Sleeper Watch

The NFL draft can be a funny thing. Just when you think you have it all figured out, the entire picture can change as quickly as if an enthusiastic puppy had bounded into your carefully-raked Zen garden. Case in point: this year’s quarterback class. Heading into the 2005 season, it was all about USC’s Matt Leinart, the winner of the previous year’s Heisman Trophy. Then along came Vince Young, whose bid to supplant Leinart as the top QB prospect was capped by a phenomenal 267-passing-yard, 200-rushing-yard performance in the Rose Bowl that left pundits scrambling to rearrange their mock drafts. And now, just when we thought we had it all figured out once again, Jay Cutler is suddenly turning this into a three-man race.

Cutler’s already rising stock soared at the Senior Bowl, where he wowed scouts with his athleticism and arm strength. For an encore, he ran an unofficial 4.75 forty at the combine, an excellent time considering his 6′4″, 230-pound frame. He also turned heads by pressing 225 pounds 23 times, and suddenly the rumors were swirling. Never mind top ten - whispers soon had Cutler going off the board at the number two pick, either to New Orleans or to a team willing to trade up to land him, with the hottest rumor revolving around the Jets. And while such speculation should always be taken with a king-sized grain of salt, there can be little doubt that many NFL GMs would love to get their hands on Jay Cutler.

Cutler’s career at Vanderbilt was indeed exceptional. He passed for nearly 8,700 yards in his four seasons, including a 3,073-yard senior campaign that saw him rack up 21 touchdown strikes, a 59.1% completion rate, and a 126.1 passer rating. If there’s any knock on the young passer, it’s that he needs to learn to become more patient and not force the ball into coverage. How quickly he can do so will be a key factor in determining how quickly he can be effective at the NFL level.

If you can’t land highly-touted rookies Leinart or Young for your fantasy squad in this year’s drafts, don’t fret; Jay Cutler is looking like far more than a consolation prize. He might take a little time to adapt to the pro game, but if you can stash him away on your dynasty roster, he could pay very solid dividends in the not-so-distant future.

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