Even in the age of the mobile passer, college quarterbacks who are two-way threats can be positional misfits in the NFL.
This year, Indiana's Antwaan Randle El and North Carolina's Ronald Curry are considered receivers by most teams. Clemson's Woodrow Dantzler was given a look at running back in the Senior Bowl. Eric Crouch, the Heisman winner from Nebraska, is thought of as either a strong safety or a running back. And Ohio State's Steve Bellisari probably will be tried at free safety.
Drafting a quarterback to play safety is like hiring a lawyer to remove your tonsils. A major learning curve is to be expected. Nolan Cromwell made the switch, but among those who have struggled include Scott Frost, Rex Kern and Jack Mildren.
"Defensive players have to be reactive," says one front office man who took part in drafting Frost out of Nebraska. "Frost is far better with the ball in his hands than when he has to see the play, break down, change direction and make the play. He missed a million tackles."
It helps when the player gets a head start by making the position switch in college, as Tampa Bay's John Lynch did while at Stanford.
The change will be much more problematic for Crouch, who has been strictly a quarterback and is resisting the idea of playing another position. Crouch, however, runs a lot better than he throws. His three-interception performance in the Hula Bowl last Saturday did not enhance his chances of getting a look at quarterback.
There are more examples of college quarterbacks who were successful switching to running back or receiver. Among them are Drew Pearson, Tony Martin, Brian Mitchell, Freddie Solomon, Ed Podolak and Bert Emanuel.
But it's not like an offensive transition is simple. Playing running back at the Senior Bowl, Dantzler looked like a sports car in a blizzard. Dantzler argues that quarterback is his best position, and he has the numbers to back him up. At Clemson, he was the first player in NCAA history to pass for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in the same year.
Scouts say he's too short at 5-10 and question his accuracy. But Atlanta's Michael Vick is only two inches taller, and he had accuracy issues, too. Like Vick, Dantzler has a top-rate arm and extraordinary running ability. If Vick can be the first pick in the draft, there is no reason why Dantzler can't be a mid-round pick as a quarterback.
