question of whether he gets drafted, but how he pans out at the next level.
"It's going to come down to can he separate from NFL man-to-man coverage," Jones said. "He runs quick routes, he gets his body in the right position, and he uses his hands well, but he's inconsistent. He had some drops, tends to get lazy later in games. … But when he's sharp, he's really sharp."
UA cornerback Trevin Wade is also expected to get early- to middle-round consideration, while safety Robert Golden and running back Keola Antonin could draw free-agent interest.
