NFL scouts think Greg McElroy is a sleeper as a late round QB

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Finding a Pro Football Hall of Fame-type quarterback, a Tom Brady (sixth round, No. 199 overall in 2000) or Bart Starr (17th round, No. 200), at the bottom of a draft is a once-in-a-generation-type shot at best.

Even landing a competent starter from the late-rounds or free-agent prospects, such as Dallas did with Tony Romo (undrafted in ’03) or the Packers did with Matt Hasselbeck (sixth round 1998) is a relative long-shot.

But with starter Aaron Rodgers only 27 years old, the Green Bay Packers would be plenty fine with uncovering another Matt Flynn.

The Packers figure to lose Flynn, a seventh-round pick in 2008 and their backup the last three seasons, either this year in a trade or next year in free agency. They have one possible replacement in Graham Harrell but no doubt would consider adding another in this draft if a quarterback they have a good feeling about is available in the late rounds or goes undrafted.

The hard part is identifying the right guy. In the last decade anywhere from four to 11 quarterbacks have been selected from the fifth to seventh rounds in a given draft, with anywhere from none to two of them ending up a good backup or possible starter.

Most drafts have at least one. This year it could be any of several players, depending on the scout consulted. But interestingly, of five scouts interviewed for their choice of the sleeper, late-round quarterback, four named Alabama’s Greg McElroy. One of them considers McElroy a better prospect than Flynn was coming out of college.

“(McElroy) has got some stuff,” the scout said. “A smart, tough guy. Played big games, won a lot of games. I think he’s got some stuff.”

Flynn was the last quarterback the Packers drafted and probably the best of the eight selected from the fifth round on in ’08. Pittsburgh’s Dennis Dixon, who played in college at Oregon, has shown some starting potential also, but the other six basically have been washouts: John David Booty (fifth round), Josh Johnson (fifth), Erik Ainge (fifth), Colt Brennan (sixth), Andre Woodson (sixth) and Alex Brink (seventh).

Flynn beat out a second-rounder, Brian Brohm, for the Packers’ backup job as a rookie and was overmatched when he had to replace an injured Rodgers against Tampa Bay that season. But he kept improving working under coach Mike McCarthy and quarterbacks coach Tom Clements, and by last season, in his one start in place of the concussed Rodgers, took Brady and the AFC East champion New England Patriots to the wire in a 31-27 loss.

Late-round quarterbacks come in all shapes and sizes, but they generally don’t have the physical talent of the quarterbacks drafted on the first two days. If they’re big and strong armed, they’re slow in delivery and foot speed. If they’re athletic, they lack arm strength, accuracy, or both. Many times they’re both smaller and weaker-armed than higher-rated players. But what sometimes gives them a chance is intelligence and intangibles.

That’s what the scouts consulted for this story liked about McElroy.

“He’s second-level arm strength, down-the-line arm strength,” a second scout said. “But a smart, heady guy, and he handles (pass rush) pressure.”

McElroy was a two-year starter at Alabama and, like Flynn in the 2007 season, led his talented team the national championship. He’s only a little on the small side at 6-1 7/8 and 220 pounds, and doesn’t have the arm talent of the quarterbacks rated in the first three rounds of this draft. He’s also not particularly athletic for a smaller quarterback (4.84-second 40, 33-inch vertical jump).

But he is unusually smart and had the high score (43) on the Wonderlic intelligence test among all players at this year’s combine, for whatever that’s worth. He’s also tough, which scouts say is critical at that leadership position, and has just enough ability at least to have a chance.

“He’s got that natural ‘It’ factor as far as leadership, he doesn’t waver much,” a third scout said. “He’s played in big games, he’s gone through the (coach) Nick Saban program, so I’d give him the nod over those (other late-round) guys.”

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