The Leading Authority of the NFL Draft

Skinny: Mallett has the best arm in this draft and it’s by a wide margin. He has impressive short range accuracy to go along with his amazing arm strength and classic over the top delivery. Mallett has his fare share of negatives including limited mobility, an elongated/deliberate release, and off-field/character concerns. Regardless of the potential problems or warning signs, he has the kind of raw arm strength and natural ability to throw the football that you simply cannot coach. Mallett is an extremely risky draft pick but his upside is greater than almost any pick because of what he could potentially be and that’s a franchise passer in the mold of a Drew Bledsoe.

Declare: The junior signal caller for the Razorbacks made it official Thursday Night that he would enter the 2011 NFL Draft and forgo his last year of eligibility. There are question marks here, just like with any prospect in the nation, but the bottom line is this quarterback threw 62 touchdowns in the last two years combined and he did it in the SEC. Mallett lost a year of eligibility transferring from Michigan to Arkansas after his freshman season and he’s only had two full years as a starter, albeit against good competition. As with all of this year’s current quarterback prospects, Mallett’s draft stock was helped immensely by Andrew Luck’s decision to stay at Stanford.

2010: While there is debate as to where Mallett stacks up among all of the quarterbacks in college football, he is the clear-cut top pro prospect at the position among the junior class. Mallett has the classic cannon arm that will make scouts drool come pro-day time (expect him to pass on throwing at the Scouting Combine), but he needs to work on his touch and accuracy. Too many of his fastballs still sail high or find the turf. In addition to improving his completion percentage, Mallett can do a better job of allowing his receivers to make yards after the catch. It should be noted that the Arkansas product did a very good job of protecting the football in his first year as a starter in 2009; he had a better than four-to-one touchdown-to-interception ratio. He also handles the ball and throws on the move better than you might think. The bottom line is that the Texarkana native is physically superior to the average quarterback—he can make throws that most college teams don’t even have in their playbook. Mallett was given leeway to audible at the line of scrimmage and the more he grows from the neck up, the higher his stock will go. At this point he is the most likely of the junior signal callers to declare for the 2011 NFL Draft. The expectations are high for both Mallett and his Razorbacks in 2010.

SCOUT'S TAKE

2010: After starting his career in Ann Arbor as a Michigan Wolverine, Mallet bolted the Maize and Blue upon the arrival of Rich Rodriguez. Mallett returned to his native Arkansas to play for Bobby Petrino, who came up through the coaching ranks as a quarterbacks coach. The first thing that stands out about this Razorback is that everything about him is big. Standing at 6’7” and 235 pounds, the SEC signal caller possesses a cannon arm, one capable of making every NFL throw in the book…and some that aren’t. Mallett can get the ball into windows in coverage with an ease that most quarterbacks can only dream of. However, the Arkansas product is not all arm strength; he possesses light feet and excellent footwork for a man his size. After throwing for 30 touchdowns (only seven interceptions) and 3,624 yards some thought the red-shirt sophomore was right to test the NFL waters, but the broad-shouldered passer wisely returned to Arkansas for at least one more season. He still has issues with mechanics and accuracy that he needs to work on, and college is the place to do so. That being said, Mallett oozes with potential and with a big season he could be a top-10 selection. In fact, if all goes well he’ll join the race to be the number one overall selection in the 2011 Draft, should he declare following his junior season.

2009: A pocket passer with the howitzer arm to make any kind of throw, Ryan Mallett has drawn comparisons to Ben Roethlisberger. He may not be very nimble when he’s forced outside the pocket, but he’s not afraid to stand in there a few extra seconds to deliver his throw. The 6’6-signal caller has a great feel for the rush and a quick release, which makes him difficult to get to. Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino has a strong reputation for developing quarterbacks and his latest pupil seems to have all the tools required of the job. The Michigan transfer is well on his way to be being considered a future franchise quarterback at the next level.

Scout's Notebook

10/16/10 - @ Auburn - In a game that displayed so much offense, it’s hard to believe that Ryan Mallett didn’t play a large role in the action. He misfired on his first four pass attempts. The first was a low throw to Joe Adams that was nearly uncatchable. His second attempt sailed high over the head of everyone and went out of bounds. On that throw he had outstanding protection from his line and had time to scan the field, yet still threw a horrific pass. Then, on his third attempt, he tried to hit Childs down the left sideline but overthrew him. Needless to say it was an unimpressive first series for the highly-touted quarterback. On the second series he finally made his first completion; a six-yard quick out. Two plays later Mallett bootlegged to his left and threw a perfect strike to Knile Davis for the first down. A couple of plays later he threw a fastball to Greg Childs on a slant route, showing off his strong arm. He completed two more passes early on in the second quarter, connecting eight straight times after missing on his first four attempts. That seems to be the story of Mallett’s season; he will have stretches where he can’t find his accuracy and other times he can put the ball wherever he wants. Nevertheless, he was outstanding on Arkansas’ opening drive of the second quarter, taking them 88 yards on 12 plays to reclaim the lead. Unfortunately for Mallett that was his final drive of the game, as he was injured on the second to last play of the drive and had to be replaced by Tyler Wilson. - Scout's Notebook: Arkansas @ Auburn

