NFL Draft 2009 & 1999 1st Round Quarterbacks

A decade ago, there was great buzz about the quarterbacks available in the 1999 NFL Draft. In total, there would be five QB's selected in the first round. The first overall pick, was Tim Couch. The other quarterbacks that followed Couch, were Donovan McNabb, Akili Smith, Daunte Culpepper and Cade McNown. The first three picks of the 1999 draft, were quarterbacks. Ten years later, three of the five are out of the NFL. Culpepper and McNabb, the lone survivors, have enjoyed some success, though winning it all has eluded them both.

The quarterbacks who are no longer in the league, were highly rated passers who were supposed to become the face of their new franchises. Tim Couch, the strong armed quarterback out of the University of Kentucky, was drafted to rescue the Cleveland Brown's franchise. Like most #1 picks, Couch went to a struggling team. In 1999 Couch didn't play terribly, finishing his first season with, 2,447 yards passing, 15 td's and 13 int's. Couch had little support in Cleveland. His leading receiver was fellow rookie, Kevin Johnson, who finished the season with 986 yards, the teams leading rusher, Terry Kirby, finished the season with 452 yards. Couch wouldn't last in Cleveland, or in the NFL.

Akili Smith was supposed to make Bengals fans forget about David Klinger, the QB Cincinnati drafted in the 1^st round of the 1992 draft. Unfortunately for the Bengals, the Smith era would end like the Klinger era had, badly. When his career was over in Cincinnati, Smith's numbers would read a dreadful, 2,212 yards passing on 215 of 461 attempts. He threw only 5 touchdowns, with 13 interceptions.

Before Matt Leinhart, Cade McNown was the flashy QB from California. McNown was selected by the Chicago Bears in the 1^st round of the draft and many thought he'd be the Bears quarterback of the future. After only two seasons it became clear to the Bears that the former Bruins QB wasn't the answer. McNown struggled and posted a record of, 3-12 from 1999-2000. McNown's lack of success on the field wasn't his only problem. McNown was known for his bad attitude with coaches and fellow players. The Bears would trade McNown and after a couple of seasons with other teams, (Miami and San Francisco) McNown was out of the league.

The 1999 draft featured five quarterbacks, some were big and strong armed, some could move well in the pocket, all were supposed to be good. There are a lot of factors that go into the success or failure of a young quarterback. In addition to the physical tools, teams must try and gage how these young quarterbacks will deal with adversity. These are quarterbacks that have been successful the majority of their careers, which is why they were first round picks to begin with. What happens to a young player when he struggles, when his talent is questioned?

Ten years later, there will likely be three quarterbacks taken in the 1^st round of this years draft. What will the future hold for Josh Freeman, Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez? The odds are against all three becoming successful NFL quarterbacks, though last year Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco both had successful rookie campaigns. Let's see if a decade later, these quarterbacks will have better luck then their counterparts from 1999.

Sources:
http://www.footballdb.com/teams/cleveland-browns/stats/1999
http://www.databasefootball.com/teams/teamyear.htm?tm=CLE&lg=nfl&yr=1999
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/McNoCa00.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/26/sports/pro-football-notebook-bears-traded-mcnown-over-his-attitude.html?pagewanted=1