2011 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Cam Newton
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Strengths:
Elite mobility for his size
Strong arm
Relatively accurate
Hard to bring down
Leadership
Weaknesses: Maturity and character concerns
Only one season of major college experience
Relies too much on athleticism over fundamentals
Poor throwing mechanics
Hardly any experience under center
Mostly makes only one or two reads
Summary: Cameron Newton became a superstar in a very short period of time. His circuitous route to the Heisman trophy and BCS national championship will be scrutinized by NFL decision-makers. Whether or not he actually knew about his father auctioning his services to the highest bidder, there are other red flags in the character department for him to answer to. Lack of big time college football experience is a huge concern. FBS teams barely had any time to assess his weaknesses and attempt to exploit them, something which is not going to be the case at the NFL level.
Player Comparison: None. There is no single player Newton's game compares to. His combination of size and speed is pretty much unprecedented. The laziest comparison is Vince Young and from a scrambling standpoint it is fair, but Newton is more accurate as a passer. He is not going to give defensive coordinators ulcers preparing for his running like Michael Vick has, however, which is what makes him such a unique prospect. Dream scenario is that he is a faster Ben Roethlisberger.
RELATED LINKS:
2011 NFL Mock Draft: Greg's | Walt's
2011 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings
2011 NFL Draft Scouting Reports
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Weaknesses:
Summary: Cameron Newton became a superstar in a very short period of time. His circuitous route to the Heisman trophy and BCS national championship will be scrutinized by NFL decision-makers. Whether or not he actually knew about his father auctioning his services to the highest bidder, there are other red flags in the character department for him to answer to. Lack of big time college football experience is a huge concern. FBS teams barely had any time to assess his weaknesses and attempt to exploit them, something which is not going to be the case at the NFL level.
Player Comparison: None. There is no single player Newton's game compares to. His combination of size and speed is pretty much unprecedented. The laziest comparison is Vince Young and from a scrambling standpoint it is fair, but Newton is more accurate as a passer. He is not going to give defensive coordinators ulcers preparing for his running like Michael Vick has, however, which is what makes him such a unique prospect. Dream scenario is that he is a faster Ben Roethlisberger.
RELATED LINKS:
2011 NFL Mock Draft: Greg's | Walt's
2011 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings
2011 NFL Draft Scouting Reports