There are a handful of players in the NFL draft that could be taken #1 overall. The draft seems to offer many good running backs and a decent array of quarterbacks. Below I will tell you the best quarterback and running back in this year’s draft, as well as tell you who I think is the most overrated at each position.

Quarterback

Best 

Matt Ryan- They don’t call Matt Ryan “Matty Ice” for no reason. After following ACC football closely for the last few years, I can tell you that Matt Ryan is the best quarterback this conference has seen in a long time. I can assure you he is better than Chris Weinke. His pocket presence and savvy on the field are not matched by any quarterback in this draft. He seems to have an ability to raise his play in the fourth quarter, even if he has struggled most of the game. His height and size (6′5, 215 lbs) are also very good assets to have in the NFL, but his lack of elite arm strength and great mobility could give scouts some concern. Nevertheless, he reminds me of Tom Brady, because he almost always finds a way to win. I will be surprised if the Dolphins do not draft Matt Ryan with #1 pick. Though McFadden is great, the only other player I can see the Dolphins taking is Chris Long, from UVA.  The Dolphins are also fairly deep at running back, with Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams back on the roster…not to mention that Parcells will rarely draft a running back in the first round.

Most Overrated

John David Booty- I have watched Booty play a number of times in the last couple of years, and each time I came away with the same impression. He is soft. He is certainly a tall quarterback with a decent arm, but he has always been surrounded by incredible weapons at receiver and running back, as well as a great offensive line. He may turn out to be a decent NFL quarterback, but I don’t expect him to be durable enough to be a full-time starter.

Running Back

Best 

Darren McFadden- He is a fantastic football player. I expect him to have the same kind of rookie season as Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings had this year. McFadden is strong, explosive, and fast. His only weakness is his upright running style. However, I expect him to be a great running back in the NFL. McFadden and Chris Long of UVA may be the safest two picks in the draft. I also believe Kevin Smith will be better than some analysts predict. I look for him to be the second best RB out of this class. He didn’t have less than 100 total yards in any game this season.
 

Most Overrated

Jamaal Charles- Charles has been a fantastic running back at the collegiate level for the Texas Longhorns. He still may be a great running back in the NFL in the future. However, the one thing I notice on his resume is his average performances against upper-echelon teams. Charles seemed to have huge games against sub-par defenses, but could never have a breakout game against a top 25 team…except for in his bowl game against Arizona State, in which he racked up 161 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground. Still, ASU is a Pac-10 team. Other than USC, the Pac-10 doesn’t play a lot of defense. Charles also had a good game against UCF, but let’s not forget that Kevin Smith racked up 149 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground against Texas, a game when his quarterback went 9-26 for 134 yards. I would also think it is safe to say that Texas has a better defense and offensive line than UCF. It is not so much that Charles is not a good running back, but more so, that there are a good bit of running backs (Smith, Rice, Stewart, Mcfadden, Slaton, Johnson, etc) coming out that I think are better.  Who knows?…Charles may get drafted by a team with a good offensive line and receive Rookie of the Year honors. But, I doubt it.