NEWS

10/23/10 - Arkansas junior QB Ryan Mallett, who suffered a concussion last weekend, started today's game with Ole Miss, but left in the 3rd quarter after suffering a bruised throwing shoulder. The injury, though, is not believed to be serious enough to cost Mallett any playing time. Mallett completed 13 of 24 passes for just under 200 yards and a score, but with a pick, as Arkansas defeated Ole Miss this afternoon 38-24.

10/20/10 - Arkansas is hoping that junior QB Ryan Mallett could return to practice as early as this afternoon after suffering a concussion in a loss to Auburn over the weekend. Mallett reportedly showed no symptoms of the concussion on Sunday.

09/20/10 - Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett, on the other hand, stepped up in a big game vs. SEC rival Georgia and led his team to the road victory with last-minute TD pass. There are some concerns about Mallett -- he is so tall his throwing motion can be deliberate, and Bobby Petrino quarterbacks typically fail at the NFL level -- but there is no questioning Mallett's arm strength, surprising mobility and accuracy when using good footwork. Mallett (6-7, 266) must continue to produce at a high level to be a top-10 pick in April, but if able to play close to the level he displayed Saturday he could well challenge Stanford's Andrew Luck to be the first QB drafted. Locker certainly is more athletic than Mallett, but Mallett sure looks more ready to play in the NFL. – The Sporting News

09/10/10 - Ryan Mallett, 22, has a personality that skips right past turmoil, and maybe that has something to do with how he managed his transfer. After sitting out the 2008 season, as required by transfer rules, he ascended into a leadership role for the Razorbacks in 2009 and was on the cover of the football team’s 2010 media guide. Mallett’s decision to leave Michigan after Lloyd Carr retired was not prompted by failure but because the new coach, Rich Rodriguez, was installing a spread-option offense. Mallett also relishes the details of the game, including footwork in the pocket and changing plays. Because of his height, he can see over the helmets of the players in front of him, and his arm is strong enough that he can throw darts from the right hash mark to the left side of the field. Mallett had some issues last season. Arkansas was last in the Southeastern Conference in third-down conversions. Critics said one reason was his tendency to throw too hard on underneath passes in such situations. Mallett completed 55.8 percent of his passes in 2009 and 49 percent on third down, but just 40.5 percent on third-and-10 or longer. – New York Times

07/23/10 - The junior from Texarkana, Ark., is the only returning quarterback from a BCS conference who finished in the top 10 in passing efficiency in 2009. He finished No. 7 in the nation and second in the Southeastern Conference in efficiency with a 152.46 rating on 225 completions in 403 attempts for 3,624 yards, 30 touchdowns and just seven interceptions, leading the Hogs to an 8-5 season after a 5-7 mark in 2008. Five times, he threw for 300 yards or more last season and twice hit the 400-yard plateau while breaking or tying 16 school records. "I believe he'll post big numbers again this year," said South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, whose team allowed 329 yards to Mallett in a 33-16 loss. "He's an excellent player and obviously an NFL prospect at 6-7." Mallett may have been a first round pick in the NFL after last season, but he stayed at Arkansas. – The Advertiser

06/06/10 - Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino says quarterback Ryan Mallett (toe) has started "running straight ahead, and he’ll be throwing starting this week," according to ESPN. It was previously reported that Mallett’s rehab from toe surgery was on schedule but that he's "not going to be able to go side-to-side until maybe July or August." This doesn’t seem to pose much of an issue, considering Mallet wears a pair of Drew Bledsoe concrete dancing shoes and isn’t one of these quarterbacks who is going to beat you with his feet. In fact, here at the NFL Draft Bible we believe Mallett has the strongest arm of any quarterback in college football and looms as a darkhorse candidate to become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.

