The quarterback who is starting to cause a buzz in the draft is Auburn's Jason Campbell.
He has size, a strong arm and won more games last season than any signal caller in the draft. He didn't lose, going 13-0 last season.
What is Campbell's secret? He has been exposed to a lot of successful coaches.
Campbell had four offensive coordinators in five years at Auburn, causing him to struggle with consistency. But, despite sharing a backfield with Auburn's Ronnie Brown and Carnell "Cadillac" Williams, Campbell was named the SEC offensive player of the year.
Campbell threw for 2,700 yards, 20 touchdowns and completed 60.6 percent, leading the Tigers to a No. 2 national ranking.
"I feel like one more year in this offense, I probably would've been a top 10 draft pick," Campbell said. "But everything happens for a reason."
Campbell may go in the first round after all. The Cleveland Browns are believed to have a big interest in him, especially if they are able to trade down.
The 6-foot-4, 229-pounder has visited Chicago, Tennessee and Cleveland and worked out privately for Miami, Chicago and New England.
Nicknamed "The Future" by his teammates at Auburn, his exposure to other offenses will serve him well in the NFL, he said.
"I feel like it worked out," Campbell said. "A lot of people say four coordinators is probably a negative thing, but I've talked to so many teams and so many people that say it's a positive. In the NFL, you're always going to have to learn different things. It was impressive to them."
TEAMS WITH NEEDS
1. San Francisco - Still trying to replace Montana and Young. Smith trumps Rodgers, the local favorite.
2. Miami - Dolphins coach Nick Saban wants fresh start
3. Cleveland - Trent Dilfer is keeping the seat warm for Browns' next QB.
4. Tennessee - Need to find a replacement for Steve McNair
5. Green Bay Packers - Brett Favre possibly retiring after season
BUCS ON THE CLOCK
Tampa Bay has discussed trading up to get Utah's Alex Smith and is prepared if Cal's Aaron Rodgers falls to No. 5. Coach Jon Gruden thinks he never will get this close to a franchise QB in the draft. Veteran Brian Griese essentially signed a one-year deal. Chris Simms has never endeared himself to Gruden. In the later rounds, the Bucs would love to take a run at McPherson.
UNDER THE RADAR
Kyle Orton, Purdue
6-4, 220 pounds
Orton went 165 straight passing attempts last season before throwing an interception. He compares favorably to Chargers quarterback Drew Brees. He's not very mobile, so he will need to play behind a solid offensive line that can give him to time to pick receivers.
EXTRA POINTS:
MR. HEISMAN: Oklahoma quarterback Jason White is getting no love from the NFL. White, who overcame season-ending knee surgeries in consecutive years, is a Heisman Trophy winner, for goodness sakes, who nearly won the award twice. But White's overall ability and lack of arm strength may render him no better than a backup in the NFL.
BERLINER: Whatever happened to Miami's Brock Berlin? The Hurricanes quarterback sort of fell off the radar screen after the season ended. Berlin won a lot of games at Miami, but his accuracy leaves a lot to be desired.
CHANG, CHANG: Quick. Who is the most prolific passer in Division I-A history? It's Hawaii's Timmy Chang, who passed for more than 17,000 yards with the Rainbows. He benefited greatly from the run-and-shoot offense of Hawaii coach June Jones.
