NFL Draft preview: Quarterback

The college football season and the Senior Bowl are finished with the NFL Scouting Combine coming up before the NFL Draft. Here is our look in order of the top 10 quarterbacks available and a look back at their ranking and recruitment along with an opinion of each from Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell.

Recruiting: Cal offered Goff during its Junior Day visit weekend and about a month later he committed to the Golden Bears over offers from Washington State and Boise State along with interest from various Pac-12 programs.

Overview: Goff completed 341 of 529 passes for 4,719 yards with 43 touchdowns and 13 interceptions this season, leading the Golden Bears to an eight-win campaign.

Farrell’s take: I liked Goff a lot coming out of high school. I really liked the way he carried himself on and off the field and his relaxed personality which would help him in stressful situations like the 1-11 freshman season. He struggled at times this past year with decision-making, especially early, but he’s also been amazing at times and the finish to his season showed his accuracy and ability to make any throw. His upside keeps him at the top of the heap for 2016 quarterbacks. He’s a franchise guy.

Carson Wentz, North Dakota State

Ranking: Wentz was not ranked by Rivals.com.

Recruiting: In his senior season at Bismarck (N.D.) Century, Wentz threw for 1,285 yards and 12 touchdowns and also ran for 553 yards and 13 scores. The three-sport star was the North Dakota Class 3A Player of the Year but never received any serious Division I looks.

Overview: Wentz threw for 1,651 yards with 17 touchdowns and four interceptions and also rushed for six scores but his senior season was cut short because of a wrist injury. He missed eight games this season but came back to start the national title game.

Farrell’s take: Wentz was an unknown in high school hailing from North Dakota and getting zero interest from almost every program. He had great size and a strong arm and this is a case of a guy who just wasn’t found and ended up staying local. However, he didn’t always have those measurables as he started his high school career well below six-feet tall and was clearly a late bloomer. Now he’s being talked about as the No. 1 quarterback in the draft. I’m tempted to put him behind Paxton Lynch because I’m not all-in like most others.

Recruiting: Lynch committed to Memphis over Florida A&M close to National Signing Day. Florida showed late interest but decided not to offer.

Overview: Lynch completed nearly 67 percent of his passes for 3,776 yards with 28 touchdowns and four interceptions this season. He threw for 384 yards and three scores in a win over Ole Miss.

Farrell’s take: Florida A&M was his only other offer, but Lynch shows what can happen when a huge quarterback with mobility and a big arm takes time to develop and slow down the game, and when he has great coaches working with him. We liked his potential enough to make him a three-star because of those raw abilities, and I don't think anyone saw this coming. He had a rough outing against Auburn in the Birmingham Bowl, but I’m tempted to put him ahead of Wentz and even Goff when it comes to long-term potential. He could be the next Big Ben in time.

Recruiting: Michigan State offered Cook during Junior Day in February of his junior year and the Spartans immediately became the favorite. He committed in April before his senior season with Miami (Ohio) being Cook's only other offer at the time.

Overview: Cook completed 56 percent of his passes for 3,131 yards with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season. The Spartans finished 12-2 after losing to Alabama in the College Football Playoff.

Farrell’s take: Cook was up and down this season in the eyes of many, but you can't argue with his efficiency and the way he takes what a defense gives him. He can make all the throws and works well out of an offense that really relies on the run to get the passing game going. Cook was limited due to injury late in the season and he struggled down the stretch. Michigan State made the playoff, however, and Cook was a big reason why despite some concerns regarding his attitude and leadership. His interviews will be as important as his workouts. There’s a big drop from the top three to Cook.

Recruiting: Hackenberg committed to Penn State prior to sanctions levied against the program because of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal and stuck with the Nittany Lions despite late overtures by Auburn, South Carolina and others.

Overview: Hackenberg completed 53.5 percent of his passes for 2,525 yards with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions this past season.

Farrell’s take: Hackenberg entered this season as the potential No. 1 pick in the draft but he showed limited mobility, made some poor decisions under fire and his offensive line was worse than last year, which has hurt him and exposed weaknesses. The decision-making was a question mark out of high school as well, but he didn't look like the deer-in-headlights we see now, even with a weak offensive line at the prep level. However, his big arm, size and upside will make someone take him in round two, I’m sure. He is a former five-star because of those traits.

