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#1 NFL Draft Prospect
by Jameson Cooper
April 21, 2009


There aren't many great quarterbacks available in this year's draft, but this stud is making things very interesting in the days leading up to Saturday's NFL draft. Presumably, Stafford will go No. 1 to Detroit.

Position: Quarterback
Birth Date: February 7, 1988 (age 21)
Hometown: DALLAS, TX
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 237 lbs.
College: Georgia
Class: Junior
Jersey: 7
Overall: Rank 7th
Position: Rank 1st


Overview
Matthew Stafford is a former quarterback at the University of Georgia, where he was a three-year starter. Stafford chose to forgo his final year of eligibility at Georgia to enter the 2009 NFL Draft. Matthew Stafford, born in 1988 in Tampa, is 6-feet, 3-inches tall and weighs 237 pounds.


Prep Career
Matthew Stafford was an All-America quarterback at Highland Park High School in Dallas. Stafford was also a three-time All-State selection. He threw for 2,945 yards and 36TD as a sophomore, and followed that up by throwing for 1,748 yards and 18 TD as a junior. In his senior season, he threw for 4,018 yards and 38 TD, leading his team to its first championship since 1957. Stafford was the No. 1-ranked quarterback in the class of 2006 according to ESPN's Scouts Inc, and considered Michigan and Texas before deciding on Georgia.



Freshman Year
In 2006, Matthew Stafford became the first true freshman to start for the Bulldogs since Quincy Carter in 1999. Stafford finished the season 6-2 as a starter, appearing in 13 games. He totaled 1,749 passing yards and seven touchdowns, leading Georgia to wins over three ranked opponents (Auburn, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech). Stafford was named the Offensive MVP of Georgia's Chick-fil-A Bowl win over Virginia Tech.




Sophomore Year
Stafford started all 13 games as a sophomore, throwing for 2,523 yards and 19 touchdowns to lead Georgia to a berth in the Sugar Bowl. Stafford threw for 175 yards and a touchdown in the 2008 Sugar Bowl against previously unbeaten Hawaii, the Bulldogs' first win in a BCS Game since the 2003 Sugar Bowl.



Junior Year
Heading into his junior season, Stafford was on most watch lists for the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's top quarterback. He ended up earning semifinalist honors, throwing for a career-high 3,459 yards and 25 touchdowns. His standout individual performance came in the Bulldogs' regular season finale, in which he threw for a career-high 407 yards and a school-record-tying five TD in a loss to Georgia Tech. Stafford finished his Georgia career with 7,731 passing yards, which ranks third on the school's all-time list behind David Greene and Eric Zeier.


Personal
Stafford is the son of John and Margaret Stafford. His sister, Page, currently attends the University of Georgia. During his time at Georgia, Stafford majored in speech communication.





Matthew Stafford, Georgia: Stafford is a candidate to become the seventh quarterback in the past nine drafts to be taken No. 1 overall. Detroit, coming off the first 0-16 season in NFL history, has done extensive due diligence on him and could look to Stafford to be their quarterback for years to come.

Stafford, who comes out after his junior season, passed for 3,459 yards and 25 touchdowns with 10 interceptions in 13 games with the Bulldogs in 2008. His attributes include a cannon for a throwing arm as well as good mobility and size. (6'-3", 237 pounds).

He possesses rare physical tools, and all of his weaknesses at this point can be improved with good coaching and hard work. Bottom line: Stafford will develop into an elite starting quarterback in the NFL as he learns his limitations, develops more touch on underneath throws, and becomes more disciplined with his footwork. There's no doubt that a team will gamble a top-10 pick on Stafford's upside. After taking a look at all that is out there, it's obvious that Stafford is the best quarterback in the 2009 class.


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