There is no Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III in this draft class; that we've known for a while. But is there a Russell Wilson, in the sense of a quarterback who fell to the middle rounds for one reason or another but looks like a possible NFL star? Some quick thoughts:
E.J. Manuel: It was surprising, but the Bills' fondness for Manuel makes more sense upon examination. He's a mobile, athletic leader with a strong arm and he'll be able to run an aggressive, up-tempo offense. That's what the Bills should have with C.J. Spiller and the speedy young wideouts they added in the draft. Hard to say Manuel will be a star, but those of us who fell for the Ryan Nassib smokescreen feel silly.
Ryan Nassib: Eli Manning doesn't get hurt, so Nassib gets to sit and watch for a couple of years or more. He's got some flaws in his game which backing up Manning should give him plenty of time to correct. No fantasy value, though.
Geno Smith: Thank heavens the Jets didn't draft him at No. 13 overall, as they reportedly considered. Or maybe they didn't; there were so many half-truths and untruths regarding Smith before and after the draft it's tough to know what to believe, beyond the fact that every quarterback-needy team passed on him at least once, and some of them twice. Smith's got some talent and a clear path to the starting lineup, but it's difficult to argue the pieces are any more in place for him than for Mark Sanchez, and considering the biggest concern is his poise and toughness as the pressure increases -- he struggled after a fast start last season -- is New York an ideal landing spot for him?
Mike Glennon: The towering (6-7) Glennon has a big arm, and the Bucs have some big wideouts and want to run an aggressive, downfield attacking offense. I might be in the minority at this point but I like Josh Freeman, so I don't expect Glennon to play, barring injury. But the idea of him starting at some point isn't far-fetched, especially if I'm wrong about Freeman (Greg Schiano hasn't seemed sold on him).
Matt Barkley: Barkley is an accurate passer, which Chip Kelly says is of paramount importance in his offense. But he doesn't have a strong arm and he's not particularly mobile, which suggests a fairly comical contrast with starter Michael Vick. And supposedly Kelly loves Nick Foles, too. I'm going to chalk this up as the Eagles using a 4th on a player they hope to one day trade for s 2nd or 3rd, like the Patriots and Ryan Mallett.
Tyler Wilson: The Raiders had a nice draft, and the fourth-round selection of Wilson was a part of it. He's a tough and gritty pocket passer with a decent arm, who slipped in part because his junior year at Arkansas was much better than his senior season. He's "only" 6-2, for those who worry overly about such things. If a rookie is going to win a job in the preseason, maybe it will be Wilson -- after all a quarterback named Wilson did it to projected starter Matt Flynn just a year ago in Seattle.
Others: Seventh-rounder Zac Dysert looks like a nice get by the Broncos, as does fourth-rounder Landry Jones for the Steelers. There are worse things than watching with no pressure to play for a couple of years. Denver is grooming Brock Osweiler, but maybe Dysert can pass him by. ... If you're a little concerned, as I am, that Alex Smith won't be quite as good in Kansas City as he was in San Francisco, you can keep undrafted Tyler Bray, who signed with KC yesterday, in mind. He's got plenty of talent, and maybe Andy Reid and his staff can coach him up to something. Tony Romo made it.