Arena League:
Ranked as the 23rd Quarterback in the Arena league in completion percentage with 59.7%
CDS Profile
A hot prospect in some circles, a real talented athlete with a strong arm. Not blazing fast but very elusive. Has only played in 8 college football games in his entire career and only has a 51.6% passing completion percentage. That's less experience than any freshman in the NCAA. Do you know any freshman quarterbacks ready for the NFL right now? His first seven games as a starter with FSU he looked pretty sharp, really looked promising and then he laid an egg on November 23, 2002, he looked horrible, was very inaccurate, he went 8 for 20, no TDs, with a 40% completion percentage in a 17-7 loss to NC State. That was his last game of college football. Adrian went on to play in the arena league, he did put up great overall stats in the arena league with the Indiana Firebirds, but if you closely at his arena stats he was more of a running quarterback, as a thrower, he was wildly innacurate and was ranked 23rd in completion % with a very poor 59.7%.
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Let's review: McPherson was charged with gambling on his own team's games. He was charged with stealing a blank check and cashing it. He was kicked off his college team. Clarett might not be Mother Theresa, but he is not a criminal. Furthermore, McPherson is far from a sure thing at quarterback, as some have made him out to be. He barely played at Florida State, having failed to beat out Chris Rix, a quarterback who might not get drafted.
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I don't want to hear about what McPherson did in the Arena League. In the 19-team league, 15 quarterbacks who made the minimum number of attempts completed a higher percentage of their passes. Seven threw for more yards per game. And three had a better passer rating. No one is talking about Mark Grieg, Tony Graziani or Clint Dolezel about being the next Michael Vick, are they? They outperformed McPherson in nearly every category.
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At this point, McPherson is more of an athlete than a quarterback and didn't test anywhere near as spectacularly at the Combine as some thought he might. At best, he is a developmental prospect with some interesting tools.
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Reportedly Adrian is back and making a strong push to be drafted, he has hired an agent and is looking good. Tall and slim, he recently measured just over 6-feet 3-inches and weighed around 220-pounds. He showed up at the 2005 Senior Bowl and reportedly interviewed nicely with some NFL scouts. Future Hall of fame quarterback Warren Moon called Adrian the best young quarterback prospect he has ever seen. Former NFL Quarterback and now Coach Steve DeBerg thinks McPherson has elite NFL talent. Ran a 4.69 forty at the NFL Combine but pulled up lame. He recently had a Pro Day workout but only 5 NFL Teams sent representatives. It's obvious some people are really in love with his size, speed and athleticism, but I see him more as a mid round draft pick and a trip to NFL Europe for a couple years or maybe even a conversion to wide receiver.
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Some have him rated higher than others. Draft Guru Mel Kiper has him rated as the 10 best QB and has him being drafted in the middle of the 4th round. But Scouts.com has him rated much higher, they have him as the 4th best QB and being drafted in the 2nd round. It's anybodys guess but he will definately get a legitimate opportunity to play in the NFL. It should be fun to watch.
2008 Draft Review
