Beyond the Combine.com
The majority of educated observers have been decidedly undecided when it comes to Ryan Nassib. Exactly how good is the Syracuse senior signal caller?
At least one respectable source says, “pretty darn good.”
Pro Football Weekly named Nassib to its All-American team. Nassib is the squad’s only quarterback. So according to Pro Football Weekly, Nassib is the top QB prospect in the country.¬†Here‚Äôs how the magazine chooses its All-Americans:
“PFW’s All-America team annually honors college football’s most talented players and is determined based on extensive evaluation and considerable feedback from NFL evaluators, taking into consideration how players grade out both in their assignments and by the quality of critical playing traits. PFW honors are distinguished by the premium placed on skill, football temperament and instincts and seek to recognize players we expect will become outstanding pros. Players are expected to have contributed for the bulk of the season to qualify. Production is considered, but not weighed nearly as heavily as how much of an impact players make on their teams. Extra attention is paid to traits such as toughness, intelligence and competitiveness, all traits that we believe correlate heavily to future NFL success.”
With all the hype Geno Smith and Matt Barkley have received, could Nassib really be the best of the bunch at the next level? This honor really fits perfectly with his career path. He has consistently found a way to mix heavy doses of uncertainty with staggering success.
He’s broken nearly every important SU passing record. But is he really as good as guys like McNabb, McPherson and Graves?
After the first game of the 2012 season, he led the nation in total yards. After the sixth game, there were murmurs that another quarterback might be given a chance if the Orange lost again. Then SU rampaged through the rest of its schedule, with Nassib leading the charge.
Nassib put up some monster yards through the season, but the offense was certainly a big part of the blame as the Orange staggered to 2-4. The loss to Minnesota threatened to sink the season, and the attack looked particularly lifeless that night in the Twin Citues.
But Nassib has been the face of a rebuilding project over the past few years. Things weren’t always going to go smoothly. There have been times when the offense has been frustratingly bad. Times when Nassib was compiling solid numbers, but failing to translate that into points or wins. Some of this had to do with factors beyond his control. There had been an average supporting cast surrounding him at times, an inexperienced offensive coordinator, and multiple schemes thrown at Nassib. He is just now starting to settle in as a play-caller.
Circumstances have made it tough to tell just how good Nassib is, and just how good he could be in the pros.
Take his inclusion on the Pro Football Weekly All-American Team as a sign that Nassib has a better chance to succeed in the NFL than most in the Syracuse community ever imagined.
Posted: Andrew Kanell
