The 2010 Heisman Trophy quarterback, Cameron (Cam) Newton of the Auburn Tigers, has decided to forgo his senior season on the Plains and enter the 2011 NFL Draft. He is projected to be a 1st Rounder, but there are some concerns with him.
Cam Newton's Running Ability
Newton's athletic abilities will dazzle every scout. He is an athletic freak of nature. He has been called the
Lebron James of College Football because of his unique size and agility. Newton is 6' 5" and weighs 255 to 270 pounds and has been clocked at 4.5 seconds in the 40 yard dash...his speed + size coming at you = a force you don't want to be the person trying to stop and tackle him in the open field. Newton is also able to stop and cut on a dime and shake defenders out of their shoes. When he's in the open field, he has every weapon in his arsenal to attack opposing defenses...speed to outrun them, the fluidity in his hips to juke-by them, a strong
Stiff-Arm to throw them down, and the power to put his shoulder down to get another 3-5 yards through them. See the post
Heisman Trophy Winner Cam Newton Top Ten Highlights: View and Vote for your favorite! and view the highlight clips for "
49 yard TD Run vs LSU," and "54 yard TD run vs South Carolina," Plows through Arkansas defenders showing his strength."
Cam Newton's Arm Strength
Newton's Arm Strength is also exceptional. He can sling it 40 yards while being hit after running out of the pocket and make it appear effortlessly. He definitely has an NFL caliber arm. See the post
Heisman Trophy Winner Cam Newton Top Ten Highlights: View and Vote for your favorite! and watch the highlight for "
Ridiculous pass to Kodi Burns vs Kentucky," "Hail Mary to Darvin Adams in SEC Championship Game," and the zip of his pass in the the highlight called "18 yard TD pass to Philip Lutzenkirchen vs Georgia."
Cam Newton's Passing Accuraccy and Decision Making
Newton completed 185 passes of 280 pass attempts for a 66.1% accuracy in his only year as a member of the Auburn Tigers. If you followed his season, you know his accuracy and decision making dramatically improved from the beginning of the year to the end. In his first 3 games, Newton's pass accuracy was 57.4% for 525 yards, 7 TD's, and 3 Interceptions. In his last 3 games, Newton's passing statistics jumped to a 68.6% completion percentage for 699 yards, 9 TD's, and 1 Interception. It was clear in the beginning of the year Newton was indecisive and held onto the ball too long. As the season progressed, he seemed to make better and faster decisions each week. This suggests, perhaps, Newton is a fast learner that is capable of maturing quickly.
It must be noted that he came out very rusty in the beginning of the BCS National Championship Game vs the Oregon Ducks after a 37 day layoff since he last played in the Sec Championship Game. He seems to need to get into rhythm and as a game and season progresses, so do his skills.
Cam Newton's Mechanics and Footwork
This is where Cam Newton has the most to improve. Sometimes having the arm strength of Newton can also be a thorn in one's passing game because they rely on it instead of maintaining good mechanics and footwork. Newton is one of these people. Throughout the season, Newton repeatedly threw off his back foot and on the run. On many of these throws, he fails to square up his body and use his hips as he steps into a throw. The good thing, however, is this can be taught and learned fairly easy.
The bigger issue for the team that draft's Cam is getting him adjusted for a Pro-Style Offense. Newton has played in the Spread, lining up in the gun for his entire football career. He is going to have to learn and adjust to taking snaps from under center, dropping back, and moving around the pocket. If he is able to do this, then he will be a star in the National Football League.
How good will the Heisman Trophy winner - Cameron (Cam) Newton - be as an NFL QB?