02/17/10 - Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett suffered a broken left foot during conditioning drills Wednesday and will miss all of spring practice. Mallett's recovery is expected to last three to four months, according to Arkansas' medical staff, which would bring him back in plenty of time for the start of preseason practice in August. Mallett led the SEC with 3,624 passing yards and 30 touchdowns last season, both Arkansas records. It was his first season in the SEC after sitting out the 2008 season following his transfer from Michigan. "It is unfortunate since Ryan works extremely hard and has made a commitment to the Razorbacks," Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said. "I am confident in our athletic trainers and medical staff and believe they are the best in the country. Ryan is a strong competitor who I know will put all his effort into overcoming his injury and continuing to lead his team." – ESPN

01/16/10 - Arkansas football coach Bobby Petrino says five Razorbacks have undergone surgery since the end of the just-completed season, including quarterback Ryan Mallett. Petrino said at a news conference Saturday that Mallett underwent a tightening procedure on his left shoulder — not the side he uses to throw. Petrino said Mallett suffered an injury to the shoulder last spring, but it didn't affect his throwing. This injury should not affect his draft status in any way and he is expected to be ready in time for the start of the season.

01/10/10 - Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett is staying in college, passing up the NFL with an eye toward helping the Razorbacks become one of the nation’s elite teams. Mallett announced his decision Friday. He threw for a school-record 3,624 yards this season, leading Arkansas’ young team to an 8-5 record. Mallett’s top wide receivers are expected back next season as well. “We’re excited. We can’t wait,” Mallett said. “We’ve got a great team still that’s coming back.” – Associated Press

01/07/10 - KFSM, Channel 5 in Fort Smith has reported Thursday night that Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett will return for his junior season. Quoted sources, KFSM said that Mallett will hold a press conference Friday where he will officially announce his decision to return for the 2010 season. Mallett submitted paperwork last month for an evaluation of his draft status with the NFL. Being three years' removed from high school, Mallett was eligible to enter the NFL Draft this spring. Mallett has until Jan. 15 to make a decision on whether he will enter the draft.

01/02/10 - Ryan Mallett was named most valuable player of the Liberty Bowl, but he went only 15 of 36 for 202 yards and a touchdown, as the Razorbacks won 20-17.

12/22/09 - Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett has applied for feedback from the NFL Collegiate Advisory Committee. Mallett did not say if he'd already gotten feedback. He declined to say if there was a specific draft position that he would convince him to consider leaving Arkansas early. "I'm not even worried about that right now," Mallett said. "That's just a preliminary thing that a lot of juniors do. I sent it in to see what they had to say. But right now we're just focused on East Carolina and the practices this week have been very good." Mallett, a strong-armed, 6-foot-7, 240-pound redshirt sophomore, threw for 3,422 yards and 29 touchdowns this season. He broke or tied 16 school records and threw seven interceptions. – ArkansasSports360.com

11/17/09 - The Razorbacks three game winning streak has been good news for Hog football fans but it could mean bad news if quarterback Ryan Mallett's stock continues to rise with NFL scouts. Mallett is in his first playing season at Arkansas but as a redshirt sophomore he will be draft eligible at the end of the 2009 campaign. Has he talked about this with Arkansas coaches? "No, we haven't talked about it at all," offensive coordinator Paul Petrino said after Tuesday's practice. "He needs to be here another year for sure to make sure he continues to grow and improve. You've seen so much improvement here lately. He wants to make sure he keeps growing and improving and then that'll be something we can talk about at this time next year." - KSFM

06/02/09 - Sophomore quarterback Ryan Mallett will be sidelined for two to three weeks after injuring the ring finger on his throwing (right) hand in the weight room on Monday afternoon. “Ryan will not be able to throw the football for the next two to three weeks while his finger heals,” Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino said. “The injury doesn’t require surgery and we don’t anticipate that his injury will prevent him from participating in a significant portion of the voluntary off-season conditioning and throwing.” Mallett is listed as the Razorbacks’ starting quarterback on the post-spring depth chart. Pre-season camp begins on August 7.

03/01/09 - Fayetteville police arrested Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett on a public intoxication charge early Sunday outside of a nightspot near campus. The 20-year-old Mallett was booked into the Washington County Jail at 3:47 a.m. after Fayetteville police arrested him on Dickson Street. Mallett was released on bond about an hour later. Coach Bobby Petrino said Mallett put the program in a bad light and that he would be disciplined. Mallett is seen as the likely starter for the Razorbacks in 2009. He sat out 2008 after transferring from Michigan. "I am very disappointed that Ryan Mallett put himself in a situation that doesn't reflect positively on him or on our program," Petrino said. "All members of the Razorback football team have a responsibility to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner on and off the field. While the legal process has not yet taken its course in this matter, Ryan will face internal team disciplinary action for not representing the Razorbacks in a way that is required of our student-athletes."