Sam Bradford Scouting Report

Sam Bradford's first two seasons at Oklahoma are well documented. He threw for over 3,000 yards as a freshman and dominated the college football world as a sophomore, ending up with a trip to the BCS Championship game and a Heisman Trophy. Bradford could have been a first round pick after his sophomore season since he was draft eligible after redshirting in 2006. Then 2009 happened. Bradford hurt his shoulder early in the season and it took about a quarter of the Red River Shootout for the Longhorns to send Bradford back to the sidelines. Now we have to wait and see how serious this injury really is. Even if he does not take another collegiate snap, Bradford will be an extremely accurate passer and has a good arm when it is not in a sling. Bradford was considered by many to be the top player in this draft. But the short comeback from his injury raises a lot of questions. If he does not come back in 2009 (or comes back for another half before injuring his shoulder again), his stock will drop as NFL teams worry about his long-term health. One thing is for sure, if Bradford can stay healthy, he is the best quarterback in this class. 1/19 Update: Bradford missed the rest of the 2009 campaign, but he is still considered by many as the best signal caller in this class. Certainly he would be without the injuries and the injury problem seems to be a thing of the past. Bradford is a top five talent and his doctor is also the team doctor for the Redskins, who have the fourth overall pick in the draft. If he is healthy and available, do not expect him to have to wait until pick number five to hear his name called on draft day. 3/24 Update: Bradford did not participate in any drills during the NFL Combine and instead just showed up for the interviews. The Rams brass are talking with him and even his doctor who performed the surgery on his shoulder said he could very well end up being the first overall selection in the draft. However, the true test will be during his pro day on March 29th when Bradford will throw in front of scouts and coaches for the first time since his surgery. Barring a disaster, he will be a top four pick and quite possibly the first overall selection. 4/7 Update: Bradford finally threw for NFL teams and he did everything everybody expected of him. His shoulder issues appear to be a thing of the past and he is looking more and more like an NFL quarterback. And Bradford is looking more and more like the Rams' quarterback. St. Louis released Marc Bulger in early April and are certainly looking for a quarterback and Bradford appears to be the one they want.