Solving the “where to draft a QB” debate once and for all
Oct 17, 2019, 1:45 PM | Updated: 1:45 pm
For months, the debate has raged between Mike Evans and D-Mac as to the best way for a team to find a quality starting quarterback. On one side of the argument, Evans suggested that drafting one in rounds two through four were the way to go, a plan that D-Mac dubbed the “Khaki Pants Strategy.” On the other side of the debate, D-Mac put for his “Glennon / Trubisky Doctrine,” which promotes taking a quarterback in the first round, so long as it’s not with a pick in the 20s.
Round and round the two have gone, with Evans making his case in the mornings on 104.3 The Fan and D-Mac offering his rebuttal in the afternoons. At times, the back-and-forth has even made its way to Twitter, where both hosts point out examples that support their side of the debate.
On Thursday, a third option was put forth. This time, it was by the other co-host of “Schlereth and Evans,” as Mark Schlereth threw his “Minshew Manifesto” into the mix, suggesting that teams could find a quality young quarterbacks in rounds four through seven.
Who is ultimately correct? Is there any way to settle this ongoing debate?
Well, a look at the numbers provide a clue. Going back to the 2009 NFL Draft, 140 quarterbacks have been selected by the 32 NFL teams. Here’s how they’ve fared in terms of wins and losses, based on ProFootballReference.com:
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GLENNON / TRUBISKY DOCTRINE
Total QBs Picked Since 2009: 28
Number of QBs with a Winning Record: 12
Percentage of QBs with a Winning Record: 43%
Stars of the Group
Patrick Mahomes (2017 | No. 10) = 17-6
Jared Goff (2016 | No. 1) = 27-17
Flops of the Group
Blake Bortles (2014 | No. 3) = 24-49
Blaine Gabbert (2011 | No. 10) = 13-35
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KHAKI PANTS STRATEGY
Total QBs Picked Since 2009: 41
Number of QBs with a Winning Record: 8
Percentage of QBs with a Winning Record: 20%
Stars of the Group
Russell Wilson (2012 | No. 75) = 80-37-1
Jimmy Garoppolo (2014 | No. 62) = 13-2
Flops of the Group
DeShone Kizer (2017 | No. 52) = 0-15
Cody Kessler (2016 | No. 93) = 2-10
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MINSHEW MANIFESTO
Total QBs Picked Since 2009: 71
Number of QBs with a Winning Record: 6
Percentage of QBs with a Winning Record: 8%
Stars of the Group
Dak Prescott (2016 | No. 135) = 35-19
Kirk Cousins (2012 | No. 102) = 38-39-2
Flops of the Group
Zach Mettenberger (2014 | No. 178) = 0-10
Curtis Painter (2009 | No. 201) = 0-8
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So which strategy is best? Well, based on wins and losses, it looks like D-Mac’s game plan is the soundest approach.