Word around the football world is former Stanford quarterback Trent Edwards is a prospect that might really surprise people on draft day. After finally getting healthy and displaying his considerable skills at Pro Day recently, he is picking up some serious momentum leading up to the draft. We know, for a fact, that some respected N.F.L. execs and coaches have privately suggested Edwards might not make it to the 2nd round after his great workout last Wednesday. Even if he isn't selected in round one, just about everyone we've talked to thinks he's a virtual lock to be picked in the top two rounds.
At the Combine, Trent had 14 team interview requests, which is extremely high. He possesses prototype qualities - Size (6042, 231 at the Combine, 10.5 inch hands), speed (4.70 at his pro day), strength (19 bench reps at the Combine despite being very ill and not sleeping from the flu), intelligence (he has a degree from Stanford), toughness (he was hit as much as any QB over 4 seasons starting), character (teams have said his interviews were amongst the best) and build (he and Brady Quinn are in the "freak" category for QBs). Scouts love his arm strength, unusually quick release and footwork. Matter of fact, Bill Walsh, perhaps the greatest offensive football mind ever, has said that Edwards has the best footwork and overall mechanics of any college quarterback he's seen since Joe Montana!
Edwards and Vince Young were the top two quarteback recruits in their class coming out of high school, so this isn't a player that just suddenly appeared on the scene. N.F.L. scouts have been watching him since the moment he arrived at Stanford. The only reason he isn't widely talked about at the top of the draft is because Stanford's struggling teams during his four seasons starting, and because he missed the second half of 2006 with a small broken bone in his foot. No surgery was required, but he didn't recover in time to play in the Senior Bowl or Shrine Game.
Edwards' Pro Day was attended by over 30 N.F.L. personnel, including Mike Martz (Detroit OC), Rick Neuheisel (Baltimore QBs), Dick Curl (Kansas City QBs) and Mike McCoy (Carolina QBs). All the teams listed above are in need of a young, talented quarterback. Out of roughly 60 passes he threw at Pro Day, he missed narrowly on 3 and had some drops due to velocity. He ran on Astroturf but threw on grass, and it rained constantly. Overall, it's tough for a quarterbacks to look better in a workout, so he should only generate stronger admirers as this process continues. He has private workouts scheduled with 4 additional teams