Recruiting: Allen’s father has been at Arkansas for years, plus he went to high school down the road, so playing for the Razorbacks always seemed like a certainty for Allen. Auburn and others gave pursuit but Allen committed to Arkansas more than a year before Signing Day.

Overview: Allen completed about 66 percent of his passes for 3,440 yards with 30 touchdowns and eight interceptions this season.

Farrell’s take: We liked Allen quite a bit as a top five pro-style guy out of high school and he has been a late bloomer on NFL lists because of his strong play this season and in the Senior Bowl. He was mobile and had a strong arm, but a lack of great size kept him outside the Rivals100 and he was in a weak quarterback year. This isn’t a great quarterback year for the NFL Draft either, so he could land in the middle or the late rounds if he can answer some questions about his size and late development.

Recruiting: Many believed Brissett would sign with Miami, but he picked Florida mainly because of then-offensive coordinator Charlie Weis despite the Gators already having quarterback Jeff Driskel in the class. Brissett eventually transferred from Florida to N.C. State.

Overview: Brissett completed 60 percent of his passes for 2,662 yards with 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also rushed for 370 yards and six scores.

Farrell’s take: I liked Brissett a ton and felt he was a complete steal from Miami when it came down to a battle between the two. He was raw and was a great athlete who focused as much on hoops as he did football, but we saw Rivals100 potential. After leaving Florida, he found a home at NC State and has flashed some of that ability, but he’s been very inconsistent. His athletic ability will be coveted and he can throw on the run, so watch for some team to pick him up in the middle of the draft unless he moves up with good performances for scouts between now and the draft.

Recruiting: Mississippi State landed Prescott’s commitment in the summer before his senior season. LSU offered as a quarterback late in the process and there was some consideration about flipping to the Tigers, but Prescott stuck with his first choice.

Overview: Prescott completed 66 percent of his passes for 3,793 yards with 29 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also rushed for a team-high 588 yards and 10 scores.

Farrell’s take: People forget about Prescott because his team never hit that hot streak it had a year ago, but he was very efficient all season and is a smart quarterback. He wasn't a major target of many programs and didn't even get the time of day from in-state power LSU until the very end of the process. He was a big dual-threat quarterback who wasn't overly fast but made good decisions on the field and had a good arm, and that's exactly what he shows today. He’s a leader, a high character kid and faced immense pressure as the only true weapon on his team, things that could translate well to the NFL.

Recruiting: Sudfeld picked Indiana a week or so before National Signing Day over offers from Arizona and New Mexico State.

Overview: Sudfeld completed 60 percent of his passes for 3,573 yards with 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also rushed for five TDs.

Farrell’s take: Sudfeld was an overlooked California quarterback who improved each year and was a steal for Indiana late after an early commitment to Arizona before Rich Rod took over and the offensive scheme was sure to change. The move to Indiana and the work he’s done under Kevin Wilson, who developed Sam Bradford at Oklahoma, has been career-changing for him. He was a big kid with a good frame but didn’t do anything great and made some poor decisions in high school and now he’s become very efficient. He could be a late-round steal.

Recruiting: Washington was possibly minutes away from landing Kessler's commitment when USC offered. UCLA offered the same day, but after visiting USC he couldn’t pass it up. Then-USC coach Lane Kiffin called Kessler a "spitting image" of former Trojans star QB Mark Sanchez.

Overview: Kessler completed about 67 percent of his passes for 3,536 yards with 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season.

Farrell’s take: Kessler doesn't make many mistakes, but he’s more of a game manager than a difference-maker and that will hurt his draft stock. He's smart with the ball and doesn't force things and the NFL loves good decision-makers, so he will be picked as a potential backup you might groom. As a high school prospect, he was in a weak quarterback class and was clearly one of the best in 2011. But given the fact that he was No. 2 at quarterback and all the way back at No. 71 overall, you could see we had some questions and many were about his arm strength.