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Mark Sanchez could become draft's top quarterback

USC quarterback could be drafted before Stafford

Dan Pompei | On the NFL
February 22, 2009

That Georgia's Matthew Stafford will be the first quarterback taken in the April draft has gone from assumption to gospel in the minds of some.

But the truth is it is too early for such assumptions.

By Monday, that assumption could look foolish. Stafford has decided he will not participate in throwing drills at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis on Sunday. But Mark Sanchez of Southern California, who also could be the first quarterback taken, has declared he will throw.

At this point, there are divided opinions on which of the two underclassmen should go first. Most teams probably give Stafford a slight edge because of his superior arm strength. But the evaluation process is ongoing and there is hardly a consensus.

Dan Pompei Dan Pompei E-mail | Recent columns

In fact, three scouts the Tribune contacted this week said they rate Sanchez higher at this point. But because scouts know more about Stafford than Sanchez, many others have a greater comfort level with him.

Sanchez has more to prove because he has started only 16 games in his college career, compared with 34 for Stafford. Pete Carroll, Sanchez's college coach, criticized his decision to leave after his junior year and agrees with NFL scouts who wanted to see more from him before he turned pro. While Carroll had a selfish interest in having Sanchez stay at USC for another year, teams can't dismiss the possibility the former NFL head coach doesn't believe Sanchez is ready. His lack of experience could mean he will be a late bloomer. Or it could mean he will never realize his potential because he will dig himself a hole too deep.

One thing Sanchez has going for him is instincts. Several scouts agree he has more feel for the game than Stafford. That could help offset his inexperience.

Sanchez often is painted as a laid-back West Coast guy in the Matt Leinart mold. The truth is his father fights wildfires in Southern California, and Web sites have yet to post photos of him with celebrities.

Sanchez can make himself a lot of money at the combine Sunday. He already is considered more athletic than Stafford, more accurate and a better decision-maker. If he can show arm strength that is similar to Stafford's, the top quarterback spot in the draft may be his.

Zibby in the ring? Tom Zbikowski had a nice rookie season for the Ravens, leading the team in solo special teams tackles and playing in special defensive packages—but that doesn't make him any less appealing to boxing promoters.

In fact, Bob Arum wanted to sign the Arlington Heights native and Notre Dame alum to fight on a May 2 pay per view card from Las Vegas. Zbikowski, who has boxed professionally twice, had some interest in returning to the ring.

His motivation was to raise money and awareness for the ALS foundation. Zbikowski wanted to donate his purse to help find a cure for the disease. Ravens director of player programs O.J. Brigance is afflicted with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

"I didn't want to get taken away from football but only thought about it because it was an opportunity to raise money for ALS," Zbikowski said. "O.J. puts a smile on my face every day. He always has some words of wisdom. I wanted to give something to a cause that doesn't get a lot of attention."

Zbikowski even was prepared to refund his signing bonus if he was injured in the ring. But eventually he and the Ravens thought it best that he concentrate on football.

Zbikowski has a chance to start in his second season, as Ravens strong safety Jim Leonhard is a free agent who is unlikely to re-sign with the team. That leaves Zbikowski competing for the job with former starter Dawan Landry and Haruki Nakamura.

The Ravens have a new defensive coordinator, but he isn't new to Zbikowski. Greg Mattison also was defensive coordinator at Notre Dame for part of Zbikowski's time in South Bend, and he recruited him when Zbikowski was at Buffalo Grove High School.

"In college he was always hard on me and he held me to a high standard," Zbikowski said. "I'm looking forward to playing in his defense."

Along with his father Ed, Zbikowski also has been busy running his new business—Tommy Z's PureSpeed Sports Clinic in Palatine. The clinic trains athletes the way Zbikowski trained for the combine in 2008, where he ran a 4.44 40-yard dash and established himself as a third-round draft prospect.

Notre Dame offensive tackle Mike Turkovich and Winona State tight end Todd Burkoth are preparing for their pro days there, but Zbikowski says the clinic mostly is geared toward high school and middle-school athletes.

Quick hits: Free agency is looking less appealing by the hour, as almost all of the most attractive players with expiring contracts either have been tagged or re-signed.

•Perhaps the Bears could persuade offensive tackle John Tait to forgo retirement if they provide a few million "incentives."

•If Minnesota's Adrian Peterson follows through with his plan to bulk up to 230 pounds, they may have to change the rules to allow a 12th man on defense.

dpompei@tribune.com

Related topic galleries: Hospitals and Clinics, Contracts, Matt Leinart, O.J. Brigance, Football, Lou Gehrig, Injuries

Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune

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